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General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Tom on November 08, 2017, 03:38:50 PM

Title: Last 747 flight for United
Post by: Tom on November 08, 2017, 03:38:50 PM
The flight went from SFO to HNL then is going back empty to be stored in the desert.  Some bean counter should have made sure that it carried passengers back to the U.S. Mainland.   :tongue:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/todayinthesky/2017/11/07/united-airlines-final-boeing-747-flight-today/838922001/
Title: Re: Last 747 flight for United
Post by: Gliderjohn on November 08, 2017, 05:07:56 PM
Bet it would be fun to have a final max power take off & climb with only minimal crew on board. Wonder what the climb rate might be.
GliderJohn
Title: Re: Last 747 flight for United
Post by: Tom on November 08, 2017, 06:29:21 PM
How about a barrel roll of a 707?? :tongue:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaA7kPfC5Hk
Title: Re: Last 747 flight for United
Post by: Zoom Zoom on November 08, 2017, 06:44:13 PM
Sad to see it retired. Much like the DC-3, it re-defined air travel. Robust and reliable, it brought home passengers even when other planes would have failed with catastrophic damage.

My hat is off to the 747 and all who contributed to its long success.  :bow:

John Henry
Title: Re: Last 747 flight for United
Post by: Gliderjohn on November 08, 2017, 07:08:12 PM
Also kudos to Boeing for taking the risk level that they did to develop the 747. :thumb: If it had failed Boeing had enough tied up in it that it would have been another has been company. A great aircraft for it's place and time.
GliderJohn
Title: Re: Last 747 flight for United
Post by: Tom on November 08, 2017, 07:17:54 PM
According to the article Delta will be only U.S. carrier doing passenger flights with them.  Cargo ones will still be flying with FEDEX, UPS and Kalitta Air.

http://www.kalittaair.com/#modern-organic-tha
Title: Re: Last 747 flight for United
Post by: Arizona Wayne on November 08, 2017, 09:21:09 PM
I wonder what freight aircraft Kirby1923 flies nowadays.  :huh:
Title: Re: Last 747 flight for United
Post by: Zoom Zoom on November 09, 2017, 05:14:28 AM
The article did say that Delta will be phasing them out soon as well.

Relegated to cargo flights in the US. There will still be other airlines using them but they also plan on phasing them out over time.

John Henry
Title: Re: Last 747 flight for United
Post by: Nic in Western NYS on November 09, 2017, 05:45:34 AM
Kickass passenger and cargo plane.  Cool shuttle transporter too  https://youtu.be/UyPLjVPSdCg (https://youtu.be/UyPLjVPSdCg)
Title: Re: Last 747 flight for United
Post by: Tusayan on November 09, 2017, 09:32:51 AM
Lufthansa, British Airways and some others still have a bunch of 747s flying, including some on passenger service nto the US, so we'll be seeing them for some time to come.
Title: Re: Last 747 flight for United
Post by: toma nova on November 09, 2017, 09:36:47 AM
KLM flies a Combi into IAH every day.  Kind of cool to only have ~150 passengers waiting to board a 747 (the back half is cargo).

Some of my best business class flights have been the upper deck of a 747 and the nose of the Combi - very intimate for a huge plane.
Title: Re: Last 747 flight for United
Post by: Shorty on November 09, 2017, 09:42:29 AM
A link to a Tshirt shop featuring airline/aircraft  themed Tshirts, both current and extinct:   http://www.skyshirts.com
Title: Re: Last 747 flight for United
Post by: Tom on November 09, 2017, 11:36:41 AM
 :thumb:
Title: Re: Last 747 flight for United
Post by: fotoguzzi on November 09, 2017, 11:49:11 AM
How about a barrel roll of a 707?? :tongue:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaA7kPfC5Hk
awesome, that guy had balls!
Title: Re: Last 747 flight for United
Post by: Tom on November 09, 2017, 11:55:16 AM
Supposedly, the same can be done with a 747.   :shocked: :shocked: :shocked:  Anything can fly with enough velocity.   :grin:  Used to watch the heavies taking off at Honolulu International and wonder how many tons of dirty laundry was winging it's way back to the West Coast.   :grin:  This was when the bag limit was 75lb./ea.
Title: Re: Last 747 flight for United
Post by: Gliderjohn on November 09, 2017, 01:42:08 PM
A gulf war vet in my glider club flew KC-135s in the first Iraq war. Said that they would frequently fly beyond supposed max gross weight. One day he was fourth back in a six plane group in trail formation not long after take off. The KC ahead of him got out of position and directly into the wash of number two. Resulted with the plane being rolled hard enough that the outer two engines broke away, but they gained control of the plane and flew safely back to base.
I would guess some flight suits went into the laundry after landing.
GliderJohn
Title: Re: Last 747 flight for United
Post by: Tom on November 09, 2017, 02:21:03 PM
On the plus side.  The a/c did what it was designed to do.  Engines break and fall off.   :shocked:
Title: Re: Last 747 flight for United
Post by: cloudbase on November 09, 2017, 02:24:09 PM
That'll break up your day.  On the other hand, they'll always have a good bar story.

Now this ain't no shit, . . .
Title: Re: Last 747 flight for United
Post by: oldbike54 on November 09, 2017, 04:18:14 PM
 Meh , try going upside down in a Jolly Green  :shocked:

 Dusty
Title: Re: Last 747 flight for United
Post by: Gliderjohn on November 09, 2017, 05:13:16 PM
Quote
Meh , try going upside down in a Jolly Green  :shocked:

 Dusty
At least that KC-135 required an external force I think choppers just do to themselves with all those twisting forces going on. :shocked:
GliderJohn
Title: Re: Last 747 flight for United
Post by: Tom on November 11, 2017, 06:52:15 PM
Another use for 747.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/flight/news/a28991/converted-boeing-747s-super-tankers/?src=nl&mag=pop&list=nl_pnl_news&date=111117
Title: Re: Last 747 flight for United
Post by: Murray on November 11, 2017, 08:28:08 PM
Another use for 747.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/flight/news/a28991/converted-boeing-747s-super-tankers/?src=nl&mag=pop&list=nl_pnl_news&date=111117

I guess its possible although what is their fatigue life? The liked the 707/KC135 because it was one of the few airframes that didn't have an hour dependant fatigue life.
Title: Re: Last 747 flight for United
Post by: Lannis on November 12, 2017, 08:11:59 AM
Lufthansa, British Airways and some others still have a bunch of 747s flying, including some on passenger service nto the US, so we'll be seeing them for some time to come.

Flew home from the UK this morning on a perfectly serviceable BA 747.   Every seat full, and I suspect they'll be flying for a long time yet ....

Lannis