My first glimpse of a Boeing 747 was at Chicago’s O’Hare International airport..We were driving back from Manitoba, to visit family … sometime in the ‘70s, I think, can’t remember exactly when..My Dad was driving a dark green, big Chevy Impala “boat” that made me nauseous … and, I was chief navigator for the trip, which I loved..Anyway, I noticed that we would be passing right near O’Hare..Somehow, I talked my Dad — who never liked stopping, and always wanted to “make time” — into stopping for a couple hours, so I could get a glimpse of the magical and much touted 747..And, for some reason, he agreed. I mean, all it cost was a cheap parking fee, and we could go up to the observation deck all for free.. CP 747CP 747 .I think my Mom even waited in the car, eating sunflower seeds..Anyway, there it was, holy cow! A Pan Am Airways Boeing 747. The aircraft that became known as the “Queen of skies” and would change the world..I took out my Kodak Instamatic and tried to get some pictures, but with my wide-angle lens, I was just too far away..No worries — I would in my life, have several 747 adventures, an aircraft I really admired and enjoyed flying on..After more than half a century of production, the final Boeing 747 plane rolled off an assembly line in Washington state on a Dec. 6 evening..The last aircraft — No. 1,574 — will head to Atlas Air to become a cargo plane, as the Chicago-based company retires the model that was distinctive for its massive size and prominent second floor bulge..The final version is the 747-8 Freighter, which boasts a revenue payload of 133.1 tones, enough to transport 10,699 solid-gold bars.. WardairWardair .According to CNN, there are currently only 44 passenger 747s still in service, most of which are being flown by Lufthansa..But the groundbreaking airliner more than did its job — today, the equivalent of around half the planet’s population has safely flown on a 747..Boeing delivered its first 747 passenger jets in 1969 to TWA and Pan Am — two airlines no longer in existence. Delta Air Lines became the last US airline to fly a passenger 747 in 2017..The inaugural model, the 747-100, was the world’s first wide-bodied airliner. The jet weighed hundreds of thousands of pounds more than its predecessors (the Boeing 707, for example), and carried more than twice as many passengers..It remains the longest commercial aircraft in service (250 ft. 2 in. or 76.2 m), or nearly twice the length of the first flight of the Wright Brothers..At typical cruising speeds (567 mph or 913 km/h), it travels roughly the length of three FIFA soccer fields or NFL football fields, per second..Yet Boeing test pilot Jack Waddell described it as “a pilot’s dream” and a “two-finger airplane” — one that can be flown with just the forefinger and thumb on the controls.. Jack WadellJack Wadell .Waddell would also help with the airplane's design, particularly the cockpit..In his autobiography, the program's original engineering chief, Joe Sutter said of the 747's successful first flight in 1969: "We were euphoric. Boeing had a real airplane, and it looked like a winner.".Featuring a raft of new technologies that cut seat-per-mile costs by 30% and having greater seating capacity, the 747 would inaugurate the age of mass intercontinental travel, forever changing the travel industry.. The Pan Am experienceThe Pan Am experience .And with it came a whole new level of passenger service, with each airline trying to outdo each other..Whether it came to airline food, or flight attendant uniforms, it seemed no expense was spared..Braniff Airlines, for example, would hire cutting edge fashion designer Emilio Pucci to design their uniforms.. Two Braniff International Airways flight attendants showcasing Emilio Pucci's 'Air Strip' uniforms aboard a Boeing 747, circa 1970Two Braniff International Airways flight attendants showcasing Emilio Pucci's 'Air Strip' uniforms aboard a Boeing 747, circa 1970 .In Pan Am’s first class, stewardesses would start with cocktails, and then serve a four-course meal on vintage china — a far cry from today’s sandwich and cold pasta..And to this day, passengers who flew on Wardair’s 747 say it was the best airline they ever flew on — an example that still holds true..Seating was nice and wide, with plenty of legroom. Overhead storage for carry-on bags more than adequate. The flight crew even had its own rest area..As an aircraft nerd/fanatic, me and my pilot wanna-be friends were captivated by the era of the Jumbo jet.. Dining of 747Dining on 747 .So much so, that when it came to birthdays, instead of presents, me and my friend John asked our Dads to drive us to DTW, just to let us wander around and plane-watch for an afternoon..Metro was about a one-hour drive from Windsor on I-94, and, it cost nothing but gas, and, maybe a cup of coffee for Dad. It was a major airline hub, and drew many top US carriers, including Braniff and Northwest Airlines..This was before the spate of aircraft hijackings, of course, and security was very lax. As a result, John and I got into several cockpits to take photos, just by asking airline staff if they would permit it..And one of those aircraft happened to be a Boeing 747 — a bucket list moment..I don’t recall which airline, but the flight crew were very nice, and, like true ambassadors they answered all our questions..In particular, they described the newest navigation technology — the inertial guidance system (INS) — a method of calculating the position and velocity of an aircraft based upon measurements of acceleration using gyroscopes and accelerometers..In addition to the VOR/NAV systems in the 747, this added an extra layer of safety to flying..For those who were lucky enough in the pilot fraternity to make it to the flight deck of a 747, the aircraft will always hold a special place..Senior first officer and British Airways pilot Mark Vanhoenacker, author of How to land a plane and Skyfaring: A Journey with a Pilot, recounts his first time at the controls..“It was a flight from London Heathrow to Hong Kong in 2007. Obviously, we had done plenty of training for it in the flight simulators.”.“But when you're doing it for real, it's just unbelievable. The sense of power.”.“There's something about the 747 engines where at their highest power they actually seem to get a little quieter.”.“As we went down the runway and lifted off, that little kid in me, I'm sure he had a big smile on his face. It's a highlight of my career, for sure.”.Vanhoenacker, who says the aircraft is both smooth, maneuverable and a joy to fly, says it’s not unusual to look up from his cockpit paperwork, and spot several passengers in the terminal photographing the jet in which he is sitting..“I often see even senior 747 pilots disembark the aircraft that they’ve just spent 11 hours flying to Cape Town or Los Angeles, and then pause, turn around and photograph it,” he says, noting its resemblance to the graceful head of an avian archetype..While I never did get to fly a 747, I count myself lucky to have flown on it with several airlines, including KAL, JAL, Alitalia, Air Canada and VARIG..I even flew in the first class cabin, up top, with VARIG. Unfortunately, I had contracted some kind of stomach ailment in the Brazilian rainforest..Rather than see a doctor in Rio de Janeiro, I decided just to chance it and fly back to Los Angeles, hoping I would survive..I did, but I had to turn down all the first class goodies normally offered passengers as I battled intermittent stomach cramps — not a fun flight..While newer, space-age aircraft like the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, are as revolutionary now as the 747 was in its day, some pilots are sad to see the mighty Jumbo hit the desert boneyard..“Long live the queen,” says 747 cargo Captain and photographer Christiaan van Heijst..“It’s somewhat amusing to see how the 747 was deemed obsolete and ridiculed into the rusty corner of aviation …” van Hejst told AirlinerRatings.com. “An antiquated machine, a charismatic remnant of bygone times at most.”.“I was told I’m an idiot to be flying cargo instead of a fancy twin-engine shiny jet full of passengers out of the Middle East. Shortcut to the fourth stripe! More money! Chicks who will see my uniform!”.“No thanks, I’m more than happy flying an anonymous cargo plane across the globe with my camera at hand, enjoying the tranquility of a silent flight deck under a full moon.”.Ironically, Covid would breathe new life into the Queen..“Reborn like a phoenix from its ashes,” says van Heijst..“Dozens of 747s parked in the desert, soon to become coke-cans, were suddenly refurbished and given a second life. The Queen of the Skies earned her name once again..“I feel proud to fly this iconic machine for a living, even after thousands of hours and so many incredible flights in my logbook. Continents, memories, sceneries and adventures that I could never have imagined..“Long live the Queen.”. Final 747The final Boeing 747 jumbo jet rolled off the assembly line in Washington state on Tuesday evening en route to its final Atlas Air destination, where it will land in early 2023.
