The final 747’s flight path over Eastern Washington, according to Planefinder.
Following a festive and star-studded sendoff ceremony the previous day, the final 747 – the 1,574th overall – left its birthplace in Everett, Washington, Wednesday morning, lifting off from Paine Field at 8:19 a.m. Pacific.
The airplane joins the all-Boeing fleet of Atlas Air, bringing its 747 fleet to 56.
The scene: On a cold, bright morning, a group of plane spotters, Boeing teammates and media watched as the final 747 took off. The flyaway followed the previous day’s celebration that was watched by about 10,000 in-person attendees and thousands more as part of a global webcast. It featured past and present Boeing leaders, customer representatives and actor/pilot/aviation enthusiast John Travolta.
What’s next: During that ceremony, John Dietrich, Atlas Air Worldwide president and CEO, revealed that the final 747 would take a unique, crown-shaped flight path on its way to Cincinnati, Ohio before entering the fleet.
It is certainly a fitting start to the next chapter for the airplane known far and wide as the Queen of the Skies.
Atlas Air, Inc., a subsidiary of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc. on January 31 announced it has taken delivery of the final 747 (N863GT) ever to be produced by Boeing.
The delivery of this aircraft is the last of four new Boeing 747-8 Freighters Atlas ordered in January 2021. Atlas Air will operate this aircraft for Apex Logistics, a Kuehne+Nagel company, under a long-term agreement.
Atlas designed a custom split livery for this special aircraft, with the Atlas Air logo on the right side and tail of the aircraft, and the Apex Logistics logo on the left side. To honor the legacy of the “Queen of the Skies,” a special decal is included to the right of the nose featuring Joe Sutter, considered by Boeing to be the “Father of the 747.”
“The names we chose for the last two iconic aircraft fit their legacy – ‘Inspire.’ and ‘Empower.’,” said Yngve Ruud, Member of the Management Board of Kuehne+Nagel, responsible for Air Logistics. “We are looking forward to see the last 747-8F aircraft taking off to fulfill the versatile needs of our customers around the world with unmatched capability.”
Boeing made this announcement:
Photo: Boeing. Boeing and Atlas Air Worldwide joined thousands of people – including current and former employees as well as customers and suppliers – to celebrate the delivery of the final 747 to Atlas, bringing to a close more than a half century of production.
Boeing employees who designed and built the first 747, known as the “Incredibles,” returned to be honored at the Everett factory where the journey of the 747 began in 1967. The factory produced 1,574 airplanes over the life of the program.
“This monumental day is a testament to the generations of Boeing employees who brought to life the airplane that ‘shrank the world,’ and revolutionized travel and air cargo as the first widebody,” said Stan Deal, president and chief executive officer of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “It is fitting to deliver this final 747-8 Freighter to the largest operator of the 747, Atlas Air, where the ‘Queen’ will continue to inspire and empower innovation in air cargo.”
“We are honored to continue our long history of flying this iconic aircraft for our customers around the world,” said John Dietrich, president and chief executive officer, Atlas Air Worldwide. “Atlas Air was founded over 30 years ago with a single 747-200 converted freighter, and since then, we have spanned the globe operating nearly every fleet type of the 747, including the Dreamlifter, Boeing’s 747 Large Cargo Freighter, for the transport of 787 Dreamliner parts. We are grateful to Boeing for their shared commitment to safety, quality, innovation and the environment, and for their partnership to ensure the continued success of the 747 program as we operate the aircraft for decades to come.”
As the first twin-aisle airplane and “jumbo jet,” the “Queen of the Skies” enabled airlines to connect people across vast distances and provide non-stop trans-oceanic flights. Its development solidified Boeing’s role as an industry leader in commercial aviation. The airplane’s core design with its distinctive hump and seating in the upper deck has delighted generations of passengers and operators alike. Boeing continued to improve on the original design with models like the 747-400 in 1988 and the final 747-8 model that was launched in 2005; across all the models, the jet has delivered unmatched operating economics and efficiency to travel and air cargo markets.
Cirium’s key 747 facts
1,574 Boeing 747s have been built
One 747 was not delivered and instead went to a museum, meaning that 1,573 have entered service
The first flight of the Boeing 747 took place on February 9, 1969
While four 747s were delivered in 1969 for crew training, entry into service with Pan-Am took place in 1970.
The aircraft first served the President of the United States of America as ‘Air Force One’ through the US Air Force’s VC-25 program in 1990.
The final 747’s flight path over Eastern Washington, according to Planefinder.
