Last US Carrier 747 Flight

The age of 4 engine passenger jets is essentially over. Fortunately for Boeing, they made a cargo variant of their 747-8. Airbus wishing they had one for the 380.
 
Definitely the end of an era. Unfortunately, I never got the chance to fly on one or be wedged in coach for several hours.
 
Ryanb said:
Definitely the end of an era. Unfortunately, I never got the chance to fly on one or be wedged in coach for several hours.
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I can spare a few 747 passenger hours. How about you take the 30 (?) hours I spent going Atlanta-Anchorage-Seoul-Auckland a few years back. If you could erase them from my memory, it would be appreciated...
 
I have a LOT of hours in the 47. Round trips from the states to Okinawa, another 2 to Korea, 3 more for deployments to the Middle East. That thing is so big that at times, you forget you're flying.
 
kyleb said:
I can spare a few 747 passenger hours. How about you take the 30 (?) hours I spent going Atlanta-Anchorage-Seoul-Auckland a few years back. If you could erase them from my memory, it would be appreciated...
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Eh, I can imagine!

Nice looking RV you had yesterday! Wish I made it over to take a peak at the interior.
 
It's the airplane that opened the door to commercial flying for us great unwashed Middle-class masses.

I have great memories of flights in the ol' 747. My first was a charter airline flight to Hawaii. Single class airplane, and the upper deck had a free bar with a giant conversation pit. What a party!
 
Flew on all the jumbos at one time or another. 747, DC-10, and L-1011. Loved the L-1011.

When I served overseas they packed us into the old DC-8 stretch like sardines. When I was a kid my dad got assigned to the Philippines ('56-'57) and we flew on a Boeing 377 Stratocruiser, probably Northwest.

upload_2017-12-17_9-11-19.jpeg
 
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mscard88 said:
Flew on all the jumbos at one time or another. 747, DC-10, and L-1011. Loved the L-1011.
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Why the 1011? Just curious - I've seen very polarized feelings about that airplane. Some loved it "Flew like a big cub", some hated it.

I've flown on most of the jet hardware beginning with the DC-8 and 707 up through the 747 and 777. Never the A380 or the Dreamliner, but there's time.
 
Ravioli's True Story time:

I gave my mother a ticket from LA to Virginia to visit my brother. I splurged and got her Business class since it was such a long flight. The plane was a 747.

I asked how her flight was and she says "It was okay, but I had to WALK UP A FLIGHT OF STAIRS"

Sheesh!
 
kyleb said:
Why the 1011? Just curious - I've seen very polarized feelings about that airplane. Some loved it "Flew like a big cub", some hated it. Enjoyed them all, just liked the L1011

I've flown on most of the jet hardware beginning with the DC-8 and 707 up through the 747 and 777. Never the A380 or the Dreamliner, but there's time.
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Just liked it, no specific reason. Doesn't mean I didn't enjoy flying on the others either, enjoyed them all.
 
Ravioli said:
Ravioli's True Story time:

I gave my mother a ticket from LA to Virginia to visit my brother. I splurged and got her Business class since it was such a long flight. The plane was a 747.

I asked how her flight was and she says "It was okay, but I had to WALK UP A FLIGHT OF STAIRS"

Sheesh!
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There's just no pleasing some people!
 
I consider myself fortunate to still be able to fly one of the last remaining 747-200's in the US. It's an awesome airplane, but with the technological advances in engine efficiency and reliability, it's pretty foolish to still sink gazillions of $$$$ into R&D and Operations of 4 engine pax haulers. It's too bad Scarebus didn't think about a cargo variant of the A380, as that airplane will be gone before the end of my lifetime, whereas the last 74 driver hasn't even been thought of yet.
 
Timbeck2 said:
I have a LOT of hours in the 47. Round trips from the states to Okinawa,
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When I deployed to Okinawa and Misawa we had the pleasure of flying in a 707 or c-141.. Had the pleasure of returning home from Misawa is a P-3, boy that was a joy.

Never had a chance to fly in a 747. I know a fellow who flies cargo from Anchorage to Japan in a 747 he likes it very much. He went from flying Medevac flights in a King Air to Cargo in a 747. Just a little difference in the sight picture in a flair I'll bet..:)
 
Loved seat 1A in a NWA Seven-Four, DTW-NRT many times.
 
mscard88 said:
Flew on all the jumbos at one time or another. 747, DC-10, and L-1011. Loved the L-1011.

When I served overseas they packed us into the old DC-8 stretch like sardines. When I was a kid my dad got assigned to the Philippines ('56-'57) and we flew on a Boeing 377 Stratocruiser, probably Northwest.

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In the 1960s, MAC charter flights were configured with 165 one-class seats on the 707, and 219 seats on the stretch DC-8.
 
The ones that are still flying will have replacement parts for decades. Check out the stockpile at Mojave Spaceport, behind an especially handsome RV-9A. :D:D

I loved riding in the 747's upper deck. Made it seem like you were on a much smaller plane.

IMG_2330.jpg
 
I probably had my last 747 flight a few months back returning from Beijing, the end of July. There isn't much passenger capacity difference between a 747 and a 777.

I guess pictures like this are history now...


 
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It's hard to believe that the first 747s are coming up on their 50th anniversary...
 
SoCal RV Flyer said:
It's hard to believe that the first 747s are coming up on their 50th anniversary...
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Shoot how about C-130s? 1954 for this one.

YC130_FirstFlight_LM.com.jpg


Aug. 1954: First flight of YC-130A at Burbank, Calif.

Dec. 1956: C-130A enters service (231 delivered)

Nov. 1958: C-130B enters service (230 delivered)

June 1961: C-130E enters service (491 delivered)

Feb. 1965: L-100 receives FAA approval (115 L-100s delivered, including stretch versions)

March 1965: C-130H enters service (1,202 total C-130Hs delivered)

Oct. 1968: L-100-20 enters service

Dec. 1970: L-100-30 enters service

Sept. 1980: C-130H-30 enters service

April 1996: First Flight of C-130J Super Hercules at Marietta, Ga.

June 1998: C-130J enters service (300+ delivered)
 
I was lucky enough to join my dad on one of his last trips on the 747 a few years ago (he ended up getting displaced to 767-400). Long story short, they had two planes in Manila because one broke. They fixed the broken plane and flew it back to Narita. It was a live flight but I was the only passenger on the entire 747. It was truly an amazing experience.

CZtLIXI.jpg
 
KLM and AirFrance both still fly 747s. I flew on three of them this summer. The FA gave me a warning when I walked upstairs to peek at what was the lounge, now first class.
 
Everskyward said:
KLM and AirFrance both still fly 747s. I flew on three of them this summer. The FA gave me a warning when I walked upstairs to peek at what was the lounge, now first class.
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Lufthansa too, I saw one last Friday in KORD. It seemed some of the Chinese carriers had some very new 747's that I saw in July. They had the engines with the "pinked" edges, as did the Lufthansa plane.
 
Article was referring to US airlines. Article did mention this:

"The 747 will still be in the skies for Lufthansa, British Airways and Korean Air Lines.

And Boeing also will still build the jet as a freight carrier and for a few unique clients, including the US president, who has used a specially-outfitted 747 as Air Force One since 1990"
 
Cap'n Jack said:
Lufthansa too, I saw one last Friday in KORD. It seemed some of the Chinese carriers had some very new 747's that I saw in July. They had the engines with the "pinked" edges, as did the Lufthansa plane.
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Thems would be the 747-8i.
 
AWACSEng said:
I consider myself fortunate to still be able to fly one of the last remaining 747-200's in the US. It's an awesome airplane, but with the technological advances in engine efficiency and reliability, it's pretty foolish to still sink gazillions of $$$$ into R&D and Operations of 4 engine pax haulers. It's too bad Scarebus didn't think about a cargo variant of the A380, as that airplane will be gone before the end of my lifetime, whereas the last 74 driver hasn't even been thought of yet.
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Would it be that big a deal to convert a 380 to box haulin?
 
luvflyin said:
Would it be that big a deal to convert a 380 to box haulin?
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Im not sure, but the rumor on the street is that due to the full length double deck precludes the loading of outsized cargo, even if they could manage to install a cargo door(s).
 
AWACSEng said:
It's too bad Scarebus didn't think about a cargo variant of the A380...
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They did. They were developing one. FedEx was going to be the launch customer. They were running into delay after delay, so FedEx cancelled the order and bought a slew of 777s.
 
AWACSEng said:
Im not sure, but the rumor on the street is that due to the full length double deck precludes the loading of outsized cargo, even if they could manage to install a cargo door(s).
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The floors also have to be redesigned to carry more weight. Both UPS and FedEx ordered them but Airbus kept pushing the freighter version back until both companies cancelled.
FedEx went with 777s and UPS bought 747-400s and are now taking delivery of the 747-8s.
 
Dang! I never even got to ride on a 747.

I feel like there will be some sort of imbalance in the force without and American carrier flying the old girl. She was a mighty flagship of the US of A. It's a bit like scuttling a once great and powerful battleship that was the pride of a world power to turn it into a reef. Makes me sad. We'll be left with efficient but characterless flying tubes with bendy wings. Yay.
 
OkieFlyer said:
Dang! I never even got to ride on a 747.

I feel like there will be some sort of imbalance in the force without and American carrier flying the old girl. She was a mighty flagship of the US of A. It's a bit like scuttling a once great and powerful battleship that was the pride of a world power to turn it into a reef. Makes me sad. We'll be left with efficient but characterless flying tubes with bendy wings. Yay.
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President will still be riding around in a 747. ;)

030328-F-JZ000-072.JPG
 
I rode in a 747 from Incheon to Manila. It was the oldest looking plane I have ever seen. On the inside, that is. Otherwise it was comfortable.
 
SoCal RV Flyer said:
The ones that are still flying will have replacement parts for decades. Check out the stockpile at Mojave Spaceport, behind an especially handsome RV-9A. :D:D

I loved riding in the 747's upper deck. Made it seem like you were on a much smaller plane.

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Love that paint job!
 
Ryanb said:
Love that paint job!
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Thanks!

Great restaurant at Mojave, BTW, right at the base of the tower. No Burt Rutan sighting on that trip. There was a NOTAM for a rocket engine test 1.2 miles NE of the field...so a typical SoCal outing!
 
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I've been riding airlines for too many years. 747s on a number of airlines. Pan Am, BA, JA, UA to name a few. I don't really miss the UA 747s. They were getting a bit long in the tooth in the interior. I greatly prefer their 787s.

They've really messed up their 777s. They used to be 2-5-2 seating. That was great, my wife and I would get a pair of the outside seats and have nobody between us. Then they went to 3-3-3 seating. Not as good. Now I've ridden them with 3-4-3 seating. 10 across in coach in a 777! That's getting a bit tight.
 
Ghery said:
Now I've ridden them with 3-4-3 seating. 10 across in coach in a 777! That's getting a bit tight.
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Yeah, it's insane. It was cozy 9 across. 10 across is just miserable. I wish those that make those decisions would be forced to ride in those middle seats on the 12+ hour flights a few times.
 
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