![]() ![]() I cried when I heard the news! I could not believe that my last flight had passed without me knowing. Our British Airways livery just had that way of making it stand out above all the other liveries out there.įlying over Table Mountain in Cape Town will forever be one of my favourite 747 memories. ![]() It felt so special as I had longed to operate as crew on it. There she is! That was my first thought on seeing this huge, beautiful 747 waiting for me on the stand before my first operating flight. Says who? Lydia Knapp, customer service manager, mixed fleet One word to describe the 747? I’d have to say ‘friend’. We’d also book the last two seats at the very end of the cabin, just to be a bit closer to the galley and get more drinks! Then the 747s would take us back to London, the beloved crew looking after a couple of very tired passengers. On long flights to New York Fashion Week, my boss and I would have a couple of G&Ts and sometimes end up having a photoshoot on board. Crossing the equator, there would be always some kind of turbulence and I would run in the aisle trying long jumps before getting caught by a hostess. This was back when I was living in South Africa and going back to Italy with my family for our vacations. The 747 is enormous in the eyes of an eight-year-old. Says who? Filippo Fior, fashion photographer I kept the boarding card as a souvenir.Ĭovid-19 has disrupted the aviation industry in unprecedented ways, and I guess it was inevitable for reductions in fleets to happen, but this one felt like a hammer blow and really brought home the difficulties facing the industry. Then a cabin crew member, Martin, discovered it was my first 747 trip and that I was a huge aviation geek, and proceeded to take some amazing wing shots over Cape Cod for me. We were upgraded to World Traveller Plus, where they learned it was my mum’s birthday and even gave her Champagne. So smooth on pushback, the acceleration as we started our take-off roll, the effortless climb… One of the first model aeroplanes I ever owned was a little British Airways 747 in the Landor livery, and I’ve been one of its greatest admirers ever since.įinally, I had the opportunity to fly on a 747 three years ago, when I took my mum and sister to New York for Mum’s 60th birthday. Says who? Amy Dixon, operations coordinator One word to describe the 747? I’d say ‘timeless’, like a Porsche 911. Both are part of the airline’s DNA and always will be. The retirement of the 747 reminds me of when British Airways retired Concorde. I didn’t fly on the 747 as much as I wanted to and always promised my sons I would “take them upstairs” on a plane to Disney, so it’s definitely a blow. It almost feels as if the aircraft is warmer at that time of year. I’ll always remember those flights I had when I was heading home for Christmas: the cabin crew and pilots always have a good buzz around them just before Christmas. Looking through the departure lounge windows at T5, the 747 took your breath away. Says who? Eddie Irving, operations manager Wherever you were in the world, she’d get you home safe. ![]() It’s almost surreal to think that I’ll never see that again. I’ll always remember watching the Golden Gate Bridge pass under her starboard wing at sunset as we departed San Francisco, those Rolls-Royce engines providing the soundtrack to an unforgettable moment.Īs a Londoner, I’ve barely known a day go by without seeing a British Airways 747 in flight. Truly, one of the most iconic aircraft of our time. Every shape and contour felt friendly and safe, not imposing. The height of the plane was always so overwhelming, yet somehow she managed to look graceful. My first impression of the 747 was being bowled over by the sheer size of her. Says who? Matt Griffin, UK correspondent for the International Flight Network ![]()
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