What MADE the BOEING 747 POPULAR?

[@largesoda1729]

What made it so popular? *Slaps side of B747* "This bird can fit a lot of F-350s in it and still go further than any chevy out there"

[@abhishekghatge1704]

Aah you're a man of culture as well.

[@diamonddog257]

nothing you said ... made any sense.

[@nickroberts3658]

Back in 2009 my family was due to fly back from Fiji to Melbourne on the Air Pacific 767. The aircraft was inservicable on the day and flight downgraded to a 737. The next day we were put on the 747 service to Sydney, with a QF connection to Melbourne. We were on the upper deck as compensation for the delay and it was something I'll never forget. It just felt so much higher off the ground than all the other aircraft with the engines looking a seriously long distance away, combined with the small and private upper deck cabin where I sat with my parents and grandparents.

[@treypohe4593]

I actually quite like the quote: "The Boeing 747 is a commuter train of the global village..." Very nice! :D

[@andrecarpy6890]

Trey Pohe I read it as he said it

[@thealcohologist8624]

When I was 10 years old and flying to visit family in Brazil back in the early 90s I was invited to visit the cockpit of the KA 747-400! Got to hang out with the pilots for 20 minutes! So awesome, she will always hold a special place in my heart!

[@ColinPrince]

I used to sell foodstuff to the airlines at London Heathrow. One of my customers PanAm had the very first 747 in for repairs to an engine and I was so lucky to get a guided tour including sitting in the Captains seat. I was left in awe of its size and beautiful decor. It was repaired and flew back to New York a couple of days later. ✈️

[@IntellectualHazard]

The 747 was the first ever plane i flew on...as a 2 yr old!! I dont remember how i felt..but i definitely remember that huge aileron when i last flew it when i was 4. Air India used to fly them to my native place near Guwahati..but now that service is over

[@GeneralKenobi-mz9ig]

My favourite memory of the 747 was on Qantas. I was at LAX and we were delayed for many hours as the A380 we were intended to fly on had issues. We had a 747 called in for us and we got a whole crew. During the waiting time I was thinking about the possibility of getting and upgrade. I made it my mission too! I ended up making a song which I sung for the pilot, around 30 minutes later I hear my name go over the speaker and behold a new boarding pass for a Business class flight home, on the Queen of the Sky’s! Can’t wait to fly on the Qantas 747 again, which I am actually doing on Friday from LAX-JFK! Thanks for the great video Dj! Love your stuff!

[@davidsilver4339]

Btw, when they retired the space shuttle, they did a special 747 piggyback flight all over the USA at low altitude....everyone came out to see it, even in my small town of Santa Barbara. Also, a couple of 747’s are now used by the US forestry service to drop retardant on fires and again, in Santa Barbara, I saw that in action!!

[@sexynelson100]

I saw that 747 with the space shuttle on top when it once landed at Heathrow Airport

[@CoddiwomplingMiguel]

Hope you get to fly on a 747 soon before they all get retired. I’ll never forget my first trans Pacific flight when I was 7 on a 747. I’ve been in love with the Queen since then. ☺️

[@DjsAviation]

Fingers crossed! Wow that would've been amazing my friend.

[@Dezbo]

my first flight on a United 747 was from San Francisco’s to Tokyo in first class :D (my dad is a pilot for United so I get free tickets xD)

[@alexcleary1459]

Dj's Aviation why I love the b747 queen of the skys 1 her butie the b747 is the most beautiful aircraft in the world . 2 her legsey the Boeing 747 has a legsey that no other aircraft has . 3 her look the Boeing 747 has a nicer look than any other aircraft That's why the 747 has a place in my harte for ever and ever

[@willemlenteren1485]

not all go retired

[@motyamer7762]

CM Fabian I agree

[@albiedam3312]

I've gotta tell you, I've first flown on the 747 when I deployed a few months ago. It was by far the smoothest take off, flight and landing that I've ever witnessed. It was really neat experience seeing it inside and out, and I will never forget walking past that engine for the first time in my life. The entire thing is an engineering beauty. A living piece of art.

[@davidsilver4339]

DJ, that was the best video you’ve ever done. No plane has ever or will ever be as dramatic, glamorous, exciting or more comfortable than the 747. I have flown every iteration except the 747-8, including the 747SP. I guess the stand outs were my first 747 flight in 1971 on United #194, HNL to LAX. Back then each of the four cabins were boarded through separate gateways. The most luxurious experience was being upgraded to first class on Cathay Pacific, from San Francisco to Hong Kong. I believe it was a 200, and the plane had to stop in Vancouver; it didn’t have the range of the 400. But my seat was row one, window seat, and I could see ahead, being at the nose of the plane. Last year I flew Thai Airways from Sydney to Bangkok. The plane was old, it needed a paint job, but inside, even in economy, I was so happy to be aboard and it was beautiful. It is the greatest of them all and after 46 years...I hope they are around in passenger form for one more flight, someday.

[@DjsAviation]

Thanks so much David!

[@julz9261]

Wow what a plane, she's a beautiful machine a man made marvel, she is so majestic in the sky she owns it. Great video Dj's Aviation. :-)

[@joshuabrackley1895]

I flew a few weeks ago, for the first time on the 747-400, with Virgin Atlantic from London Gatwick to Orlando. It was an amazing holiday and I filmed the take off + landing. It is a pleasure to say that I'm this young and have flew on such an iconic aircraft which when they're all gone I can tell my children. Hey, I flew on that!

[@MrFunster125]

My absolute favorite memory of a 747 was in 1991 flying about half an hour past Moscow on a British Airways London-Hong Kong flight. The captain woke the passengers up to tell us that with the strong tail winds he'd received approval from Moscow control to open up the throttles to set a route record and that our ground speed was now over Mach 1! (we weren't supersonic at altitude) He told us that to the best of his knowledge this was the fastest commercial 747 flight in history! We made the LHR-HKG flight in 9hrs 39 minutes

[@JeroenvanMontfort]

Never realized the 747 was so important for the development of the aviation industry as it is today. I myself had the pleasure of flying the 747 twice. It was in 2011, me and my wife went on a honeymoon. We flew from Paris to Mauritius with Air Mauritius (operated by Air France). The travel agency got us premium economy seats on the upper deck. On the return journey, the upper deck was unavailable so we got emergency exit seats instead. The service was wonderful. Really great experience. I hope to repeat it one day on an A380.

[@NealTK]

I love all the UPS coverage. They're keeping the 747-8 alive.

[@BaraSupercook]

I really enjoy your videos. My first experience on a Boeing 747 was back in 1978, when I took the legendary Pan American Flight 001 (the 'around the world flighf), of whuch i flew from London to New York JKK, before its final leg to San Fransisco. Awesome experience!

[@Racko.]

The true Queen of the skies! The most beautiful 4 engine plane in the world, the first widebody EVER. And finally The most successful 4 engined large jet in aviation history, the most recognizable aircraft. That will always remain the Queen that has been flying for almost 5 Decades. Without the 747 we wouldn’t have convient air travel the way it is today, without the 747, Aviation would of been totally different and won’t be easy, without the 747 flight tickets and flying in the modern world wouldn’t be as easy to access , it would of been totally different as well. She changed Aviation FOREVER. How can anyone not like the Boeing 747? That plane is the backbone of aviation. One of the main reasons the upper deck was designed was to allow the 747 to be easily converted into a cargo aircraft. At the time, designers thought supersonic transports would quickly make the 747 obsolete, and its role as a cargo aircraft was essential. This is why the 747 is still flying today, although its passengers versions has been killed by its own 777 she will continue as a true Freighter for many many years to come. It’s sad that I’ve never flown the Queen, I hope to one day.

[@aviationloverexpert7435]

It got more sales than the all the 4 engines Airbus ones combined. Airbus needs to learn to stop expecting to this 1554 mark with the A380 (their biggest failure of all time) and just build a new aircraft (not double deck or 4 engine).

[@Racko.]

Even the 77W alone outsells the entire 4 engined airbus A340/A380 family combined

[@ArkitektoHardinero]

Johnny Wynn you're not alone i've never flown on a 747, my most favorite aircraft, the aircraft that made me fall in love with aviation, the most beautiful aircraft in the world.

[@Racko.]

breh breh I Agree, when I was young, the 747 is what really made me love Aviation too, It’s still my all time Fav aircraft, after the 777

[@rbgerald2469]

Never flown on a 747 too. It was sad to see PAL retire the 747-400.

[@priyapaul6541]

I just loved this video so much

[@DjsAviation]

Thank you :)

[@rgalonso3]

It is always awe inspiring to see a Boeing 747. It will always be my favorite and the best aircraft to work in as a cabin crew.

[@brownbear1657]

Ramon Alonso cool!!! What airline? What other planes are you trained in? Thanks!!

[@rgalonso3]

I'm no longer a flight attendant and many of the aircraft of my time that I was qualified in such as the fokker 50, DC10, Boeing 737, Airbus 300, Airbus 320, Airbus 330, Airbus 340, and the Boeing 747 have been retired, or are about to, by the company I used worked with.

[@erbenvanderlans6200]

I don't really have a favourite moment... I just love seeing the 747 over and over again. I can never get enough of it! *Altrough seeing the 747 from Iron Maiden was an absolutely amazing moment😍

[@barnabylelic5234]

Great video. Possibly the most interesting you have ever made.

[@DjsAviation]

Thanks mate.

[@brycebedford2478]

It is the most interesting

[@AlbertCalis]

I only flew the 747 once. It was 18 years ago when we flew on a Northwest Airlines 747-400 from Detroit (DTW) to Amsterdam (AMS). It was quite an amazing experience and one I will never forget!

[@ColonelFrontline1152]

Boeing 747 Airliner will forever be the Queen of the skies. Airbus A380 is just the Princess of the skies.

[@Racko.]

Not Princess, you mean Whale of the Skies!😂

[@ColonelFrontline1152]

[Johnny Wynn] Oh yeah you have a good point there. 😉👍

[@Racko.]

🤣

[@mikeblatzheim2797]

Johnny Wynn I thought that honor belonged to the Airbus Belugas

[@RMSAquitaniafan55]

Colonel Frontline I think the dream lifter is bigger than both

[@PlataxJazz]

My first and only flight on the 747 was to Hawaii with my wife for our 25th wedding anniversary. What an aircraft!

[@DjsAviation]

Amazing !

[@80sfreak14]

PlataxJazz which variant was it?

[@RMSAquitaniafan55]

PlataxJazz that's awesome

[@titanusrodan8344]

25th?! Wow, what an amazing family

[@keesdankelman5949]

How true you are for the 747 !!! I enjoyed a flight Toronto - Amsterdam sleeping in the middle and one hour before touchdown the KLM stewardess woke me up and had put my breakfast on the tray of the seat in front of me, unforgettable !!! Thanks for sharing this video ! Keep Dankelman, Amsterdam.

[@HeartlandTuber]

In mid 1971, in the middle of my time in grad school, my wife, five year old son, and I flew to Europe for a year's study in Germany, for the first time. This was I think about a year and half into the 747 service. It was via Lufthansa to Stuttgart, Germany, with a stop in Amsterdam for refueling. I remember watching a tractor plow a field right by the runway as we landed in Amsterdam. For us, it was and is an indelible, exciting moment in our lives, the first time we had been out of the USA. In my upstairs study on a shelf with treasured books and memorabilia, I have sitting upright and open on display the heavy stock cardboard book which Lufthansa had as a gift for all children on the flight, which my son received. I still remember looking out from my window seat just behind the wing, and looking at those huge engines swaying during takeoff, so huge I could have walked into them. It was one of those moments in life you just never forget.

[@jacoblathrop1835]

My first flight on the 747 was in 2014 on a delta 747-400. I was allredy excited for the flight but it got better when the pilots invited me to the cockpit. I will never forget that, it was awesome!

[@send2gl]

I saw the 747 at Stanstead Airport in the UK back in the 80s with the Space Shuttle attached. What an amazing sight.

[@Adoublelan13]

My Very First International Flight was on the Boeing 747. I flew from Denver to Frankfurt with Lufthansa! I was so excited and loved every second of it! Then an hour and half later I boarded another one from Frankfurt to New Delhi! The first one was the 747-8 and the second one was the 747-400. I loved it! I really hope you get a chance to fly on one soon! Truly the Queen of the Skies!

[@tylerjordan1479]

I can't say enough good things about the 747, so I'll just cut it short and say thank you for this video nod to the most influential jet of the 20th century. Best of luck to you with flying on one, it will be the experience of a lifetime. Thank you for the great video!

[@theloniousm4337]

Flew in my first 747 in 1988 on Air New Zealand from Los Angeles to Auckland. Loved that flight and was continuously amazed by the curved horizon over the ocean showing the curvature of the earth. Got a very valuable appreciation for the world and how small it is and how even smaller cities and people are - priceless. First sat in the "hump" on a flight between Toronto and Montreal Canada about 15 yrs later. Not sure why they were using such a big plane for such a short flight but being in the hump was a lot like being in a old 2x2 seating arrangement from something like an MD 80 or regional jet. I also remember being very confused when I couldn't find my seat and had to be directed to "climb the stairs".

[@TheRtHonPMSirLDOBSON]

Best......Video.....Ever..... The video I can watch 1 million times and say the words by heart.

[@50Rafiboy05]

Excellent video Dj! The Boeing 747 truly is the Queen of the Skies. My memory of the 747 was back in 1995, my first international travel (I was 8 back then) from Philippines to Hong Kong with Cathay Pacific. I was so amazed how big and beautiful the plane was. It was only a 2 hrs flight but I still enjoyed it from the moment I entered the plane to the time I exit. And during that time, Hong Kong was still using its old and iconic airport. It takes a very skilled pilot to take off and land on that airport especially when the wind is very gusty.

[@NielsHeldens]

I flew the 747 from Amsterdam to Shanghai and back when I was 9. I went there to visit my father who was working there at the time. I remember sitting just in front of the wings and seeing those massive engines do their thing and being absolutely astonished by them as I was by the sheer size of the plane. These two flights sparked my interest in aviation and engineering and it is a memory I will never forget.

[@lmn626]

Best video ever... Great content DJ, your videos keep getting better every single time

[@send2gl]

On a booked flight a couple of years back from Heathrow to San Diego I was upgraded by British Airways to business class AND it was a 747, a route usually flown by 777s. An experience I'll not forget.

[@MMorris77]

Great Video Dj ! Is it just me or is the UPS Livery on the 748F just amazing ;)

[@chevalsauer]

1988 I was a 16 year old school boy and our trip from New Zealand to China was very exciting, planning working towards it etc... Auckland to Hong Kong was about 10 hours, and along the way I asked the stewardess if I could go up to the cockpit, and the answer was yes when she came back and got me. I knew that this would be a rarity event as I could tell that this would soon be an outlawed, which it was. I got up there, it was dark, but all the lights were amazing to see. I think that it was a 200 series with the Engineer 3d cockpit member, but not quite sure as now almost 35 years have passed. I remember specifically saying to the pilots - here's my hands, I'm going to keep them behind my back as I put them there ... lol, and then I was just amazed at the complexity of the cockpit. An awesome experience that I will never forget, and one of only a few to experience as there is a complete ban on this, especially after that Russian airoflop!

[@nzder2018]

This wasn’t my 1st 747 ride, but it was my nephews, he was 5 and I remember him asking me if we were really on the queen, when I said yes he was soooo excited, it was so funny when we returned home, he told everyone he rode on the queen, now can you imagine the looks on everyone’s faces, especially since they didn’t know the 747s nickname, quite often someone would have to correct the situation by stating the 747 was the queen, priceless memory of our 747 trip, oh and he’s all grown up now, so this will be good for his 21st birthday, thank you DJ for this awesome video, you Aussie bludger 😆😆

[@stuyoull4333]

My very first 747 flight was a domestic flight between BKK and HKT a year ago. It was an awesome vibration filled experience. That experience will be relived on Wednesday when I fly from Phuket to Bangkok again. This is more exciting to me than any of the A380 flights I’ve taken If I had any talent I’d record it as a trip report for KZbin lol but I probably will anyway even if it sucks

[@alreeeser]

I flew an awful lot in the Air Force, and this was the plane most of my flights were on.... It's a stunning aircraft at first entrance, huge, quite and most impressive.

[@WestSideModSquad]

I will always remember my first 747 flight. It was on Pan Am. I was 9 years old in 1972 and we took a family vacation to San Juan, Puerto Rico. The trip was even more memorable because it was out of JFK’s Pan American World Port and I remember my father parked on the 2nd floor of the terminal which was outside. We were literally only 20-30 feet away from the plane while still sitting in the car. The iconic hum- was at eye level and what an amazing sight that was. Having flown before I was used to the single aisle inside the planes of the day. When we boarded it seemed we were still in the terminal that’s how huge the interior seemed. We were in first class but once we were in the air we walked the entire plane. At the very back of the plane there was a coach lounge with sofas and there were passengers drinking and smoking and it seemed like a party rather than a flight. Back in first class my brother and I were taken to see the pilots upstairs. And it was upstairs where the flight attendant pinned us with junior flight crew wings. I still have those wings. That was my first of many 747 flights but it will always be my most memorable queen of the skies flight. Pan Am and the world port are long gone now but the 747 is still with us. I hope long enough for those of you who wish to fly this majestic bird get to do so.

[@BaraSupercook]

And yes, i hope you will have the chance to fly with this queen of the sky. There are a few airlines which still operate the B747, Lufthansa, British Airways, Asiana among others, if I'm not mistaken

[@solahudinalayubbi7549]

When i sat inside the 737-800 cabin waiting for depart i saw an boeing 747-400 landed for the last time for retirement and i thought that is a sweet memory because it was a first time for me to saw an encridible queen of the skies 😍

[@ma_auto]

My favorite 747 moment (Also my first) was watching Lufthansa's D-ABYA 74-8 on flight 422 through a flight tracker during school. After finally getting out of my last class I waited outside in front of the school to see if I could catch a glimpse as it descended into Boston, and way off in the distance there she was. Good god it's huge. That Sunday I went to Black Falcon Pier in Boston to watch her land. What a pretty plane. I'm glad carriers are picking up 74-8is to keep passengers flying in one of the greatest aircraft of all time!

[@redneckrepairs8594]

747s, My favorite. Those big beast will be the queen of the skis forever!

[@rayosofsky2741]

My first flight on a 747 was in the summer of 1969 - SFO to Frankfurt on Lufthansa. The flight over was uneventful and fantastic. The flight home was marked by an engine issue (common at the time) which meant that we had to turn back to Frankfurt. After circling for almost an hour dumping fuel (I still have picutures of this), we were back on the tarmac in Frankfurt. About 3 hours later, we were on our way again. The rest of the flight home was smooth and uneventful. Overall, a great experience and a terrific 5+ week visit to Germany, Austria, and Switzerland for a then college student. Working on the Space Shuttle simulator project in the 70's, the piggy-back mounting of the Shuttle on a modified 747 was of particular interest. The first "flights" of the Shuttle were gliding after being "dropped" from the 747. Awesome.

[@Davykermis777]

I live in the Netherland but my mom comes from Indonesia and met and married my dad in the Netherlands. So almost every year we would fly to Indonesia to meet my moms family. We always fly with KLM who operates that flight with the 747-400. So flying the 747 is my Childhood memory :)

[@ashleycarter1246]

the B747 was a first for many with me, my first ever flight as a passanger was on a B747-200 from LGW-MCO with virgin atlantic in 1999 i was 3 years old, the B747-400 was the first aircraft I ever flew as operating cabin crew, i have also flown on it several times since both as pax and crew. it will always have a special place in my heart. beautiful aircraft inside and out and wonderful one to work on when compared to other aircraft the b747 tops them all

[@mrdisco99]

Favorite 747 memory... I flew Korean Air Atlanta to Hong Kong and back via Seoul, all 4 segments in business class in 747-400s. The last one from Seoul to Atlanta was on the top deck where I got to see the sun rise a second time on the same day.

[@sylviastephanies1868]

My first B747 moment was when i was 10 with Garuda Indonesia. It's a domestic flight between Jakarta and Medan. It usually uses B737s but on my circumstances there were two Garuda flights Jakarta-Medan combined so all would fit in one plane. I got the upper deck, of course!

[@jimmeade2976]

I flew the 747 on British Airways several times across the Atlantic in both directions between New York or Boston and London in the 1980s and 1990s. I loved those flights. I remember an especially smooth flight from London back to NY JFK where we hit unexpected turbulence just off the Newfoundland Coast and the flight attendant ended up sitting in my lap as the plane fell about 1000 feet. Although things flew about the cabin (including the flight attendants), the plane was solid ... nothing to fear. On another flight from London to Boston, the captain made an aborted last-minute landing, explaining in a typical British way that "we weren't properly lined up on the runway so we decided to go around and try again." I also flew several times from Chicago to Shanghai, which at the time was one of the longest flights at 14+ hours. Comfortable in the 747, all flights were smooth and uneventful ... a most enjoyable experience. I'm sad to see the Queen of the Skies being retired, but she has had a beautiful life, and deserves all the credit for making air travel safe, affordable and enjoyable.

[@kingsofserbiangameplay1623]

Great video DJ, this is really great video, Queen of the skies is my favourite aircraft, you are great content creator DJ☺️

[@johnbamforth2974]

In 1981 I flew from Sydney to London on an air India 747. We stopped in Perth, Singapore, Bombay, New Delhi, Rome and Geneva! My favorite part was the Rome to Geneva leg where i watched with a beautiful girl I met, our flight over the alps. Even though we were at 30k ft the scenes of the mountains and alpine villages below were crystal clear and very close because of their height. Also we flew the length of lake Geneva into the airport and it almost seemed like the queen of the skies spanned the width of the lake as we descended. Some pleasurable flying moments indeed.

[@alostplayerr]

My best memories is the 747 pulling me out of hard times when i saw the beauty of it flying majestically through the sky. She is my favorite plane to fly in P3D and my favorite plane in real-life and to see it every day when i walk to school brings me happiness. Hope one day i get a chance to fly her in the real world

[@lightbearer972]

I've never flown on a 747 as a passenger and probably never will, but I have been aboard one, just over 28 years ago if memory serves. My uncle was a mechanic for Pan Am, and he was able to get me a visitor's pass to the airline's base at JFK during a family vacation to New York. I remember being in awe of the sheer size of the aircraft and thinking the luxurious upper deck was the coolest thing ever.

[@mito747]

I have two very fond memories of the 747; this is back in 1974 when I saw a commercial for Pan Am and I was simply amazed at its size and beauty. The other memory that sticks out, same year, a commercial for viceroy cigarettes. I have a feeling or maybe wishful thinking that airlines will come to their senses and realize the mistake they're making and come back to the Queen of the skies. I love your videos, very well made, informative and entertaining. I love that UPS livery on the 747-8F, simply stunning. Cheers.

[@AlbertusMagnus_44]

The first trip I ever made aboard a Boeing 747 was in January, 1982. I flew from San Francisco to Detroit on a United charter flight to see Super Bowl XVI at the Pontiac Silverdome. This was a red-eye flight overnight to get to the game, and another red-eye flight to go home, immediately following the San Francisco 49ers first Super Bowl win. The entire plane was filled with 49er fans, who took up a collection to buy extra tickets a few fans had to get the Stewardesses in to the game! All were wearing 49er t-shirts on the return flight. I'll never forget that trip.

[@AlbertusMagnus_44]

Incidentally, I have flown on the following Boeing Jet Airliners: 707, 727, 737, 747, 757, 767, 777, and 787. The only current model I haven't flown on is the 717, which was inherited from McDonnell-Douglas anyway.

[@rorymcnicol5023]

Nice video dj really enjoyed it

[@alexcary5150]

I just love to see the 747 no matter the occasion and I will stop everyone else so they to can look at it PS congrats on the 80k

[@willhutchison1021]

Thanks for the wonderful review of the beautiful 747. Your shots of the UPS 747 are wonderful. Once on a 747 flight from Atlanta to Dallas, there was a newly married couple in the first class section. We had a party for the newly married couple. What a wonderful trip. Then, relatively recently, I had the honor to be on one of United's last 747 flights from Franfort to Chicago. Great memories!

[@80sfreak14]

I remember when my parents and I flew on the 747-400 from London to New York. We're from Ireland(as you probably know) so what my mom did, she booked a Ryanair flight from Dublin to London and connect through London and then to New York and then to Miami JUST to fly on the 747-400 as she knew it was my favourite plane. I remember that I had an awesome wing view from seat 45A . I will never forget that trip. I'm glad I got to fly on the 747 before they disappear. Thanks mom!

[@ArkitektoHardinero]

The most beautiful aircraft in the world. Timeless design that cleary stood the test of time. The symbol of civil aviation. The most successful large passenger aircraft.

[@titoskie]

My first B747-300 ride when i travel to riyadh ksa to work in kkia airport for saudia airlines as ground handling year 1993.

[@bennettveith1301]

Seeing Air Force One when I lived in Dubai is definitely my coolest memory with a 747

[@lymancopps5957]

I regularly flew the AA 747 route between Dallas, TX to Tokyo Narita. I always looked forward to flying this graceful lady of the sky along with reacquainting myself with her wonderful flight crew I came to know well and could count among my friends.

[@aldrichbatista4482]

Shez is my favourite. Forever love the queen of the skies. My favourite moment was when i saw upclose overhead take off of this plane.

[@gpopchev]

My first flight on B747-4 was at the last two seats at the back of the upper deck. No other seats across the aisle, no seats behind us, a very private atmosphere. The flight was an 11-hour LH flight from Frankfurt to Osaka. As the night fell I put the seat at the fully flat position and fell asleep while watching the stars through the round window. A dream came true.

[@sjnavaid9341]

I remember my first 747 flight from San Francisco to Sydney on United !

[@brandonlee0115]

My first 747 flight was from sfo to Hong Kong

[@larrybalkiappleton3569]

Great vid dude, long live the queen! Also, the Qantas 747SP in the early 80's was the best...weird but beautiful.

[@txaggievet]

My first transatlantic flight when we moved to Italy in the late 70s was on a 747... and I was simply in awe of its amazing size

[@IRJustman]

My favorite moment of the Boeing 747 came when the SCA ferrying Endeavor headed north and south down the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys, escorted by two F-15 Eagles. One part ferry mission, one part goodwill mission, all parts massive spectacle, it was quite a sight to behold. It would also be the only time I ever saw a space shuttle in flight.

[@aptadpamu]

At the time, it was a huge gamble for Boeing after losing out for some military contracts. With development costs and building a new plant to build the 747, They accumulated $2 billion in debt in 1968 ($14.1 billion in today's terms). Boeing was a much smaller company then and had the 747 not sold, it would have finished off the company. Even so, by 1971, Boeing had laid off so many workers, it prompted a billboard sign stating, "Would the last person leaving Seattle, please turn off the lights." Of course, the company and region rebounded and as the saying goes, the rest is history.

[@mytech6779]

It is also what made Boeing rise above the competition in a marketing sense.

[@desunderwood1612]

Great to see your tribute to the 747. As an aviation historian, I recall delivering a presentation titled 'The B747 Challenge - Forty Years On' on the 40th anniversary of its first flight. After numerous international flights in the Qantas -400 'Longreach' version, I had good reason to conclude the address with a slide labelled "pedigree without peer". Given its on-going production, its 50th anniversary has proven my claim still to be true!

[@brendan6066]

My favorite memory of a 747 was when I was spotting at JFK, and G-CVIZ flew right over my head on approach, it was the first time I’ve ever seen a 747 that close to me, and it was amazing

[@frankashenhurst9545]

When I was pretty young, 8ish I was flying with my mother and sister and we got upgraded to 747 business class on the way back to Sydney from Johannesburg. That was excellent.

[@veronicamdissues]

In August 1971 at age 13, I flew with my mother on my first 747 -- from Paris Orly to JFK on TWA. I was so excited I could hardly stand it. My mom had always been a nervous flyer but marveled at it also, in spite of herself. I have flown countless 747s since, but always feel a sense of ceremony nonetheless. I also of course did not appreciate the sheer luxury of that plane in those days --- 3-4-2 in economy --- catering from Maxim's of Paris, double-width doors, etc etc etc

[@emmasaviation2968]

First ever flight was on a 747. From Heathrow to South Africa. Was only a wee one at the time. Loved it.

[@erica.5583]

I remember when i was a kid going back and forth to Hawaii and Lax on the United Airlines 747. I was, and still is, astounded by the size of it! Truly monstrous! Very comfortable seats and what a smooth ride! Seats totally suck now on planes, they sure dont make em like they used too! I remember getting meals and watching movies on those flights too! Service is super shitty now on planes. I remember that it was super wide and it had that crazy curving staircase! It felt indestructible and safe too. I also remember the DC-10 too.. that was huge too but the engines sounded wierd and there was a lot of squeaking noise. It felt like it was going to fall apart!

[@tazzer9]

I've never flown on a 747, but my best memory of the 747 was being at the controls and on the flight deck of VH-EBQ, a QANTAS 747-200 that is now at the QANTAS founders museum at longreach. Walking along the top of the wing was also amazing.

[@NickLy421]

Great video man!

[@gokmachine]

My worst memory in a 747 was on a trip from Amsterdam to Miami. A handicapped boy in a wheelchair came into the plane together with his two older sisters. They had tickets for a front row and he was easy capabale to hop from the wheelchair into his seat without help. But when all tree were seated and exited to make the trip of their lives the captain came to the cabin and told them he did not want to have a disabled passenger on board and he had to leave the plane. Of course a dramatic discussion happened between the captain and these young people, showing him all their papers and special permissions, from doctors and the airline (Martinair). But at the and they were heavily disappointed send off the plane.

[@davidpalmer9780]

gokmachine Martinair is a cargo airline. This may have had something to do with rejecting the travel.

[@gokmachine]

David Palmer. It was in august 1990, Martinair was the number 1 passenger charter in the Netherlands. Others were/are Air Holland and Transavia.

[@flyboysaviation8822]

They used to fly passengers, their 747s were convertible from cargo to passenger config

[@donaldstanfield8862]

gokmachine What? That's terrible!

[@rasmuslindholm5719]

Shame on martinair, go fly klm instead!!!

[@slapanarchy]

Between starting the concept and finishing the prototype in 29 months, and going from the space speech to landing on the moon in less than 7 years, the 1960's were an amazing time for engineering feats.

[@TheHenrimengo]

Good work DJ, as always you are an amazing dude, I dont know how much time you invest to prep those videos but, thumb up!!! As per my mum I first flight flew the B747 as a toddler in 1980... But I guess I don't recall much of it :) Then, in 1999, I flew Cameroon Airlines 747-200 that sadly crashed in CDG early 2000s and since then I flew several 747-300/400/800 of Air France, Asiana, KLM, United, Thai Airways, Corsair etc. The best memory I have was when out of ICN to SFO (in 2015 I think it was) less than 1min after take off we eared a huge BANG... And then the plane shook heavily.. And regained stability quite fast. All were quite, tension was intense as no one knew what was happening, seats belts were on so we couldn't ask the FA what was that BANG... Yet, people were calm and quite. We went on for about 30min then the pilot informed us that we had just lost 1 engine and thay he tried to reactivate it in vain. He then said we could fly all the way to SFO over the Pacific but, he was more comfortable to land us to the nearest airport. His choice was then NRT as he needed at least an hour to dump fuel out so it was best to keep flying to NRT whilst dumping the fuel than turning around to ICN to do so. Later I understood that NRT is actually a key hub for United so it was ideal for them to handle such a situation out of NRT. I was seated by the window and I saw the fuel being dumped. It took about 1h30.. Amazing how much fuel that beast could carry and yet take off like a bird, keep climbing on 3 engines and land safely on 3 engines. I have always felt that the 747 was like a fortress, Invincible, a marvel of technology.

[@awahhab333]

Great video!

[@guspeniche]

I have flown twice on KLMs 747 service from Amsterdam to Mexico City, both times in first class, the first time on the forward deck, the second on the upper deck, I was so excited both times!

[@DanRaffaele]

I flew on the 747 to LA and back (from Sydney) in 1998 on United. It was an amazing experience and to this day I still listen to the songs that were on the (nowadays primative) in-flight entertainment system. Every time I hear Sarah McLachlan's "Building a Mystery" or Richard Marx & Donna Lewis' "At The Beginning" I'm immediately transported 35,000 feet above the Pacific.

[@ronriesinger7755]

First memory of flying on a 747 was with Braniff International from DFW to HNL. A great family vacation after riding in style. I have flown in 747’s many times since on BA and others, but that trip is etched in my memory.

[@MrRebus777]

My first flight was to Europe in summer of '73. We where seated in the very front with a large movie screen in front of us. Felt like we where in a theater. Will never forget the sun coming up and eating breakfast.

[@ernestsee216]

The first flight of my life was on a Korean air 747-8. I have fallen in love with the 747 ever since

[@isaaccaabrera]

My very first time going to Europe was on the 747, Mexico City - Amsterdam, i loved it so much, been in love with it since then

[@LordShadow593]

I was lucky enough to travel on a 747 with my parents to the USA for holidays a few years ago This aircraft needs no introduction, it's the Legend of the Skies.

[@VidVwr00]

My best memory of 747 is landing at Hong Kong Kai Tak airport. Low altitude banking over a crowded city in a behemoth. That approach was crazy.

[@jamespribil6001]

Glad to say I’ve flown on the Qantas Wunala Dreaming 747 when I was a kid, briefly remember an issue with the door not closing but that was resolved thankfully

[@BrokebackBob]

Absolutely excellent tribute to the eternal Queen of the Skies!

[@dylanc2346]

I was lucky enough to fly one of the last remaining routes on a United 747-400 to SFO-NRT in the summer of 2017 so pumped when I saw that beauty at the gate.

[@robertmcghintheorca49]

The Boeing 747 is easily what I call the "Carrie Fisher of the skies." Another reason she exploded in the market was due to the failed Boeing 2707 SST. This could be another video, but when the American supersonic dream died, the 747 which was expected to be an underdog, not only sold rapidly, but saved the entire Boeing company from bankruptcy. She's carried the space shuttles, fought fires, provided astronomical observations, carried the presidents of the USA and the 747 has even carried several musical bands like Iron Maiden and the Spice Girls. In 1991, an El Al 747 even smashed the world record for the most passengers carried on on a single aircraft when it evacuated 1,122 Ethiopians to Israel. I guess you you can say the 747 has Spiced Up The Sky. As a note, I had had a very unique experience with the 747. When I was seven years old in 2008, I was at Heathrow with my mum and dad and there were not one, not two, but five private Arabian Boeing 747s. Seeing five of the beast at the same time was amazing.

[@matthewn3534]

YAY, new video!!!!!

[@RMSAquitaniafan55]

Did you know that a 747 is a double Decker, but the rear of the humps second floor is were the flight attendants sleep at night