By Kevin Wilkins
In December 2025, a chapter in aviation history quietly came to a close when VP-BAP, one of the last operational Boeing 727s in VIP configuration, completed what was likely its final flight. At the controls for that historic journey was Captain David Morrison, a pilot whose relationship with the Boeing 727 spanned more than four decades. For Morrison, the flight to Kingman, Arizona, was not merely a ferry flight to retirement—it was the emotional conclusion of a lifetime spent flying one of the most iconic airliners ever built. VP-BAP was no ordinary Boeing 727. The aircraft was a Boeing 727-21, manufacturer’s serial number 19260, first flown on December 5, 1967. Delivered new to Pan American World Airways as N358PA and named Clipper Flotte Motte, the jet began its career during the golden age of global airline travel. Like many early 727s, it would eventually pass through several owners and registrations over the decades, including N727SG, N727LA, and N727GP. In its later years it became the privately owned aircraft of British billionaire Geoffrey Palmer and was operated by Malibu Consulting Corp.
Despite being part of the 727-100 family, VP-BAP was extensively modified. Among its most notable upgrades were Valsan engine modifications that replaced the aircraft’s original JT8D engines with more powerful JT8D-217 powerplants similar to those used on the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 series. These modifications improved performance and efficiency, allowing the aircraft to remain competitive and operational long after most early 727s had been retired.
The airplane also benefited from significant avionics modernization during its later life. By the time of its retirement, VP-BAP was fully equipped with FANS 1/A capability, ADS-B Out and In, CPDLC datalink communications, worldwide internet connectivity, and modern navigation systems including 8.33 kHz communication spacing. It was compliant with SFAR-88 fuel system safety requirements and capable of carrying up to 70,000 pounds of fuel—an impressive transformation from the early days of the 727, which Morrison jokingly refers to as the era of the “B727-200 Lead Sled.”
Yet the airplane’s most remarkable chapter came in its role as a luxurious private aircraft. Outfitted in a VIP configuration, the jet continued flying long after commercial operators had phased out the type. For years it remained one of the last operational VIP-configured Boeing 727s anywhere in the world, an increasingly rare sight that attracted attention wherever it appeared. Few people knew the aircraft as intimately as Captain David Morrison. Morrison had been flying Boeing 727s since the 1980s, serving in all three cockpit positions throughout his career. Like many pilots of his generation, he witnessed the transition of aging commercial airliners into the world of private and VIP aviation during that decade. Over time he became deeply involved in managing and operating these aircraft, eventually taking on broader responsibilities beyond simply flying them.
“I’d been flying the 727, in all three seats, since the 1980s,” Morrison recalls. “I got caught up in the VIP transition of these airplanes in the 1980s, and managing these airplanes in the early 2000s.” He began flying VP-BAP in 2015 and later assumed management of the aircraft in 2019 when the previous director retired after fifteen years. That former director, a veteran of the program himself, was aboard the airplane for its final flight to Arizona. “Even into his eighties,” Morrison noted, “I have no doubt that he could have flown that leg for me—and would have if I could have cleared it with our insurer.” Before joining the operation of VP-BAP, Morrison had managed and flown another Valsan-modified 727 for a private owner. In between his years flying the tri-jet, he briefly transitioned into airline operations, earning a Boeing 737 captain’s qualification with a Part 121 carrier. The experience, however, never quite matched his connection to the older aircraft. “I never got as comfortable in the 737 as I was in the 727,” he says. “I missed the VVIP world, so I left my 121 job for the VIP world and never looked back.” Morrison also holds type ratings in several business jets—what he jokingly calls “Barbie Jet airplanes”—but for him, none compare with the distinctive presence of the 727.
“There’s nothing like an arrival at an airport, seeing hundreds of fence-hangers visually recording our every movement,” he says. “The 727 is, by far, the best airplane I have ever flown.” That enthusiasm from aviation enthusiasts followed VP-BAP wherever it traveled. The aircraft became something of a legend among spotters and photographers who recognized its rarity. Morrison himself followed the online community closely. “I have seen every picture that has been publicly posted on the Internet, and read every post,” he says, offering his thanks to the many photographers who documented the airplane throughout its life. The final flight to Kingman, Arizona, however, was a profoundly personal moment. “I recently delivered our private VIP Valsan Boeing 727-100 to Kingman, Arizona, for what is likely to be its final flight,” Morrison wrote after the journey. “I was the pilot in the left seat. It was a terribly emotional time for me, knowing that it was likely to be the last time I would shut off the three-star levers and reach up to turn off the rotating beacon, just as I had done thousands of times before.”
After fifty-eight years in the air, the aircraft’s journey had reached its conclusion. For Morrison, the realization carried unexpected weight. “I did not expect this to be as emotional as it has turned out to be,” he admitted. “This has affected me much harsher than I expected it would.” Throughout its final decades, keeping the aircraft flying required significant dedication and financial commitment. Morrison is quick to credit the aircraft’s owner, Geoffrey Palmer, for making that possible. “For years, he has financed whatever it took to keep this airplane airworthy, and it wasn’t cheap,” Morrison explains. “The financial burden of operating this airplane for the past 22 years was immense.” Palmer’s commitment ensured the aircraft never fell behind on maintenance or upgrades, allowing VP-BAP to remain one of the best-equipped and best-maintained Boeing 727s still flying anywhere in the world. Maintenance support also played a crucial role. Morrison expressed particular gratitude to Stambaugh Aviation in Brunswick, Georgia (KBQK), whose technicians maintained the airplane, as well as Global One International in Sanford, Florida (KSFB), which kept flight crews current on the increasingly rare 727 type rating.
As with many iconic aircraft, rumors occasionally surface about the possibility of a return to service through a sale or restoration. Morrison acknowledges the speculation but remains cautious. “There has been talk of resurrecting the airplane through a sale, or from the owner,” he says, “but I am somewhat doubtful that anything will occur from the rumors.” For now, VP-BAP rests quietly in the Arizona desert, its career spanning nearly six decades—from Pan Am’s jet age to the twilight years of privately operated classic airliners. For Captain David Morrison, however, the airplane will always represent far more than a machine. It was a constant companion throughout much of his professional life, a symbol of a remarkable era in aviation when the distinctive howl of three JT8D engines signaled the arrival of one of the most recognizable aircraft ever built. And on that final day in December 2025, when the engines spooled down for the last time and the rotating beacon went dark, Morrison closed the book on a career defined by the airplane he loved most. “The 727,” he says simply, “is the best airplane I have ever flown.”
