Over the last few weeks British Airways has been retiring their substantial fleet of Boeing 747’s, moving them from Heathrow where they haven’t moved since the early days of the pandemic to Cardiff. They won’t fly for the airline again.
The 747 is, without doubt, my favourite aircraft. On a rough calculation I have probably flown just over 700,000 miles on them and, with the exception of one United flight, all have been as a passenger of British Airways so I felt I had to say something about their demise.
My British Airways flying profile - about 700,000 of those miles were on the 747.
1969 was a banner year for aviation - Concorde first flew, the 747 took flight for the first time and, stretching the point, Apollo 11 touched down on the surface of the Moon. Oh, and I was born. I hold all those firsts responsible for me being born an aviation fan.
This tribute isn’t going to be full of facts and figures, a Google search will yield all you want to know about the 747. This is a personal retrospective of why my last flight was just as exciting as my first flight.
LHR - HKG - a creature of habit I always wear this retro BOAC zipper to sleep onboard.
That first flight was in March 1992. I was 23 and British Airways used to advertise “courier” flights. You selected your destination and date, paid (I think) £150 return and turned up at Heathrow Terminal 4 where you were checked in (hand luggage only - I still have the Globetrotter cabin case) and were given a large envelope of cargo manifest documents you handed over when you arrived at the destination airport.
My choice was Washington DC and, at this point I had only ever flown on the domestic flights between ABZ and LHR. To say every cell of my body was vibrating with anticipation is an understatement and all the more so when we were bussed to the aircraft and had to walk up the stairs. The climb went on for ever and I remember feeling incredulous that this massive aircraft would ever take flight.
Incidentally, from that moment on the only aircraft I ever said I “was climbing aboard” was the 747.
The flight passed all too quickly but the best bit was right at the end when I got to visit the flight deck as the aircraft was on its approach to Washington Dulles IAD. A lot of firsts - first wide bodied, first 747, first time crossing the Atlantic, first visit to the USA and of course first visit to a flight deck. As much as I enjoyed Washington DC and NYC, making a commitment to live and work there which I achieved 6 years later, I wanted the days to go quickly so I could get back onboard.
That was the start of the addiction and since then I’ve flown to New York, Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Miami, Cape Town, Singapore, Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai onboard the 747.
A 747 at home. The welcome blue lighting of First Class in the nose of the plane.
I’ve flown in all 4 cabins / classes, 5 if you include the Upper Deck which, although still Club World (Business Class), is an entirely different environment to the Club World on the main deck.
My ratio has probably been 5% First, 35% Club, 40% World Traveler Plus (Premium Economy) and 20% Economy.
2K First Class JFK - LHR
First Class was a rarity but when it happened either though a special fare or a magical upgrade at the gate (can there be a better ‘beep’ at the airport) it was enjoyable. Most notable fellow First passenger was Kenneth Branagh across the aisle - he napped a lot.
But of the approximately 345 seats I had 2 favourites. 28B in World Traveller Plus - a seat which sat on its own at an emergency door over the wing and 64A in Club World on the Upper Deck.
Seat 28B World Traveller Plus
28B had acres of room. Nobody on either side, a side table to the left which you quickly realised you had to claim by putting your spectacles on it so that 29A didn’t use it as a footrest ! It’s always cold by this exit door - which is a good thing and the wing flex never disappointed.
Probably the most memorable 28B flight was working a full day and then immediately after takeoff sitting in the jump seat and having a colleague sit in my seat as we put the world to rights all the way to Hong Kong (a very indulgent crew who kept the red wine coming), a quick shower and then meetings and a business dinner and then a whisky bar. Probably a 36 hour day all in all.
Without doubt 64A on the Upper Deck is the best seat on the plane. Some will argue that surely First Class seats in the nose are better - my experience is that noise from the other cabins and the galley travels laterally. Upstairs in the “bubble” (PS the reason for that bubble and the 747’s hump back styling was that the aircraft was never anticipated to be a long term passenger aircraft, supersonic was going to replace it - 747s would be converted to cargo freighters and that meant the flight deck had to be above a retrofitted hinged nose !) and it’s an oasis of tranquility.
The Upper Deck looking towards the flight deck.
Only 20 seats and of those 64A is rear facing with the maximum amount of room and privacy. Copious storage space and the perfect view of 2 of the Rolls Royce engines. Sometimes watching those engines occupied more of my time than the inflight entertainment system.
64A Upper Deck PEK - LHR
64K Upper Deck LHR - JFK flying down the Eastern Seaboard
So let me summarize what made it such a special aircraft from me, even ensuring that, when there was an aircraft choice from BA on the same route (747, 777 or 787 and latterly - yikes - the A380) I would always select the 747 despite the fact you knew you were increasing your chances of a dodgy inflight entertainment system and a little bit of ‘gaffer-tape’ in the interior.
(1) Everyone was proud to be working onboard the 747 - flight crew and flight attendants knew it was a special aircraft and that was reflected in your service.
(2) It always took off like it meant business.
(3) A stable aircraft that just made bumps disappear. It handled a winter jet stream like no other aircraft - it was always fun when upon boarding the 1830 departure from JFK the Captain would explain we couldn’t take off yet because it was going to be a VERY fast ride.
(4) It was the best looking aircraft at any airport and never failed to generate a buzz in the departure lounge.
(5) It was by far the most reliable aircraft, in all my flights only one significant delay due to a cargo door.
(6) It always felt safe - conceived and created in an analogue world built by aviators for aviators.
(7) It felt like home, especially when you climbed the interior stairway to the Upper Deck. As an aircraft it was as comfy as a pair of well worn slippers.
(8) And finally, it is probably the single greatest influence on the post-war world. It opened up every corner of the globe.
My ride home from PHX - LHR. Phoenix Skyharbour easily the best name for an airport.
My last flight was on BA176 from JFK to LHR on the 1st January 2020. The aircraft registration was G-CIVW which I coincidentally photographed from the LHR Air Traffic Control Tower on the 20th April 2016 - the photograph which heads up this article.
After dinner and a nightcap I reclined flat and drifted off to the gentle throb of 4 Rolls Royce RB211 turbofan engines, blissfully unaware that this was going to be my last flight on the “Queen Of The Skies”. When the retirement news came for a fleeting moment I hoped there would be farewell flights and an opportunity to fly ‘just one last time’. However the more I thought about it the happier I was that my final experience was a normal one.
It may have been a Queen but it was also a workhorse, it was an essential part of your routine and I, for one, will never forget the places it took me and the opportunities it opened up.
Farewell.
Pre-dinner whisky cocktail in 64A (Upper Deck) JFK - LHR
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mark Izatt is a brand consultant living in London and founder of Mission Critical, a highly focused and curated weekly briefing for time poor and information hungry decision makers and THE FIRST, a monthly briefing containing 31 inspirational insights. Mission Critical is a digital product delivered via his Estonian Consultancy business.
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