Boeing 747

Unfortunately I never flown onboard 747 even if (in my long lasting passenger career) I ever flown on most of civilian aircraft available, included rarities such BAe 148 and De Havilland Canada (Bombardier) Dash 7 a sort of WWII bomber....

Something tells me that I missed the chances definitely.
 
Could have flown a Corsair 747 to La Réunion in 2016 and 2018 when we went there to meet my stepfather. Instead we picked Air France 777. Dommage...
Quad-jets are dead, unfortunately.
 
I have flown on several, including some flown by the carrier Saudia. Taking off from Heathrow and looking out of the 'window' I saw something bright red and burning fall off the inboard (Port side) engine. We did a couple of circuits and landed. Delay was three days while they sourced a generator (According to the info we were given) which did not make much sense to us as the aircraft were in service around the world. The experience of flying on a 747 during Haj season is something I will leave to you to ponder on.
 
My first 747 flight was aboard the beautifully flown Aerolinas Argentina Boeing, crossing South Atlantic along the route early French pioneers had cleared in the early 30's. That was a great way to end a 9000miles road trip across South America! ;) [/nostalgia]
 
I flew a Virgin Atlantic 747 from IAD to LHR in September 2001, about 2 weeks after 9/11 (was supposed to be the 13th but that obviously didn't happen). Plane as practically empty and I remember having a whole bulkhead row in economy to myself with the closest other passenger about three or four rows back.

The return a week later was packed solid, except for a Pakistani family whose patriarch was likely an unfortunate name match to someone on whatever cobbled together watch list they were using at that point. They got hauled off the plane after we had closed the doors, IIRC.
 
Flew UAL to and from Hawaii and Quantas from LAX to SYD with a 5am stop in Tahiti for fuel. Plane was only 30% full and the service was as a result was for all intents, personal. Flew back a month later in a totally packed aircraft SYD to LAX nonstop, not so personal!

Watching the TWA 747 nonstop to Hawaii leaving St. Louis in the Summer was an interesting sight - used all the runway and at times, seemed to use the overrun, on those hot, humid summer days. Exciting and nervewracking to watch!

Enjoy the Day! Mark
 
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My father worked for the original National Airlines (NAL). I remember I couldn't have been more than five years old at the time - the rules were far looser with respect to access to the airports and aircraft - and on one of the days he went to JFK to pick up his paycheck, he took our family to get a look inside of one of the two 747s (747-135) in National's fleet (N77772 "Patricia" and N77773 "Linda"). I was familiar with National's 727s, but the 747 was almost beyond comprehension for me, plus, in that "Sun King" livery? Simply beautiful.
Here's a photo of "Patricia" at Miami in 1971, posted by R.A. Scholefield at AirHistory.net:
nalb747-135takeoffgykdx.jpg
 
Talking about first flights in a 747, let's think of the experience all 1,088 passengers having their first flight ever in this massive rescue operation.
Operation Shlomo, the clandestine emergency evacuation of the Beta Israel people, May 1995.

How do you fit 1,088 PAX in a 747? start by removing the seats, then criss-cross the interior with cables to avoid that they slide across the floor, then it helps to take light-weight, half-starved fugitives.
And they did not really pack 1,088 for take off, only 1,086. Two babies were born during the flight. 1991-05 Boeing 747 מבצע שלמה.jpg
 
Countless models and toys have been made of the Boeing 747.
My favourite is this three inch long toy made in the early 1970s by the famous German toymaker Schuco . It is in the BOAC livery reproduced last year on a BA 747. A nice touch is the box in the colours used by BOAC for their timetables.
 

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dan_inbox said:
Talking about first flights in a 747, let's think of the experience all 1,088 passengers having their first flight ever in this massive rescue operation.
Operation Shlomo, the clandestine emergency evacuation of the Beta Israel people, May 1995.

How do you fit 1,088 PAX in a 747? start by removing the seats, then criss-cross the interior with cables to avoid that they slide across the floor, then it helps to take light-weight, half-starved fugitives.
And they did not really pack 1,088 for take off, only 1,086. Two babies were born during the flight.View attachment 639723
Click to expand...
I hope there aren't any airline managers frequenting this forum that could see this picture and take it as an inspiration for post Covid revenue boost measures...
 
Well, the was the (I hope) joke of 'leaning chairs' for a certain low cost airline. Similar to the perches in some bus stops.
 
Modern passenger aircraft pretty much all max out on passenger capacity based on the number of passengers allowed per exit door.
 
United Airlines 747-400 back in 2000. This was when their paint scheme was still the old "battleship grey", which I thought was the coolest thing when I boarded the aircraft at the tender age of 8.
 
Sad to see the 747 go, but with all the things that come with the modern passenger aircraft given the technology that is common with modern aircraft these days, given the choice between a 787 or A350 against a 747 I know what aircraft I would rather fly in.
 
Foo Fighter said:
Well, the was the (I hope) joke of 'leaning chairs' for a certain low cost airline. Similar to the perches in some bus stops.
Click to expand...
Who needs the residual cost and weight penalty of leaning chairs if you can make do with some ropes...
 
martinbayer said:
Foo Fighter said:
Well, the was the (I hope) joke of 'leaning chairs' for a certain low cost airline. Similar to the perches in some bus stops.
Click to expand...
Who needs the residual cost and weight penalty of leaning chairs if you can make do with some ropes...
Click to expand...

Not sure they would get away with that on scheduled services. Even government folk fly on those occasionally.
 
Foo Fighter said:
martinbayer said:
Foo Fighter said:
Well, the was the (I hope) joke of 'leaning chairs' for a certain low cost airline. Similar to the perches in some bus stops.
Click to expand...
Who needs the residual cost and weight penalty of leaning chairs if you can make do with some ropes...
Click to expand...

Not sure they would get away with that on scheduled services. Even government folk fly on those occasionally.
Click to expand...
I wasn't exactly serious in my post, but then again I wasn't completely joking either :).
 
Understood, I think you might have a better chance with bungee cords though. With government types my preference would be cheese wire.......
 
www.telegraph.co.uk

Farewell to the Boeing 747

History’s most famous aircraft is disappearing from the skies. The Boeing 747 not only democratised air travel but romanticised it, too. It introduced the joy of flight to thousands who could not previously afford it and became the pin-up of the Jet Age. Now, considered too bulky and...
www.telegraph.co.uk www.telegraph.co.uk
 
Grey Havoc said:
www.telegraph.co.uk

Farewell to the Boeing 747

History’s most famous aircraft is disappearing from the skies. The Boeing 747 not only democratised air travel but romanticised it, too. It introduced the joy of flight to thousands who could not previously afford it and became the pin-up of the Jet Age. Now, considered too bulky and...
www.telegraph.co.uk www.telegraph.co.uk
Click to expand...
 
Someone might have been howling louder than me:
Boeing [NYSE: BA] and Atlas Air Worldwide today announced an agreement to purchase four 747-8 Freighters. The order enables Atlas Air to leverage the operational advantages of the 747-8 Freighter to meet growing cargo demand around the globe.
Click to expand...

boeing.mediaroom.com

Atlas Air Worldwide Purchases Four Boeing 747-8 Freighters

SEATTLE, Jan. 12, 2020 – Boeing [NYSE: BA] and Atlas Air Worldwide today announced an agreement to purchase four 747-8 Freighters. The order enables Atlas Air to leverage the operational...
boeing.mediaroom.com boeing.mediaroom.com
 
Probably a new converted one to be expected:

the company plans to install the RDS in a nose-loading 747 when the aircraft completes maintenance after the first of the year. The aircraft itself will have to be modified, of course, to enable loading retardant and compressed air, and the plumbing and belly nozzles need to be installed. Then it will schedule a grid test, which they are confident it will pass. The final and most important step is applying for and receiving a new contract from the US Forest Service, no easy feat.
Click to expand...

Screengrab-from-GlobalSupertanker.bz-Sept-3-2021.jpg


fireaviation.com

747 Supertanker "Returning to service in 2022" - Fire Aviation

It appears the retardant delivery system will be reinstalled in a different aircraft
fireaviation.com fireaviation.com
 
TomcatViP said:
Tiger lounge concept (1960s):

View attachment 663949

www.executivetraveller.com

Photos: Boeing’s groovy Tiger Lounge in the belly of the 747

In addition to the Boeing 747's iconic hump, the jumbo almost featured a spacious lower deck lounge down in the cargo hold.
www.executivetraveller.com www.executivetraveller.com
Click to expand...
Pacific Southwest Airways also had a lower deck lounge for their L-1011’s. Does anyone know what other lower deck lounges are out there?

travelupdate.com

Do you know the PSA Lockheed L-1011 TriStar had a lower deck lounge? - TravelUpdate

The PSA Lockheed L-1011 TriStar is unique as it has a lower deck lounge. There are plenty of pictures of this unique aircraft plus the full story right here
travelupdate.com travelupdate.com
 
Is there pictures of that?
There is one there (British Airways) but doesn't actually fits:

unroadwarrior.boardingarea.com

The 747 Piano Bar - UnRoadWarrior

Explore the nostalgic concept of a piano bar onboard the Boeing 747 and its evolution in airline entertainment.
unroadwarrior.boardingarea.com

Interestingly, you can see a pattern for airlines willing to recapture their customers gone into the private jet industry: more space on the upper deck with more entertainment to make again flying a social experience.
 
TomcatViP said:
Is there pictures of that?
There is one there (British Airways) but doesn't actually fits:

unroadwarrior.boardingarea.com

The 747 Piano Bar - UnRoadWarrior

Explore the nostalgic concept of a piano bar onboard the Boeing 747 and its evolution in airline entertainment.
unroadwarrior.boardingarea.com

Interestingly, you can see a pattern for airlines willing to recapture their customers gone into the private jet industry: more space on the upper deck with more entertainment to make again flying a social experience.
Click to expand...
I want to say yes, it was in an article in Smithsonian Air and Space magazine something like 30 years ago. No clue if it's up on the interwebs.
 
In early 2021 it was revealed that a Boeing 747-8 was purchased by a mystery buyer, and it now seems that we know who the buyer is. One of the Boeing 747-8 test aircraft that has been in storage for years has been re-registered as SU-EGY, and it’s allegedly going to be used as a government aircraft for Egypt.
Click to expand...

onemileatatime.com

Revealed: Mystery Buyer Of VIP Boeing 747-8

Earlier this year it was revealed that a single 747-8 had been ordered from Boeing. It seems like this plane is headed to Egypt.
onemileatatime.com onemileatatime.com
 

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