United Airlines is operating teh final revenue flight of its 737 fleet today (10-28-09) as UAL737 from IAD./.ORD./.DEN./.LAX./.SFO…
Tim
Today in the sky is on board:
I wonder if they’ll use UAL9737 to send it to the boneyard. 
They’re using 737 as the flight number for today’s flights. It’s scheduled to depart Denver for LAX at 3:43 PM EDT
flightaware.com/live/flight/UAL737
Don’t know 'bout the boneyard trip, but 9737 sounds logical and appropriate!
It’s also the retirement flight for the Captain,
*Chicago-based Captain Bob Russo loves piloting the “guppy” so much that he decided long ago that if United ever retired the B737, that would also be his cue to exit.
Bob, who has logged more than 17,000 hours in B737 cockpits, has been a United pilot since June 1978 and except for a few years in the B727, has flown the B737 on milk-run hops ever since. He will be the captain on October 28 for three legs of Flight 737, our last revenue trips for the fleet.
The flight starts at Washington Dulles at 0600 that morning, with Dulles Regional Chief Pilot Walt Clark at the controls. It then flies to Chicago-O’Hare, where Bob will take over.
He will fly, with First Officer Paul Fletcher, to Denver, then Los Angeles, and finally to San Francisco, where he will be greeted by a water cannon salute when the plane taxis to the gate at about 1800.
“We have more modern, advanced planes in our fleet now,” Bob says. "But the fact is, the 737 is the most fun to fly, and the most hands-on.
“I know that’s unusual at an airline like United,” Bob says. “Most pilots want to fly the bigger equipment and handle the glamorous routes. But I know I wouldn’t look forward to coming to work if I had to fly 14 hours nonstop. I like flying out to the smaller airports, picking up people and taking them back to O’Hare, the busiest airport in the world.”
Bob grew up near Chicago’s Midway Airport when it, not O’Hare, was considered the busiest airport in the world. He still lives on the same block.
"Commercial airliners were always flying over my head, and from as early as I can remember, I wanted to be a commercial airline pilot – a specific type of commercial airline pilot.
“When I was 12, I read an article in Flying magazine, called ‘The Best Job in the World.’ It was written by a North Central Airlines captain flying DC-3s out of O’Hare, and described his typical day. It was all short-haul flying. That’s exactly the kind of flying I wanted to do.”
Bob took flying lessons at Midway starting at age 15, and soon earned his commercial and instrument rating. He was a flight instructor and charter pilot during and after college, “the best civilian way to build flight hours.” When United was hiring pilots in the late 1970s, Bob was accepted and started flight training in Denver in 1978.
United attracted Bob in part because it offered “such a wide array of routes. It satisfied a lot of what I wanted to do.” It also enabled Bob to stay in his hometown except for his first year, when he was based in Cleveland.
Bob has landed B737s about 5,500 times; when he touches down in San Francisco at dusk on October 28, he will be greeted by a rare water cannon salute. He’ll have his wife, Sherry, with him on the final flight. After returning to Chicago, Bob plans on spending much of his retirement time flying his Cessna 182, for pleasure and also as a volunteer for Angel Flight, which provides free air transportation for charitable and medical needs.
“I understand the hard decisions we need to make,” Bob said about the fleet retirement, “but it’s really a shame that we’re not going to have the guppy anymore. I’ve always considered the B737, particularly the 737-200, the ultimate flying machine.”*
flightaware.com/live/flight/UAL7 … /KIAD/KORD
flightaware.com/live/flight/UAL7 … /KORD/KDEN
flightaware.com/live/flight/UAL7 … /KDEN/KLAX
flightaware.com/live/flight/UAL7 … /KLAX/KSFO
UAL went from being the best airline to just plain pathetic.
That’s right. Good way to put it.
Anyone notice this
flightaware.com/live/flight/UAL7 … /KDEN/KSFO
Looks like the last one is tomorrow (though it might just be an error).
On an added note, it seems that the company William BOEING built is falling to the Europeans.
That must be UAL Flight 737 resuming its usual route/schedule. The error must be that it’s still listed as a 737-300 
The previous history shows it as an A320/A319. UAL’s Web site lists tomorrow’s flight as an A320.
We don’t know the actual aircraft type until a few hours in advance of the flight (that’s why it’s in italics). I fixed the predicted type for that flight.
Question from a somewhat newbie in this field. How does one find out about “last runs” like this, besides places like FlightAware? I know the time is coming for the last Delta (Northwest) DC-9 flight and really want to be on that. Can anyone recommend websites or other resources for me to keep an eye on? Thanks.
The last DL/NW DC-9 flight will be several years from now as the DC-9-50 will be around a while.
Sadly, the last DC-9-30 and DC-9-40 flights are probably less than a year away.
Stay tuned here, somebody will have the scoop.
On the UA737, it is supposed to operate from this point forward with a 320.
Excellent point. Two of his companies are in shambles.
Thanks. I lived in KLAN for three years 2000-2003 and DC-9-10’s, -30’s and -50’s (oddly enough, never a -40) kept me connected to KORF during that time. Throw in a couple of Saab 340’s and, yes, even 727-200’s for good measure. I understand why they’ll be retired but hate to see them go.
I love the older planes and especially the DC9 and the 732. Never got to fly on a -40 either. Powerbacking from the gate was just the coolest thing ever, too bad nobody does that any more. Gonna miss the DC9 when it is gone.
Here’s some pics of United through the years,
chicagotribune.com/business/ … otogallery
pics of the last 737 flight,
chicagotribune.com/business/ … otogallery
The first time I powerbacked from the gate with a DC-9 was the second day that the new terminal at KDTW was open. I had flow through the old terminal headed to KORF on Friday and, in classic form, arrived at the G gate prop plane terminal and departed from the furthest C gate.
So on my trip back on Sunday, after marveling in the new terminal, I boarded my DC-9 to Lansing. Doors close, engines spool up (with the classic whoop-whoop-whoop starter warning that you can only hear in a DC-9) and we prepare to, I think, shove back with a tug. Next thing I know the pilot throttles up forward, stops quickly then puts in in full thrust reverse. I was in love. 
Have to admit I was bored the next time I came through KDTW and had an Airbus.
I experienced a power-back recently, I think it was AA @ DFW.
If they can do that, then why do they do push-backs?
Did a powerback on AA years ago, didn’t know they were still doing them.
Last two times I was on a NW DC9 (2006) they both did powerbacks but ever since late 06 or early 07 they are not supposed to do them anymore except in case of emergency (broken tug or no tug traction on ice).
Somebody said Air Tran will still do them every now and then. Never seen it, but did hear on the radio at MSY one day an AT pilot asking for permission to powerback for ‘training purposes’.
I think when fuel was cheaper and engine costs and maintnenance were not so high, it was more economical to powerback. Now with higher operating costs, it is more cost effective to delay the engine startup and use the tug to push back. Also have the risk of sucking something into the engines and at the gate that could be a disaster. Also there is probably more risk in doing it as the pilots roll the plane forward a few feet first and then hit reverse, so if anything goes wrong you could possibly hit the terminal. I think the pilots would say it’s safer to use the tug so I don’t think they miss powerbacking much but it sure was fun to watch and experience.
Why don’t you take that on as a school project today and develop the most likely scenarios as to why powerbacks aren’t more common.
Keep it to two pages, double spaced and post a synopsis tomorrow.
You’ll be graded for punctuation and spelling and this will count for 25% of your final grade.