The rollout of the Boeing 747 emerged as a global media spectacle, captivating an unparalleled level of attention. As previously disclosed, Boeing presented its ultimate 747 jumbo jet amid grandeur and ceremony, and quite rightly so. The 747 was an aircraft that revolutionized aviation for the better, introducing an era of previously unimaginable travel possibilities for air travelers worldwide. It was not merely what the 747 was, but also what it accomplished.
Regarding the plane, affectionately dubbed by some ingenious PR individual as “The Queen of the Skies,” the 747 made its maiden flight in February 1969, a fitting prelude to the Summer of Love, and was initially delivered the subsequent January to Pan Am. Eventually, Pan Am purchased 65 of the jumbo jets out of the 1,574 produced over the years. The first 747, the -100 model, measured approximately 230 feet in length and could typically accommodate up to 360 passengers, with a maximum takeoff weight of 750,000 pounds. The 747-8, the last passenger plane in the series, was commonly configured to carry up to 467 individuals. It was significantly larger, with a maximum takeoff weight exceeding 900,000 pounds, a length of 250 feet, and a wingspan of 224 feet. It is, and will remain for some time, one of the largest aircraft ever constructed.
And what a tumultuous life it led! Baptized by then First Lady Pat Nixon, the 747 would subsequently be employed to transport the Space Shuttle. It was embroiled in the most catastrophic accident in aviation history, the Tenerife disaster, which was not the fault of the two 747s that collided on the fog-shrouded runway of the island. One 747 was shot down by the Soviet Union in 1983. And TWA Flight 800 exploded midair after, as per the NTSB, its center fuel tank detonated. The 747 also set what is undoubtedly an unbeatable record when an El Al 747 carried over 1,000 passengers during the evacuation of Ethiopian Jews, making it the largest passenger load of an aircraft in history.
The parting present from Boeing’s final 747? The plane traced a track in the sky—thanks to FlightAware for capturing this gem for us—resembling an empress’s crown.
And although Boeing has completed the last delivery of a 747 outfitted for commercial use, this one for cargo with Atlas Air, the company is still engaged in developing new versions of Air Force One, and 747s will continue to adorn the skies for decades to come.
