This weekend I had the privilege of being able to share the experience of United Airline's final International service flight with the Boeing 747.
Many of us know of this plane as the Jumbo Jet, or for aviation geeks, the "Queen of the Skies." For 37 years, the 747 was the only double-deck commercial aircraft ever built, until the inception of the Airbus A380 program in 2007. It's unique body type makes it recognizable anywhere it goes. Not only did this massive aircraft have extraordinary range and seating capacity, but its one-of-a-kind upper deck provided airlines with the ability to create large lounges and areas for social gatherings, redefining luxury air travel.
But as new technology emerged in the commercial market, passenger planes became cheaper, cleaner, and more economical, all while the glory of the 747 jet withered away to old age and obsolescence. The once state of the art flight systems started becoming extremely problematic for airlines, causing massive flight delays, diversions, and even cancellations. Maintenance parts became more difficult to acquire as demand for the Jumbo Jet diminished. And like any old vehicle, there comes a time to move on. United chose 2017, (ironically the 47th year of service) as that year to say goodbye to the aging fleet.
I had never gotten the opportunity to sit on the second deck of a 747 in my entire life, so this trip was my first, and last to do so. On the outbound flight, I sat in 17K, presumably the quietest seat in the entire aircraft plainly due to location and distance from the engines. I have to say, I was not disappointed. On the return flight, I sat in 41K, which actually provided an incredible view of the wing and flaps. The aircraft for this trip, registration N121UA, is actually one of the youngest 747s in United's fleet, having been delivered in 1999. N121UA was specifically known for many years as the aircraft with the Star Alliance Livery.
The trip was tiring, but well worth it. I met people from all around the world who congregated together to share the experience one last time. United will be flying the 747's last revenue flight on November 7, 2017 from San Francisco - Honolulu, (its 747 debut route) under the callsign "UA747." Following that, the airline's remaining 747s will take its final resting place in the "Boneyard," located in Victorville, CA.
Thank you Walter for the external landing view at 19:02! Visit his channel: wcolby
