Originally Posted by
OrlandoFlyer
Flown on the 747 from the beginning on the 70's when AA had the piano bar at the back, to the many airlines that had the upstairs lounge with the captains chairs, and later the 747-400 versions. Last week flew to London on VS from the USA on a 747. Still the Queen of the Skies for me.
The 747 will always be a landmark for me, almost matching my first TATL in a 707, back when it was the "First (successful) of the Breed".
For those of us old enough to have lived (and traveled) in the halcyon days of US commercial aviation, the introduction of the 747 was as giant a step forward as were the great and grand ocean liners in their their time. TATL, TransPac or Transcontinental, those first years provided memorable flights and experiences.
To be walking through the terminal (even when expecting to see one) and to look out the windows at your gate to see the giant multilevel nose of a 747 hulking out there, big enough to block out all else, even a bit of the sunlight, was to realize that the world was a'changing.