 One has to remember when McDonnell Douglas delivered that DC-9-30 to Playboy Enterprises back in November of 1969, it took corporate aircraft flying to an entirely new level. Older a.netters can fill in the history behind Pacific Airmotive outfitting the aircraft in BUR and the problems certifying the APU after Hefner insisted on a heat absorbing, low albedo all-black paint job. Yet when Hef and Barbie Benton flew aboard the Big Bunny the plane probably seemed a technological marvel and the size of today's Airbus A380.
The biggest mystery is what the aircraft's true fuel capacity was. What additional fuselage tanks were installed to turn this short-range airliner into one with international capability? According to one source the publicity boast that it "could fly anywhere in the world" was a gross overstatement; the little DC-9 had a very tough time crossing the Atlantic westbound. As it turned out it only had to on a couple of occasions; nearly all the 191 Playboy flights were from ORD to Los Angeles and return.
An interesting book titled Bunny provides a tantalizing take on the mid-life years of Hugh Hefner, including an hilarious effort to turn the notorious homebody into a globe-trotting bon vivant. And N950PB was just the 119 foot, 3 inch vehicle to show the world that Hugh Marsten Hefner was the man they called Mr. Excitement. This was a daunting task as Hefner was not athletic enough to climb Kilimanjaro or the Matterhorn, eschewed fancy restaurants and his wardrobe consisted almost entirely of silk PJ's. Nevertheless, on July 28, 1970 the all-black McDonnell Douglas aircraft took-off from O' Hare and pointed its nose eastward, enroute to London- with a refueling stop. Aboard were a plane load of Hefner's buddies like the late Gene Siskal, some airborne bunnies for pleasant scenery and Hef's all-important brother Keith.
That single highly publicized junket on the Big Bunny; to what turned out to be essentially an international hop-scotch tour of Hilton hotels in Europe and Africa, became the highlight of the aircraft's six years of ownership with Playboy Enterprises. After visiting the usual high points of Morocco and Kenya in Africa, the all-black corporate plane made stop-and-goes in Rome and Athens before Hef and Barb had a last memorable dinner at Maxim's in Paris. In the sacred kitchen of some the greatest culinary chef's of Europe, the staff were forced to learn the correct Playboy procedure to making fried chicken "just the way they do at KFC Kentucky Fried Chicken." Understandably by that time, Hef was irretrievably home-sick and the aircraft's supply of his favorite Wonder Bread had all but dried up. On August 28, 1970 the Big Bunny returned to Chicago from it's most famous mission with it's chief resident more positive than ever that there was no place like home.
|
|
Sponsor Message: 
From Norway, joined Aug 2006, 525 posts, 
From United States, joined Feb 2004, 3364 posts, 
From Switzerland, joined Oct 1999, 1833 posts, 
.gif){kind=small}
From United Kingdom (Scotland), joined Oct 2007, 136 posts, 
From Mexico, joined May 2005, 2 posts, 
From Germany, joined Dec 2004, 4493 posts, 
From Canada, joined Feb 2008, 80 posts, 