The last Qantas 747 leaves Canberra by RobGeraghty, on Flickr

Qantas 747-400 VH-OEJ "Wunala Dreaming".

The aircraft was the 57th and last 747 delivered to Qantas by Boeing, completing its ferry flight on the 17th of August 2003, so it has had 17 years of flying with Qantas. Today was its last flight carrying paying passengers. On Wednesday the 22nd of July, it will fly out of Sydney to the USA and eventually a new owner.

[c.a.m]

I see that some of the passengers actually sit farther forward in the fuselage than the pilots. Interesting.

On one of my flights, I was seated in row 2 in the front cabin, window seat, on Lufthansa. If you craned your head a bit, you could sort of see straight ahead. Quite a unique experience that view, and knowing the flight deck was above and behind you!

- Craig

[nosliwmit]

I never noticed this before, but I see that some of the passengers actually sit farther forward in the fuselage than the pilots. Interesting.

I sat in the very front row of the main deck of a 747 once. Sadly it wasn't first class (it was an all-economy configuration, and very likely it was a 747-200). But it was really quiet up there. It's really sad to see operators like Qantas and BA retiring their fleets...

[RobG]

Beautiful shot, Rob! The angle, light, time-of-day et. al. I've ridden on a bunch of the these big babies over the years - on a couple of trips to Europe I was in business class and lived like a king!

Thanks Jer! Lucky you! I had the chance to fly business to Europe, but I gave it up to allow one of the other guys to go, who had never been out of Australia before. I regret it in a way, because I still want to experience business class long haul on an A380, but I don't regret allowing him to have that chance. I've been lucky enough to travel a lot, even if it hasn't been in the comfiest seats.

Ahhh... I never tire of looking at 747s, in all their variants. The Queen of the Skies. I've had several flights in the 400 series but, regrettably, never on Qantas.

Thanks Craig! I have flown on at least three variants of the 747, but my flight back from Japan in January in Qantas business class was worth the price. Lots more space, and even small things like having a cold drink when you first sit down was a pleasant surprise. One of my most memorable experiences was flying from Paris to Hong Kong on a Cathay 747-400. I went to the flight deck (you could do that in those days) and chatted to the crew while we flew over Russia, marvelled at the descent at over 1000 kmh, and gagged when the pilot threw that huge plane into a steep bank with the wingtip I was watching seeming to skim the tops of the buildings before throwing it down on the runway at Kai Tak so hard that some of the overhead bins popped open.

The plane graveyard is not far from the Pima air and Space Museum, North of Interstate-10 southwest of Tucson, AZ.

OK, thanks.

I worked as both a design engineer in Payloads for the 747 and then as a MRB (Material Review Board) engineer dispostioning non conformance on the production line for the 747 (in addition to the 767,777) for good number of years. Fond memories. I most likely saw that tail number go through the production line.

Thanks for your work! I have a cousin in the UK who helped design the Rolls Royce engines which have been on many Qantas aircraft, though I note that this one had GE powerplants. I've also flown on a number of 777 aircraft, but I'm not sure if I ever got on a 767.

That's a magazine/brochure quality shot... well done.

Thank you! That's a great compliment!

Wonderful photograph...lighting is top notch. Coincidentally, I just read the other day that British Airways will stop flying their fleet of 747's right away and retire them much earlier than their original plan to cease 747 flights by 2024.

Sadly, coronavirus will be the death knell for the big four engined aircraft and quite a few airlines. The first 747 I ever flew on was BA. I was going to Singapore to stay with friends when I was 13, and the flight was actually to London. I'll never forget the flight attendant who was handing out the immigration card for Singapore saying "...and of course sir, you'll be flying on to London?". It's sad to lose the big planes, because honestly they are more comfortable, but this situation will accelerate the transition to more fuel efficient aircraft.

I never noticed this before, but I see that some of the passengers actually sit farther forward in the fuselage than the pilots. Interesting.

Yes, in most configurations it's either first class or business. The pilots of the 747 have to have extensive training to adapt to their location relative to the front wheels and height off the ground. Another neat feature of the 747-400 is the crew bunks in the rear and the flight crew bunks off the flight deck. There's also a small flight crew rest area at the back of the upper deck for the business class flight attendants. The A380 has crew bunks below the lower passenger deck.

---------- Post added 19-07-20 at 12:14 AM ----------

On one of my flights, I was seated in row 2 in the front cabin, window seat, on Lufthansa. If you craned your head a bit, you could sort of see straight ahead. Quite a unique experience that view, and knowing the flight deck was above and behind you!

That's cool! I really enjoyed the camera on the tail of the A380, which meant that you could enjoy the view on the entertainment system. They need to upgrade the cameras to HD resolution though.

I sat in the very front row of the main deck of a 747 once. Sadly it wasn't first class (it was an all-economy configuration, and very likely it was a 747-200). But it was really quiet up there. It's really sad to see operators like Qantas and BA retiring their fleets...

Yes, it was pretty quiet on the upper deck of the 747-400 too; a long way from the engines. I have to say though, that the A380 is quieter than the 747 even for economy seats. I agree, it's sad to see the big planes being phased out. We seem to be going backwards in some ways; first Concorde and now the 747.

[c.a.m]

I agree, it's sad to see the big planes being phased out. We seem to be going backwards in some ways; first Concorde and now the 747.

To those of us who have flown on various airliners over the years, there's a touch of nostalgia when the classic birds get phased out. While the Boeing 707s and 727s took me to memorable places on business or to visit family, they were noisy, relatively cramped, and not environmentally friendly. Modern aircraft such as the 777 and 787 are more fuel-efficient, and more comfortable IMO. Still, my heart warms every time I see a picture of any of the planes from the 1960s and late 50s.

As an aeronautical engineer, I have especially high regard for the designers and builders of the 747 -- it was a remarkable aircraft when it was introduced, and its 50-year operational history attests to its exceptional design. I also think it's one of the most beautiful and graceful aircraft despite its immense size (unlike the A380 ).

I've never flown on the Concorde, but managed to get an extended ground tour at a UK air museum. The seating was quite cramped -- cozy, I'd say -- but, fortunately, the flights were relatively quick across the Atlantic.

- Craig

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Last edited by c.a.m; 07-18-2020 at 08:08 AM. Reason: typo

[RobG]

To those of us who have flown on various airliners over the years, there's a touch of nostalgia when the classic birds get phased out. While the Boeing 707s and 727s took me to memorable places on business or to visit family, they were noisy, relatively cramped, and not environmentally friendly. Modern aircraft such as the 777 and 787 are more fuel-efficient, and more comfortable IMO. Still, my heart warms every time I see a picture of any of the planes from the 1960s and late 50s.

At the age of about 6 I got so excited about flying on Air New Zealand's first DC10 that I threw up and we missed the flight. On the bright side, we ended up flying over on a Qantas 707 snf back on an Air New Zealand DC8, the only time I ever flew on those aircraft. I later flew on a UTA DC10 from Fiji to New Caledonia. Having flown on the 777 and 787 with JAL, I think I actually prefer the 777 but I'm not entirely sure why.

As an aeronautical engineer, I have especially high regard for the designers and builders of the 747 -- it was a remarkable aircraft when it was introduced, and its 50-year operational history attests to its exceptional design. I also think it's one of the most beautiful and graceful aircraft despite its immense size (unlike the A380 ).

I don't know why the A380 gets a bad rap. It's more comfortable than any other aircraft I've flown in (unless you're right down the back in a Lufthansa one, which I don't recommend).

I've never flown on the Concorde, but managed to get an extended ground tour at a UK air museum. The seating was quite cramped -- cozy, I'd say -- but, fortunately, the flights were relatively quick across the Atlantic.

I always wanted to fly on Concorde but didn't get the chance. I also saw the inside of one of the test aircraft which is in the Fleet Air Arm museum in Yeovilton. There's another at Duxford. The small diameter of the fuselage made it feel a bit cramped, but the flight times were never long, as you said. The fuselage diameter is one of the reasons I found the A380 comfortable - it simply feels less claustrophobic. I flew an MD11 in the USA and found the same. I'll be interested to see how the A350 feels, because it looks like that will be the new Qantas long haul aircraft.

[Kerrowdown]

I never tire of looking at 747s, in all their variants.

Back in the day I had both the dubious and numerous honour of flying the Boeing 747SP (Special Performance)

It's 47 ft (14 m) shorter and main deck doors are reduced to four on each side. The vertical and horizontal tailplane have been extended and wing flaps have been simplified, it can fly over 5,830 nmi (10,800 km). Pan Am requested a 747-100 derivative to fly between New York and the Middle East. Sales did not meet the expected 200 units, and only 45 aircraft were ultimately produced

[RobG]

Back in the day I had both the dubious and numerous honour of flying the Boeing 747SP (Special Performance)

Cool! Was it a BA aircraft (or BOAC, I forget when the name changed)?

It's 47 ft (14 m) shorter and main deck doors are reduced to four on each side. The vertical and horizontal tailplane have been extended and wing flaps have been simplified, it can fly over 5,830 nmi (10,800 km). Pan Am requested a 747-100 derivative to fly between New York and the Middle East. Sales did not meet the expected 200 units, and only 45 aircraft were ultimately produced

I flew on a Qantas 747SP from Honolulu to Sydney in 1982. I guess it was a three class configuration so it would have had about 276 seats. Qantas has ordered the A350-1000 which they hope to fly from Sydney to London direct (17,000 km), and Sydney to New York direct (16,000 km). The A350 carries about 315 passengers, so it is an interesting demonstration of the increased efficiency of the engines and airframes that an aircraft can now fly at least 50% further carrying more people on half the number of engines.

[Kerrowdown]

Cool! Was it a BA aircraft (or BOAC, I forget when the name changed)?

No it was Pan Am, they were my preferred carrier to the USA back in the early eighties, I'm sure how many other airlines took some of those 45.

BA can into being in 1974 as a combo of BOAC and BEA.

[RobG]

No it was Pan Am, they were my preferred carrier to the USA back in the early eighties, I'm sure how many other airlines took some of those 45.

I never flew on Pan Am, but I remember seeing Pan Am aircraft in Sydney. The only US airlines I've flown on are United and Delta.

BA can into being in 1974 as a combo of BOAC and BEA.

Ah, I never knew that BEA existed since they flew in Europe. It was already British Airways by the time I flew to Singapore in 1977.

[Kerrowdown]

I never flew on Pan Am, but I remember seeing Pan Am aircraft in Sydney. The only US airlines I've flown on are United and Delta.


Ah, I never knew that BEA existed since they flew in Europe. It was already British Airways by the time I flew to Singapore in 1977.

Worryingly we’re both showing our age here...

[RobG]

Worryingly we’re both showing our age here...

At the age of about six, my first flight overseas was to New Zealand on a Qantas 707 just before they were retired and replaced by the first Qantas 747 series. We flew back from NZ on a DC8. We were supposed to fly to NZ on their first DC10 but we missed the flight (my fault because I got overexcited). So that probably shows my age a bit more.

[Kerrowdown]

At the age of about six, my first flight overseas was to New Zealand on a Qantas 707 just before they were retired and replaced by the first Qantas 747 series. We flew back from NZ on a DC8. We were supposed to fly to NZ on their first DC10 but we missed the flight (my fault because I got overexcited). So that probably shows my age a bit more.

I thought you were talking about the "Dakota" DC8 there, but no... that's DC-3.

As I was going ask you how easy it was to walk up the slope, when boarding from the rear of the aircraft.

[RobG]

I thought you were talking about the "Dakota" DC8 there, but no... that's DC-3.
As I was going ask you how easy it was to walk up the slope, when boarding from the rear of the aircraft.

Yeah, it wasn't quite that long ago, although only a few months ago I did walk up and down the inside of a DC3 (well, actually a C47) at HARS, and it was easy. I don't have the same issues as a certain US President.

Here's the answer:


Inside a C47 by RobGeraghty, on Flickr