Last Classic 747 operating for a US airline retires

@A Life Aloft

To the story here, there are a large number of classics......100/200/300.....parked at my home airport here. Sad to see. Especially in colors that don't exist anymore such as Evergreen, Northwest, and TWA.

Although we still get 747SPs coming into and out of here still for Mx.

What a magnificent aircraft. What I never knew is that according to the article, the -200 was being built at least into the early 1990s? Never knew that. I would've thought they'd only be -300s, if not only -400s by then, in production.
 
Interesting too that the last UAL and DAL 747 flights will be this year.

Wasn't UAL the second customer of the 747, after PanAm?
 
I love how the article goes out of its way to describe what the "third crewmember called a Flight Engineer" does, as if it describing some archaic being that no one can remember from WWII or something. :D
 
That's a pretty decent article.....well except for the FE comment. lol There were many professional FE's but there were also many pilots who started out as FE's so that part of the article was not exactly correct either.

We were actually the third carrier to take delivery of the 747, NWA beat us by a couple of months in the same year.

We a couple of the 747-123's, a number of the 122's that we inherited from Pan Am along with several that we already had. At one time we had like 24 747-422's and I think a dozen of the SPs. Those SPs were all originally designed specifically for Pan Am and that's where we inherited them from when we bought their Pacific routes. A number of the 122's went to Polar and Kalitta. We also had I think it was either 5 or 6 of the 238B's that we bought from Qantas.

As for fleets, NWA had two or three 300's. They also had mostly 200's some 400's and 100's and no SP's as I recall. We had the 100's, 200's, 400's, and a couple of SP's. Pan Am had mostly 100's, some 200's and a couple of SP's, same with TWA and American. DAL never had a lot of them, they had more 400's and a few 100's and 200's. US Airlines never had any. Eastern only had a couple of 100's. Qantas had 6 or 7 300's I believe. BA had 100's, 200's and 400's. BOAC only had 100's.

Really is an end of an era seeing them leaving the skies. sigh
 
MikeD said:
@A Life Aloft

To the story here, there are a large number of classics......100/200/300.....parked at my home airport here. Sad to see. Especially in colors that don't exist anymore such as Evergreen, Northwest, and TWA.

Although we still get 747SPs coming into and out of here still for Mx.

What a magnificent aircraft. What I never knew is that according to the article, the -200 was being built at least into the early 1990s? Never knew that. I would've thought they'd only be -300s, if not only -400s by then, in production.
Click to expand...
The 400 came out in 89, so I can see the 200s being produced into that time frame.

A Life Aloft said:
That's a pretty decent article.....well except for the FE comment. lol There were many professional FE's but there were also many pilots who started out as FE's so that part of the article was not exactly correct either.

We were actually the third carrier to take delivery of the 747, NWA beat us by a couple of months in the same year.

We a couple of the 747-123's, a number of the 122's that we inherited from Pan Am along with several that we already had. At one time we had like 24 747-422's and I think a dozen of the SPs. Those SPs were all originally designed specifically for Pan Am and that's where we inherited them from when we bought their Pacific routes. A number of the 122's went to Polar and Kalitta. We also had I think it was either 5 or 6 of the 238B's that we bought from Qantas.

As for fleets, NWA had two or three 300's. They also had mostly 200's some 400's and 100's and no SP's as I recall. We had the 100's, 200's, 400's, and a couple of SP's. Pan Am had mostly 100's, some 200's and a couple of SP's, same with TWA and American. DAL never had a lot of them, they had more 400's and a few 100's and 200's. US Airlines never had any. Eastern only had a couple of 100's. Qantas had 6 or 7 300's I believe. BA had 100's, 200's and 400's. BOAC only had 100's.

Really is an end of an era seeing them leaving the skies. sigh
Click to expand...
We still have options for like 10 more -8's. UPS has 10 or so coming. Don't expect to see them leave the skies for a lot more years.
 
I still get to see this beautiful bird daily here. N787RR is a 747-200(267B) owned by Rolls Royce and operated by Raytheon and based here in TUS as a flying testbed. Former Air Asia, Saudi Arabian, and originally Cathay Pacific bird, she's a Classic that's still going strong.

image.jpeg
 
@A Life Aloft

Speaking of testbed airframes,
some PHX aviation history. That of the last Boeing 720 aircraft flying in the USA

Honeywell, ex-Allied Signal, ex Garrett AiResearch used to have a 1961 Boeing 720-051B (N720GT/N720H) at their facility on the north ramp at PHX.....been a test bird there for well over 20 years, an original TWA and later Northwest bird. It had a test pod on the right forward fuselage where they'd hang engines that were being flight tested. Was a pristine aircraft and the last flying Boeing 720 in the USA. It was retired in 2007, and the Honeywell flight crew signed their names on the side of the plane just days before the video was taken. It was wanted for a museum, but lawyers for Honeywell wouldn't allow it; deeming it legally had to be scrapped. And so it was in 2008, right on the ramp it had called home for 20+ years. It has been replaced by a 757-200 testbed.

In the first video, you see the engine attachment point on the forward right fuselage. In the second video, you see it's demise.



 
MikeD said:
I still get to see this beautiful bird daily here. N787RR is a 747-200(267B) owned by Rolls Royce and operated by Raytheon and based here in TUS as a flying testbed. Former Air Asia, Saudi Arabian, and originally Cathay Pacific bird, she's a Classic that's still going strong.

View attachment 38507
Click to expand...

Saudia's -200s were in horrible shape inside. I the unfortunate experience of many Riyadh to Abha flights on them.
 
MikeD said:
I still get to see this beautiful bird daily here. N787RR is a 747-200(267B) owned by Rolls Royce and operated by Raytheon and based here in TUS as a flying testbed. Former Air Asia, Saudi Arabian, and originally Cathay Pacific bird, she's a Classic that's still going strong.

View attachment 38507
Click to expand...
Lol, the first and last RR engines on the 787.
RR Trent 1000 is like the chevy 350 to the electric motor.
 
I am of course glad for Boeing that they still have orders out for the 8 series. But, it is the demise of the early generations that is sad for me. Even the retirements and the scrapping of the 400's makes me sigh. There have been many iconic aircraft gracing our skies. I loved the Connie, the DC-3, the Lockheed TriStar, The Vickers VC-10 and a few more, but the 747 was different. There had been no other plane like her and there would not be for many decades. At one time not that long ago, the skies were filled with these aircraft. Every major airport around the globe, had dozens of them landing, sitting,or taking off. She was more than twice the size of any other pax plane in the world.

It was Juan Trippe, a true aviation pioneer, who came up with the concept for such a plane. But it was Joe Sutter and his engineering team at Boeing who designed her, built her and made that dream come alive. Trippe who was friends with Bill Allen (who at that time was the Chairman at Boeing), had asked him while the two were on a fishing trip in AK, about the possibility of designing and building a plane that was larger, much larger than the 707 and could fly faster, higher, longer and further.

At this time, Boeing being caught up in the "supersonic" race was working on their own SST plane. The travel business was in high gear. More people wanted to travel, not just for business, but for pleasure. People wanted to see and experience the world. Juan wanted to bring international travel to everyone. Pan Am had already traversed the Atlantic and Pacific oceans with their huge Clipper fleet and enjoyed an immense success. Boeing at first balked, but money, issues with the SST program and eventually Juan's ideas and commitment gave them pause and he placed an order for 25 aircraft. It was still a huge gamble for both Pan Am and especially for Boeing.

This was the realm of unknown technology both in the cockpit, in all the systems and to the size of the plane itself for Boeing. The hurdles and issues of creating such an aircraft were enormous. Boeing still believed that the 747 would only be an interim plane at the time and would have a very short life span. They chose Joe Sutter who had come to work for Boeing just after World War II. When Joe had met with Juan Trippe for a business dinner, he began at the table, to sketch out some designs and ideas on the dinner napkins. In just short of two and a half years, Joe and his engineering team had designed, re-designed, tested and built the first 747. Joe personally continued to run the 747 program for another decade.

The first 747 was delivered on time to Pan Am in January of 1970 and her first scheduled flight was from JFK to LHR. She was named Clipper Young America.

Here she is in London:

upload_2017-4-24_16-49-37.jpeg


That beautiful lady with her lovable little hump, created an entire new chapter in aviation history and opened up the entire world for commercial and passenger flight.

She was approximately two-thirds the length of a football field, 76 feet longer, 10 percent faster, and twice as powerful as any other pax jet of her era. Yet, she needed almost 2,000 feet less runway on takeoff. Boeing didn't even have a production manufacturing hangar large enough to build her and they had to construct an entire new plant to accommodate her size.

upload_2017-4-24_17-9-54.jpeg


upload_2017-4-24_17-10-11.jpeg


upload_2017-4-24_17-10-31.jpeg


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upload_2017-4-24_17-11-32.jpeg


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The hangar constructed was completed in 1968. It measured some 42.8 acres (1.9 million square-feet) and 205.6 million cubic-feet in volume, making it the world’s largest building at the time

So while there will always be faster, bigger whatever coming down the pike, the 747 series was so unique, so incredible and traveled to many destinations through out the world, she just will always have a loving home in my heart. She was a beautiful plane to fly and amazingly graceful even on the ground. She was sure, stable, steady, forgiving and powerful. She was built like a damn tank. Even the SP that the China Airlines crew that put her through every kind of bad aerobatic maneuver imaginable, as she shed various parts and others were severely damaged, she was able to land and land safely.

Here is the first 747-100 rolled out at Boeing:

boeing-747-100_8.jpg


boeing-747-rollout-commemorative-brochure-1968-8_37333.jpg


So yeah....it really is the end of a very special era in aviation history.
 
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A Life Aloft said:
I am of course glad for Boeing that they still have orders out for the 8 series. But, it is the demise of the early generations that is sad for me. Even the retirements and the scrapping of the 400's makes me sigh. There have been many iconic aircraft gracing our skies. I loved the Connie, the DC-3, the Lockheed TriStar, The Vickers VC-10 and a few more, but the 747 was different. There had been no other plane like her and there would not be for many decades. At one time not that long ago, the skies were filled with these aircraft. Every major airport around the globe, had dozens of them landing, sitting,or taking off. She was more than twice the size of any other pax plane in the world.

It was Juan Trippe, a true aviation pioneer, who came up with the concept for such a plane. But it was Joe Sutter and his engineering team at Boeing who designed her, built her and made that dream come alive. Trippe who was friends with Bill Allen (who at that time was the Chairman at Boeing), had asked him while the two were on a fishing trip in AK, about the possibility of designing and building a plane that was larger, much larger than the 707 and could fly faster, higher, longer and further.

At this time, Boeing being caught up in the "supersonic" race was working on their own SST plane. The travel business was in high gear. More people wanted to travel, not just for business, but for pleasure. People wanted to see and experience the world. Juan wanted to bring international travel to everyone. Pan Am had already traversed the Atlantic and Pacific oceans with their huge Clipper fleet and enjoyed an immense success. Boeing at first balked, but money, issues with the SST program and eventually Juan's ideas and commitment gave them pause and he placed an order for 25 aircraft. It was still a huge gamble for both Pan Am and especially for Boeing.

This was the realm of unknown technology both in the cockpit, in all the systems and to the size of the plane itself for Boeing. The hurdles and issues of creating such an aircraft were enormous. Boeing still believed that the 747 would only be an interim plane at the time and would have a very short life span. They chose Joe Sutter who had come to work for Boeing just after World War II. When Joe had met with Juan Trippe for a business dinner, he began at the table, to sketch out some designs and ideas on the dinner napkins. In just short of two and a half years, Joe and his engineering team had designed, re-designed, tested and built the first 747. Joe personally continued to run the 747 program for another decade.

The first 747 was delivered on time to Pan Am in January of 1970 and her first scheduled flight was from JFK to LHR. She was named Clipper Young America.

Here she is in London:

View attachment 38515

That beautiful lady with her lovable little hump, created an entire new chapter in aviation history opened up the entire world for commercial and passenger flight.

She was approximately two-thirds the length of a football field, 76 feet longer, 10 percent faster, and twice as powerful as any other pax jet of her era. Yet, she needed almost 2,000 feet less runway on takeoff. Boeing didn't even have a production manufacturing hangar large enough to build her and they had to construct an entire new plant to accommodate her size.

View attachment 38517

View attachment 38518

View attachment 38519

View attachment 38520

View attachment 38521

View attachment 38522

View attachment 38523


The hangar constructed was completed in 1968. It measured some 42.8 acres (1.9 million square-feet) and 205.6 million cubic-feet in volume, making it the world’s largest building at the time

So while there will always be faster, bigger whatever coming down the pike, the 747 series was so unique, so incredible and traveled to many destinations through out the world, she just will always have a loving home in my heart. She was a beautiful plane to fly and amazingly graceful even on the ground. She was sure, stable, steady, forgiving and powerful. She was built like a damn tank. Even the SP that the China Airlines crew that put her through every kind of bad aerobatic maneuver imaginable, as she shed various parts and others were severely damaged, she was able to land and land safely.
Click to expand...

Actually, I'd be surprised if there were faster designs ahead. Maybe a few token biz jets, but airliner design is clearly biased toward efficiency. And operationally, the difference between mach .78 and .92 is negligible. ESPECIALLY when fuel burn gets factored in.

But she is a wonderful airplane to fly. Especially the -400. All the guys I work with who flew the classic said it was a wonderful airplane to fly, but that the takeoff and climb performance could be scary depending on the engine option. I'm guessing it wasn't as noticeable in passenger configurations. But even at max gross, the -400 is an amazing performer. And of course, she handles like a dream. Truly, the Queen of the skies.
 
Cal Goat said:
Actually, I'd be surprised if there were faster designs ahead. Maybe a few token biz jets, but airliner design is clearly biased toward efficiency. And operationally, the difference between mach .78 and .92 is negligible. ESPECIALLY when fuel burn gets factored in.

But she is a wonderful airplane to fly. Especially the -400. All the guys I work with who flew the classic said it was a wonderful airplane to fly, but that the takeoff and climb performance could be scary depending on the engine option. I'm guessing it wasn't as noticeable in passenger configurations. But even at max gross, the -400 is an amazing performer. And of course, she handles like a dream. Truly, the Queen of the skies.
Click to expand...
I might be in minority, but I'll take the -8 any day over the 400.
 
z987k said:
I might be in minority, but I'll take the -8 any day over the 400.
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Oh man, the 400 is my love. It's difficult to explain. But after flying other airframes for many years, she to me was the ultimate in her time. The systems and the multiple redundancies for her were so innovative, brilliant and yet sensible for their era. This may sound weird, but I am telling you that the 400 wanted nothing but to be in the air. She could land and take off in the crappiest and most interesting of circumstances and fields, and fly in some amazing wx. She just wanted to be free of the earth. She felt that marvelous, that sure, that powerful and that graceful in her climb out. You gain a bond and a feel when you spend enough time in any aircraft. But the feel of the 400 was something very special. She always without hesitation or issue, did everything that you asked of her. She was comforting, you knew her sounds. Besides, I could fly in cruise in my socks because she had a foot heater. lol She had so many features and systems that I had never experienced before. She was such a safe aircraft and so steady and comfortable to fly. She was as beautiful sitting on the ramp as she was in flight. You never had to manhandle her, ever. She took me all over Asia for many years.
 
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