Guy Traveller

My first BOAC 747 encounter was in April or May of 1970. Dad took me and my brother over to the BOAC hangar to see the delivery of G-AWNB. The pics, below, were taken with my prized Kodak Brownie. That was the start of a happy and memorable 50-year relationship with the Queen of the Skies, ending with my last flight from Miami in March 2020.

MotheatenHound

A very sad day. A magnificent flying machine that's taken me all the way down, all the way west and east. Like many others, I shall miss 64K and that special atmosphere upstairs.

747's took me on my first trips to the USA, the Far East, Australia and South Africa. I once flew on a 747SP LHR-SFO on United, in the bubble, that was fun.

An iconic aircraft that has certainly left a lasting impression on me. The Queen shall be missed.

peck

Ahhh - a genuinely sad day. Back in Dec / Jan we had A380 flights to Miami, which were subsequently swapped to a B747 both ways. How glad I am of that now.

In 2012 I spent a few months effectively 'commuting' to Silicon Valley; I got to know that aircraft so well, and never tired of the loop around the city to line up for landing at SFO. I was either upstairs, or occasionally upgraded into the nose. What a lucky boy I was to experience all of that on the finest aircraft in the skies.

Will miss seeing (and occasionally flying) the BA 747s enormously.

BOH

When the upper deck had only 3 windows....and the engines only 8 fan blades

mwp1

Really wish I knew my last 64k experience was going to be my last ever one, I would of cherished it even more 18 months ago

JohnnyCarmello

Not BA, so I hope the mods don't mind, but here's an excerpt from an Irish news bulletin on-board the first EI Boeing 747 service DUB-JFK. Thought it interesting to see the old fit-out of the plane. Was surprised to find out that there was IFE onboard even back then!

https://www.rte.ie/archives/2013/041...dublin-to-jfk/

henkybaby

From one of my first trips on BA... It was a pleasure to fly them in J and F. Can imagine people not shedding a tear if they had to fly them in Y...







Wonder when (or if) travel will be something normal again. I am suffering from a different kind of cabin fever now.

NRGsaver

Very poignant. As has been stated upthread, this was inevitable but it is still sad. BA's 747s got me safely and comfortably to work all over the world for more than twenty-five years and I will miss that very special feeling I always had on boarding the 'Queen of the Skies'. My last flight on one was in March, back from DEN - little did I know that would be the last ever for me. The vast majority of my 747 flights were on BA but also Pan Am, United, Northwest, Qantas, SIngapore, Cathay Pacific, South African, KLM, JAL, Air Canada, Air France and probably a few others I've forgotten. The BA flights were always special - after a long trip away it felt like coming home as soon as I stepped on board. Like many others, I'll miss the experience.

NWIFlyer

Whilst, sadly, there is no question the main bulk of the article is true, clearly the last part was written by neither a metallurgist nor an aviation enthusiast.

I've not seen too much ferrous material contained in aluminium, and I can't begin to imagine how heavy a 747 would be built out of steel!

I hoped for one more upper deck trip to NYC, which I did have booked for October, but clearly - even if entry restrictions are lifted earlier than expected - that is now not to be. It leaves my last 747 flight as being back from CPT in F, with the wholly outdated IFE but still that wonderful view out of the row 1 window.

Yes, the aircraft was incredibly bad (relatively) for the environment, its days were numbered anyway, but it was the catalyst which allowed ordinary people to travel the world and experience new cultures and gain new understandings. Farewell, old friend.

SavvyTravel

For me, the flying on a BA 747 UD was the intro to business class travel. I now reflect that, even though this was relatively recently, it was truly a different experience. Somehow, there is more of an emotion about that plane than any other I've ever flown on before or since. I feel fortunate (thanks in no small part to FT) that I've flown it in the nose, up top and in the bowels. I won't miss the latter one iota!

A sad, but expected, moment and I hope that the aviation industry recovers quickly. I'm no AV historian but I have a sense that the 747 had a major part in making air travel possible for the masses.

ThatT1Feeling

I've been lucky enough to have travelled in every cabin of the beautiful BA 747, including in the Super Club seats and in Economy upstairs. I've had some great flying experiences , luckily quite a few times including 1A and 1K.

I've watched in horror as my daughter spilled blueberry yoghurt all over the seat and floor of 1A, I've fallen up the stairs to 64K (but never fallen down them, thankfully!), I've sat on an unruly passenger between the exit doors of the upper deck, I have loved the throne seats in WT+ to and from DME and JFK quite a few times and I have been frustrated at not having the right power adaptor (Empower??) on some flights.

So many times, I have wished that the flight could last just another hour.

It's been great and it's sad that I've already had my last time.

testycal

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I am one of many who flew 747's in economy and I very much enjoyed my time in that plane. Favourite seat ...doubles at the rear.

FlyerTalker39574

Yes, btw B781s have a few doubles at the rear.

CatchThePigeon

Historic. The link to your TR isn't working. I'm glad you took the photos.

flying_geek

I will miss those planes, yes, they were dated now but they were still my favorite ride. I preferred 62 or even 64 over an F seat for overnight flights. My very first TATL was on a 747 - upper deck economy. I once spent most of an LHR-MIA flight on a 747 jump seat - this Sunday i am booked on a LH 747-8 - wondering if that will be the last 747 flight in my life.

747, I will miss you