40 years ago...

...the world witnessed the birth of a new jet airliner. One twice as big as any seen previously, and one that would change the face of air travel.

30th September, 1968

N7470 was rolled out, the first Boeing 747 to be produced.

40 years on, the Boeing 747s are no longer the brand new machines that they are, their glory partially eclipsed by the Airbus A380. Yet a new breed of the beautiful airliner will soon take to the skies, and I hope for the 747-8 to grace them for a long time.

Rather than recount the whole history of the 747, which can be found at Wikipedia or by reading the book "747" by it's chief engineer, Joe Sutter, I'll make this a personal tribute to the Boeing 747, by showing off some of the pictures I've taken of this wonderful airliner.

My first experiences with the Boeing 747 came when I was 9 years old, headed across the Pacific Ocean to the United States of America. The trip involved a stopover in Tokyo, and while the transpacific flights were on American Airlines 777-223s, the flight to Tokyo, and the flight back, were both on United Airlines 747-422s. Young as I was, I could still recognise the familiar shape of the Jumbo Jet.

The next time I flew the Boeing 747 was on a Boeing 747-4H6 of Malaysia Airlines from Kuala Lumpur to Brisbane, and back from Melbourne. Regrettably I have little recollection of that trip.

After 5 years, in November 2005, my love for aviation had blossomed, as had my love for the 747. My family went on a very long trip to the United States again. Much as I loved the US, I missed home, and it was a joy to find that my ride home was a 747-412, 9V-SPF, carrying the golden bird of Singapore Airlines. I still regard that aircraft as my favourite in SIA's fleet.


Asiana Airlines 747-400 together with Singapore Airlines' 9V-SPF


My ride across the Pacific and back home, 9V-SPF


Cathay joins the Asian extravaganza with its own B-HUD, a 747-467 with rare Rolls Royce engines


Friendly rivalry over at Los Angeles International Airport


My family on board 9V-SPF on its way home to Singapore

Next year, in 2006, after another long trip in Europe, I had another chance to fly on the 747. A 747-4D7 of Thai Airways, from London to Bangkok. HS-TGR was my ride, and despite the lack of TVs, it was a very good flight. It was also my first experience deboarding a 747 from the remote stands (except maybe in Tokyo), and the first time I got to experience the size of that aircraft.


The cabin of HS-TGR


The massive PW4056 engine of the 747-400s of Thai, Singapore, Malaysi, United and many more


Siriwatthani

In 2007, Bertrand invited me along to Hong Kong, and we seized the chance to fly a rare bird. 747-146s, more than 30 years old, would be our ride. Our flights from Bangkok to Hong Kong and back were both on HS-UTQ, a former Japan Airlines 747-146SR. Great experience to fly on such a classic airliner, and to fly in the nose section, in front of the cockpit even.


Orient Thai's HS-UTQ, our ride to Hong Kong


HS-UTQ's vertical stabiliser in the setting sun


The classic interior of an old 747


The 747 classic's flight deck



Our aircraft departing Hong Kong the day after we arrived


In the business class section on my flight back

Later in the year, I secured tickets to fly on the first commercial flight (actually second) of the Airbus A380-841 from Sydney to Singapore. The aircraft that flew me to Sydney was the 747-412 9V-SMU. That aircraft is particularly special as it holds the line number of 1000, the 1000th Boeing 747 to be built


Dawn breaks over the South Pacific as 9V-SMU cruises along to Sydney


Thick fog obscures our approach into Kingsford-Smith International Airport in Sydney


Rollout after a nice landing in YSSY(SYD)


Met a sister ship in Sydney


The closest I'll ever come to flying an SIA 747-400


The office of a 747-412


9V-SMU bids us farewell for a while


She came back the next day, and left before our delayed flight on 9V-SKA, the first commercial A380 flight. There's a Thai 747 behind that as well.

Regrettably, that was the last chance so far I had to fly the Boeing 747. I'm looking to flying her a few more times before she leaves SIA's fleet in 2011, and hopefully one of those times will be on the upper deck. However, in late 2007, I met with a very special member of the 747 family, N7470, and it was a joy.


The first 747's nose


N7470's tail


No doubt who she is


Old, but gorgeous


Proud to be a 747


I'm standing under the nose, gives you an idea of the scale of the aircraft

The 747 was also the first aircraft I learned to fly well in Flight Simulator, thanks to the beautiful PMDG 747-400. I shall show her off a bit here.


My office in Microsoft Flight Simulator, the cockpit of the 747-400


My ride, the 747-412 of Singapore Airlines, 9V-SPF (the one that took me home from LAX)


9V-SPF's virtual counterpart taking off at Changi Airport


Overflying WSSS in a 747-412, 9V-SPF


Air New Zealand ZK-SUJ in special Lord of the Rings livery


ANA's Pokejet at Narita Airport, JA8962

Finally, the 747 has also gave me much enjoyment in models. I own quite a few of them, Cathay, ANA, JAL, the original N7470, a 747-8, Singapore Airlines and United Airlines.


A 1:500 747-400 of ANA I bought during the band trip to Osaka


1:500 JAL 747-100 Bertrand bought during same


A 747-400 model at Boeing in Seattle, I bought a 747-8 and a 747-100, opposite ends of the scale


This cute little 747 toy was inspired by (actually copied) one of the ANA Pokejets. I own an accurate scale model of this but it suffered a little... accident.

I'll continue by posting a few (actually a lot) of pictures I've taken of this beautiful bird.


G-CIVP at Bangkok Don Muang


747 vs 777 at Singapore


Two Qantas 747s at Hong Kong, VH-OJT and VH-OJO


Cathay Pacific and Asia's World City in Hong Kong


China Airlines B-18209 at Hong Kong


The old and the new, 747-200 of JAL and 747-400 of KLM at Hong Kong


The KLM 747 rotates at Hong Kong


The nose of Eva Air's B-16461 at Hong Kong


B-HUE of Cathay Pacific in Hong Kong


Garuda Indonesia's PK-GSH in Changi


A random 747 in Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport


Thai Airways' HS-TGX's tailfin


Another Orient Thai 747-146SR/SUD (stretched upper deck), HS-UTM, at Bangkok


Qantas 747s are common in Hong Kong


A Cathay 747-400BCF (converted from a passenger to a freighter)


The MegaArk takes off, 9V-SFA wearing larger SIA colours


A Qantas 747-438 rotates


2 Cargo planes, a 747-400BCF, converted from one of Cathay's old passenger planes, and a Kalitta 747-200F


B-HUB of Cathay Pacific breaks the surly bonds of Earth


9V-SPG of Singapore Airlines is about to follow


All the way from Amsterdam, the "Jakarta", PH-BFI, at Hong Kong


B-KAC, one of Dragonair Cargo's 747-300F


Rudolph the blue-nosed 747


The airline is now no longer in service, ex-SIA 747-400 B-LFA with Oasis Hong Kong


B-HMD, the "silver bullet"


Another 747-400BCF, this one of Martinair in Bangkok


HS-UTM yet again


Celebrating the Star Alliance, 9V-SPP of Singapore Airlines in Singapore


Malaysia Airlines passenger 747-4H6 in Malaysia. Their Hibiscus scheme rivalled the Tropical Megatops for beauty, sadly all 4 SIA and MAS specials are gone.


MASKargo, the sister airline, operates older 747-200Fs alongside 747-400Fs


Quintessentially Singapore, the iconic tower, the words and the Megatop, 9V-SPI


Another view of 9V-SPI


A pair of Korean Air 747-400s in Incheon


A United Airlines 747-422 at San Francisco International Airport


The 747-400LCF, aka the DreamLifter, built to carry parts for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, at Boeing's factory at Paine Field, Everett, Washington


On display at the Future of Flight Center in Boeing's base is this 6-storey high vertical stabliliser (tail) of a 747


The front section of a Northwest Airlines 747 in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington DC


A different view of the same


Korean Air 747-400 at a large aircraft carrier, Osaka Kansai International Airport


Probably the same guy, HS7461 of Korean Air

I hope this aircraft will continue to fly for many long years