▲The Boeing 747 Begins Its Final Descent(theatlantic.com)
34 points by dbl000 3 days ago | 6 comments
▲d_silin 18 minutes ago
1969 was truly the pinnacle of US aerospace industry - Concord, Boeing 747 and Apollo 11 all happened during this year.
▲ceejayoz 16 minutes ago
The Concorde wasn't made in the US. It was a UK/France partnership.
▲d_silin 15 minutes ago
My bad! Global aerospace industry then.
▲ 14 minutes ago
▲AnimalMuppet 15 minutes ago
Concorde wasn't the US aerospace industry.
▲anovikov 3 days ago
But really, it was just about four-engine planes becoming too expensive to run. Two-engine planes won. 777 burns 30% less fuel per passenger and has almost the same cabin width. And top level became a flop because it's too narrow for a first class cabin by today's standards and all other uses for them make no sense. Top floor existed at all because it was Boeing's entry for a heavy cargo plane competition in which C-5 Galaxy won: it was meant to be a cargo plane with a small - top floor - passenger cabin.
▲SoftTalker 38 minutes ago
I'd guess they'll continue in cargo service for many more years, just as the DC10 and MD11 did (despite the grounding after the Louisville crash, I expect they will fly again before finally being retired).
▲topspin 31 minutes ago
Yes. There are recently built 747-8's that will in service for a couple more decades.
▲pfdietz 3 days ago
I think the top floor is there because the crew cabin has to be high so the nose can swing up. The cables and wiring from the cabin can't be easily disconnected to allow such access. You will notice other large cargo variants of airliners load cargo only through the side of the fuselage.
▲cucumber3732842 47 minutes ago
Yes and no. The C5 has an upper level too. The whole setup solves a lot of problems at once. Opening nose makes for faster cargo operations which the military cares about for a bunch of reasons. There are usually people associated with military cargo so might as well seat them up there.
▲thesumofall 54 minutes ago
It’s such a beautiful plane. Despite having worked for Airbus, the 747 triggers emotions for me that the A380 simply doesn’t. It represents an era of aerospace engineering that will not come back (in many cases probably for the better - but still!)
▲ck2 3 minutes ago
we'll always have QatarForceOne (747-8)

well as long as Congress doesn't let him keep it, hopefully

BILLION dollars stolen from nuclear missile maintenance program to refurbish it

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_VC-25B_Bridge

▲robotnikman 1 hour ago
Guess I probably wont get a chance to fly on one, flying on the 747 was on my bucket list.
▲vimalbhalodia 55 minutes ago
Lufthansa still has a number of 747-8 and 747-400 in active operation - while there's evidence that the routes are scaling back, there's at least a few more years to fly one. They're even refurbishing the interiors to have a more competitive long-haul business class offering.

Korean Airlines has a handful of 747-8 in active operation but they're making moves to retire them especially post Asiana merger.

Air China also operates a handful of 747-8 and 747-400 on both international and domestic routes.

FlightsFrom is a great resource to find routes for specific aircraft: https://www.flightsfrom.com/explorer/FRA?aircrafts=747 https://www.flightsfrom.com/explorer/ICN?aircrafts=747

▲robotnikman 12 minutes ago
Oh nice, that makes finding a flight on a 747 so much easier! Sounds like I have an excuse to visit Germany next year.
▲exmadscientist 1 hour ago
Somehow I only managed to end up on one of these gorgeous birds once. In seat 64K, NRT-DTW (or was it NRT-MSP?). The main cabin is... nothing to write home about. I was in no hurry to book another 744 leg. Upper deck, perhaps a different story.

Great seat number though.

▲technothrasher 24 minutes ago
> Upper deck, perhaps a different story.

I only ever flew on the upper deck in coach configuration, and the last time I did that was about twenty five years ago on SAA. It wasn't anything special, but it was a little quieter.

▲SoftTalker 35 minutes ago
Yeah economy class on a 747 sucks as much as it does on any other airliner.
▲apelapan 1 minute ago
On the A380 you get to enjoy the higher ceiling also in economy. It does make quite a difference for how cramped you feel, even though the leg room might be the same.

And both B747 and A380 fly much calmer than the smaller, lighter widebodies, which is equally nice for passengers on all classes.

▲giobox 58 minutes ago
They are beautiful things, but the last few I rode on with BA were absolutely starting to show their age inside prior to BA retiring them in 2020. I think the last passenger models were produced in 2011 and most of BA's 747 fleet was from the mid-90s. The experience was probably better on other carriers towards the end.
▲toast0 58 minutes ago
If it's something you want to do, this is your call to action. (There have been several already)

There's still a few of these in passenger service, so you can easily get it done if it's important to you.

Otherwise, you'll need to figure out how to get on a cargo flight.

▲dboreham 15 minutes ago
Flying on one in August, upper deck, courtesy of a lowball points redemption through United.
▲naturalmovement 54 minutes ago
You can fly on one tomorrow Frankfurt to Tokyo.
▲NetMageSCW 16 minutes ago
Paywalled.