![The first 727 made its last flight today after a long restoration to bring it back to flying condition.. Photo by: Clemens Vasters](https://avgeekery.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/727-last-flight-1024x683.jpg)
The week that was at Avgeekery.com. Here’s a look back at some of the top stories on our site from this week.
March 5, 2016
GROUNDED: An in-depth look of how and why the Boeing 717 series wasn’t a commercial success.
A POSITIVE STEP? The much-maligned and problem-plagued F-35 Joint Strike Fighter had a successful weapons test this week.
LAST FLIGHT: The original 727, an iconic three-engine jet that boosted commercial travel, made its last flight this week – a 15-minute hop to its final stop, a museum in Seattle.
747 STILL USEFUL: While production is being curtailed and many major airlines are phasing it out of their fleets, the 747 continues to have many uses.
GUILT OVER TRAGEDY: Thirty years after the space shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after launch, an engineer who argued against the launch is still haunted by the disaster.
VIDEO: JetBlue came up with a clever way to turn the nasty aspects of an election year into a great promotional contest.
VIDEO: A closer look at “Ed Force One,” the tricked-out 747 that’s carrying heavy metal band Iron Maiden on its world tour – with its lead singer at the controls.
VIDEO: An American who flew the British Spitfire on photo missions once had to make a wheels-up landing. Another veteran filmed it. Nearly 50 years later, the 16mm film was discovered. Some sleuthing connected the film to the pilot, who got to witness his emergency landing for the first time.