The Arrivals Board

It's gotta be one of the strange convergences in the universe...when one gorgeous classic 727 shows up on the Mojave ramp, another pulls in right beside it. Such was the scene at the end of last week as two private palaces of the sky stopped by FTA for some maintenance.

First to arrive was 727-30 N665DH, which, as line number 52 has the distinction of being the oldest 727 still operating. A 1964 model, this old gal was originally delivered to Lufthansa as D-ABIH, and later was owned by Prince Talud bin Abdul Aziz al Saud. It was recently acquired, refitted and reregistered by Clementine Aviation, a private VIP flight department operating out of Florida.

Joining the Queen of 727s is a plane that has been "said to be one of the world's most stylish aircraft". N311AG, a 727-17 known informally as "the Jetty", is the ride of Ann Getty, daughter-in-law of J. Paul Getty. The plane originally flew in bold orange colors for CPAir (click for a photo on Airliners.net) and later as Revlon's corporate aircraft (for a company whose business is beauty, the gray colors they chose - see al.net pic - seem rather hideous!), before being picked up by the Gettys.

Her family's billions notwithstanding, Mrs. Getty has established herself as a premier interior designer, with a special eye for fabrics and patterns found in the most obscure corners of the world. An acknowleged "demon shopper", Getty uses her 727 to travel the world in search of fabrics and her other passion, antiques. She is quoted on her website, anngetty.com, as saying "My inspiration comes from my travels, the artisans and craftsmen I meet along the way and my clients." And how better to travel the world in search of treasures than on such a classic plane?