- Today February 9, 2019
is the 50th anniversary of the first flight of the Boeing 747. - [Narrator] Monday, September 30, 1968, at the Boeing company's
Everett, Washington branch. (triumphant orchestral music) (audience applauding) 26 stewardesses
representing the 26 airlines that have ordered 158 747's take part in the christening ceremony. - One, two, three! - February 9, 1969,
dawns grey and cloudy. - [Narrator] February 9,
approaching takeoff time. The flight crew moves out
to the waiting aeroplane. Pilot, Jack Waddell. Co-pilot, Brien Wygle. Flight engineer, Jesse Wallick. Takeoff requires only 4300 feet of roll. Gross takeoff weight is 467,500 pounds. Each engine producing just
under 39,000 pounds of thrust. - At 11:35am the 747 was
at the end of the runway, ready to go, with four engines stable and was called by the flight
engineer, Jesse Wallick. The 747 started its roll and the era of 747 began. (background talking) (engine roaring) - The crew tried flying with different hydraulic systems
shutdown, with no problem. They also performed a Dutch roll easily. - [Pilot] It's a very easily
flyable aeroplane though and it doesn't want to Dutch roll. Still in the take-off configuration, we haven't tried to change anything yet. - [Co-Pilot] Everything looks very normal on the right side, Jack and rear doors look closed and I'll go over and check the left. - [Pilot] Beautiful. (calm music) - [Narrator] In the final approach, basic airspeed is 140 knots. Landing weight 440,000 pounds. (engine roaring) - [Man] Flying qualities
during the landing approach were almost unbelievable in that the aeroplane sits
there like a stable platform. The pilot has to keep telling himself, I'll leave it alone, it doesn't need any help here. (cheering) - [Interviewer] Ok Jack,
natural question is what are your impressions? - I guess this sounds
complacent or something, but that damn thing is
ridiculously easy to fly. It's just a pilot's dream. Really a nice aeroplane to fly. - The 747's first flight lasted
one hour and 15 minutes. The test flight was a
success in it's own right but more importantly the
world had changed forever and the era of global
mass transit had begun. (mystical music) (engine whistling) - My favourite aircraft
is right behind me - the Boeing 747. (engine roaring) Everyone recognises the 747 immediately with it's oval shape and
hump on the upper deck. I couldn't think of any other
plane as unique as the 747. (engine roaring) (engine humming I had never been on a plane this big. It was love at first sight. Wow. This is my love. This is the Boeing 747 - my love of aviation started on this plane and when I came in, the
feeling was very different. I became very emotional. It's bringing my childhood memories back. This is my favourite, favourite section. If you sit in the first row, you're sitting actually in
the very front end of the plane before even where the Captain sits,
before even where the Pilot sits so the 747 has an amazing curvature
that can expand your view if you're sitting in
the front at the nose. There were a couple of times where I was very lucky to be
invited into the cockpit to watch the take-off and landing behind the pilots on the 747. (engine roaring) (background talking) (engine roaring) - [GPS] Two hundred. One Hundred. Fifty. Forty. Thirty. Twenty. Ten. (rumbling) (engine accelerating) - There are many memorable
747 flights I have flown on. For example, I was on the last 747 flight of Singapore Airlines in April 2012. There were so many touching moments when we landed in Singapore one last time. (cheering) - [Flight Attendant] As the
aircraft taxis to the gate, now a lovely relationship
that we all appreciated, and a good one at that ladies and gentlemen, for many of you passengers out here, it is true, the B-747 aircraft, that the love for commercial
aircraft had begun. For many of our Singapore Airlines staff, who are indeed aboard the aircraft today, this was the aircraft in
which most of us grew up in. Truly, these are the final
moments in which all of us will appreciate ladies and gentleman. We thank you for flying Singpore Airlines, a member of Star Alliance. And most of all ladies and gentleman, please join me in thanking
the B-747 Aircraft, Queen of the Skies, you have certainly been
a great way to fly. Ladies and Gentleman, join
me in giving her the best. (cheering) A big, big loud applause. (soft music) (engine roaring) (soft music) - Kuwait Airways operate
one awesome 47-400, leased from the government of Kuwait. (suspenseful music) - I have flown on over 200 747 flights and the 747 has always had the smoothest landing out of all the aeroplanes I've flown on. (roaring engine) (background talking) (engine roaring) - The very end of the old
Kitech Airport, runway 1331. There was one famous
accident here one time. There was a China Airlines
five month old 747-400, literally brand new, it, you know, it didn't make it and it really went over the runway, overshot the runway right into the water. (suspenseful music) For those who haven't flown on a 747, there's still many chances to get on one. In the last few months, I have flown KOM Asiana Airlines, Qantas. Here is some footage to share with you. (soft music) - [Sam ] How long are these beds? I know Dutch people are very tall. - Yes, the longest we have is
two metres and 7 centimetres. (engine roaring) Are you comfortable, Sam? - Oh yeah, very. This is my favourite seat. - [Sam] This is the economy comfort which is like a premium economy
class, which is very nice. There's two and three. You actually have a wall here which is actually a nice privacy feature. The galley is actually behind this wall. Alright, I'm gonna walk down here. Have a look at the economony class. First, it's a very
long galley on the side on the 747 between door one and two. How's your work station? (soft music) This is the 747 Combi so this
is the rear cargo section. Gonna also have a look
at the 747 crew rest which is located actually just
at the rear of the aircraft. You have to climb up the stairs. (soft music) - We will show you the
upper deck of the 747. - [Sam] Let's go. - Come on board. - [Sam] Oh this is a galley behind you. - [Flight Attendant] Yes. - [Sam] Right after the stairs. - [Flight Attendant] Yep. - [Sam] You like this galley, don't you? - [Flight Attendant] Yes.
People who are not that tall, they like this galley very much. - [Sam] I see. What a different part of the world. On the same plane, the upper
deck is so exclusive and cosy. (soft music) (engine running) And the 747-400 Combi's cockpit. (soft music) Well behind the cockpit straightaway, there's also a rest area or
crew rest for the cockpit crew. (soft music) Twenty-five years ago, in 1994,
I flew on my first Asiana 747. Today there are no other passengers on board. It feels like my own 747 private jet. (soft music) The best seat on the upper deck, is in the exit row where
you have extra leg room. Like this much room. And the advantage of the 747 upper deck is, if you sit next to the
window, there's a side bin. Here, this bin here, and
you can store stuff here. So there's extra storage. (engine roaring) (soft music) I've gotten really lucky here;
I've got seat 1K on a 747 which is my favourite seat at the nose. (soft music) (engine roaring) (soft music) I am so glad the 747 legacy continued with the latest 747-8 Intercontinental model. Three airlines operate
the latest 747 model; Lufthansa, Korean Air
and Air China. (soft music) - Apart from flying 747 as a passenger, I am also a plane spotter. My favourite plane to
photograph is the Boeing 747. (drumming) Look at this. This is so fantastic, there's so many 747's still in Hong Kong. A very happy day because I'm seeing my favourite 747 one after another, right behind. (engine roaring) - You can also find 747's in
several museums around the world. This is the world's very first
747-400 aircraft ever built. Originally flew April 29 of 1988 so its been around for 30 years now. (soft music) For some reason a lot
of people like to see what the lavatories look like. - [Sam] Oh yeah. - Galley here. This aeroplane had seven
galleys and 13 lavatories and in the front of the cabin, the A zone, we have 14 lie flat seats here
in the front of the aeroplane. Here we are in the back of the 747. It really does show the
immensity of this aircraft and how much space is actually
back here once all of this- - [Sam] So this is what the 747 floor looks like underneath it. - [Man] Underneath. - We are actually standing just over the centre fuel tank and the duct work that you see here is part of the HVAC system that feeds the heating and the cooling to the passengers at their seats. You can also see pulleys and wires. Cargo hold, and what we're looking at is the bulk bin where all of the last
minute bags are placed as well as any live animals. - [Sam] Pressure down. - [Man] Not something you really wanna see when you're flying but this is what it looks like - This a line, a quote, by
the 747 father, Joe Sutter. I can't look at 747 without seeing it as a living piece of
technological sculpture, a winged trophy dedicated
to the men and women who put their hearts and souls into conceiving and building it. - Welcome to the upper deck. - [Sam] Wow. This is 73 alpha. The first row behind the bulkhead wall and on the upper deck of the 747. It is very private. It has the element of a private jet. Now perhaps out of all the 747's, I think the one that I can relate to the most
is the United Airlines 747 because I have flown so
many times on United. Over 70 times. I was on the last United
international 747 flight out of Incheon to San
Francisco in October 2017. - It's an amazing feat of engineering. It's a remarkable aeroplane. It's got multiple
redundancies for every system. Very safe, very noble,
very forgiving aeroplane. Easy to fly. - Walking up to my last
ever United 747 flight. I'm actually the first passenger. They allowed me to board just
a little ahead of everybody. - [Sam] Hello! - Hi, welcome aboard. - [Sam] Thank you. - Glad to have you here
for our final 747 trip. - [Sam] Oh, it's an honour - It is an honour. - [Sam] Unbelievable. - I grew up on the 747
with the United family. My favourite aircraft. I'm here to hail to the
Queen for their final flight. - [Sam] Cheers to the Queen. (engine roaring) (soft music) (intense music) - [Woman] - United 892
heavy congratulations on being the last pilot to fly the United 747
through to San Francisco. Godspeed to you sir
prepare on 120.5 visible. - [Man] Roger 00215 United 892 heavy. Thank you very much, ma'am. It's been been an honour. (roaring engine drowns out pilot) - [Man] Yeah 892 heavy,
this is your last 747 inbound to San Francisco. We're so excited to make this the usual gated time available. The plan's to roll the way
to the end at the left turn. - [Man] Okay, roll all the way to the end, and we'll plan on that. (suspenseful music) (cheering) - [Man] And ladies and gentleman, all hail the Queen. Long live the Queen. Thanks for flying United today. - I'm just enjoy the 747 so much. Hope you felt my love
for the 747 in the video as well. (soft music) (ting) (pop)
