Airline History: The 747 is 40 Years Old Today. The flight was scheduled for Jan 21, 1970 but departed late on Jan 22. Cruising the Past celebrates the 40th Anniversary of the first commercial flight of a Boeing 747 aircraft. It was flown by Pan Am between New York and London.
A PAN AM 747 TV commercial.
(Left: Pan Am stewardesses posing at foot of stairs leading to the upper 747 First Class lounge.) Whichever way you look at it, the Boeing 747′s legacy is remarkable. Probably the most recognisable airliner other than Concorde, not only is the Jumbo Jet still the world’s best-selling widebody, and the longest-running airliner production program after the 737, but it was also a key contributor to bringing air travel to the masses. And until the Airbus A380′s arrival two years ago – an aircraft regarded by some as the 747′s spiritual successor – it was the largest airliner flying.
The origins of the 747 are rather infamous. The creation of the airplane reportedly all started from this simple note in 1965:
Dear Mr Boeing,
Please build us a very big aeroplane soon. If it is pretty as well that will be a bonus. We will buy lots of them.
Yours sincerely,
Pan Am
Piano Bar entertainment was featured on many flights.
