While I realise there is absolutely zero way of gathering enough evidence for this, it's an interesting idea to discuss, on which airliner across all history have most people taken their first flight? I would be surprised if it's not the 737 to be honest, but the largest number of first-time fliers may well be in Asia, and the A320 has also been there when the market started growing. The number is likely still growing today, and I do think it could be the A320 based on how airlines like AirAsia, Indigo and the Chinese airlines have grown, but then Ryanair, Southwest and Lion Air probably also have significant numbers.
So do we have any thoughts as to what the airliner will be, and why?
Regards,
Martin
Moderators: richierich, ua900, PanAm_DC10, hOMSaR
Re: On which airliner have most people taken their first flight?
Mine was on a 727 between SFO and LAX.
Your answer probably varies on your age, whether your folks took you on a long trip before you traveled on business, etc.
Your answer probably varies on your age, whether your folks took you on a long trip before you traveled on business, etc.
Re: On which airliner have most people taken their first flight?
Mine was on a 767, an Ansett 767-200 to be exact back in December 1991
Re: On which airliner have most people taken their first flight?
Mine was a Horizon F28-4000.
Re: On which airliner have most people taken their first flight?
Mine was probably an A310-200 of SQ, but I'm asking for what people think the most common first-time plane is for every single person who's ever flown on an airliner. It is pure guesswork, but interesting to see what your thinking is.
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- JerseyFlyer
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Re: On which airliner have most people taken their first flight?
Mine was a DC 3 from JER to SOU at 4 years old
Re: On which airliner have most people taken their first flight?
Ok my pseudo scientific approach would be looking at low cost airlines which have by far a much higher first-timer rate than he legacies. So I'm the US and the EU would indeed be the 737 (Southwest, Ryanair). In Southeast Asia and China though it might be the A320 (Air Asia, Spring Airlines, Juneyao). Funny enough for Japan I wouldn't be surprised if it was the 747 because there have been no low cost carriers until very recently, and the most flights catering to first timers like big domestic trunk routes and VFR routes to HI were historically operated by 747s.
Re: On which airliner have most people taken their first flight?
MrHMSH wrote:Mine was probably an A310-200 of SQ, but I'm asking for what people think the most common first-time plane is for every single person who's ever flown on an airliner. It is pure guesswork, but interesting to see what your thinking is.
It will differ when you look at different age groups and regions.
For people born after 1990 it will likely be 737s or A320s series aircraft.
Merely because of the numbers i service and the number of flights a NB does every day.
My first flight was a jumpseat on OY-MUF, a Fairchild F-27J from 1959!
Re: On which airliner have most people taken their first flight?
Mine was on a Delta DC-7 from Knoxville, Tn. to Atlanta in 1966.
Jim
Jim
Re: On which airliner have most people taken their first flight?
Mine was an Indian airlines A319 when I was 2 or 3 year old.... And yeah, in those days flying was a luxury.
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- B757Forever
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Re: On which airliner have most people taken their first flight?
A Braniff 727 from DFW-LBB.
Re: On which airliner have most people taken their first flight?
DC9. YUL-JFK in the 1960s.
Re: On which airliner have most people taken their first flight?
It should be same as the aircraft that has transported the most passengers throughout history. One factor is the number of aircraft built, another how many passengers it could squeeze in and the third factor how many times it has taken off.
The Boeing 737 has been built in 9600 examples and Airbus A320 family 7700. The 737 has been around for 50 years by now, so I am strongly inclined to think the 737 is the answer to the question.
(The DC3 was built in an enormous amount of examples, over 16000. However, over 10000 of them were military, (source, Wikipedia) and for the passenger planes the capacity was rather small with modern measures. It has not a chance to compete.
The widebodies can swallow much more passengers, but they also fly long distances which means they do not transport that many individuals a day. Compare, let's say two takeoffs with 400 pax in 24 hours versus six takeoffs with 150 pax. And they are not as many as the B737:s or A320:s).
For myself, the first airliner I flew was a Convair 440 Metropolitan at the age of four. and on a few more occasions during the year after that. Will never forget the piston engine roar at take off - those were the days!
The Boeing 737 has been built in 9600 examples and Airbus A320 family 7700. The 737 has been around for 50 years by now, so I am strongly inclined to think the 737 is the answer to the question.
(The DC3 was built in an enormous amount of examples, over 16000. However, over 10000 of them were military, (source, Wikipedia) and for the passenger planes the capacity was rather small with modern measures. It has not a chance to compete.
The widebodies can swallow much more passengers, but they also fly long distances which means they do not transport that many individuals a day. Compare, let's say two takeoffs with 400 pax in 24 hours versus six takeoffs with 150 pax. And they are not as many as the B737:s or A320:s).
For myself, the first airliner I flew was a Convair 440 Metropolitan at the age of four. and on a few more occasions during the year after that. Will never forget the piston engine roar at take off - those were the days!
Re: On which airliner have most people taken their first flight?
For me personally it was kind of an oddball for the US: An Air Wisconsin BAe-146 from RDU to ORD in 2003.
As a just an educated guess I agree that it's most likely to be the 737 (especially if we lump all the different 737 models together), but I suspect it will just be a small plurality. Obviously a fair amount will be on A320 series as well, and probably a not insignificant number on various regional jets, older folks like we've seen in this thread who flew on older generation aircraft. And then outliers like me who first flew on something completely different (unless you lump the 146 in with regional jets).
As a just an educated guess I agree that it's most likely to be the 737 (especially if we lump all the different 737 models together), but I suspect it will just be a small plurality. Obviously a fair amount will be on A320 series as well, and probably a not insignificant number on various regional jets, older folks like we've seen in this thread who flew on older generation aircraft. And then outliers like me who first flew on something completely different (unless you lump the 146 in with regional jets).
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- redzeppelin
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Re: On which airliner have most people taken their first flight?
My first was on a Delta L-1011, SLC-JFK, in 1997. That also turned out to be my last flight on the TriStar.
Re: On which airliner have most people taken their first flight?
I know this thread is nowhere near a large enough sample to be statistically significant, but I find it interesting that so far not a single person has said their first flight was on a 737, and only one A320 series. That could be selection bias, though. It's possible people who flew on something different are more likely to speak up.
Re: On which airliner have most people taken their first flight?
SQ 747-300 HKG - SIN
Re: On which airliner have most people taken their first flight?
My first flight was on an East West Airlines (Australia - now defunct) Fokker F27 flying from Melbourne to Wynyard.
Re: On which airliner have most people taken their first flight?
An EI 1-11, but I'd agree that it's likely to be 737s with A320 series in second place
Re: On which airliner have most people taken their first flight?
Lingon wrote:It should be same as the aircraft that has transported the most passengers throughout history.
Totally agree. Given there is no other way I can come up with to determine the answer to the OP's question, very simply, yours would have to be the correct answer.
Since everyone seems to be mentioning their first aircraft flown on, my intro to flying was on a UA 720, SAN-SFO, back in the early '60s.
bb
Re: On which airliner have most people taken their first flight?
I'm glad I wasn't the only one. Capital Airlines DC-3.-
- AndyrewLGW
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Re: On which airliner have most people taken their first flight?
BA 777-200 LHR-IAD in early 2001.
Re: On which airliner have most people taken their first flight?
My first flight was on a BA 747 in May 1987 LGW-MCO. Flight number is the same as my username.
Re: On which airliner have most people taken their first flight?
1984
British Midland DC9-15 G-BMAC LHR-GLA
British Midland DC9-15 G-BMAC LHR-GLA
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- Wingtips56
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Re: On which airliner have most people taken their first flight?
I flew cross-country as an infant in 1956, so I have no idea what flights were involved.
The first as old enough to notice was United DC-6, SAC-SFO, in June 1966. (SMF opened a year later.) We connected to UA 727 SFO-SEA-YVR. Coming back, we were delayed a week by the big multi-airline strike of Summer '66. Eventually TWA found us seats a week later, AA 727 BOS-JFK, and AA 707 JFK-SFO. Got my first airliner models from a flyer on board the latter, which turned eventually into an airline career.
The first as old enough to notice was United DC-6, SAC-SFO, in June 1966. (SMF opened a year later.) We connected to UA 727 SFO-SEA-YVR. Coming back, we were delayed a week by the big multi-airline strike of Summer '66. Eventually TWA found us seats a week later, AA 727 BOS-JFK, and AA 707 JFK-SFO. Got my first airliner models from a flyer on board the latter, which turned eventually into an airline career.
Re: On which airliner have most people taken their first flight?
Vickers Viscount in 1969, AC, YUL-YOW.
Beech
Beech
Re: On which airliner have most people taken their first flight?
My first flight was on a channel airways viscount from Southend to Guernsey.
Re: On which airliner have most people taken their first flight?
22-11-1994, KL775, DC10, AMS-CCS-BON. I've yet to figure out the registration 
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- LGAviation
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Re: On which airliner have most people taken their first flight?
Lufthansa 747-200 on FRA-MIA in Feb 1997
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- PatrickZ80
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Re: On which airliner have most people taken their first flight?
My first flight was on a 757-200 with Air Holland when I was a kid (Amsterdam - Faro). Air Holland doesn't exist anymore, but until a few years ago that plane was still around. It had been converted into a freighter and was flying for FedEx.
Of course back then I didn't know how lucky I was to fly a 757 since it's pretty rare. Most of my flights afterwards have been on a 737-800.
Of course back then I didn't know how lucky I was to fly a 757 since it's pretty rare. Most of my flights afterwards have been on a 737-800.
Re: On which airliner have most people taken their first flight?
I feel like it may have been a trans-Tasman 767, but the earliest flight I can reasonably recall was an Air New Zealand 737-200 AKL-CHC-DUD. I know it was 1992 because even though I was barely 4 I was gutted at missing the Air Expo at AKL.
Re: On which airliner have most people taken their first flight?
My first Northeast DC-6B LGA-BOS 1964.
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- george77300
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Re: On which airliner have most people taken their first flight?
My first was BA B752 on LHR-MXP in April 2000.
Re: On which airliner have most people taken their first flight?
Delta 727 SLC-PHX
Re: On which airliner have most people taken their first flight?
Delta DC-8-51, MSY-SJU, April 1961 aged 6 months, Mom said I had a great time lol.
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Sent from my SM-N920T using Tapatalk
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- Kent350787
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Re: On which airliner have most people taken their first flight?
Airlines of NSW F27 SYD-WGA-SYD
Re: On which airliner have most people taken their first flight?
737-200 Pacific Western Airlines YLW-YVR 1977
Re: On which airliner have most people taken their first flight?
PSA Lockheed Electra Jet LAX-SFO
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- RoySFlying
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Re: On which airliner have most people taken their first flight?
I would hazard a guess as the 737 family simply due to its longevity, the number of variants and the huge growth in passenger movements since its introduction.
The aircraft I first flew was a Canadair C-4 Argonaut with British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC), departing Tripoli, Libya for London in 1956.
The aircraft I first flew was a Canadair C-4 Argonaut with British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC), departing Tripoli, Libya for London in 1956.
Re: On which airliner have most people taken their first flight?
CO 737-130 ROC-EWR 1989
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- bgboiflyer
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Re: On which airliner have most people taken their first flight?
AS Q400 when was one back when they did BOI-LAX
Re: On which airliner have most people taken their first flight?
Mine was on Eastern Airlines Flight 655, a DC-9-31, all the way from Lexington, KY (LEX/KLEX) to Louisville, KY (SDF/KSDF), back on 13 August, 1971. The Youth Fare (YZ) at the time was $12.00. Frankly, I'm shocked that I'm the first one to say that my first flight was on an aircraft from the DC-9 / MD-80 / Boeing 717 family!
Re: On which airliner have most people taken their first flight?
My first flight was JNB - JFK aboard an SA 747 in July 1983. I don't know if it was an -SP or a -200B. I recall my mother making a note of the plane's name, but for the life of us, we've not been able to find it. It may have been on one of the cassettes my mother recorded for my grandmother. We flew via Ilo do Sol -- and I remember standing in the doorway and it being both hot and humid. The in-flight movie was Tootsie! The seating must have been 3-4-2, since I recall the four of us sitting in two rows of two seats each and uncomfortably close to the smoking section. I was 11 at the time.
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- oldannyboy
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Re: On which airliner have most people taken their first flight?
My first flight was on a BEA Trident3B when I was only 6 months old....
Re: On which airliner have most people taken their first flight?
My first was a British Caledonian BAC 1-11 from LGW-TUN.
Given the number of 737s built and the length of time they have been operational I wouls guess that would be the one that has seen the most first time flyers.
Given the number of 737s built and the length of time they have been operational I wouls guess that would be the one that has seen the most first time flyers.
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- dc9northwest
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Re: On which airliner have most people taken their first flight?
My first flight/first airliner: TWA 747 SFO-JFK. August 1971
Re: On which airliner have most people taken their first flight?
Mine was an AA 707 ORD/LAX in 1967
As for the OP's question - I'd probably have to go with the 737 simply because there's o darned many of them that it makes the odds greater that a given person would have had a flight one
As for the OP's question - I'd probably have to go with the 737 simply because there's o darned many of them that it makes the odds greater that a given person would have had a flight one
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- American 767
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Re: On which airliner have most people taken their first flight?
Mine was probably on a KLM DC-9. Because when I was a baby, in 1970, me, my parents and grand parents flew from AMS to BCN. According to my father, it was KLM that we flew on. So that's how I figured it was a DC-9. Because in 1970 KLM was flying only two types, AFAIK: the DC-8 and the DC-9, and maybe the Fokker F-28. Were they still flying props at that time? Fokker F-27 maybe. The last DC-6 and Constellation had left the fleet already. I know for sure the 747 and the DC-10 were not in service yet with KLM.
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