DALLAS — Today, in 1964, the three-engined Boeing 727 entered service with launch customer Eastern Air Lines (EA), one of the "Big Four" domestic airlines created by the Spoils Conferences of 1930.

With airlines phasing the 727 out in favor of those newer, more efficient planes, Boeing had little reason to keep the 727 around. Read more: 12 Smart Gadgets You Didn't Know Existed Despite the ...