Boeing 747 days are numbered

[Itsallicanafford]

I am writing this while having lunch in Eton, just watched a BA 747 go over my head, it's a majestic sight...

[Yertis]

Interesting that it should finish its days as a freighter, which is what was always intended anyway.

[ukaskew]

Love them but my worst ever flight was in a 747 a few years back. Gatwick to Vegas with Virgin if I recall correctly. I noticed on the seat picker that upstairs was economy so I thought that would be a nice novelty.

How wrong was I, cramped beyond belief with a low curved ceiling and tiny luggage bins.

[Katzenjammer]

Now and again I see a Range Rover Freelander with the registration B747FLY. Belongs to a Virgin Atlantic 747 pilot I believe.

[El Guapo]

Itsallicanafford said:

I am writing this while having lunch in Eton, just watched a BA 747 go over my head, it's a majestic sight...

You're having lunch at 11am? How odd.

[Narcisus]

El Guapo said:

You're having lunch at 11am? How odd.

Yeah bet he's made it all up

[IroningMan]

Never flown on a 747. Will be putting that right in January with a trip to San Diego.

[motomk]

Eric Mc said:

747-300



There have been variations within these major sub-types.

Eric, to put my anorak on, that particular one is actually a B747-200. KLM converted some of their 200's with a stretched upper deck which mimics the -300.
Used to confuse me when I would read books on it. "Get stuffed that's a 300???" where the books would call it a B747-200SUD. They did have a few -300's but most were converted 200's. Now in your defense, I did have to look it up, to check the rego.
Bit of cutting and shutting of Jumbo's!

EBU, which still survives (well, it did last time I looked) minus lots of parts.

[madala]

I have always had a soft spot for the 747 ....... and the first time I think flew in one was down to Jo'burg in 1977 ...... a great plane but things move on ...... sad to see the old girl go though.

[Itsallicanafford]

El Guapo said:

Itsallicanafford said:

I am writing this while having lunch in Eton, just watched a BA 747 go over my head, it's a majestic sight...

You're having lunch at 11am? How odd.

Your quite right, it was more of a brunch....window seat in Côte by the river, watching the small planes scattering around and then a big 747 coming thundering over, magic..

[Itsallicanafford]

I have 2 abiding memories of flights in a 747. The first was landing at Montego Bay in Jamaica in a large storm...never know turbulence like it, on every major bump all the big mamas would throw their hands up in the air praying to god, I think the pilot aborted the landing at least twice and when we finally got down the pilot came over the tanoy and cool as a cucumber explained how we had been hit by lighting on approach and he ended up landing the plane the wrong way down the runway (no idea if this was true) worst thing, I had to stay on the plane feeling very green as our final destination was actually Kingston so we need to take off again....
The other was stopping off on the way to Australia, I think it was in Malaysia...I seem to remember disembarked in the very early morning and just looking back from the transit lounge at this massive airplane with the flight crew planning the next leg of the flight, it just looked very cool...

[RammyMP]

Flew back from Miami business on a 747 last year, the kids loved it, peace for the whole flight! I don't know how I managed to get the flights so cheap!

[JuniorD]

747 is still the daddy IMO

Some of the most memorable occassions of my life were involved 747s.

When I was 20 I made my first ever trip to the US which was also my first flight in a 747. (747-100) Had a jump seat all the way from LHR to Philadelphia and got to hang out with the crew for the weekend before making the return trip, again sat in the jump seat, getting to watch the aurora over the North Atlantic. Mind blown.

Couple of months later on my 21st birthday, I flew to Johannesburg and back in a 747-200, jump seat all the way again. The most amazing views ever.

Fast forward 13 years, 747-400 to Vancouver on honeymoon. Nothing kills a woman's sex drive more than wedding cake.

[irocfan]

You want impressive - try a firefighting 747 for size....

https://youtu.be/NjCHXNHE6QE

20,000 gallons

[anonymous-user]

Eric Mc said:

The 747SP was built by Boeing as a "spoiler" because Pan Am had hinted that they might buy a new long range version of the DC-10.

Not many SPs were ever built - only 45.

NASA has converted one into a flying observatory (SOFIA) -

5 or 6 (at least) were converted to, or built as, private jets for (unsurprisingly) middle eastern sheikhs/royalty, I used to see one fairly often parked up on the private jet apron at Stansted, apparently a sheikh who had horses stabled in Newmarket. Not seen it for a while now, so guessing he's upgraded..?

[V8LM]

motomk said:

Eric, to put my anorak on, that particular one is actually a B747-200. KLM converted some of their 200's with a stretched upper deck which mimics the -300.
Used to confuse me when I would read books on it. "Get stuffed that's a 300???" where the books would call it a B747-200SUD. They did have a few -300's but most were converted 200's. Now in your defense, I did have to look it up, to check the rego.
Bit of cutting and shutting of Jumbo's!

EBU, which still survives (well, it did last time I looked) minus lots of parts.

Thanks. Didn’t know of the SUD.

[twister]

ukaskew said:

Love them but my worst ever flight was in a 747 a few years back. Gatwick to Vegas with Virgin if I recall correctly. I noticed on the seat picker that upstairs was economy so I thought that would be a nice novelty.

How wrong was I, cramped beyond belief with a low curved ceiling and tiny luggage bins.

In contrast, one of the best flights I've had was Cathay Pacific London to Hong Kong - they also put an economy cabin on the upper deck, and to my 13 year old self (actually had my birthday on the flight, complete with huge cake arranged in secret by our travel agent friend who'd booked the flight) it felt like I was flying in an executive jet rather than this giant of the skies. So much more relaxed and quiet than any of the subsequent times I've been in steerage class at the back end of a 747.

[HoHoHo]

V8LM said:

motomk said:

Eric, to put my anorak on, that particular one is actually a B747-200. KLM converted some of their 200's with a stretched upper deck which mimics the -300.
Used to confuse me when I would read books on it. "Get stuffed that's a 300???" where the books would call it a B747-200SUD. They did have a few -300's but most were converted 200's. Now in your defense, I did have to look it up, to check the rego.
Bit of cutting and shutting of Jumbo's!

EBU, which still survives (well, it did last time I looked) minus lots of parts.

Thanks. Didn’t know of the SUD.

That is absolutely amazing

Thanks to both posters

[IanUAE]

There are quite a few Saudi Airlines 747's parked up at Riyadh Airport.

[David87]

I’m hugely fond of the 747 and, although it will be in the skies for a good while yet, the ability to easily fly one one will certainly diminish in the coming years.

I’ve probably flown on 747s more than any other aircraft (I’ve not actually been on vary many other types really and none long-haul!) and I’ve been fortunate enough to be a passenger on the -100, -200 and -400 variants. Think my window of opportunity for having a go on any other variant apart from the -8I may have been missed.

2018 will most probably be the last time I fly aboard one, but I’m going out in style! In May I’m flying on the upper deck of a Virgin Atlantic -400 with my plane-mad son and then in August I’ve managed to book seat 6K (the very front) on the same aircraft. Bucket list items ticked!