747 going out of production

[LVSteve]

If anybody reported this already, apologies. Apparently Boeing are no longer taking orders for the 747. Sales of four-engine airliners have been flat to nonexistent for a while. The big twins have the same range and lower running costs.

Report: Boeing to shut down production of storied 747 jumbo jet | KOMO

 

[steveno]

the 747 had a long and very good run. I was thinking that they still might keep making freighters. there is a lot of the 747-400 available for converting to freighters and the conversions will probably be cheaper than a new airplane. there is still a need for freighters

 

[Sevens]

If I recall correctly, this was going to happen quite some time ago but a large order by UPS kept the 747 in production. UPS has a lot of equipment that is designed around the 747 and the order convinced Boeing to keep 'er in production longer than planned.

 

[steveno]

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhFsPEtwnVA[/ame]

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruoS61Cw1Ww[/ame]

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

A friend of mom's was a aviation engineer, and he designed a strut suspension for an entirely deferent plane that was never put into production. Boeing decided to use it on the 747! He got a $2500 royalty on 747 made until he dies in the early 90's. That extra income let him have a very upgraded retirement! (it sure beat selling use Piper Cubs)

Ivan

 

[vt_shooter]

I believe the two Air Force 1's on order are the last ones.

 

[jpage]

Perhaps the most beautiful airplane ever. The only plane that I will stop and watch at an airport.

 

[Kurusu]

Perhaps the most beautiful airplane ever. The only plane that I will stop and watch at an airport.

Tastes vary.

Even though I agree the 747 is beautiful.

My all time best looking commercial airplane is still this one.

 

[steveno]

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQjr7zVOdF4[/ame]

 

[Absalom]

At the Evergreen Aviation Museum, not too far from where I live, a retired 747 sits on top of a building as the main attraction of a waterpark; slides actually start inside the fuselage.

May seem a bit undignified, but it looks quite impressive and is a better resting place for the old lady than some boneyard in the desert.

They actually lifted the plane onto the building in one piece.

 

[steveno]

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCxMh_1n0uc[/ame]

 

[DWalt]

I was an earlier flyer on a 747. Flew on one for the first time from Columbus OH to Miami in early 1972, but I don't remember the airline. Quite a thrill at the time. I frequently flew Lufthansa 747s from DFW to Frankfurt back in the early 1980s. Lufthansa had three nonstop flights per week on that run, and the 747 was half freight, half passenger. Lufthansa carried about every German beer brand there was for their drink service, and I tried all of them. I didn't really like most of them.

 

[Onomea]

Rode my first, to Japan and back from NYC, in October, 1975. (In those days, needed a pit stop in Anchorage.)

 

[Farmer17]

I flew on many 747s over the years and always wanted to take a look upstairs but that was only for first class. I remember as a kid when they were first built they were testing them in Tulsa were I grew up and one would fly over fairly low and some kid would yell and we would all run outside and watch it. They looked so enormous back then.

 

[Absalom]

And let's salute the old bird for all the abuse it has survived in movies ...

[ame]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-H4id1IiO1k[/ame]

 

[steveno]

in 1973 the Air Force (Rhein Main AB) was offering programs to work with American companies for civilian training after we got out of the Air Force. I got to work in the avionics shop for PANAM for 3 months. the avionics boss took us out to one of the PANAM 747's that was in the Lufthansa hangar. this hangar at the time was supposed to be the largest hangar in the world. it would hold 6 747's and close the doors.

the early 747's had a circular staircase that went up to the flight deck. it is a long ways up above ground level. I think getting one around on the ground would be the hard part compared to actually flying the 747.

compared to today the entertainment system was really basic. if you wanted to watch the movie the stewardess would pull down a movie scree, and there was a reel type projector that was lowered out of the ceiling. everybody could watch the movie. if you wanted to listen to the sound you have to pay the stewardess a a couple of dollars and that got you a cheap headset to use.

I was actually able to help their shop because they used the same HF radios that we used and their radio man was new to them.

 

[Absalom]

.... it is a long ways up above ground level. I think getting one around on the ground would be the hard part compared to actually flying the 747.
....

You may have to be a pilot to appreciate this:

I remember reading a story by a flight instructor. A 747 airline captain signed up for refresher lessons in a Cessna 172 because he was planning to buy his own small plane for fun, but hadn't actually flown anything smaller than an airliner for years and was smart enough to realize that he'd need help.

The instructor wrote that the flight went just fine and the experienced pilot remembered all the basics and the instructor let down his guard a bit.

Until the approach to landing. The instructor said he just about had a heart attack when the pilot pulled all the power and flared about 60 feet above the runway, just about stalling the little 172 and pancaking it into the ground. The instructor intervened just in time.

That 747 pilot had visually reverted to his 747 landing picture, where you are still that high off the ground when the wheels are kissing the pavement.

 

[cowboy4evr]

My PanAm friend told me that when the main wheels touched down , he was still 104 feet off the ground . I got a little left seat time in a 747 , was offered the chance to go to work flying for Pan Am when I was 24 . I turned down the offer , " Roads not taken " . Regards Paul

 

[Old Arkansawyer]

I flew on Braniff Airlines from Honolulu to Dallas Love Field on a 747
in the fall of 71. Also flew for 1/2 price military standby.

 

[Rudi]

A fine bird, at least some will still be around for some time. For a long flight over water I like 4 engines better than 2.

 

[DWalt]

I assume many of the present passenger 747s will eventually be refitted and repurposed for air freight service.

 

[Mahalo_.32]

I am the son of a 747 Captain so I grew up with the Queen of the sky. She will always be remembered as the BEST serving aircraft ever constructed. The retirement of the Queen is bitter sweet

 

[vt_shooter]

I assume many of the present passenger 747s will eventually be refitted and repurposed for air freight service.

Interesting thought. I wonder if cargo doors can be added without rebuilding too much of the airframe, the issue being whether major structural components are in different places for the airplanes originally built as cargo carriers with big cargo doors.

 

[Tradewind36]

I remember seeing the 747 for the first time in the late 60's or early 70's, in flight looked like a cloud with rivets it was so huge. I retired 8 years ago from a major air freight company that has since closed their doors. I was a 747-400 ground instructor training company pilots on 747 systems and procedures, a great job to finish 40 plus years of my aviation career. Unfortunately I was past the pilot retirement age and never got to fly it.
The company 747's were converted from passenger aircraft with large cargo doors installed.

 

[bigwheelzip]

Had a unique flying experience on a KLM 747. About 35 years ago we noticed that KLM check-in agents seemed to have a policy of upgrading large-framed Coach Class passengers like my husband to larger seats in the upper class sections of the plane when they issued boarding passes. They did this upgrade without mentioning to us what they were doing, and we only found out when we were directed left on boarding the plane.
After several flights where this upgrade occurred, we were once again turned to the front. We showed the Business Class attendant our tickets and she pointed us farther forward. The First Class attendant looked at our tickets and pointed us forward again.
We passed through one last bulkhead opening and entered a previously unknown section called Ambassador Class. It was in the very nose of the plane, farther forward than where the pilot sits in the cockpit up above. The experience of flying in the pointed curvature of the fusilage, looking out the window at a forward viewing angle, was very cool.
No other plane I know of offers that experience.

On a Swissair flight in the mid-1980s, approaching Geneva Switzerland at sunrise, I remarked to the stewardess that the pilot must have a beautiful view of dawn over the Alps. She asked if I wanted to visit the cockpit and see for myself. Of course I said, and she went to check if it was OK.
The cockpit crew were very nice and when I asked permission to take a picture, they turned on the dashboard lights so they would show better in the picture. I think it was a 747-200.

 

[Absalom]

Interesting thought. I wonder if cargo doors can be added without rebuilding too much of the airframe, the issue being whether major structural components are in different places for the airplanes originally built as cargo carriers with big cargo doors.

You may find this short video interesting. IAI is Israel Aerospace Industries. They are selling freighter conversion kits and actual conversions worldwide.

(Turn the sound down. There is no narration and the music is annoying )

[ame]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0JeDrrOL5gk[/ame]

 

[hsguy]

Sorry to see "Big Bird" go as my wife called it when she was a flight attendant for United. The first couple of times I flew on one I was a bit white knuckle on takeoff, couldn't imagine how something so big would actually get airborne! I am sorry to see it go but it could not compete for passenger service with the more efficient later generation planes such as the 777 or the 'Plastic Princess" 787. Flown both several times, great planes but not a 747. Even the smaller planes are being used now on medium haul routes, flown a 737 to Hawaii a few times and a 757 to Europe, not terribly comfortable.

I have seen more 747's in the past few months than the past several years. I live about 20 miles west of Chicago O'Hare airport and planes often fly past my home and then turn towards the airport for landing. With the marked decrease in commercial flying I often see 747 freighters in strange livery delivering freight much of which would have travelled on scheduled airlines previously.

When United retired the 747 employees and their survivors were offered an opportunity to purchase a piece of the skin from a retired plane so I did. The opposite side is engraved with my name, address and phone number. Sorry for the bad reflections. Video of the the plane the piece came from below.

I think the Airbus 380 will be next to go after a short lifespan. Too big given the current state of airtravel which will take years to recover.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IouyzL6RsqM[/ame]

 

[Checkman]

At the Evergreen Aviation Museum, not too far from where I live, a retired 747 sits on top of a building as the main attraction of a waterpark; slides actually start inside the fuselage.

May seem a bit undignified, but it looks quite impressive and is a better resting place for the old lady than some boneyard in the desert.

Our daughter attended Linfield College and she never went to the museum. Not once even though she was a five minute drive from there. I went twice on different visits.

 

[LVSteve]

My first two experiences on British Airways' 747s were not inspiring. When I came to the US I flew to the East Coast out of Heathrow. The takeoff run was so long, I wasn't worried about running out of runway so much as running out of England. I think rotate was somewhere near Membury services on the M4 motorway. Have fun with Google maps to see what I mean.

That kite was a knackered banana boat. Slightest bit of turbulence and the center overhead bins snaked like a Sidewinder. The engines and aft edges of the wings were black. I swear from the rearmost windows looking up the engine exhausts I could see men stoking coal.

The second time was out of LAX heading to England. Again, the takeoff run and slow climbout had me wondering about the maximum elevation of Catalina Island. Before we turned East the pilot throttled back so far I think it was only the the LA Basin pollution holding us up. I became very unhappy that day an hour later when I realized I'd been traveling 6 hours and could now see my house in Vegas from 35k feet.

It was very different on a Virgin 747-400 taking off from Vegas in 113°F heat. That thing hurtled down the runway and was up in no time, pressing us back in the seats during the climb. That was impressive.

 

[hsguy]

Great post Steve! Some of the early planes seemed to be rather underpowered. My wife started flying in the 727, affectionately known as the "lead sled". She also worked on DC 8's and they improved that plane by adding several feet to the fuselage and adding more powerful engines. The plane was so flexible that if you were sitting in the rear in rough weather you couldn't see the floor in front as the plane flexed. The new engines were powerful though. We were flying on a newly repowered DC8 one time from Cancun to Cozumel and were gabbing with the captain before departure and he was very proud on the increased power. He told us he would leave the cockpit door open so we could see the plane takeoff before he pushed the throttles all the way open, it sure did. Those were the days, open cockpit door! She also worked on DC10's (DC stood for death cruiser), 737, 757, 767 and Airbus planes which she called scare buses. She had an interesting career. She liked the 777 but it was introduced after she retired so she never worked on it and never had the chance to ride in a 787 unfortunately, I think she would have liked it.