Boeing 707 Barrel Roll - Pilot Tex Johnston Performs Roll In Dash-80 Prototype Aircraft In 1955

http://AviationExplorer.com - NEWLY EDITED VERSION
As part of the Dash 80s demonstration program, Bill Allen invited representatives of the Aircraft Industries Association and International Air Transport Association to the Seattle's 1955 Seafair and Gold Cup Hydroplane Races held on Lake Washington on August 6, 1955. The Dash-80 was scheduled to perform a simple flyover, but Boeing test pilot Alvin "Tex" Johnston instead performed a barrel roll to show off the jet airliner. The next day, Allen summoned Johnston to his office and told him not to perform such a maneuver again, Johnston's assertion that doing so was completely safe. Boeing Chief Test Pilot John Cashman stated that just before he piloted the maiden flight of the Boeing 777 on June 12, 1994, his last instructions from then Boeing President Phil Condit were "No rolls".

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  Science & Technology

[cmucky]

Back in the day when being a bad ass didn't get you fired.

[green1gecko]

Turns out it's illegal to fire a test pilot named "Tex".

[StellarBlue1]

I remember as a kid, telling the other kids that a 707 did a barrel roll once upon a time. Most never believed me. I can tell you that Boeing aircraft became my favorite in those early years and has stayed my favorite Airplane Company to this day. There are so many stories of legendary Boeings and the amazing thing those babies did. Made no difference whether at peace or war. Whenever I think of aeroplanes that "Can Do", I inevitably think of Boeing aeroplanes.

[Anton Kuznetsov]

:)



[fatandy5250]

He did get fired for this stunt but was immediately rehired.

[evercllear]

If Chuck Norris was a test pilot.

[yamahonkawazuki]

didn't they peel apart at the winfows, ( IIRC they were rectangular in shape. a lot easier for fatigue/stress cracks to form there)

[Johnny Rottencrotch]

gtc1961,

You forgot the CIC.

[gtc1961]

What happened to people like this?  Now we have Justin Bieber and Rosie O'Donnell. Sad.

[GSMSfromFV]

Johnson's total statement was that Boeing was going to have the first jet (for passenger service) that was going to shrink the world by a factor of 2 as measured in flight time (in relation to prop planes). In 1955, the Comet 3 had a cruising speed of 520mph, and the 707 had a cruising speed of 619mph (per Wikipedia).  I'm assuming this faster speed of the 707 was what Johnson was referring to.

[Jacob Chennault]

Tex Johnston was the first, but he wasn't the only one.

After entering service, 707s would sometimes be taken on ferry flights (no passengers or cargo, just flight crew)

Crews assigned to these flights often decided to have a bit of fun en route. Once up to cruising altitude over some flyover state, they would switch off the autopilot and do a barrel roll for the heck of it.

BTW Five people worked on the DC-8 program.

[Waterfor Jeremiah]

Alpha males doing alpha things.