Wednesday, October 14, 2015

#FlashbackFriday: The Boeing 747 in 15 Photos

In this #FlashbackFriday post, I did a series on old school aircraft I have posted on my shared Retro Av8ion Pinterest board. After it was posted, my dear friend Henry gently chided me because I hadn't included any Boeing 747 photos -- my favorite aircraft. So Henry, this one's for you, from my shared Flying Boeing 747 and Boeing 747 Pinterest boards!

 - Photo courtesy of the Museum of Flight
Photo courtesy of the Museum of Flight

1.  The First One

The first 747 ever built - serial number 001 -- first flew on February 9, 1969, over Western Washington. Later, this aircraft served as a testbed for 747 systems improvements and new engine developments for other Boeing commercial jets, including the state-of-the-art Boeing 777 engine program. It is now at its permanent home at the Museum of Flight in Seattle. More »

 - Photo courtesy of VWVortex.com
A Braniff Boeing 747. Photo courtesy of VWVortex.com

2.  Braniff

 This one was known as The Great Pumpkin because of its iconic orange color. A 747 that flew from Dallas/Fort Worth to Honolulu and back was the last flight of this airline, which shut down abruptly on May 12, 1982. More »

 - Photo courtesy of PanAm.org
Photo courtesy of PanAm.org

3.  Pan Am

Pan Am was the launch customer of the 747, and its president and founder, Juan Trippe, worked with Boeing on the design of the aircraft. The carrier took a big gamble when it ordered 25 of the type in April 1966. The first flight was on January 21, 1970. More »

 -

4.  A Flock of 747s

Pinterest user Foreigner posted this great shot of five 747 tails -- Canada's CP Air, Pan Am, American Airlines, British Calcedonia and Cathay Pacific. More »

 - Photo courtesy of CardCow.com
Photo courtesy of CardCow.com

5.  TWA

This is a Boeing 747SP-31 in the TWA livery. This type first joined the fleet in 1979 -- with three total -- and was retired in 1998. The carrier had two 747-200Bs in its fleet when it merged with American Airlines in 2001. More »

 - Photo courtesy of Aero Icarus/Flickr
Photo courtesy of Aero Icarus/Flickr

6.  Continental Airlines

This photo of a Boeing 747-200 was taken in 1987. It was delivered to Alitalia in 1972, skipped through some operators including PeoplExpress and ended up in the Continental fleet in January 1992. It was eventually scrapped in the Mojave Desert in 2002.   More »

 - Photo courtesy of Architectural Record
Photo courtesy of Architectural Record

7.  Tower Air

This Tower Air 747 was scrapped in the desert in pieces when it was bought by Francie Rehwal for $35,000.  According to Architectural Record, Los Angeles–based architect David Hertz used the jet's wings to build Rehwal a new house. The project was completed in October 2011. More »

 - Photo courtesy of BreakingTravelNews.com
Photo courtesy of BreakingTravelNews.com

8.  Japan Air Lines

Here's a fleet of Japan Air Lines 747s parked at Boeing Field. A BOAC 747 can be seen in the background. More »

 - Photo courtesy of AirwaysNews.com
Photo courtesy of AirwaysNews.com

9.  Cathay Pacific

 This 1991 ad touted the Hong Kong flag carrier's new 747-400 service to Los Angeles and leaving its San Francisco gateway, according to AirwaysNews.com. The last 747 left the carrier's fleet on August 31, 2014. More »

 - Photo courtesy of the San Diego Air & Space Museum Archives
Photo courtesy of the San Diego Air & Space Museum Archives

10.  Air France

This is a 747 of France's flag carrier, from the San Diego Air & Space Museum ArchivesMore »

 - Image courtesy of the Museum of Modern Art
Image courtesy of the Museum of Modern Art

11.  American Airlines

This ad for American's 747 was designed by artist Peter Gee in 1968, according to the Museum of Modern Art.   More »

 - Photo courtesy of John Ward/Flickr
Photo courtesy of John Ward/Flickr

12.  South African Airways

 This 747 from 1974 was parked at Jan Smuts Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa. More »

 - Photo courtesy of Doug/Flickr
Photo courtesy of Doug/Flickr

13.  British Airways

 This Boeing 747-136, found on Flickr, shows a livery as BOAC was transforming into British Airways. The photo was taken at Montreal's Mirabel Airport in 1974. More »

 - Photo courtesy of Aero Icarus
Photo courtesy of Aero Icarus

14.  El Al

According to Flickr user Aero Icarus, this photo of Israel's flag carrier 747-200 was taken in November 1978. Its last flight was at the end of 2001, and it was eventually scrapped. More »

 - Photo courtesy of AviationExplorer.com
Photo courtesy of AviationExplorer.com

15.  Sabena

A 747 flown by Belgium's now-defunct flag carrier. Note the F-16s flanking the aircraft. More »

There was a time when airlines regularly aired television commercials back in the day when there was no cable and only three networks -- ABC, CBS and NBC. These commercials used different methods -- from humor to glamour -- to get butts in seats. I've always been a fan of good airline commercials that make me laugh, give me a sense of place and show the wonderment of air travel.  Below are links to 10 of my favorites, in no particular order. 

 -

1.  Pan Am

Introduction to Jet Service: this classic 2:55-minute commercial from 1958 showcases the airline's new Boeing 707 jet service. More »

 -

2.  Eastern Airlines

Disney:  This is a charmer from back in the day when Eastern was the official airline of Walt Disney World.  The quality is a bit fuzzy, but it's still a great commercial!  More »

 -

3.  Delta Air Lines

Do you remember the classic Delta tagline "We love to fly and it shows?" Here's a 1987 commercial using that line. And check out that Lockheed L-1011 tri-jet! More »

 -

4.  TWA

Actor of Peter Sellars of "Pink Panther" fame also starred in a series of TV commercials in the 1970s touting TWA's flights to Europe. More »

 -

5.  United Airlines

Enjoy this 1975 commercial that features Sorrell Brooks, the actor who portrayed Boss Hogg in the television show "The Dukes of Hazard." It's all about paying it forward. More »

 -

6.  Western Airlines

The only way to fly: this 10-second gem features the iconic airline bird.  More »

 -

7.  Piedmont Airlines

McLean Stevenson, Fishing Hole: the former M*A*S*H star was tapped in the 1980s to do commercials for the carrier.  More »

 -

8.  PSA

Our Smiles Aren't Just Painted On: I'm from California, and I was a great fan of this originally intra-state carrier. They were known for having smiles painted on the front of the plane.   More »

 -

9.  Southwest Airlines

 This commercial, from 1972, features a flight attendant in the classic hot pants -- along with a pre-CGI surprise. More »

 -

10.  AirTran

Babysitters: grandparents get their own surprise when they make a visit to see their twin baby grandchildren. It's not "classic" per se, but it made me laugh, so here it is. More »



No comments:

Post a Comment