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Last Boeing 747 rolls off assembly line after a 53-year production run

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After more than 53 years and 1,574 planes built, the last Boeing 747 jumbo jet has rolled off Boeing’s famous assembly line in Everett, Washington. The 747 started commercial service back in 1970 with PanAmerican World Airways... (www.aviationweekly.org) More...

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stratofan
stratofan 27
She became the Queen of the skies, and never lost that title. The A380 is larger, but just because you can build bigger does not mean you have to. A tip of the hat to Joe Sutter and "The Incredibles" for making a dream come to life. Fair skies, and following winds always to this wonderful lady!
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EricScoones
Eric Scoones 20
I was 18 at the time of the first 747 commercial flight. I wish I could explain how amazing it was, in a world of narrow bodies, to see a plane that size take off (I didn't see the first flight, obviously). My first actual flight was my honeymoon to Paris in 1976 from JFK, Air France, just in coach but it felt like first class to my wife and me! The Queen has a good long run. Actually, so have I!
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druck13
druck13 18
Sad to see the end of an era, when Boeing made truely great aircraft which have stood the test of time. The 747 despite it size, still fufilled the old adage; if it looks good, it flies good. It's remained a beautfukl aircraft from the first -100 to the last stretached -8, even the SP looks like a cute toy version of itself. More than just a transport for passengers and cargo, it has served as a flying telescope, rocket launch platform and a Shuttle transporter.

Hopefully for a few more years we can look up and see the distictive 4 contrails in the sky.
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whip5209
Ken McIntyre 13
Kind of sad, but the world is moving on.
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windjammer
dickie bishop 10
Mr Bill Blansett worked for Boeing Aircraft for 40 years. Much of his time there was spent developing, producing and delivering the 747. In our conservations a gleam came in his eyes when we talked about the 747.
He was there when the first one was produced and also knew 1,574 later the last one was done.
Mr Bill passed away November 29 at the age of 86 and his service is tomorrow, December 10, in Mountain View, Arkansas.
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thegrump
thegrump 4
Sorry to hear the loss of your friend. I'd have enjoyed hearing his stories. 747 will be as iconic to jet airliners as the Constellation was to prop-driven generation.
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jbsimms
James Simms 10
Sad to see it go.

First trip on a 747 was a NW MAC 747 from St. Louis to Osan AFB via Oakland & Yokota AFB to Korea w/400+ military personnel, dependents, & screaming, crying babies; flew back to Seattle on a NW 747.

Took leave while in Korea to Manila, Bangkok, & Hong Kong, several legs were on a 747. Most memorable was flying into the old Kai Tak Airport on a Thai International 747 sitting in a right hand window seat. Looking out, I looked into the residence of a local’s apartment watching TV.

July 1991, came back from Saudi Arabia & Operation Desert Shield/Storm on an ex-Flying Tiger 747 belonging to FedEx. Flew over on a military C-141B, however.
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augerin
Dave Mathes 9
...I think of my friends that spent their entire career bringing those beauties to life...well done!...
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jkeifer3
Joe Keifer 7
Nicely done Boeing! My fav was still your 757!
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phurford
Paul Hurford 5
On your 757 I quite agree. I think Boeing missed an opportunity in not upgrading that airplane like they have the 737. On several occassions I flew an American AA 757 from John Wayne (Orange County Airport) to SJC. Because of noise abatement policies that 757 blasted off the runway and climbed at a high angle of attack. And then, like a hill on a roller coaster, straightened out rather fast, pulled the throttles back and quietly flew over Costa Mesa, Newport, and Balboa out to Santa Catalina, Isl. turned right and headed to SJC. What a rush, what an airplane.
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dekock
Ben Dekock 3
Flew that very noise abatement departure many times as an airline pilot. We called it the E-Ticket ride (based on a ride at Disneyland at the time) and even though passengers were pre-briefed, recall a few screams over time.
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robinbhat
Robin Bhat 3
Thank you for sharing this, straight from the cockpit view! As a former resident of Orange County, JWA was my home airport, and yes, that E-Ticket ride, was 'unsettling', to say the least!

I am not sure why JWA has a noise abatement protocol. Yes, it does fly over the Newport Beach area at take-off, but this is not too exotic: there is a school, office buildings, some residential, a shopping mall, a beach, most of which would be typical of any area in the vicinity of an airport. (for example, Fort Lauderdale, FL). The super-affluent Newport/Laguna ‘Gold Coast’ is a bit further south, and the plane is already over the water (10,000 feet?) at that point.

So, there must be some other reason? I would appreciate further input.

https://www.ocair.com/business/general-aviation/pilot-information/noise-abatement/
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guygenbrugge
Guy Genbrugge 11
We went on vacacion to Sint-Maarten in the year 2012on board of a 747 from KLM.What a expirience!!Never forget that hugh plane and what a take-off from a rather short runway.
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augerin
Dave Mathes 3
.. Princess Juliana a' rather short runway'....yea,..
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madrockradio
James Cross 5
For a 747 in a hot and humid climate, yeah 7500 is short.
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bobbolew
Robert Lewis 2
Speaking of taking off from a short runway on a hot humid day, my last flight on a 747 was coming back from Operation Desert Shield (the run up to Desert Storm). I don't know how short the runway was but it was about 110 in the shade and super humid. Before we taxied out I was seated almost all the way aft and it was really sweltering. The AC just was not getting all the way back. Months later one member of the crew that relieved us told me the undercarriage barely made it over the fence past the end of the runway. Interestingly, it had to have been one of the first 747s off the assembly line. It was an Arrow Air plane. You could tell it was OLD. We landed in Rome to refuel and the maintenance folks poured gallons of oil into the #4 engine while the flight crew calculated whether we would have to stop at Bangor, Maine enroute to Dobbins AFB. We didn't have to.
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vaporland
vaporland 2
check out this video of 747 takeoff from st maarten with people standing in the wake of the jet blast

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqVjD3nBSQg
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richardHelfand
richard Helfand 5
Flew uncountable times on 747s between Washington and Frankfurt both Tourist and Business ... but only twice "upstairs". Remember the feeling of walking past the tourist and Business Class passengers to go "up the stairs" ... an unforgettable experience.
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dekock
Ben Dekock 5
For any product to be in production for 50 plus years, speaks volumes of its design and its success, let alone to its contribution to society. I was 18 years old when I had the pleasure of visiting the factory on a private tour, and was able to explore it inside and out. That experience led to a 35 year career as an airline pilot for me. The 747 series was industrial design par excellence.
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Gentilo
Andrea Gentilini 5
Giving the fact that Antonov will not be able to build freighter jets with nose doors for a long time, in my opinion it's a shame to quit 747 production !!
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FloridaFan34
James Steiner 5
Beautiful airplane. I am glad I had a chance to fly on a Virgin Atlantic 747-100/200 on the LGW-MIA route in the 1990s as well as 2 rides on the UTA/Air France DC 10
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Advidee
Henk Donker 4
What about the new build Airforce One…
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ColinSeftel
Colin Seftel 9
The two new VC-25Bs are being converted from two 747-8 Intercontinentals that were ordered by a Russian airline but never delivered. The Air Force bought them in 2017 and they are being retrofitted with telecommunications and security equipment to bring them to the required security level for presidential aircraft.
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w2bsa
w2bsa 2
I believe that those conversions are being done at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.
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royhunte92
Roy Hunte 2
Last I checked, they were being converted at Boeing's facility in San Antonio TX.
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honestfisherman09
Stephen Gordon 3
A large group of GI's got on a 747 in Istanbul Turkey, going home. With a stop in Frankfurt the Pan Am 747 rear section was all GI's and the party was on. Pan Am made us feel like kings and we partied the entire flight, they even played music for us on the pa system. Best flight I ever had, I don't think there was a drop of alcohol left on the plane.
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jbsimms
James Simms 3
First trip on a 747 was a NW MAC 747 from St. Louis to Osan AFB via Oakland & Yokota AFB to Korea, flew back to Seattle on a NW 747.

Took leave while in Korea to Manila, Bangkok, & Hong Kong, several legs were on a 747. Most memorable was flying into the old Kai Tak Airport on a Thai International 747 sitting in a right hand window seat. Looking out, I looked into the residence of a local’s apartment watching TV.

July 1991, came back from Saudi Arabia & Operation Desert Shield/Storm on an ex-Flying Tiger 747 belonging to FedEx. Flew over on a military C-141B, however.
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kp4ls
Hector Nieves 3
Porque hace tiempo no puedo ver las fotos grandes de arriba y abajo de los aviones y cuando van a poner el ultimo avion militar que no se puede rastrear, el que salio hace poco, gracias
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awinn
Alan Winn 3
Long live the "King of The Skies", my first flight was on a 747-121 from LHR to JFK, July of 1970. I was blown away by the size, compared to the 707s or DC-8s I had been flying on. The upper deck was an other unique experience.
I am still flying on the LH 747-8s whenever I can.
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bingobanner
Russ Brown 3
I remember as a passenger in a northwest 747 filled to the brim - lounge, aisle, heads, young troops bring ing them home from Vietnam. Brings tears to this day.
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hamio
James Herring 3
I flew on one of these in 1970-71 with mother and siblings to visit grandparents in England. As a 12 year old it was an experience; as a 64 year old I'd like to have had the opportunity to travel on one of the last flying airline models.
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thegrump
thegrump 3
There are certainly more technically advanced aircraft out there, but I think that the 747 is (totally my opinion) the best-looking jet-powered airliner ever. Second place, I think the 767 has the best overall proportions, but I've always had a love for the way a 727 looks in profile.

I've never been on a 747, and odds of that happening are getting pretty slim. Great-looking plane and I'll be happy to see them when my drive around town takes me past the cargo section of the airport for many years.
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Photosailor
Dennis Williams 3
My wife and I flew Lufthansa from Frankfurt to Seattle in 2015 in the first row upper deck. I can honestly say I didn’t want that flight to end. The 787 is a marvel in many ways but the 747 is the queen of the skies. Lufthansa is still flying many of their 747s to the US.
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htthree
Harry Thomas 3
I lived on the south shore of Long Island in Suffolk County growing up very near the inbound and outbound paths for JFK during the early 70's. I remember always staring at the sight of these beautiful aircraft flying by as they were coming and going. Unfortunately, I have never had the chance at being a passenger on 1 of these ladies of the sky. I have to add that the beauty of this aircraft in flight is only superseded by the elegance of take-off as it seemingly struggles to slowly escape the bounds of earth with its nose pointed skyward.
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dalej2
Dale Johnson 3
I was on the flight line when the first NWA 747 came to MSP. She was a beauty and we all watched in awe as it taxied off the RW...What a majestic bird.
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rstueven
Richard Stueven 2
I was on that flight when it left MSP. Row 1, window seat starboard. Great aircraft.
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grandpa07
Gary Berrian 3
From the 747-400, 757, B737-300, Boeing brought together their best engineers from Renton and Everett to build the B777: out of the box, the best aircraft ever built. During the EEVIP(Early Etops Validation Integration Program), the Triple 7 flew 90 cycles with only minor flight squawks. The training we received at the Long Acres training facility was exemplary.
Mechanics,Flight Crews, Flight Attendants, Ramp Agents from Airlines worked along side Engineers and production folks for the first time in history to have their voices heard in the process of building the best aircraft in Boeing's history. Perhaps a return to that approach from those days can benefit the aviation industry, called Working Together. (The name of the first production B777-200)

GB
Retired UAL/ BA Eng.
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aurodoc
aurodoc 2
First flight on a 747 from Dallas to Frankfurt on a bright orange Braniff jet. I was amazed at how big it was. Last 747 flight 8 weeks ago on Lufthansa from SFO to FRA upper deck which is like flying on your own private jet. I hope they are around a good long while.
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gbotemi08064133886
Adigun Samuel 2
The very last 747 jumbo jet is about to roll off Boeing's assembly line
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ramptowerdantec
North Tower 2
Only flew on a B747 once, from DTW to MSP, NW used to run that short route and I grabbed a free seat just to finally fly on a 747.
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slickviccom
VICTOR SPURIO 2
R.I.P. to the Queen of the Skies for 53 years of distinguished service.
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ExPatHere
ExPatHere 2
Best bathrooms in the sky… Will miss this big bird… Loved flying around the world on it.
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wlowden
Bill Lowden 2
My first flight on a 747 was in 1987. I took my ski club on Air France with 33 members. We were awarded the top deck with our own stewardess (that term has been retired) and fed and served in grand style. The ride was amazing and all of us, so many years later still vividly remember every second of that ride. We have been on a 747 many times since and enjoyed every flight which can't be said of some planes with an "A" in their type.
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das5
Donald Stewart 2
Will never forget my first 747 flight, Wardair from Toronto to Hawaii, great plane!
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gelrod2354
Mike Elrod 2
Seat 15L. Top of the world.
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donhochstatter
Don Hochstatter 2
Japan airlines trained pilots in Moses Lake, Washington where I grew up and still live. Once a year in the 1970's they used to take all the sixth grade students of the town (300-400 kids) up in a 747. It would be the only ride in a 747 for a lot of kids and the only ride every in an aircraft for some.
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niel7128
niel petersen 2
I remember the Quantas 747 in the airshow at Oshkosh about 1991. Three crowd passes and then a max climbout to LAX where I could see the full 747 in plan view in the N sky. Was the Chief pilot of Quantas. Understand he was busted for exceeding the allowable deck angle. Still brings tears....
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sportflyer
Ken Hawes 2
Memories..I had the good fortune to be an A&P mechanic assigned to the flightline at Paine Field in Everett,WA in 1969. I participated the first customer flight of a PAA 747. Went on to deliver several more 747 before the reduction in force in 1971.Sad News..
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WA1945
David Dowling 2
She is gone from the factory but not the skies,this is only the beginning of the end which is decades away.
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jbermo
jbermo 3
. . . and with it, the last of the four-engined cross-ocean airliners, starting with the post-WWII DC-4.
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captlegs23
Bob Yarmey 2
Was a Braniff commuter pilot at DFW who often parked next to “Fat Albert” aka 501. At that time it was the highest utilized 747 flying daily nonstop DFW to HNL In 1982 my new bride and I were the only occupants of the top deck of an AA 747 on honeymoon to HNL. The FA asked “surely you want the do not disturb service?” Aah, the 6 mile high club never felt sooo good!
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kp4ls
Hector Nieves 1
Porque hace tiempo no puedo ver las fotos grandes de arriba y abajo de los aviones y cuando van a poner el ultimo avion militar que no se puede rastrear, el que salio hace poco, uso la foto para background en mi computer, gracias
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SorenTwin
SorenTwin 1
Those aircraft are being refitted at a military base - would never be done at a civilian factory.
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janalbertkok
Jan Albert Kok 1
I flew the "Queen of the Skies" (747 400B) on many occasions, mostly with KLM on the Toronto-Amsterdam route. To this day, this has been the best aircraft I was lucky to fly with. Now looking forward to trying the Boeing 787 Dreamliner!
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lynnegfitzgerald
Lynne FitzGerald 1
Awwww my favourite as a passenger. I loved those seats in the tail.
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vscotti
vince scotti 1
Boeing used my company's drafting systems for 747 wiring diagrams. I was on #2 in-production 747; AMAZING!!
Vince S.
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gprendvill
glenn prendville 1
so sad to hear
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gprendvill
glenn prendville 1
so sad to hear i was born same year jan 22 1969
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gprendvill
glenn prendville 1
i work at jfk airport now. i see them all daily
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nathansthepilot
Nathan Cox 1
I wouldn’t hold my breath that this is truly the last 747 to be built. There is still a huge demand for long-haul huge payload freight. The only other airplane that comes close is the 777. We shall see if Boeing keeps their word.
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boughbw
boughbw 2
I was hopeful as well. Boeing’s justification for the 747-8 was increased freighter demand as cargo airframes hit end of life. This day has been anticipated for three years with no new orders—so my guess is that there were no takers and this is the end of an era.
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gbotemi08064133886
Adigun Samuel -4
Boeing 747 always rows assembly area commercial back
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Li1builder
Patrick Madden -1
For me nothing compares to the feeling I had of “walking the wing” of a beautiful 747SP bound for Saudi Arabia, shortly after midnight on a snowy January 1st morning from gate #6 of the Pan Am Worldport. Incredible experience!
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