Boeing has delivered its final 747, handing over the last 747-8 model produced to Atlas Air Worldwide in a ceremony at its factory in Everett, Washington, on Tuesday. According to Boeing, the event was attended by several thousand people including company employees who designed and built the first 747. Called the “Queen of the Skies” and known as the first jumbo jet, the 747 entered service in 1970.
“This monumental day is a testament to the generations of Boeing employees who brought to life the airplane that ‘shrank the world,’ and revolutionized travel and air cargo as the first widebody,” said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Stan Deal. “It is fitting to deliver this final 747-8 Freighter to the largest operator of the 747, Atlas Air, where the ‘Queen’ will continue to inspire and empower innovation in air cargo.”
Boeing introduced a number of 747 models over the years including the 747-400 in 1988 and the 747-8 in 2005. A total of 1,574 747s were manufactured over the course of the program. Following its departure from Everett, the last production 747 created a flight track monogram on its way to its new home.
I was a structures mechanic back in the 80;s doing the Section 41 mods. Really enjoyed working on the 747.
My first flight in a 747 was in ’73 that started at Frankfurt while coming home from Germany on Leave from my Army unit in Germany. The Pan Am bird had so few passengers that they allowed me to sleep laying out across seats in the center of the aircraft and I slept most of the way to JFK. I was absolutely amazed at how large the cabin was.
Great airplane. 4 engines are better than 2. Hope we never learn why the hard way.
Having work as a PAA electrical mechanic on the first B747-121 delivered to Pan AM. Flew as an FAA Airworthiness Principal on Atlas’s first B747-400 FAA proving runs. Flown on many B747-100, 200, 300, and 400’s, inspecting Atlas, Polar, Northwest, United and Kalita. The B747-8F really looks (and is) the Queen of the SKY. At least it will be operating for the next 15-20 years.
I have only flown on a 747 three times. The first time was on Continental to Hawai’i in 1972. My dad was a pilot for CAL and knew the pilots, so we got to visit the cockpit. The last 2 times were this past May on Lufthansa between Orlando and Frankfurt. One with a spiral staircase and two without. Would love to fly one.
I’ve only flown on the 747 a few times, but they were certainly an experience. Once on the upper deck via the spiral staircase. But what the most impressive thing to me is to see them opened up for a heavy check and how much more room there is that is normally hidden by the ceiling panels and overhead bins. I also got to watch one being stripped and painted over a several days period. Standing below them and realizing just how huge they are makes me amazed at how they ever manage to get off the ground. I also saw the one that GE used as the flying test bed for the GE-90 engine used on the 777. There was one -90 engine mounted on the inboard left wing and the three other normal engines. It looked really strange to see how much larger the -90 engine was compared to the others. In talking with the pilot, he said that the -90 engine could hold the plane in level cruise with the other three shut down.