Boeing 747, the "Queen of the Skies," flying off into history

[Social Media]

Even before Boeing's 747 flew its first passengers back in 1970, the world knew this was something special. And from day one, the Anderson family has quite literally had their hands on nearly every single 747 built, working on the production line in Everett, Washington.

Kelvin  "Andy" Anderson was a supervisor on the prototype; his son, Vic, is now a lead mechanic on the last one (and about 875 before it).

"He turned them on, and I'll be turning them off. Means a lot to our family," Vic said.

[Chomper Higgot]

Took me to and from many happy times and some that were a bit of a challenge.

 

I recall seeing my fist 747 at Paris Orly, it appeared to me at the time to be something out of science fiction.

 

 

[Lucky Bones]

34 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Took me to and from many happy times and some that were a bit of a challenge.

 

I recall seeing my fist 747 at Paris Orly, it appeared to me at the time to be something out of science fiction.

 

 

Only flew in them 3 times.

They were awesome sitting on the tarmac.????????

[snooky]

About 20 Rt's NYC-BKK during the 90's and early 2000"s to enjoy LOS!

Really a great plane!

[RichardColeman]

3 hours ago, Black Ops said:

Kelvin  "Andy" Anderson was a supervisor on the prototype; his son, Vic, is now a lead mechanic on the last one (and about 875 before it).

"He turned them on, and I'll be turning them off. Means a lot to our family," Vic said.

And Grandson Bob i going on the dole

[Homburg]

I'll always have fond memories of my many trips in 747's.  For some reason I always felt safer in those than I do in more modern aircraft. Farewell to a great aircraft.  

[Tug]

A fine class of aircraft they truly bought affordability of long distance flight to the masses they will continue to fly well into the future im sure especially as freighters good service old girl sky’s 

[Skeptic7]

35 year career in aviation. By far and without compare, the absolute King, as well as Queen Of The Skies. Nicknamed "The Whale", the 747-400 achieved near perfection. Nothing even comes close. Doubtful anything ever will. ????

[Bangkok Barry]

I have a copy of Life magazine that I found in a shop selling such things in a back street in Stockholm, and it contains an advertisement for the debut of the 747. The most noticeable thing about the magazine though is the number of cigarette adverts. Times change.

I flew it many times, and it was great to use the upper deck, which in the early days had only about a dozen seats. A unique experience. And one time my wife and I flew back from London on one, using THAI. I'd used mileage to get free economy tickets but, despite that, we were upgraded. Being upgraded on free tickets is cool.

[newnative]

    Flew on the 747 for the very first time as a college student in the early 70s, Dulles to San Francisco on TWA.   It was, indeed, a revelation--I remember thinking how can something this big fly.  My last flight--so far--on a 747 was in December 2019, Lufthansa , Dulles to Frankfort.  Packed flight.  As we took off, German college students going home for Christmas started singing Christmas carols.   I hope I have not taken my last 747 flight.

[GypsyT]

747 is the greatest passenger plane and one of the greatest planes ever designed and built but the number 1 is this;

 

B-52 Stratofortress

America's legendary B-52 Stratofortress first took to the skies more than 70 years ago and will likely remain in service beyond its century mark. In fact, the B-52 is now slated to continue flying long after much newer bombers, the B-1B Lancer and B-2 Spirit respectively, have already been sent out to pasture."

[Pique Dard]

"Boeing 747, the "Queen of the Skies," flying off into history"

 

oh no,  so where has the king of  the skies gone then?

[blazes]

Enjoyed many trans-pacific flights on Eva Air.

 

Still used for cargo, aren't they?

[billd766]

There were over 13,xxx DC 3 built and around 300  still flying today,

 

The first models came off the production line in 1935, 88 years ago.

 

The 747 is still a baby in age.

 

https://www.airlineratings.com/news/fabulous-video-mass-take-off-35-dc-3s/

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_DC-3

[DJ54]

Upstairs seating was awesome… few people and quiet.. 

[vandeventer]

12 hours ago, Lucky Bones said:

Only flew in them 3 times.

They were awesome sitting on the tarmac.????????

You wonder if it will ever leave the ground? It just shows how old we are getting as the the first one seems like it just came out yesterday.

[vandeventer]

1 hour ago, billd766 said:

There were over 13,xxx DC 3 built and around 300  still flying today,

 

The first models came off the production line in 1935, 88 years ago.

 

The 747 is still a baby in age.

 

https://www.airlineratings.com/news/fabulous-video-mass-take-off-35-dc-3s/

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_DC-3

The DC 3's where also used as gun ships in the Vietnam war on some air bases. Two 50mm Minnie guns with a 20mm canon in the middle.

[rabas]

The last U.S. airline to use the 747 for passenger flights was Delta, which stopped using the jets in 2017, though other international carriers continue to fly the popular plane. There is speculation that retiring 747s may be bought up by a new airline, Omicron, to carry on the Delta line.

 

[bangkok19]

I regularly flew Business on Domestic THAI flights.  The 10.05am flight from CNX to BKK was a 747 that had come from Frankfurt and was always overbooked.

I'd always check-in early at CNX and they'd bump me up to First Class for the 1 hour trip.

 

I always remember one particular flight in 2011 during the floods when ALL the hosties and myself were over on the RHS of the plane looking out of the windows down at an inundated Ayuthaya.

 

It's a far cry these days going CNX to BKK in a Thai Smile plane????
 

[Skeptic7]

14 hours ago, rabas said:

The last U.S. airline to use the 747 for passenger flights was Delta, which stopped using the jets in 2017, though other international carriers continue to fly the popular plane. There is speculation that retiring 747s may be bought up by a new airline, Omicron, to carry on the Delta line.

 

True about Delta being last...and those 16 747-400s were NWA (formerly Northwest/Northwest Orient) jets inherited by Delta in the merger of the 2 carriers in 2008. 

[GypsyT]

"Upstairs seating was awesome… few people and quiet..  "

 

My memory is different;

747 from London to LAX had Upstairs bar.... lot of drinking and not quiet ????

 

[Mac Mickmanus]

2 hours ago, Skeptic7 said:

True about Delta being last...and those 16 747-400s were NWA 

Did they fly straight outta Compton ?

[Skeptic7]

3 hours ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

Did they fly straight outta Compton ?

Yup...With Attitude❗????

[thaibeachlovers]

On 1/31/2023 at 12:36 PM, Homburg said:

I'll always have fond memories of my many trips in 747's.  For some reason I always felt safer in those than I do in more modern aircraft. Farewell to a great aircraft.  

I liked flying in them far more than in the 777, the only two planes I flew in since the mid 90s. I'd always get a seat right at the back where only 2. Advantages- only one other potentially annoying person to put up with and got to go on first without a load of idiots trying to stow bags too big to fit in the overhead lockers blocking the aisle.