reltney wrote:

If you have never fllew(pilot) or flown on/in a 747, sell your sole to do so.

Words of wisdom. It's my New Year's resolution for 2019.

citationjet wrote:

727LOVER wrote:

Can anyone name each airline, left to right?

From the following thread: https://www.airliners.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=579439&p=8776017&hilit=747+launch+airlines+747+rollout#p8776017

1. ?
2. JAL
3. KLM
4. Air India
5. Alitalia
6. Iberia
7. Lufthansa
8. SAS
9. Air Canada
10. SOUTH AFRICAN Airways
11. Continental
12. UNITED
13. PanAm
14. QANTAS
15. BOAC
16. PanAm
17. Braniff
18. Eastern
19. Delta
20. National
21. TWA
22. Northwest
23. American
24. Air France
25. Aer Lingus
26. EL AL

I don't know who's number one, but I know that Iran Air is missing. And Iran Air was a launch customer who signed up days after PanAm IIRC and got early -100s, before later getting -200s and -SPs, shortly before the revolution in the country.

But number 1 ain't Iran Air. Here are some uniforms of the 70s (two styles, one very colourful, one dark blue with a white shirt, more professional looking I would say):





By that last photo, I would say number 15 or 26. But other people in that old thread say that 15 is BOAC and 26 is El-Al. Does anyone have the REAL list?

One of my fondest childhood memories was in early 1970, awaiting the arrival of one of the first TWA 747s at the yet-unfinished JFK Flight Wing One. Each 747 gate featured nose-in parking, and the wall-to-wall windows were lined with dozens of people waiting to catch a glimpse of the new Queen of the Sky. I was dead-center, and remember the thrill as the nose of the aircraft came into view from the right,

The pilots steered the aircraft very gingerly. As young as I was, I remember thinking that even the pilots were having to acclimate themselves to the size of the aircraft, and were extra careful as they nosed into the gate area. My dad pointed out the reflection in the cockpit window of the ground guy guiding the plane in as the guy was standing on top of the terminal building.

Within a year, my dad took me on a business trip to California and I flew my first 747, a TWA 747-131 on flight 903, JFK-LAX. I can still remember taxiing in at LAX, and seeing TWA's over-the-wing jetway that connected to door 4L.

I had the pleasure of flying a number of 747s after that...

National 747-135 MIA-JFK
United 747-122 LAX-JFK
Northwest Orient 747-251 JFK-IAD
KLM 747-206B JFK-AMS
Swissair 747-357 JFK-GVA
Swissair 747-257 ZRH-GVA-JFK
British Airways 747-136 JFK-LHR
British Airways 747-136 LHR-JFK
American 747-123
American 747-SP31
America West 747-206

The Queen broke the mold for all airplanes yet to come.

727LOVER wrote:

Can anyone name each airline, left to right?


I'm thinking the orange one is National

Number 1 is Swissair.
15 is definitely BOAC.
26 is El Al.

El Al...as most airlines...introduced a new uniform around the time of the 747. I have a great picture of the first El Al 747 crew meeting with Golda Meir in their hip new uniforms.

Gr8Circle wrote:

global2: My only regret is never having been able to sit in the very first row in 1st Class (or any row in the front section) to see how close to a forward view you can get from the first window.


You're right.....it is a different experience....back in the 80s I got to travel on seat 1K on a flight from BOM to JFK via ORY and LHR...….over 20 hours in that seat....it was a great experience.....in that row, you get the feeling that the plane is moving sideways when taxiing, because of the curvature up front.....very weird feeling....

I've also flown on the upper deck, and at the back of the plane as well as mid section......742, 743 and 744......AI, BA and LH.....so got to experience the 747 in all possible ways.....

Hope to experience the 748i some day.....

Having been fortunate enough to sit in various seats in the "nose" I think the 747 is one aircraft where seat 1A isn't the best. You are very close to 1K on BA, 2A or K are much better. Virgin is also very close in the first row. SAA's SP used to be great with the small cabin upstairs for first.
The 747 is just so very special, especially in the nose or upstairs in J. Boeing's finest achievement, it transformed aviation for the everyday traveller and recreated the special era of the luxury of its predecessor the Boeing 377.

Two things I heard from an old-timer at Boeing about the 747. 1) The factory was still being built when the first 747 was rolled out. While such a statement can easily connotate images of steel beams being lifted into place around the aircraft, one does have to remember the Everett facility is immense, and they were most likely working on adjacent bays. 2) Many of the employees working at the time (mid 60s) on the 747 project were from out of state. Boeing initiated the long December holiday break (paid) so they could visit their families. Not sure if they still have that benefit at Boeing, but it was still there in the mid 90's.

TurboJet707 wrote:

It's always recognisable, it's an icon.

Yes, to the point of becoming, even in the most primitive line-drawing form, the very symbol of aviation. For example, border crossing stamps of Schengen countries, for arrival/departure via airports, feature a mark that is unmistakably an outline of an airliner with a very characteristic hump, a 747.

Other than flying on a BA queen many years ago, biggest thrill for me was
walking thru RA001 an the Museum of Flight in SEA couple years ago.
She's been repainted and restored to her former glory and looks great.

Unfortunately, the upper deck / flight deck was roped off day I visited ,
but still great to see the original jet in person

Too bad Joe Sutter didn't live long enough to see the 50th anniversary.

I remember when I was in around 4th or 5th grade at the time while I was outside on the playground everyone stopped and looked up as a big and beautiful Delta 747-400 that flew over my elementary school. Everyone just stopped in shock and awe because it was huge and the fact that it had 4 engines, as well as that ionic hump at the front of the plane. A few years later, last week on a Tuesday afternoon after my college classes, I had gotten a chance to visit the Delta Museum of Flight to see the plane myself in person. I have a video on my channel for anyone who wants to watch and will put a link below my message, but all I have to say it was absolutely amazing and stunning to be right beside the 747 and look at the sheer size of it, as well experiencing the cabin.

I might not be able to get a chance to fly on the 747-400 in my life, but there are plenty of 747-8i aircraft that will be around for a bit and that is definitely on my bucket list when I travel soon! Hartsfield Jackson International has gotten quite a few 747 routes over the years, but I was so happy when Korean Air brought back their 747-8i and Virgin Atlantic will bring their 747-400 here starting on the 9th of this month and throughout 2019, and I cannot wait to spot them whenever I get a chance to. The 747 maybe fading in the future, but it will always be the greatest looking aircraft out there, and I really hope I can experience flying on one soon!

Here is the link to my visit on the 747-400 musuem! Hope you all enjoy!:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ERnN7Je-X90

Cunard wrote:

ER757 wrote:

Flyingdevil737 wrote:

Half of my friends don’t know what a 747 is and only 5 know what a 737 is.

You need new friends

You also need to just use one user account (or at least only one per thread). Makes me nostalgic for the days when you had to pay for membership

I Couldn't agree with you more

I was going to actually comment myself in that what he needs is more friends well at least 6 and those 5 that know what a B737 could then inform that other friend.

Considering that the B747 or 'Jumbo Jet even ' has been around for 50 years and that absolute millions of passengers have flown on the aircraft, has been in films and advertising, etc and also the fact that it's used as an example for measuring size in many media outlets I'm surprised that your 'few' friends are unaware of the B747!

Obviously those friends of yours have absolutely no interest in aviation or even traveling to not know what a B747 is

Hey, at least one friend of mine’s favourite plane IS the 737-800 (like me), so they know what I’m talking about 99% of the time

As a kid I was taken out to Mascot airport to look at the first QF 747. Friends of ours worked for Qantas. I remember walking down the aisle to look out on the wing - it seemed to go on forever.

Then, many years later, I was back on the same aircraft, except this time it was in CO colours and I was despatching the aircraft. CO acquired it after the take over of PE. The 747 has been part of my life for so many years. I've flown on BA, QF, NZ, TG, SQ, CO - not as many as I'd liked.

I've been privileged to fly on 747-100,200,300,400 and SP. Airlines include, PanAM, Singapore Airlines, Air New Zealand, Qantas, United, South African, KLM, Air France, and my last one on a Delta from DTW-ICN. What a great ride. Enjoyed having my oldest son along with me for the KLM (AMS-NBO) and the Delta flight. I must fly the 747-8 on LH or KE before they are gone as well. I was upgraded to business class, on the upper deck, on one of the AF flights from CDG-JNB. Also, on South African from ATL-JNB I was able to sit in the upper deck as it was all economy. What a great plane to fly on. Here is a link to my twitter feed with a pic from my DL flight DTW to ICN. https://twitter.com/TMccrury/status/1046925845183500288

citationjet wrote:

727LOVER wrote:

Can anyone name each airline, left to right?

From the following thread: https://www.airliners.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=579439&p=8776017&hilit=747+launch+airlines+747+rollout#p8776017

1. ?
2. JAL
3. KLM
4. Air India
5. Alitalia
6. Iberia
7. Lufthansa
8. SAS
9. Air Canada
10. SOUTH AFRICAN Airways
11. Continental
12. UNITED
13. PanAm
14. QANTAS
15. BOAC
16. PanAm
17. Braniff
18. Eastern
19. Delta
20. National
21. TWA
22. Northwest
23. American
24. Air France
25. Aer Lingus
26. EL AL

Are you sure about both 13 and 16 being Pan Am? 16 clearly looks like their 1960's uniform but 13 looks like some other uniform entirely, and not the 1970 brown Pan Am uniform.

I have forty (40) 747 flights to date, the first three being Northwest Orient 747-100 and the most recent the 747-8i of Air China and Lufthansa. Like so many aviation enthusiasts the 747 captured my imagination and wonder from early in life, and I have been lucky to fly on so many gorgeous Jumbos. That shortened hump on the -100 and -200 remain the sexiest feature in aviation, and their immense size make watching them waddle around the tarmac a sheer joy. And for anyone who hasn't flown on a 747, it can best be described as flying on a big, fluffy, teddy bear of a plane.

My only 747 flights are:
August 2013 SFO-SYD in UAs Star Alliance livery
March 2017 ICN-SFO on UA

Both were on N121UA.

global2 wrote:

citationjet wrote:

727LOVER wrote:

Can anyone name each airline, left to right?

From the following thread: https://www.airliners.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=579439&p=8776017&hilit=747+launch+airlines+747+rollout#p8776017

1. ?
2. JAL
3. KLM
4. Air India
5. Alitalia
6. Iberia
7. Lufthansa
8. SAS
9. Air Canada
10. SOUTH AFRICAN Airways
11. Continental
12. UNITED
13. PanAm
14. QANTAS
15. BOAC
16. PanAm
17. Braniff
18. Eastern
19. Delta
20. National
21. TWA
22. Northwest
23. American
24. Air France
25. Aer Lingus
26. EL AL

Are you sure about both 13 and 16 being Pan Am? 16 clearly looks like their 1960's uniform but 13 looks like some other uniform entirely, and not the 1970 brown Pan Am uniform.

13 is World Airways.
16 is Pan Am.

Iconic and impressive she is - even in the winter of her life. The folks that developed her never dreamed of the things the Queen would accomplish outside of her designed role. Carrying U.S Presidents, other distinguished world leaders, transporting Space Shuttles, housing a telescope, carrying over 1,000 people on a special mission, and even breaking the sound barrier (unintentionally of course but she survived).

Yea, her passengers carrying days are numbered, but the Queen will be around for a good long time. Enjoy the original Jumbo folks, there won't be another like her.

Long live the Queen.

The very first time I saw a 747 was in January of 1976 came over to Melbourne on a holiday from Hobart to stay with my grand parents with my cousin, I remember seeing a British Airways 747 parked over at the freight terminal, could not believe seeing my first Jumbo Jet let alone British Airways, then saw up close a Qantas 747 parked at the gate we flew in on an Ansett Airlines 721 and I could not believe the size of the engine compared to the fuel truck I was only 11 at the time and coming from Hobart back in the 70s we had never seen any thing that big before My family moved to Melbourne in 1977 we were always out at the airport seeing friends come and go, so got to see a few 747s at Melbourne. In 1978 first SQ 742 I saw had the "California here we come" stickers on the side that when they were just starting up the West Coast US services.
Been on a few 747s in my life time. First trip to the US over Christmas 1982/83 Air New Zealand 742 SYD AKL NAN HON LAX the MELB to SYD sector was on the TAA A300.
1983 Air new Zealand 742 Los Angeles-Honolulu-Nandi- Auckland-Sydney
1985 SQ 742 MELB-SIN-ABU-London Heathrow.
1986 Pan Am 741 Heathrow to Los Angeles
1986 Pan Am 747sp Los Angeles-Sydney-Melbourne
1987 Singapore Airlines Melbourne-Singapore-London Heathrow
1988 British Airways 742 London Heathrow-Los Angeles
1988 Tower Air 741 (ex TWA) on lease to Qantas Los Angeles, Honolulu, Nandi, Melbourne (the worst flight I have ever had old clapped out jet very rude FA's)
1989 Air Pacific 742 Melbourne-Nandi-Honolulu-Los Angeles
1989 British Airways Los Angeles-London Heathrow
1989 Qantas London Heathrow-Bangkok-Sydney-Melbourne.
1989/1990 Qantas Bangkok-Sydney-Melbourne
1992 Continental Airlines 742 Melbourne-Auckland-Nandi-Honolulu-Los Angeles
1992 Continental Airlines 742 Los Angeles-Honolulu-Nandi-Auckland-Melbourne
2000 United Airlines Melbourne- Los Angeles
2000 United Airlines Los Angeles-Melbourne
2001 United Airlines Sydney-Los Angeles
2001 United Airlines Los Angeles-Auckland-Melbourne
They are all the flights I have been on the mighty Queen of the sky's Truly a magnificent aircraft. Today at Melbourne we only see Qantas now operate px versions out of Melbourne, CX bring in their 748f and SQ bring their 744F and so does Polar but you only see them at night, today Sydney is the airport if you still want to see 747s.

This thread is incomplete without a link to this great video from when the 747 was only a third of the age it is now: https://youtu.be/eaStEgS59bw

V/F

I saw the 747 with the space shuttle on top fly by in Houston in 1984. Pretty spectacular.

One of the things that always amazes me about the 747 is the huge number of model variants. I've never been able to get my head around all of them, but I'm sure this group can fill in my gaps. Here's what I remember for passenger versions:

747-100
747-100SR (Short Range. JL only?)
747-100B
747-100BSR
747-100BSR SUD (Stretched Upper Deck)
747-200
747-200C (Convertible)
747-200M (Combi)
747-200 SUD
747-200M SUD
747SP (Special Purpose I think)
747-300
747-300SR
747-300M
747-400
747-400D (Domestic. JL only?)
747-400M
747-400ER (Extended Range. QF only?)
747-8I

Were the SUD models retro-fit only or were they originally built like that? Was there a -300 or -400 Convertible?

[*]

MrHMSH wrote:

The 747 is special for me, I lived in Brunei for 10 years, and was shuttling between there, SIN or KUL and LHR for 20 odd years, and in those days the 747 was pretty much the only game in town for going from SE Asia to Europe (save the BI flight to London). I was practically raised on them, and it has that mystique and allure that almost every other airliner doesn't have. 50 years and still going strong!

What a coincidence! I lived in Brunei for almost 5 years in the early 90's (1989-1994). With The Netherlands being my home country the same story goes for me flying BWN-AMS usually through SIN and sometimes KUL. After the 2 hour hop from Brunei to Singapore we continued with either KL or SQ 747. (-300 and -400 series). On long haul the Queen of the Skies was the only was to go in those days. And I absolutely loved to fly on them. Especially the -400 as I loved those winglets. I still think the -400 is the best looking 747. Sad to see them being phased out and the 8i not being succesful. Oh well, LH, KE and CA will have the 747 flying for quite some years I suppose.

My best memory flying the 747 must be with SQ flying SIN-SFO with a stopover at Hong Kong Kai Tak. Take off and landing flying between the skyscrapers of Hong Kong with those massive wings was simply spectacular.


[*]

MrHMSH wrote:

The 747 was pretty much the only game in town for going from SE Asia to Europe (save the BI flight to London)

Yes, there was a alternative with BI. To get from BWN to AMS with their 767 was quite a trip though. Back then you'd fly BWN-FRA with two stops at BKK (Don Mueang) and DXB. The last stage FRA-AMS was served by LH or KL.

millionsofmiles wrote:

I had the pleasure of flying a number of 747s after that...

National 747-135 MIA-JFK
United 747-122 LAX-JFK
Northwest Orient 747-251 JFK-IAD
KLM 747-206B JFK-AMS
Swissair 747-357 JFK-GVA
Swissair 747-257 ZRH-GVA-JFK
British Airways 747-136 JFK-LHR
British Airways 747-136 LHR-JFK
American 747-123
American 747-SP31
America West 747-206

The Queen broke the mold for all airplanes yet to come.

Those are some incredible memories right there. I also will never forget the day in July 1995 when I stepped aboard N615US and did SFO-NRT-BKK in a 747-251 with my dad and brother. The following summer, my brother and I took CX's 747-467 VR-HOP from LAX to the old Kai Tak, which was an incredible treat. Unfortunately, there are gaps in my trip book, but my tally is something like this:

1995

NW 747-251 x4
SFO-NRT-BKK, BKK-NRT-SFO

TG 747-2D7
HKG-BKK

1996

CX 747-467 x 2
LAX-HKG, HKG-LAX

CX 747-367 x 2
HKG-BKK, BKK-HKG

2004

NH 747-481
ITM-NRT

UA 747-422 x2
SFO-NRT, NRT-SFO

2005

UA 747-422 x6
SFO-NRT, NRT-SFO; SFO-ICN, ICN-SFO; SFO-HNL, HNL-SFO

2009

KE 747-4B5
NGO-ICN

2018

KE 747-4B5
KIX-ICN

KE 747-8
ICN-SFO

The above two were last August, and as a typhoon had just passed overnight at KIX, all KE morning flights from KIX were cancelled. We were originally scheduled on the midday 77E to ICN, but it was subbed out with the 747-400. I was ecstatic when I saw her arriving on Flightradar, knowing it would be my first 744 journey in nearly a decade. The flight to ICN was painfully short.

WilhelmFink wrote:

[*]

What a coincidence! I lived in Brunei for almost 5 years in the early 90's (1989-1994). With The Netherlands being my home country the same story goes for me flying BWN-AMS usually through SIN and sometimes KUL. After the 2 hour hop from Brunei to Singapore we continued with either KL or SQ 747. (-300 and -400 series). On long haul the Queen of the Skies was the only was to go in those days. And I absolutely loved to fly on them. Especially the -400 as I loved those winglets. I still think the -400 is the best looking 747. Sad to see them being phased out and the 8i not being succesful. Oh well, LH, KE and CA will have the 747 flying for quite some years I suppose.

My best memory flying the 747 must be with SQ flying SIN-SFO with a stopover at Hong Kong Kai Tak. Take off and landing flying between the skyscrapers of Hong Kong with those massive wings was simply spectacular.

I was born 1993, so our time in Brunei doesn't overlap much! I imagine you were in the Panaga area? There was precious little aviation around there, and even BWN rarely had planes, which is probably what has fuelled my passion later! I think I've only managed to fly on 744s, but I agree, they are the best-looking 747s! While I have too many 747 memories to mention I particularly enjoyed flying in Business Class twice, once with SQ (BKK-SIN) and BA (SIN-LHR), very glamorous for me!


[*]

Yes, there was a alternative with BI. To get from BWN to AMS with their 767 was quite a trip though. Back then you'd fly BWN-FRA with two stops at BKK (Don Mueang) and DXB. The last stage FRA-AMS was served by LH or KL.

We only flew BWN-DXB-LHR once, when we left in 2004. BI didn't have a stellar reputation for punctuality, and we avoided them except for short hops to SIN, KUL or BKI. I have heard they've improved, though.

hinckley wrote:

747SP (Special Purpose I think)

Special performance.

hinckley wrote:

747-400D (Domestic. JL only?)

JAL and ANA.

hinckley wrote:

Were the SUD models retro-fit only or were they originally built like that?

Pretty sure they were retrofit only.

hinckley wrote:

Was there a -300 or -400 Convertible?

I don't believe so.

I still chuckle when I hear the phrase 747..it reminds me of the show the about the development of the 747 and issues with the first engines...and taking a rep from Pratt on the flights to show how bad it was...I think there were 2 bangs from the stalls before the rep said..."Enough...lets go home now".....

I had the privilege of walking through one of the first (perhaps the second?) 747-121s, which was undergoing tests in Roswell, NM, before certification. So, it was, perhaps 1968 or 1969? Although it had Pan Am markings, there was no interior cabin, just random seats and lots of machinery (computers of some sort, I suppose) to measure performance. I even got to walk through the cockpit. I was awed and smitten by that beautiful jumbo.

I loved how gracefully they took to the sky.
My 747 flights: SFO-JFK TWA 1971
JFK-SFO UA 1971
JFK-MIA PA. 1990
SFO-JFK TWA 2001. Just days before the AA buyout.

Canuck600 wrote:

Too bad Joe Sutter didn't live long enough to see the 50th anniversary.

He did pretty darn well though, lived to be 95. I saw him speak a few years before he passed. Very inspirational.

DesertAir wrote:

I loved how gracefully they took to the sky.
My 747 flights: SFO-JFK TWA 1971
JFK-SFO UA 1971
JFK-MIA PA. 1990
SFO-JFK TWA 2001. Just days before the AA buyout.

I believe TWA retired their last 747 in 1998. Pretty sure none were left in 2001.

hinckley wrote:

One of the things that always amazes me about the 747 is the huge number of model variants. I've never been able to get my head around all of them, but I'm sure this group can fill in my gaps. Here's what I remember for passenger versions:

747-100
747-100SR (Short Range. JL only?)
747-100B
747-100BSR
747-100BSR SUD (Stretched Upper Deck)
747-200
747-200C (Convertible)
747-200M (Combi)
747-200 SUD
747-200M SUD
747SP (Special Purpose I think)
747-300
747-300SR
747-300M
747-400
747-400D (Domestic. JL only?)
747-400M
747-400ER (Extended Range. QF only?)
747-8I

Were the SUD models retro-fit only or were they originally built like that? Was there a -300 or -400 Convertible?

Good job putting this list together. Only other model that probably comes close to number of variants is the DC-8.

Don’t forget the 747 has the Air Force 1 variants too. Add VC-25A and VC-25B to the list too.

Many memorable flights for me also. First was 1973 (PanAm) last was maybe a couple years ago (LH 748) Most memorable? Avianca BOG-JFK. (Leased from SAS I think). Sat behind the captain in the jump seat most of the way including the landing via the Canarsie approach. Sublime. A bunch of KLM combi flights too. Race horses in the back!

mbmbos wrote:

I had the privilege of walking through one of the first (perhaps the second?) 747-121s, which was undergoing tests in Roswell, NM, before certification. So, it was, perhaps 1968 or 1969? Although it had Pan Am markings, there was no interior cabin, just random seats and lots of machinery (computers of some sort, I suppose) to measure performance. I even got to walk through the cockpit. I was awed and smitten by that beautiful jumbo.

That must have been a remarkable experience, especially with it being the first widebody and SO much bigger than anything else at the time.
I got to go aboard one of the 787 test aircraft and also a 748i test aircraft so had a similar experience of seeing all the test equipment, sitting in the cockpit etc, but I was so used to the size of the 747 it probably didn't compare to your sense of awe

I remember seeing it for the first time at age 11 when it was on a media tour at LAX. Amazing sight it was. I've since only flown on her twice. Air France L.A. to Paris in 1984 and 1988.

I FEEL I HAVE BEEN VERY LUCKY TO DO THE FOLLOWING 747 FLIGHTS AS A PASSENGER:

JFK-MAD IBERIA 747-100
MAD-YUL-MEX IBERIA 747-200
IAH-MEX PAN AM 747-100
SFO-LAX TWA 747-100
MEX-YMX-MAD IBERIA 747-200
MEX-LIM-EZE ARGENTINAS 747-200
EZE-LIM-MEX ARGENTINAS 747-SP
HNL-NRT UNITED 747-100
ITM-HND JAPAN AIRLINES 747-300
NRT-HKG UNITED 747-200
HKG-NRT UNITED 747-200
NRT-HNL UNITED 747-100
HNL-SFO UNITED 747-100
MEX-MAD IBERIA 747-300
MAD-MEX IBERIA 747-300
LAX-ICN KOREAN 747-400
LAX-NRT UNITED 747-400
PEK-SFO UNITED 747-400
MEX-FRA LUFTHANSA 747-8i

Saludos.

MrHMSH wrote:

I was born 1993, so our time in Brunei doesn't overlap much! I imagine you were in the Panaga area? There was precious little aviation around there, and even BWN rarely had planes, which is probably what has fuelled my passion later! I think I've only managed to fly on 744s, but I agree, they are the best-looking 747s! While I have too many 747 memories to mention I particularly enjoyed flying in Business Class twice, once with SQ (BKK-SIN) and BA (SIN-LHR), very glamorous for me!

Yes, I lived in the Shell camp in the Panaga area. The traffic at BWN consistent of RBA's 757 and 767 aircraft and the daily flights by SQ, MH and PR. To get out of Brunei you'd most likely had a stopover at Singapore Changi. I always enjoyed being there. Amazing airport and home of probably my favorite 747. The Mega top! As SQ used to call these 744's.
And of course, being from The Netherlands, the very recognizable blue KLM 747's were special to me as well.

Memory is hazy but I recall flying in a 747SP from HNL to SYD via QF back in 1982 as part of our move to Australia (LGW-BWI-SFO-LAX-HNL-SYD-MEL)

In 1996 flew in QF 747-300's MEL-AKL-LAX and back, then 1998 in a CX 747-300 HKG-LHR (2 weeks before Kai Tak closed) and 2004-2005 in QF 747-400's MEL-SIN-LHR-SIN-MEL twice.

Last trip was in 2015 on a QF 747-400 LAX-MEL (the outbound flight MEL-LAX was my first trip in an A380).

Nowadays the only 747's I see at home are the occasional SYD-JNB flight when they overfly Melbourne at FL390 and the weekly CX22 747-8F cargo flight SYD-MEL-WTB-HKG which I make a point of trying to spot on Tuesdays when it arrives into MEL.

As much as I love the A380 from a pax perspective, the 747 will be missed, and can't bear the thought of squeezing into longhaul Y in a 787-9 these days :/

hinckley wrote:

One of the things that always amazes me about the 747 is the huge number of model variants. I've never been able to get my head around all of them, but I'm sure this group can fill in my gaps. Here's what I remember for passenger versions:

747-100
747-100SR (Short Range. JL only?)
747-100B
747-100BSR
747-100BSR SUD (Stretched Upper Deck)
747-200
747-200C (Convertible)
747-200M (Combi)
747-200 SUD
747-200M SUD
747SP (Special Purpose I think)
747-300
747-300SR
747-300M
747-400
747-400D (Domestic. JL only?)
747-400M
747-400ER (Extended Range. QF only?)
747-8I

Were the SUD models retro-fit only or were they originally built like that? Was there a -300 or -400 Convertible?

Some SUDs (the 200s for KLM and AF) were retrofits.

Also, to add to your list:

747-200B

cv990Coronado wrote:

Gr8Circle wrote:

global2: My only regret is never having been able to sit in the very first row in 1st Class (or any row in the front section) to see how close to a forward view you can get from the first window.


You're right.....it is a different experience....back in the 80s I got to travel on seat 1K on a flight from BOM to JFK via ORY and LHR...….over 20 hours in that seat....it was a great experience.....in that row, you get the feeling that the plane is moving sideways when taxiing, because of the curvature up front.....very weird feeling....

I've also flown on the upper deck, and at the back of the plane as well as mid section......742, 743 and 744......AI, BA and LH.....so got to experience the 747 in all possible ways.....

Hope to experience the 748i some day.....

Having been fortunate enough to sit in various seats in the "nose" I think the 747 is one aircraft where seat 1A isn't the best. You are very close to 1K on BA, 2A or K are much better. Virgin is also very close in the first row. SAA's SP used to be great with the small cabin upstairs for first.
The 747 is just so very special, especially in the nose or upstairs in J. Boeing's finest achievement, it transformed aviation for the everyday traveller and recreated the special era of the luxury of its predecessor the Boeing 377.

I disagree, the 747 is the only wide body where you and your partner can sit side by side, both with window seats. We did it a few years ago NAN/AKL in 1A/K just before NZ withdrew the 744 from service. I had planned it specifically for that unique seating arrangement. I told my wife to use her minds eye to observe us from the outside, sitting in the very nose of the plane, peel back the skin to look at us sitting in our Biz seats drinking a toast to the queen. I said it was akin (use imagination!) to Apollo astronauts sitting atop their fiery rocket! I love looking at the photo of me in the extreme nose, arms outstretched touching both sides of a wide body jet, only possible in the 747 !!!

I am lucky enough to have flown 500 times + on 747's and have flown on every variant bar the -8. I could go through my flight log book and count the exact number but it is at least 500 times.

I vividly recall watching a British Movietone newsreel in the cinema in the early 70's and seeing the arrival of the first Pan Am flight into London Heathrow. The aircraft came into view from behind some buildings and there was an immediate series of gasps and expressions of wonder in the audience at its huge size, dwarfing everything around it!


I remember my first flight on a 747-200 and being amazed at how wide it was and also the number of vertical surfaces in the cabin - galleys and toilets. I also recall being very impressed at how much the wings flexed on rotation and the springy ride it gave during turbulence. It was a joy to fly in - large, solid and comfortable and it will remain one of my favourite types.

LH707330 wrote:

Some SUDs (the 200s for KLM and AF) were retrofits.

So were other SUDs direct from factory?

LH707330 wrote:

Also, to add to your list:
747-200B

Weren't all -200s 'B' models?

Missed a connection to Frankfurt in D.C. once and got put on one of the rarest passenger planes on Earth, the 748. It's a shame there won't be a thousand of those beauties plying the skies.

hinckley wrote:

So were other SUDs direct from factory?

Boeing launched the 747SUD program, when new 747 sales were very slow and the Boeing factory had excess capacity.

KLM and UTA operated relatively new GE powered B747-200Bs.
KLM also operated older 1971 P&W powered B747-206Bs, but these did not qualify for the program.
KLM's GE powered -206M models operated with more powerful engines rated at 55.000lbs. These combi aircraft were the most powerful B747s at the time.
Only these later GE powered 747-200 aircraft qualified for the SUD PROGRAM.
Earlier lower rated -200 aircraft did NOT qualify for the SUD program.

So KLM and UTA sent their B747-200M one-by-one to the Boeing factory in Seattle to have the -200 roof removed and replaced by the Stretched Upper Deck = SUD.
These aircraft became B747-200SUD.



https://www.airlinereporter.com/tag/boeing-747-200-sud/

My favorite memory of the 747 happened in Cocoa Beach, FL. My wife and I were laying on the beach when the shuttle carrier (former AA 747-100, N905NA) made two low passes just off the beach. I don't remember which orbiter was on top, but it was being ferried back from Edwards AFB in CA. Sometimes being a KSC NASA contractor provides you with unique life experiences you just don't forget.

My first flight was in an AF 747 in the summer 1970, I was not quite two years old… And I believe I have (quaint) memories of that flight! I see myself playing with a little Volvo car (Simon Templar's!) on a tray table, and looking through the window and seeing that wing!…

Through the years:
1970: YUL-ORY, ORY-YUL AF
1979: YMX-MAD, MAD-YMX IB
1980: YMX-LHR C-GAGA* (the first airplane, and the only one for many years, for which I took the reg), CDG-YMX AC
1983: YMX-CDG, CDG-YMX AF
1984: YMX-CDG, CDG-YMX AF
1985: YMX-CDG, CDG-YMX AC
1987: YMX-CDG, CDG-YMX AC
1988: YMX-AMS, AMS-YMX KL
1989: YMX-AMS, AMS-YMX KL
1990: ORY-YMX SF (Air Charter)
1991: YMX-LHR, LHR-YMX BA
1992: YMX-CDG, CDG-YMX AC
1995: YMX-LHR, LHR-YMX BA
1999: YUL-CDG, CDG-YUL AF
2013: YUL-CDG F-GEXB AF

All in all, 30 flights, 15% of my almost 200 flights yet, but more than a third of the distance I've flown.

*C-GAGA had a little plaque noting it had established a distance record, flying, if I remember well, from Montreal (not sure if it was YUL or YMX at the time) to WAW, which was interesting because I was flying precisely to WAW that time, through LHR with LO. It was mid or late june that year, and the inspection at LHR was pretty heavy: I think there had been an IRA attack on the days before, and we were a kids string orchestra. I still see the security man shaking my cello…

Nomadd wrote:

Missed a connection to Frankfurt in D.C. once and got put on one of the rarest passenger planes on Earth, the 748. It's a shame there won't be a thousand of those beauties plying the skies.

I planned my entire Europe trip last year around getting on one of these into Frankfurt. I even sprung for business class and knocked another item off my bucket list by flying in the upper deck. And I TOTALLY agree that it is a shame to not have thousands of these beautiful birds in the sky flying passengers, but we get to say now and forever we flew on one of these!

Back in 2000...

Flew SFO-HKG-SIN via SQ in coach, with a fuel stop in TPE.

Then later on in the trip DAC-DEL with BA. (pretty sure this was a 747, but I could be mistaken)

My first flight on the Queen was also during my first time being off the mainland United States. December 173, my mother and I visited a friend in Puerto Rico. We were living in Urbana, IL at the time while my mother was in graduate school at the University of Illinois. We bused up to Chicago (good things, as Champaign-Urbana was hit by 15" of snow two days before we left, so I suspect little if anything was moving out of CMI at that time). Flew an EA L-1011 (my first widebody flight) ORD-SJU, then after staying a few times, we were flying to New York to visit my grandmother. Our bird was an AA 747-123. I took a pic of it in the terminal before boarding, I think that was my first ever aviation pic. Of course, the top of the hump extended above the window of the terminal, but you could see it was a 747. We were in coach, so no visit to the hump, but AA did have a piano bar at the rear which I saw.

After that, flew a couple of TW 747s on a JFK-LAX-JFK trip in late March/early April of 1975. The outbound had a technical stop at MCI for 5 (!) hours due to an engine problem (it's never a good thing when a F/A comes over and asks if you see smoke coming from the engine (it was the #3 engine). So we landed at MCI. The cabin crew was great. We had already eaten and they had been showing the movie. They had to stop the movie to land, but once parked at the gate, they resumed playing the movie, as the technicnans worked on. At some point, they invited us in steerage to come up and tour the upper level, which I did (only time I've been up top on a 747). Don't remember if they letter folks peek into the cockpit. After awhile, they let people who wanted to do so deplane in search of food, but the consessions were sold out! (obviously, MCI usually didn't get a 747 in revenue service dropping by, even though that was TW's maintenance base. At some point, they were thinking of getting two planes to take everyone to LAX (2 707s? 1 707 and a 727. Maybe even an L-1011?) Finally, they got it fixed and we were on our way. The flight had departed JFK at 12:00 Noon, with the time difference, scheduled arrival at LAX was around 2:30 PM. We arrived at LAX at 9:00 PM PST. So 12 hours total on a plane. The flight back was uneventful, that 747 had been repainted into the 1974 livery. We departed in a pouring rain, I later found out that it was the last time it rained in L. A. until the following January (L A was in the midst of a multi-year drought).

My other 747 flights were on UA. One a year from 1978-1981, either JFK-LAX or LAX-JFK. My first 4 flights on UA, quite an introduction to an airline! (actually, the flights I listed above were my first TW flights as well. On AA, I had flown a 707 and 2 727s earlier in 1973). Alas, I never got to sample the 744

Long live the queen!

I would love to sell my soul to fly on a 747! I would have liked to have had an opportunity to fly on an MD11, but I think that ship sailed.