Boeing 247, SIDs and STARs have always been around they have just become more complicated. They were developed to allow you to fly a procedural track to or from so ATC could just clear you that way and not have to positively control you. Mowdays with lots of different routes to and from places there a lot more outbound SIDs and inbound STARs thats all. Some a little tricky so you need to think ahead by reviewing the approach or departure before you start it by studying the chart. Say about 10 mins before top of descent and prior to take off.

Because the 707 and 727 do not have EFIS and FMS the easiest way to develop a picture of where you are, using for example the YMML STAR shown above is to have your VORs tuned to the same frequency same ML 114.10 and the VOR/ADF display on the bottom left of your panel selected for VOR (using the switches there) that way you will see the needle point to the station like an NDB does and you can flip over to the ILS on the number 1 NAV as and when required. The little dial and needle on the left will give you a picture as you are on the tail of the needle approaching and on the head departing. So what the tail of the needle is indicating inbound is the radial you are on at the time and the same for outbound but the head is showing you what radial you are on. Another way to picture it is to imagine your little aeroplane on the end of the needle inbound and on the head outbound. So you have a picture courtesy of that gauge of where you are in relation to the navaid selected. This is the way you also fly an arc procedure where you have to keep a constant turn about a VOR at a certain distance but the technique to do this is similar but needs further explanation - save that tale for another time. If you want to get an idea of all this take up the 727 or 707 and fly over a VOR or NDB then keep tracking out for another five minutes or so then do a 360 degree turn from your heading at rate 1 all the way back to the heading left or right and watch what the needle does as you do the turn. You will soon get the idea of what it is telling you imagining your on the tail of the needle.