A Delta 757-200 landing at Princess Juliana airport on St Maarten- note the beak & landing gear (Aero Icarus / Flickr)
Pilots, planespotters and aviation buffs can quickly recognize nearly every aircraft type from the ground or in the air.
But it’s not so easy for the rest of us.
To help TravelSkills readers confidently recognize what they see overhead or out on the runway, we are going to offer up a series of posts dedicated to Planespotting 101. (Here are the two previous post about the Boeing 717 and MD80/90 series and Boeing 737 vs Airbus A320)
Nearly everyone has an opinion about the Boeing 757. Most economy class passengers loath the narrow body because of the tight 3×3 seating and length of the fuselage. (Have you ever had to squeeze into row 48? Ick.)
However, airlines love the 757 for its ability to haul large numbers of passengers (around 200) across long distances using as little fuel as possible. Some airlines even use 757s on transatlantic runs these days. First class passengers like the 757 because of the relative isolation and peace of the first class cabin, which is separated from economy by a galley or lavatory.
The 767 is more beloved because it is a wide body (two aisles) which gives it a much more open feel on the inside. Depending on version, it carries around 250 passengers. United flew the first 767 in 1982, and in 1985, it was the first two-engine aircraft allowed to fly transoceanic routes.
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A Delta SkyTeam 767 landing at JFK-note the landing gear and chubbiness (Courtesy Robbie Plafker)
On the outside, the 757 and 767 look similar and can be easy to confuse, unless of course you see them side-by-side as you can here.
Why so easily confused? Well, both have two underwing engines and similar conical tail cones. Some airlines have installed tall winglets on both 757s and 767s, so that’s no longer a distiguishing feature.
As to the the differences, the narrow body 757 appears thinner and longer than the wide body 767, which of course is fatter.
The 757 has a “dolphin” shaped nose (see the beak?) compared to the 767’s more conical nose.
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See the dolphin shaped nose and the location of landing gear on this Thompson 757? (Photo: Andrew Thomas / Flickr)
Note the position of the front landing gear and conical shape of the nose on this 767? (Photo: Simon_Sees / Flickr)
The front landing gear on a 767 is far forward– almost underneath the cockpit, while on the 757 it is much further back– underneath the first passenger doorway. The 757 also has longer stork-like “legs” and appears to ride higher off the ground.
Boeing stopped making the 757 in 2005, but there are still 1,030 still in service. The aircraft most likely to replace the Boeing 757 seems to be the new Airbus A321. The Airbus equivalent of the Boeing 767 is the A330, plus there is Boeing’s own 787 Dreamliner, both of which we will examine in future Planespotting 101 posts.
Now that you’ve boned up on your Boeing 757 and 767- can you identify the plane below?
What is it? A Boeing 757 or 767? (Photo courtesy Robbie Plafker)
Have you been following our super popular Planespotting 101 series? Check out our first two installments here:
Planespotting 101: Boeing 737 vs Airbus A320
Planespotting 101: MD-80/90 & Boeing 717
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I always look at the rear landing gear doors if I only have a distorted view of them. The 75s have that strange trapezoidal shape. The only thing I don’t like about the 76-3 series is that the second boarding door was an option that very few airlines ordered. Sitting in FC and waiting for your Pfb while the rest of the plane boards is kind of a pain. Love that all of the 76-4s have the second boarding door and love that all of the 75s do. Not quite sure I understand what the one post said about the 76 going LAX-LHR. It’s a wide body long hauler (That would be in ER form). That’s exactly the kind of route it was designed for when they got their ETOPS rating. I hope you have a B767 and A330 comparison soon. They are far more alike and have very distinctive features.
Love the plane spotting. Surprised that Boeing does not have a replacement for the 757? Is this true, or will the Dreamliner possibly replace it in some fleets. I always found the 757 more enjoyable than Airbus 321. (which is also great on the inside).
love this series. Surprised to see a DL 767 on the LAX-LHR route — that seemed quite a long sector for the 767…
Another good differentiator when spotting landing 757s & 767s is the angle of the main gear. The front wheel of the main gear is slightly higher than the rear on a 757, while on the 767, the rear wheel on the main gear is higher.
I agree .. An 767-300ER (ER=Extended Range)
If I remember correctly a pilot will get a type rating for both models 757/767 since the flight deck is similar.
For the real geeks … http://www.757.org.uk/diff/index.html
History on the plane pictured.
http://www.planespotters.net/Production_List/Boeing/767/30029,N677UA-United-Airlines.php
You really are an aviation geek if you can tell the sieries of the aircraft and registration. Knowing what aircraft an airline flies compared to others is also a sign.
I love the 757, whether I’m sitting in the front or the back. For those who think the 757 is long and cramped, the stretch DC-8s were just as bad and they weren’t as quiet or as powerful. The fact that Airbus is only (possibly) catching up 30 years later says a lot about the design and economics.
The 757 was a fave of mine when United used it between PDX and ORD. Large domestic first class section, which upped the chances of getting an upgrade! 🙂
That’s a 767, and if I’m not mistaken, it’s a 767-300 series, modified with winglets.