Does anybody remember flying the B747SP?
 

An earlier post asking about 747's in service made me remember this one, the hot rod of commerical airplanes. Because it was a shortened 747-100 it could only hold 230 passengers in the PanAm and IranAir versions, the ones I flew in.

I suspect there may be a few people with fond memories of these. I certainly am one of them.

So, does anybody ahve interesting stories of them? I have a few.

NASA has mounted a telescope in a 747SP, so if you're an astronomer you still have a chance of taking a ride in one :)

IranAir and Saudia still operate them

I flew in several United ones.

My first upgrade to First: SYD-LAX on Pan Am 02 Jan 1981 (sorry I can't recall the flight number, something like PA815). An almost new 747 SP named "China Clipper". FC was the upper deck and you could see into the cockpit when they left the door open for extended periods. IICR, someone on the crew said we were legal to FL450.

I remember the 747SP well. Along with the L1011, it was my favorite plane. I didn't like the L1011's shortage of overhead space, though. I flew aboard 747SP operated by TWA and United.

There were 2 economy sections, not 3 like in the 747-200.

One time, there was a China Airlines flight attendant that sat near me who just was aboard for the Brussels-Amsterdam segment of the flight that went on to JFK.

One nice thing was that, with fewer passengers, there was less competition to rush towards customs and immigration and luggage was delivered a bit quicker.

When the 747-400 came out, I was hoping that there would be a 747-500SP but only one such aircraft (sort of) was built and it was still called the 747SP. That plane had the 2 man cockpit, unlike the other 747SP aircraft, but not the new engines found in 747-400 aircraft. The 747SP line was restarted nearly 4 years after the previous one was built. Only one was built for the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. The last 747SP was completed in 1986 or 1987.

I flew lots of flights in China Clipper and had lots of meals in the upper deck dining room. For some time it operated on PA 1 and 2, I don't recall how long. Mostly I recall it from JFK-HND and JFK-DHA (I was on the inaugural flight for that one)

Las Vegas Sands flies a 747SP as a corporate jet. I have a picture of it on the apron at La Bourgnet alongside the chromed(!!) 747-400 of the Saudi Crown Prince.

First time was on a Pan Am 747 SP in First Class, SFO/HKG.
We had so much room in front of us that the FAs would bring the cart in front of our seats so that we could make our choices. Food and service--wonderful. I remember those seats spanning the length of 4 windows.
Good times^ I believe this was in 1979.

My first flight aboard a 747SP came in 1979 and cost me $13.00 on a standby fare with Pan Am between SFO and LAX. Got a couple of longer flights in ~ LAX-NAN-SYD and NRT-LAX along with my fastest transcontinental crossing ever aboard a UA bird between SFO and IAD. It was under 4 hours!

Am hoping to do FCO-IKA-PEK-NRT on a combo of A310 and 747SP in March. Very much looking forward to flying the stubby 747.