United retires 747 domestic flights, our friend sitting left seat!

[Calvin19 0]

Our fellow skydiver flew the last domestic 747 flight and got his 15min. I've flown with Dave for years. Master at his trade.



https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/todayinthesky/2017/08/01/uniteds-special-domestic-boeing-747-flight-party-38-000-feet/527905001/

[BillyVance 34]

Too cool. Wish I could have been on it. Never been on a 747. Closest to its size that I've flown was a Lockheed 1011 from Atlanta to Frankfurt, Germany

Maybe one of these days in the not too distant future I can get a ride on a 747 but it'll have to be an international flight.

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[billvon 2,995]

Been on a 747 a few times for international flights. Twice I was in business class on the upper deck. It's like being in your own separate airplane.

Was flying back coach from China once on a 747, but we got good seats - seats right by the door, next to the staircase going upstairs. We had about four feet of legroom (due to the door aisle) and the flight attendants would park their carts there while they were doing other stuff. They would congregate in the galley just forward of there and chatter while they were working, and people kept going up and down the stairs. It felt more like being at a bad table at a restaurant, rather than being on an airplane. It was a nice change actually.

[SkyDekker 1,465]

Flying on the top deck of a 747 had been a childhood dream for me.

Was able to do it 8 years or so ago now. Unfortunately only a short hop from Bangkok to Phuket, but still great to get to fulfill my boyhood dream.

[shadeland 5]

I've been on the newer 747s that Lufthansa flies, and they're beautiful, quiet, luxurious aircraft.

Sadly, I've also flown a lot on the United 747s. They're much older (15 years around), and United was deferring a lot of non-essential (i.e., interior, not saying they were deferring safety related repairs) and it showed. They were like flying in custom vans from the 80s. Even the Polaris Business upgraded cabin re-used old worn out remotes (which were really gross).

The flight crews for the 747 United flights were great, though. Always helpful, and treated their 1Ks great. But I'm not sad to see that particular fleet of planes go.

[JerryBaumchen 1,364]

Hi Sky,

Quote

Flying on the top deck of a 747 had been a childhood dream for me.

I have done it on two trips to Australia ( '90 & '94 ); four legs total.

You did get treated nice up on top,

Jerry Baumchen

[Phil1111 1,149]

For airlines its all about seat mile costs and empty seats on scheduled flights.
https://www.airinsight.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/vvv.png
Above from
https://www.airinsight.com/super-twin-battle-revisited/
and the large twin widebody market in general:
https://leehamnews.com/2017/08/07/key-lessors-see-strong-wide-body-market-despite-worries/

Large four engine commercial aircraft are beginning to look like dinosaurs.
https://airwaysmag.com/industry/a-look-at-the-remaining-airbus-a380-and-boeing-747-orders-deliveries/
https://leehamnews.com/2017/02/16/singapore-777-9-order-pressures-not-kill-a380/

[Calvin19 0]

Phil1111

Large four engine commercial aircraft are beginning to look like dinosaurs.
https://airwaysmag.com/industry/a-look-at-the-remaining-airbus-a380-and-boeing-747-orders-deliveries/
https://leehamnews.com/2017/02/16/singapore-777-9-order-pressures-not-kill-a380/

Yeah, Airbus is not cranking A380s off the line like they hoped.

[Ronhend 0]

I flew first gen 747-100 for 4.5 years.
Such a great aircraft with lots of personality, glad I was able to fly it.


Ron

ATP B-727 B767-757 CFI-II

[Phil1111 1,149]

This is why freight concern UPS signed up for 14 747-8 freighters in late October 2016, with options for another 14 in the future.

That sale meant that Boeing's quarterly results call last week featured Boeing chair, president and CEO Dennis Muilenburg, advising that “this order helps to fill the production skyline for the foreseeable future and significantly de-risks 747 program”.
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/01/30/747_saved/

The 777 Freighter (777F) is an all-cargo version of the twinjet, and shares features with the -200LR; these include its airframe, engines,[201] and fuel capacity.[146] With a maximum payload of 224,900 lb (102,000 kg) (similar to the 243,000 lb (110,000 kg) of the 747-200F), it has a range of 4,970 nmi (9,200 km).[175] Greater range is possible if less cargo weight is carried.[202]...

The first 777F was delivered to Air France on February 19, 2009.[96] As of June 2017, 130 freighters had been delivered to 16 different customers, with 31 unfilled orders.[1] Operators had 123 of the 777F in service as of July 2016.[10]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_777#777_Freighter

[skycop 0]

I flew them on most trips back and forth to Europe in the 80's and early 90's.
I liked them, seemed like a little more room than other planes.

"Just 'cause I'm simple, don't mean I'm stewpid!"

[muff528 3]

My very first airliner trip - Summer 1971 from Tampa to LA. First leg was a Delta flight from Tampa to Atlanta on a DC-9. Then non-stop from Atlanta to LA on a Pan Am 747. I remember all the Pan Am personnel left the airplane and were replaced by a Delta crew in Atlanta. Seems that the Pan Am flight arrived from Europe, was "leased" by Delta for the domestic leg as a Delta flight, and then proceeded to Asia as a Pan Am flight after switching crews again in Los Angeles.

I remember seeing the very rigid wing of the DC-9. By comparison, I could swear the 747 wing was flapping. Amazing airplane. Very spacious and not really very many passengers on that trip.