End Of An Era. . .

(End Of An Era. . .)

Sometime in the Mid-60's Boeing President Bill Allen and CEO of Pan American World Airways, Juan Trippe, took a fishing trip in Washington State. Boeing had building airplanes for Pan Am for decades, with the Boeing 707 being the main-stay of Pan Am's. and other airlines', fleet. But the 707 was too small and passenger traffic was expected to explode in coming years. What Allen and Trippe talked about on that trip was a new airplane that could seat 500 passengers. That was the beginning of the Boeing 747. The first 25 production models were to be purchased by Pan American who was to be the launch customer.

The Boeing 747 is a marvel of engineering and was everything Trippe and Pan Am was looking for. Four high by-pass turbo fan engines powered this "Queen of the Skies" that could carry its load in comfort to most global destinations. Over its long and storied carrier, a Boeing 747 flew millions of passengers millions of miles.  Its capacity was impressive with a unique upper deck for First Class. Early models were also equipped with a piano bar, but when the airlines figured that passenger seats could be placed in the space, later models did away with that piece of whimsey.

After the first flight from Boeing Field in January, 1970, Boeing produced some 1,600+ of the "Jumbo Jet," of all types, the design evolving through the -200, the -300, -400, and finally the 747-8 Intercontinental. As of today, Boeing completed its last production 747, an Intercontinental to be delivered to cargo carrier Atlas Air.

It is true that the Being 747 has been a victim of technology. Originally, one would need four engines to keep such a large plane airborne for the 15-20 hour trans-Pacific flights. Now, the same routes can be flown by follow-on Boeing 767, 777, and the 787 Dreamliner. And there is also the Airbus line. Boeing did lose some market share to its European rival and there are various reasons for that. But that being said, Boeing has made the better airplane.

All things to come to an end but the demise of the 747 was perhaps accelerated with the pandemic. There was a precipitous drop in traffic that made the large carriers, like the 747 or the Airbus A380. British Airways and Royal Dutch Airlines started phasing out their Jumbos for their own 767's or 777's, or for Airbus the A350. 

That being said, the Boeing 747 was something to behold when in flight. The grace of such a large machine that could maneuver almost effortlessly, passengers riding in un-paralleled comfort. If this the final twilight to the Jumbo Jet one can look back on the most airplane that was conceived, at all places, on a fishing trip.