747 going out of production

[DWalt]

Yep, I made that same run from DFW to Frankfurt on both AA and Lufthansa ,and always scheduled the flights around 747 A/C. Lufthansa would sometimes upgrade to upstairs seating, which was always a treat. Better looking stewardess than AA.

Never made it upstairs on a 747, at least I don't remember that I did. At the time, I was working in the Persian Gulf area (Kuwait, Saudi, UAE) and the best air connections were through Frankfurt. The London airports (usually Heathrow) never worked out as well, always delays (sometime for days) getting off the ground.

 

[Dave_n]

I was flying from Shanghai to Taiwan for a scientific meting three years ago and got upgraded to 1st class by the Taiwanese airline. 90 minute flight in luxury in a 747-400 which might have been due to the fact that I was the only non-Asian on the flight. Dave_n

 

[Big Cholla]

I was sent from my construction job in Alaska down to Seattle to "buy out" and arrange shipment of the material the job needed when Spring came and we could go back to work. I used my spare time to complete my float pilot's rating at Lake Hood. I got acquainted with a fellow student. He was an Electronics Engineer for Boeing at Everett, WA on the then new 747. He asked if I would like to tour the factory. I went up and spent all day one Saturday following him around in and out of 747s and the factory. He then dropped the little bon mot that he owned a North American P-51 that was in a hanger down at Renton Field that he was totally rewiring. He only had Sundays to work on it and invited me to see it. We were about mid field in a hanger facing the runway. He had a A/C radio tuned to the tower freq. Boeing had just started flying some of the 747s to Renton to finish installing the interiors as they were so over crowded at Everett. The P-51 guy said we should go outside and watch this landing as it was "something to see". Boeing only used one air crew for this ferry job as it was a very short field. The approach was from over Lake Washington and there was a sharp bank from the lake's edge to the runway approach end. The 747 came straight in in the landing configuration. The P-51 owner remarked that this was his second or third landing to watch of the first six. He then said, "Gee, that looks a little low to me". About that time the left wing dipped a little and the left main gear assembly hit that bank at about mid tire. The gear was folded back and the A/C settled in with a squeal of sound. The plane stopped about 1/2 way down the runway. The folded gear held the fuselage up enough that there was just a little damage to the underside of the No. 1 engine and some more extensive damage to the left wing tip. I was very impressed. Boeing had the A/C up and on a temporary set of wheels in about three days. They then rebuilt everything necessary for a return flight to the Everett Field. The aircrew was told, "Please don't do that again".

My only sorrow in remembering this story is that I had to return to Alaska before my P-51 owner friend had his airplane flying again. It was a rare twin seat conversion with full controls for the rear seat.

During my construction career I was privileged to fly as a passenger many times in 747s. Back then United oft had one of the pilots standing just inside the boarding door and greeting boarding passengers. I kidded one as I passed by telling him that if his flight crew needed any help, I had just returned from Alaska after being a part-time Bush Pilot. He turned to a Stew and told her to take me to 1st Class! He then came to my seat and asked if I would like to look into the cockpit. We went to it and he had me sit in the jump seat behind his left seat. He wanted to quiz me about young pilots flying the bush in Alaska as his son was just about to graduate from Emery Riddle and wanted to go to Alaska to get some "hours" before going big time commercial. We had a great conservation and I got to stay in the cockpit until we taxied out to the takeoff runway. There, he had to tell me to return to my seat. After we landed in Washington, D.C. he had the Stew bring me back up for the taxi in to the dock. I enjoyed that flight about as much as any as a passenger. As I was packing up to depart the Stew asked me how long had I known the Captain? I told her I had never met him before this flight. I told her that, "It was just a fellow pilot thing."

 

[LennyLames]

I'll miss my favorite commercial airplane. Such a graceful shape and became even prettier when they added the winglets on the 747-400s with stretched upper deck. In contrast, the A380 looks stubby like a tour bus.


Starting in the early 1990s, I started flying often for work. Wasn't my personal airfare spending, and I managed to wrangle business class fares for all my transcontinental flights. I always preferred flying on 747s. From experience, they were the most comfortable and spacious planes; best choice for long flights. Once in a while, a long flight would be on a 767 (South America) and that would be a disappointment. They would not be as comfortable, not even in first class. First class seats in a narrow body such as 767 would only be similar to business class on the wide body 747s. Airlines can configure planes whichever way they want as long as they adhere to safety regulations, but space is a constraint and revenue is the target. I eventually got upgraded often from business class to first class because of frequent flier status which carried over to a few other airlines due to alliances.

While the original Pan Am design was for first class upstairs, none of the many 747 airliners that I took had first class upstairs. When flying business class, I usually picked a seat upstairs. If upgraded to first class, I'd be downstairs in the front of the plane, forward of the front entry door. British Airways (London), Cathay Pacific (Hong Kong), Japan Airlines (Tokyo), Northwest/Delta (Amsterdam or Tokyo), United (Singapore), American (Tokyo), Quantas (Sydney), all that I experienced had the upper deck as business class. Maybe they eventually realized the (paying) first class passengers didn't want to climb up and down the spiral staircase, in spite of its novelty. Or perhaps, because downstairs was wider, except close to the nose of the plane, and better optimized for revenue.

Nowadays, vacations are the only justification for transoceanic flights. The 777 is an adequate functional replacement. Newer, more efficient, wide body, but not as pretty.

 

[CCantu357]

The 747 is a classic. She certainly outlived her competition, as the DC-10 and L-1011 are long gone, and the A380 was discontinued last year. Of those, the Lockheed is my favorite - she was ahead of her time.

I've never had the chance to fly on on wide-body. Sure, I could book a flight on a 777 right now, with Wi-Fi and a Lean Cuisine. But I wish I could have taken a trip on a Pan Am 747, with a martini and a roast beef dinner!

 

[biku324]

There are 747 parts in dozens of scrappers at the Roswell Industrial Air Center in New Mexico. Anyone who wants to keep these powerhouses in the air will be able to do so for easily a decade or two.

 

[Bill 76]

In the late 1960”s as a young machinist, I worked I worked for Boeing in Seattle. The organization within Boeing was R4783, Research and Development, 747 Flight Test Support. Ran a beautiful mew Lodge and Shipley engine lathe making various bits and pieces in support of 747 flight tests. I well remember the first 474 to land at Boeing Field – the entire population of Plant 2 lined the flight line and here she came! Huge, new, shiny and looked to be flying at about 35 miles an hour! One of my most memorable and striking memories!
By the by, working at Boeing was, I feel, equivalent to a couple of years of college; the scope of big business, big manufacturing, advanced manufacturing (for the era) processes, et al.
I miss those days and if the 747 ever goes away completely I shall miss her to . . .

 

[Jessie]

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.

They can be reconfigured easily enough but cargo carriers look for the same things as passenger carriers. Operating costs. There are now used 2 engine aircraft available that will carry as much freight at a better cost to operate.
Some will no doubt be converted but probably not many.

 

[steveno]

the main problem with a conversion freighter is the size of the pallet it can carry. see thread #4

 

[bigwheelzip]

747 News .... British Airways, operating the largest fleet of 747s, just announced the retirement of their entire fleet due to reduced demand from the pandemic.

BBC News - British Airways retires entire 747 fleet after travel downturn
British Airways retires entire 747 fleet after travel downturn - BBC News

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

 

[Mahalo_.32]

My first love was the 747 then the 727, Dad had been assigned both in his career with Braniff International then on to retirement with SAS. Needless to say my childhood was very exciting.

 

[murphydog]

Five year old post, and Luftansa is still flying the 747 with passengers. And the interim Air Force One is being modified.

 

[biku324]

Tastes vary.

Even though I agree the 747 is beautiful.

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

One of these was parked at the Santa Teresa Airport by War Eagle Museum in the late '90s. By that time it was occasionally used to fly freight from South America.