NWA Ship 6624 Oct 2009 Last of the 747-200s

This is Walk through video is about NWA Ship 6624 I did just before it was retired to the Desert on its last working leg to MSP.
For a retirement ceremony of the 747-200 in Northwest Airlines service, this classic airliner was flown in to BFI from MSP. Flight used the call sign Northwest 9987 Heavy. October 2, 2009
First Flight was 26. May 1979
Registration number N624US
Video by Neal McMahon Northwest Airlines Flight Attendant

[@p51nion]

Thanks. Hope this stays up forever. I was a pilot, 21 1/2 years on NWA 747s. Last flight on 9 Dec 2009 - ANC to ATL.

[@gw78787]

p51nion flew on this aircraft many of times out of SEA

[@Delta_NWAB747fan]

I’m so glad I found this video. I flew Northwest almost to the very end. My Opa (Grandfather) flew Northwest all the way back in the Orient days and my Oma (Grandmother) worked for KLM all the way to the alliance days. 5 years ago my dad gave me something: When Northwest dropped the Orient name in ‘86, the airline gave away objects on the aircraft with the Orient titles. My Opa took a Northwest Orient a tiny metal spoon he ate his meal with off that flight. He passed away in 2008 and my last flight on Northwest before switching to Delta was around the time this video was taken in ‘09. Looking back, nwa may not have been the most modern airline, but the ambiance, happy employees, and amazing fleet of aircraft like this 747 classic kept drawing me to the airline. Delta may be more modern and advanced in ways, but flying Northwest was an experience and I loved it! That’s why, “The sun will never set on Northwest Airlines!”

[@jayd1426]

Northwest really utilized 747s well. Watching this made my shirt soaked in tears. Words can’t describe how much I love this beautiful aircraft. It will always be my Queen and will have a special place in my heart. 747 is literally like a mother carrying me safely to my destination. I love you Boeing 747!

[@gw78787]

It was a great company with absolutely the best people! ALL hard working professionals that cared about its customers!

[@mergat2970]

This is truly a hidden gem for avgeeks. Just raw, simple footage showing every part of a plane considered rare nowadays, as well as her crew sharing the bittersweet moment of her retirement

[@pinkglitterbae]

Had the chance to fly on this old NWA beauty in February 2001 out of DTW to Beijing when I was 9 years old. Got some great family pics on it.

[@speedbird1598]

Nice to see some female aviation enthusiasts!

[@AJ67901]

She had a 35 year working life. Better than a lot of A380s that didn't make 10 years.

[@pskilla5023]

I love how the doritoes and twinkies are just stashed on the flight engineer's desk. Very professional.

[@jeffd.2390]

I remember 6624 well. Great old bird joined the fleet just before I joined the company. Thanks for sharing this!

[@TheRangerover05]

Gosh: I wonder how many times I was a F/A on 6624. The 200's had a great M/C galley. Also to this day this is the ONLY A/C that had Lav's away from any galley.......Safe & Nice, unlike today's A/C......I have always missed the 200. I will also miss the 400 when it retires......Wish we were getting the 747-8's. It will not happen.......The 747 is and will always be the "Queen" of the skies.....

[@hansimgluck4965]

The original 727 was even better -- the galley was amidships, and lavs were at the forward and aft extremities of the cabin.

[@Springbok314]

Well done sir, a real treat touring a classic old bird. That upper deck was exclusive; I can recall when the 747 first entered service and it was a lounge for F class! My first 747 flight was from DTW to Miami as a lad in 1970. Many years later I was fortunate to fly on one of the very last 747-400 flights on South African from LHR to JNB; the captain made special announcements about it. Sad to see the Queen of the Skies going away.

[@countdracula7235]

Thanks for posting ! I worked for NWA - MSP for 11 years. Finished up a Engineering Manager fir DC-10 and B757 fleets. Miss the ‘Whales’ !!

[@LLover-ee3qv]

Nice! Northwest really had a habit of maintaining their old aircraft well! This one looks as if it had just come off the assembley line, just as new and well maintained as their many DC-9's! I didn't know they were flying 747-200's on the NW side until shortly before the merger was complete and NW integrated into DL's AOC.

[@gw78787]

Yes they sure did!

[@nealmcmahon9500]

On 9 September 2015, the very first Boeing 747-400 built, N661US, touched down at Atlanta from Honolulu as Delta Flight 836 for the last time in revenue passenger service. Ship 6301 was the Boeing 747-400 prototype, which was delivered to launch customer Northwest Airlines on 8 December 1989 and has logged more than 61 million miles, enough to make 250 trips from the Earth to the moon. Northwest later merged with Delta. The aircraft will be moved to the Delta Flight Museum in early 2016 to be on permanent display.

[@tyleranimated2334]

Wasn’t that NWA 85?

[@lakshyagrover6379]

@@tyleranimated2334 yup

[@mattwaight9508]

In March 1994, I was traveling from DFW to Anchorage. I flew on NW, especially to fly the 747-200. I was routed DFW - MSP on a DC-9, MSP - SEA on the 747 and SEA - ANC on a 757. The 747 segment was NW Flt #7 which would continue to Tokyo - Narita and then onward to Beijing. I was in the exit row, at 4R, next to the economy class galley. In the mid 1980's, for a brief time, NW flew a daily DFW - SFO flight on the 747-200. FUN MEMORIES!!!

[@gw78787]

Took flight 8 all the time to MSP

[@georgeackerman90]

Thanks for the posting happy memories of NorthWest Airlines.

[@OFFICIAL_VIDEO_AWARDS]

Thank you for taking the effort to film and put this up!

[@Michael.Chapman]

Wonderful that this great ship flew 30 years from 1979 to 2009! Am lamenting that QANTAS has just retired our remaining 747-438ERs after a mere 16 to 17 years in service! No other design can match the style, robustness, character and safety of the Queen...

[@bbhihoney]

Thanks for making this video. It means a lot. It was my home away from home for about 20 years.

[@BigOzMusicFan]

Those 3 indicator lights next to the exit sign are colored; Red - Orange - Blue Red:: was for inter phone calls - Flight attendant phones at each door and also pilots phone Orange:: was when someone in the Lavatory pushed the flight attendant call light Blue:: is when a passenger pushed their flight attendant call light at their seat. Then a white light above their seat would tell us who had pushed the button.

[@speedbird1598]

If I had a time machine I would go back to the days when I could fly one of these

[@gw78787]

It was great times trust me

[@qjb75]

Fantastic video! Thank you so much for posting. I am a huge 747 enthusiast so finding this video was like Christmas for me hehe

[@michaeldiamondz]

Thanks so much for posting this. I flew this very same aircraft from SEA to Seoul in 1981 -- my first international flight -- when my Dad was serving in the Navy there. I have a picture of her on the ramp before we departed in the classic "Northwest Orient" livery. She would have been only 3 years young at the time. My grandfather, who had been working for NWA for nearly 35 years, was there to see us off. It made me proud that N624US was one of the last, if not the last, 747-200 to be retired by Northwest.

[@gw78787]

Thank you so much for documenting this!!! An ex-NWA employee here based in SEA, flew her many times SEAHNL, MSP back in the late 80’s! Absolutely awesome video!

[@ralphl4563]

Thank you for making and sharing that video. Really is a beautiful aircraft, the Boeing 747

[@brianplaner8626]

Thank you for posting the video. The 747 was my favorite plane at Northwest (Orient). My first trip out of training was the 6 day HNL-OSA-HNL-MSP trip and I was in the back galley mixing drinks for 400 passengers as it was before the carts in coach. But the service in first class was wonderful with the 7 cart service with the ice sculptures, caviar, lobster showpiece on Asia flights and all the great food. I miss flying and it was great seeing so many flight attendants I used to fly with.

[@mrtodd3620]

What are you doing now?

[@triplanelover]

my hands pushed those throttles years ago...loved the airplane, nice to land, but hated the 12 and 13 hour legs

[@SanFranKissKouh]

Lovely good old aircraft :)

[@FarocheCouture]

I sure miss Northwest Airlines. Many great flights to Korea, as well as hops to Guam.

[@louisdoherty1480]

I flew this exact plane in 1992. I remember being in one of the lavs the cameraman was shooting! Good times.

[@mike48084]

Joining the mile high club I see

[@user-gr8ev3xf1y]

Sad to see that old 747 go and NWA

[@caltrain910]

Not all 747s in the Northwest Airlines Fleet where retired all of the 400s were transferred to Delta.

[@joseramonabad7893]

Thank you so much for posting this video. This is real history. My dad worked in Iberia Airlines 747-200 I visited the cockpit but i had never thought of entering the top floor lavatory. It´so cool

[@zionismisterrorism8716]

Beautiful.

[@VAABoy081]

My god … the state of the cabin and the lavs … This looks like after pax disembark … god they can really trash a cabin when they want to. Was always my pet peeve as a senior F/A. I used to always wonder how disgusting their houses were if they did this to my beautiful airplane! 😂 Beautiful bird, as an av geek I feel very privileged and blessed to have taken a ride on the 747, 200 and 400 series, the DC-10 and the L-1011. All as a passenger, worked on the 400 series for 10 years with Virgin Atlantic before changing airlines and heading on over to Norwegian with a single aircraft fleet of Boeing 787’s … now … who knows what the future holds! Blessed indeed! ☺️ Great video! ✈️

[@arizonaalchemy7572]

LOVE those Big Birds. B747 was always a favorite, enjoyed flying aboard these planes. Nice vlog !

[@ravo20]

I love tours of old planes. Never got to fly on a 747-200 or -300. Great video

[@jaytowne8016]

Tears in my eyes!

[@hammondegger603]

wow...jay...you were the captain on many of the GUM 727 flights I worked as a f/a early to mid 90's. great flight deck crews at GUM base!

[@warrenchu4612]

Always great memories with NWA 747 all series.!!

[@missy4335]

I truely miss that classic engine scream

[@PetiteKeyboardist]

That was interesting! Thank you for posting!

[@danishguyky]

Aww, Jeffrey! I just flew YUL with him in November.

[@BigOzMusicFan]

NWA 6624 -- Tail number N624US was retired in 2009 taken by Kalitta Air in 2010 and it shows its stored by them but cant find where. Hope that helps and you are correct it was call sign Connie Sorry had my ships mixed up

[@StratMatt777]

+BigOzMusicFan I have bad news. :( This airplane was scrapped in February of this year... a month or two before you posted this comment. www.planespotters.net/airframe/Boeing/747/21706/N624US-Northwest-Airlines

[@BigOzMusicFan]

Thanks for the update Stratmatt777 feels kind of like a passing have flown on that ship of many years

[@StratMatt777]

BigOzMusicFan Yeah, I thought that'd be the case. I probably shouldn't have told you! Where were you based? Were you a MSP guy? Were you an FA? I've got a photo of 626NW in the red "bowling shoe" livery sitting at the gate at KSEA sometime in the early 1990s. It is shot from the gate and is so close-up that the front and back are in two separate photos. I'll see if I can find the negatives to scan and then stitch it together and upload it to my flickr account this weekend.

[@jayd1426]

More Airlines should seriously consider getting 747-8Is. I’ve heard good things about it from Lufthansa passengers. This will be a much newer passenger experience but also in the Queen of the Skies. They can’t just make a beautiful iconic adorable plane into a heap of scrap in a desert. That’s just disrespectful in my eyes. I don’t care about fuel costs. Nothing, NOTHING, can compare to the Queen of the Skies. I love the Boeing 747, the Queen,with all my heart.

[@Pwj579]

747-200 was such a classic aircraft, NW utilized the PW JT9D engines , those were some thirsty old dogs ….in fact they made McDD build them special version of DC-10, the DC-10-40 to use the same engines

[@BJKing-nc7pc]

Thank you for the memories! I am N.W.A. also.

[@Eric2221]

AWESOME!! I recognize a few faces :). Unfortunately I only worked the -200 a handful of times...mainly 'south' trips. I preferred the galleys vs the -400.

[@richsimon7838]

I thought the NWA 747’s went to Delta on the merger? Or perhaps there were the NWA -400’s, now also gone, so sad.

[@palmeredward2]

loved being upstairs headed across the Pacific. The only way to fly.

[@TheDboy82]

Back in 90s they had business class seats in the middle where the crew bunks are (crew bunks used to be in the tail) on this aircraft, never new they re did the layout

[@danishguyky]

Oh, it's Neil! Hahah how funny is that

[@BigOzMusicFan]

Oops sorry wrong ship the movie is of Ship 6624 not 6622

[@frankdoll4556]

Thank you all for your service to the myriads of Military Servicemen and Women and our families on Military Charter Flights. Flown on this bird many times between Clark AFB, Philippines and Los Angeles.

[@mrtodd3620]

Why was the ending of -200 service significant when the -400 took its place and was very similar?

[@hansimgluck4965]

Something weird about those cabin side panels and window frames -- they don't look original.

[@RxDrUAMS]

I probably flew to Kuwait on this jet. The years have not been kind to this aircraft at all. What a pile...

[@EpicThe112]

In the advertising looks like they did Detroit/Minneapolis Anchorage Tokyo Narita Manila Philippines Terminal 1 which will explain their purpose. If you are starting from Newark Airport Terminal B you got a dc-9 EWR-MSP/DTW then B747-200 DTW/MSP-ANC🇺🇲-NRT🇯🇵-MNL🇵🇭.

[@jaredkeller6208]

I feel like NW held on to their planes forever

[@gw78787]

If they are useable why not? This was a great airline

[@geek3894]

Great airplane...

[@soroktree1974]

Странно. Вроде же ещё летали Боинги 747-200. Наверное, в 2010, или 2011, или 2012 году летал на таком (авиакомпания Трансаэро). А может, это был Боинг 747-300. Уже не помню. It is strange. But maybe I flew on Boeing 747-200 in 2010 or 2011 or 2012 (the airline was Transaero, it is a Russian company which is now bankrupt). It also could be Boeing 747-300. I don’t exactly remember the modification.

[@okhan5087]

so classic

[@reohtz4878]

Was this an AMC/MAC charter? I loved working those flights!

[@jeffcorhn6613]

I don't understand the dating on this ..... NWA was taken by Delta in 2006, all remaining NWA B747's fleet were assumed by Delta at that time and were utilized by Delta until exactly 2 years ago !!!

[@mrtodd3620]

The -400 was introduced in 1989 and these are the aircraft that went to Delta. The -200 were retired before then, and this video is of one of them that is being sent to the boneyard. Northwest wasn't actually integrated into Delta until 2010, so a 2009 trip to the dessert still works out.

[@pyme495]

@jeffcorhn6613 The merger was in 2008, not 2006. It took a couple of years to integrate crews and aircraft fleets, so this is right on line timewise.

[@ericbressani2479]

El BOING 747 siempre fue el mejor avión de cuatro turbinas mejor construido

[@DouglasVishalBrook]

The crew seem very relaxed - was the plane not on a tight turnaround? Or was there a delay before passengers boarded? Usually I thought crews were very busy before a flight.

[@mrtodd3620]

I get the feeling this was a ferry flight.

[@speedbird1598]

You sound like you are about to cry whilst filming this!

[@skylineXpert]

I wonder what the deal was with the beach market config.

[@speedbird1598]

Hang on, why was it flying to BFI?

[@timgarvey8179]

Did alot of maintenance on that whale.

[@photo_rohan]

742nd like! Beautiful jet!

[@DavidBerquist334]

What year is it do you know who bought the fleet

[@S7R86]

At 3 minutes into the video, what are those 3 indicator lights next to the exit sign? I've always wondered what those lights are.

[@brianplaner8626]

*****

[@brianplaner8626]

Brian Planer Yes NWA used the amber lights in the lavs. On a flight from HNL to LAX on the DC-10 a young couple was having fun in the lav and she was pressed against the call light and it was ringing for a long time out in the cabin.

[@BigOzMusicFan]

Connie did not buy NWA 6622 6622 was dismantled and the big red tail was was turned into pieces of memorabilia for the Northwest employees. All the employees received a piece of the RED TAIL you can see what it looked like here: www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/northwest-airlines-commemorative-red-77923446 Mine sits with my other Northwest memorabilia

[@shafaitali1013]

BigOzMusicFan Did you go on to Delta airlines as FA or did you leave? or where you a purser onboard or a CSD?

[@spencerpierce1251]

I flew NWA First Class Internationally 747. No offense, I was underwhelm.

[@thecrazeecow1682]

8:07 Why was the toilet doing that wth

[@SanFranKissKouh]

Did' nt see the upper-deck lh-door (?)

[@pyme495]

On the -200, there was only one UD door. It was directly behind the cockpit, and tiny. Watch the video again, you'll see what looks like a small metal box sitting back in a cubby area. That is the slide pack, and the path out of the aircraft. It was nothing like the later -400 series, with a full sized door on both sides.

[@germb747]

Did Connie buy this bird?

[@ILoveQazaqstan]

It was scrapped

[@googaagoogaa12345678]

Ah the 747 the real queen damn airbus wannabe queen I miss northwest what happened to the infamous N661US by the way?

[@calvinrovinescu6166]

The A380 is far bigger and can't really compare to the 747. I like the 747 better, but the A380 is an amazing piece of engineering that sadly doesn't look that nice.

[@1101millie97]

Was the 747-400 the first to feature overhead video entertainment? It is clearly not the 747-200 judging by this video....

[@calvinrovinescu6166]

It is the 747-200 judging by the cockpit.

[@yolsclassics6347]

this is a 747-251B. Different cockpit gauge setup.

[@mike48084]

Those world business class seats are a laughable business class product by today’s standards.

[@KevinMeno2008]

6624 was the very last 747-251B to wear the 2003 NWA paintscheme

[@bodyloverz30]

What does the Flight Engineer actually do?

[@spudman9367]

He manages the fuel load. Monitors hydraulic system, electrical distribution. Prior to 1979 the flight engineer was a mechanic. They wore the pilot uniform. The reason the flight engineer was a mechanic was flying to Alaska, and the orient they needed a mechanic to do repairs and preflight inspections.

[@bodyloverz30]

@@spudman9367 Thanks, I really had no idea.

[@lekoman]

My eyes hurt from watching this. Dizzying with all the camera shake and swinging around and standing so close to what’s being filmed. A shame, would be cool to see this ol bird.

[@hdcarfiIms]

Flight Engineer

[@tomeksikora4013]

wrong it still lives how about air force one

[@speedbird1598]

Not at Northwest.

[@garyclement5121]

So bland. Nothing but blue fabric. Why didn't they add some color and brand distinction?

[@dt3269]

That's a lot of trump supporters in that cockpit!

[@pcressma]

Could have done without the babbling commentary...