Hard to believe 44 years ago the first Boeing 747 (City of Everett) took it's first flight on February 9th, 1969. My first flight on a Boeing 747 was back in 1980 on a Wardair B742 (Reg C-GXRD or cn 21517/368) en-route to PHNL (Honolulu). My dad asked if we could visit the cockpit and all I remember was walking from a luxurious cushy passenger cabin, into a shiny all steel cockpit with gauges and switches everywhere. I was sold....

 

When was your first flight on a B747?

Have you ever wondered what happened to her?

 

My Memory

 

 

Today

 

 

 

RJ

Never been on a 747, and the way things are going, not likely to either :(

 

In fact the only 'heavy' I've been on is one of US Airways' A330s.

Fisrt flight was with Malaysia Airlines from Kuala Lumpur to London, don't really remeber much, but my love of aviation started on that trip(was 5 at the time). Never been on a -400 since and probably not likely to go on one again. :( Hopefully I'll get a ride on an 747-8 some time in the future.

Been on Air Canada and Air New Zealand 747's. My last flight on a 747 was January 2011 with ANZ, so not that long ago.

 

If the 787's continue to be delayed for ANZ then a good chance I will get to fly on another ANZ 747, the only reason why ANZ still has them is the delay of the 787, so some good is coming out of the delays.

The only 747s I've flown on were the 747-200s of TowerAir.

 

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Never been on any 747, in fact the largest aircraft I remember being on was an A321, and it's been a while since my last flight :( .

Just after PAA took delivery of their first 747 in the 60s they brought one to DEN and gave a bunch of local dignitaries and travel agants a ride. We all got a F/CL meal and drinks.

 

I rode in the starboard window seat in row 1 on Pan Am's innaugural flight from Ohare to Shannon in the late 60s or early 70s, can't remember exactly. I do remember that the captain announced that those seated in rows such and such would actually arrive in SNN before he did. On the return flight the captain announced prior to landing at ORD that the airplane was landing itself with no guidance from the crew. Couldn't feel the actual touchdown.

 

One time UAL took a bunch of us to SEA and we got a tour of the Boeing 747 assembly line. It was really cool to see all the freshly painted 747's with all the different liveries from around the world.

 

I also was on a TWA 747 to LHR with Peter Sellers when he was doing one of their commercials. That was really a hoot!

 

I've had many, many trips on different carrier's 747's to numerous world destinations throughout my career in the travel business.

 

Also had a gratis ride on a BA concorde flt from IAD to LHR.

My first flight on a 747 was in 1989, Melbourne (YMML) - Honolulu (PHNL) on a Continental 747-200, I was eight and I still have the Continental wings pin around somewhere the Captain gave me.

 

Exactly as I remember it (Not sure if it is the exact plane)

 

http://upload.wikime...200_Maiwald.jpg

 

 

 

Since then I have been on a 737-300 and many many -400's.

 

My last flight on a 747 was on a Air New Zealand 747-400 from LA (KLAX) - Auckland (NZAA) in 2008. Since then It's been A380's instead.

Flew China Airlines Boeing 747-400s from JFK-ANC-TPE the summer of 1998 and back. Then in the summer of 2002, it was a Northwest Boeing 747-400 from JFK to NRT. Two years later, China Airlines Boeing 747-400 from NRT to TPE and back. After that one, I told my mom never again on China Airlines (I'd already raised hell about it when I found out she booked China Airlines), and if she ever booked another ticket with China Airlines, I wasn't flying.

 

I haven't flown on the 747 since, as the trans-cons ended up happening on 757s, and the long haul flights ended up on 777s.

After that one, I told my mom never again on China Airlines (I'd already raised hell about it when I found out she booked China Airlines), and if she ever booked another ticket with China Airlines, I wasn't flying.

 

Throwing temper tantrums at the ripe age of 14, huh Kevin? lol :-)

My older brother related a story to me about the time he had the opportunity to ride on the City of Everett when she was going through flight test at Stapleton Int'l Airport in the early 70's. The 747 was doing a series of touch and goes, and I don't know how but he was able to wrangle a ride out of it. One interesting point was that, along for the ride, was a reporter from one of the local TV stations here named... Bill O' Reilly.

 

Of course, that was WAAAY before Fox News, and Cable TV...

 

 

EDIT: My first ride in a 747 was in '89, when I flew to Japan on JAL. I also took a couple of 'commuter' flights across Japan on that trip, and it amazed me how many people they could stick on a 747! It was also my first experience with 'business' travel; the Financial Report was on the A/V screens, the Sararīmen studiously and efficiently doing their work, the FA's politely handing out tasty box lunches for all the pax...

Throwing temper tantrums at the ripe age of 14, huh Kevin? lol :-)

I wouldn't call it throwing temper tantrums. I call it being more knowledgeable about the airline. In fact, those flights only proved my point, as the pilots slammed those 747s down onto the runway.

I wouldn't call it throwing temper tantrums. I call it being more knowledgeable about the airline. In fact, those flights only proved my point, as the pilots slammed those 747s down onto the runway.

 

Yea, that's exactly what happened on one of the TowerAir flights I had the pleasure of being in. hahaha It was a flight from KJFK-TJSJ and when that plane landed on RWY10, the movie screens fell off the wall because of the way the plane SLAMMED onto the runway. hahaha

My second flight was on a 747. I was on April 15, 1996 from Detroit to Amsterdam as KL618. The aircraft was a 747-300, and the flight covered 6522km in 7hrs, 2mins. The reason that I know all of this was that the captain filled out a 'KLM Junior Jet' logbook for me (I was 5 months old at the time). He even signed it! I found it a while ago in a pile of forgotten papers. There are only two entries, but it is still great information to have. I would love to know the registration of the plane.

My first 747 experience was JFK to Narita in 1989. When we landed that Sunday we had heard of the uprising in China at Tiananmen Square. We proceeded on to Hong Kong for the 10 day stay. Our side trip to China was cancelled for obvious reasons.

The flight was awesome from JFK over the Polar Route and was extremely comfortable and smooth. It was a Northwest Orient plane, and we actually flew on that plane not long after its maiden flight (according to the Captain). Brand new and and exceptionally wonderful experience. I remember the young people and the demonstrations in Hong Kong and we, as Americans, represented Democracy to them. We were welcomed everywhere. Hong Kong would become part of China in 1997....only 8 years later. I'll never forget that trip.

 

Stan