When did the first 747 come into service?
The first flight took place on February 9, 1969, and the 747 was certified in December of that year. It entered service with Pan Am on January 22, 1970. The 747 was the first airplane dubbed a "Jumbo Jet", the first wide-body airliner.
Which airlines have operated the Boeing 747?
The airline’s safety card for the 747 is shown below. Japan Airlines launched its first 747 service on July 1, 1971 on the Tokyo-Hong Kong and Tokyo-San Francisco-via-Honolulu Routes.
Did you know that the Boeing 747 had a flight engineer?
Of course, as was typical for jetliners of its time, the 747 also required a flight engineer to present in the cockpit. Jess Wallick filled this role for a flight that, apart from a minor flap issue, demonstrated that the 747 was an aircraft with impressive handling abilities.
What is a historical snapshot of the Boeing 747?
Historical Snapshot. The 747 was the result of the work of some 50,000 Boeing people. Called "the Incredibles," these were the construction workers, mechanics, engineers, secretaries and administrators who made aviation history by building the 747 — the largest civilian airplane in the world — in less than 16 months during the late 1960s.
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When was the first Boeing 747 flown commercially?
Technical SpecificationsFirst flightFeb. 9, 1969Model number747-100/-200ClassificationCommercial transportSpan195 feet 8 inchesLength231 feet 4 inches6 more rows
What is the oldest Boeing 747 in service?
The oldest active passenger configured Boeing 747 that is still flying today is just about 42.89 years old. On November 9, 1977, the Saudi Arabian Royal Flight ordered the aircraft, which was registered as HZ-HM1B.
When did commercial jet service start?
Then, on May 2, 1952, the British Overseas Aircraft Corporation (BOAC) began the world's first commercial jet service with the 44-seat Comet 1A, flying paying passengers from London to Johannesburg. The Comet was capable of traveling 480 miles per hour, a record speed at the time.
What is the oldest commercial jet still in service?
1. Boeing 737-200 (G-GNLK) of Nolinor Aviation – 1974.
What is the oldest plane still in service?
Data from ch-aviation.com shows that the oldest is FAP354, a 737-200 that flies for Fuerza Aérea del Perú (the Peruvian Air Force). Clocking in at an impressive 51.64 years old, this classic jet began its career at Aer Lingus way back in 1970.
Is the Boeing 707 still in service?
As of 2019, only a handful of 707s remain in operation, acting as military aircraft for aerial refueling, transport, and AWACS missions.
When did the Boeing 707 go out of service?
It made its first flight on December 20, 1957, and entered commercial service on October 26, 1958. It remained in production until 1991, with a total of 1,010 being built, and was credited with inaugurating the jet age in commercial travel.
What was the first commercial airline?
the St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat LineTony Jannus conducted the United States' first scheduled commercial airline flight on 1 January 1914 for the St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line.
Are there any Boeing 747 still in service?
Only one of the Boeing 747-400s is currently active, according to flight data. EP-MEE, a 32-year-old aircraft first delivered to United Airlines, flew to Istanbul as recently as Friday.
Where is the first 747 now?
SEATTLE -- After years of falling into disrepair, the world's first Boeing 747 has finally received some much-needed tender love and care. Permanently parked at the Museum of Flight in Seattle, the hulking jet is easy to spot.
How many Boeing 747s are still in service?
Airline operators There were 445 Boeing 747 aircraft in active airline service as of July 2022, comprising 6 747-100s, 18 747-200s, 4 747-300s, 267 747-400s, and 150 747-8s. These aircraft are listed by airline operator and variant in the following table.
What is the lifespan of a 747?
On average, an aircraft is operable for about 30 years before it has to be retired. A Boeing 747 can endure about 35,000 pressurization cycles and flights—roughly 135,000 to 165,000 flight hours—before metal fatigue sets in. 747s are retired after approximately 27 years of service.
Why did Boeing make the 747?
The incentive for creating the giant 747 came from reductions in airfares, a surge in air-passenger traffic and increasingly crowded skies. Following the loss of the competition for a gigantic military transport, the C-5A, Boeing set out to develop a large advanced commercial airplane to take advantage of the high-bypass engine technology developed ...
How long was the original 747?
The fuselage of the original 747 was 225 feet (68.5 meters) long; the tail as tall as a six-story building. Pressurized, it carried a ton of air. The cargo hold had room for 3,400 pieces of baggage and could be unloaded in seven minutes. The total wing area was larger than a basketball court.
How big was the Boeing 747?
The 747 was truly monumental in size. The massive airplane required construction of the 200 million-cubic-foot (5.6 million-cubic-meter) 747 assembly plant in Everett, Wash., the world's largest building (by volume). The fuselage of the original 747 was 225 feet (68.5 meters) long; the tail as tall as a six-story building.
What was the purpose of the 747-400?
In August 1999, major assembly began on a militarized 747-400 Freighter to be used as a platform for the U.S. Air Force’s Airborne Laser (ABL) program. It rolled out on Oct. 27, 2006, and was eventually designated YAL-1. Boeing was the prime contractor for ABL, which was designed to provide a speed-of-light capability to destroy all classes of ballistic missiles in their boost phase of flight. Boeing provided the modified aircraft and the battle management system and is the overall systems integrator. ABL partners were Northrop Grumman, which supplied the chemical oxygen iodine, or COIL, high-energy laser associated lasers, and Lockheed Martin, which provided the nose-mounted turret in addition to the beam control/fire control system. On Feb. 11, 2010, the flying test bed destroyed a ballistic missile off the coast of Southern California. The program was canceled in 2011, and in 2012, YAL-1 was flown to the U.S. Air Force “bone yard” near Pima, Ariz., to be scrapped.
How long did it take to build a Boeing 737?
Fifty-thousand Boeing people built it in less than 16 months.
How tall is the Boeing 747-400?
The 747-400 rolled out in 1988. Its wingspan is 212 feet (64 meters), and it has 6-foot-high (1.8-meter-high) "winglets" on the wingtips. The 747-400 also is produced as a freighter, as a combination freighter and passenger model, and as a special domestic version, without the winglets, for shorter range flights.
Where did the 747 pilots train?
Pilots prepared for the 747 at Boeing training school. The experience of taxiing such a large plane was acquired in a contraption called "Waddell's Wagon," named after Jack Waddell, the company's chief test pilot. The pilot sat in a mockup of the 747 flight deck built atop three-story-high stilts on a moving truck.
When was the first commercial flight of the 747?
This took place less than a year after the jumbo’s prototype had completed its maiden test voyage from Everett, on January 22nd, 1970.
When was the 747 made?
The Boeing 747 came about after Pan Am requested an airliner two-and-a-half times the size of its existing 707. The carrier placed a 25-aircraft order for the 747 in 1966, and, two years later, in September 1968, Boeing revealed the first 747 at its Everett factory in Washington State. It was the world’s first twin-aisle airliner, and paved the way for future widebodies.
What is the most iconic plane in 2021?
by Jake Hardiman. May 19, 2021. 3 minute read. Many people, both among avgeeks and the general public, consider the Boeing 747 to be among the most iconic airliners of all time. A key factor in this is its longevity.
Why was the 747 delayed?
The return leg also suffered a four-hour delay due to a faulty compressed air bottle.
How long has it been since Pan Am launched the 747?
It has been more than half a century since Pan Am commercially launched the 747. Photo: Getty Images
Where did the 747 arrive?
The 747’s maiden arrival at Heathrow generated huge interest in the aircraft. Photo: Getty Images
Who was the flight engineer on the 747?
Of course, as was typical for jetliners of its time, the 747 also required a flight engineer to present in the cockpit. Jess Wallick filled this role for a flight that, apart from a minor flap issue, demonstrated that the 747 was an aircraft with impressive handling abilities.
The Beginning
The Boeing 747 first flew on February 9, 1969. It entered airline service on January 22, 1970. [i] It was the reigning “Queen of the Skies” for the rest of the 20 th century. Boeing sold 1,546 747s. It was the first of the wide body jetliners. It had the capability to carry up to 500 passengers, more than twice as many as the Boeing 707.
The History and Times of the Boeing 747
On January 15, 1970, First Lady Pat Nixon christened Pan American’s (Pan Am) first Boeing 747, at Dulles International Airport. This aircraft was to go into service on January 21, 1970 but an engine overheating prevented that. Another aircraft, Clipper Victor, flew the first 747 passenger flight on January 22, 1970. It was a New York-London flight.
When was the first 747 built?
Construction of the 747. Following Pan Am’s order in 1966, delivery of the first 747 was set for the end of 1969. This was a massive undertaking in a comparatively short time. The first challenge was to secure a new location for development as none of Boeing’s existing sites could handle such large construction.
Why is the 747 a success?
Such a large aircraft needed a new high-bypass turbofan engine design too. This would deliver higher power but with lower fuel consumption.
How many engines does a 747 have?
The 747 would not be the same without its four engines. But, back at the start of the program Boeing was seriously considering a three-engine version. This shortened trijet would have had one engine on each wing and a third in the tail, similar to the Boeing 727.
What is the 747 dual use?
Combined freight use. Another significant change introduced by the 747 was its dual-use function, making it suitable for passengers or cargo. The 747 was designed from the outset to accommodate both. The upper deck both increased passenger capacity but also left a full main deck, able to be maximized for cargo.
How did the 747 impact the world?
Impact of the 747 – changing aviation for the better. The 747 has shaped the aviation world in many ways. Perhaps most importantly, at the time of its introduction, it changed the economics of flying. The increased capacity gave airlines much more scope for different pricing and ticket types.
Why did the 747SP come about?
The 747SP came about to meet airline demand for a longer range aircraft that could operate between New York and the Middle East. The solution was to shorten the 747-100 fuselage and to implement changes to the flaps and stabilizers to compensate.
What was the main focus of the Boeing 2707?
Photo: Getty Images. Boeing saw this as an essential feature, partly as a significant alternate focus at the time was on supersonic aircraft. Boeing was also working on a supersonic jet, the Boeing 2707, to compete with the British and French-designed Concorde.
When did the 747 enter service?
The 747 was certified by the FAA for commercial passenger service on December 30, 1969. The 747 entered service with Pan Am on January 22, 1970. Following are timetables, menus, safety cards, and annual reports from some early operators of the jumbo jet, listed in order of each airline’s first 747 flight.
When was the 747 first ordered?
The first order for the 747 began with a December 1965 conversation between Boeing President William Allen and Pan Am President Juan Trippe, and was said to have gone something like this:
How many 747s were on the plane in 1970?
The airline featured the 747 on the cover of its February 1, 1970 timetable along with a crew of fourteen posing in front of the aircraft. By the end of the year, the airline had fourteen 747s on hand, with an additional five on order.
How many planes did the Pan Am buy?
The order was finalized in April 1966, with Trippe agreeing to buy 25 airplanes for Pan Am at $20 million each. At the height of the project in 1968, some 20,000 Boeing employees were at work on the project. The 747 debuted on its first test flight on February 9, 1969.
How many hours did it take to fly a Boeing 747?
Over the next ten months an extensive flight test program followed, involving five airplanes and over 1,400 hours of flying.
How long is the cabin on the 747?
Known alternately as Big Orange and 747 Braniff Place, it was marketed as “a place to live well in flight.”. With a 185-foot-long cabin, passengers were promised the freedom to roam across six lounges and ten conversation foyers before returning to the privacy and comfort of wing-backed, contoured chairs.
What was the second phase of the jet era?
With the first flight from New York to London, Pan Am’s Clipper Young America ushered in the jet age’s second phase: the era of wide body aircraft. Developed by Boeing to maximize seat-mile and ton-mile revenues, the aircraft also extended the golden age of air travel as the 1960s came to a close. With increased capacity and lowered costs, ...
How many Boeing 747s are in service in 2021?
There were 435 Boeing 747 aircraft in active airline service as of June 2021, comprising 6 747-100s, 19 747-200s, 4 747-300s, 265 747-400s, and 141 747-8s. These aircraft are listed by airline operator and variant in the following table.
How many Boeing 747s does Atlas Air have?
Atlas Air is the largest operator with 45 Boeing 747 aircraft in its fleet (including the Boeing Dreamlifter ).
