End of an era

[GeeBee]

I remember when Pan Am took delivery of the first one and flew it to SFO. They parked it on the south ramp so you could see it from Hwy 101 (Bayshore Freeway). Traffic came to an immediate halt. They. left it there for a day. My father drove me up so we could see it. Then we hung around for 8 hours to see it take off for JFK to enter service. That is a takeoff etched in my memory. The airplane is a tribute to Juan Trippe's foresight and imagination. It was nothing new for him, having pioneered the Pacific when everyone said it could to be done. He was truly visionary.

A few years later we drove up to see this one land Pan Am 845, land with damaged gear after hitting the approach light of 19R after rolling off of 1L . Sadly one passenger was killed when the landing gear trunion pierced the cabin floor. We had time to drive up as it took several hours to dump and burn fuel for the landing. It was caused by crew error, and despite a lousy landing, the ol girl delivered her payload unscathed after being badly handled in every possible way from takeoff to landing.

 

 

[cliffy]

On 7/2/2020 at 8:47 PM, Air pirate said:

Continental used to have “pub flights “ their DC 10’s has a lounge area between first class and Coach,  complete with a bar, cocktail tables ( some with pong games).  If you were in first class , they would mix a ceaser salad and actually cut chateau Briand from a cart.  The “stewardesses “ were all babes in heels , there was a certain amount of panache .

 

I concur with the above!!!!!   We did however cut Prime Rib seat side!  And we had a piano on board for a while. The prime rib was first on the list for mechanics to "liberate" when any 747 hit the gate in bound. We ate like Kings every evening. One guy was assigned to get a shopping bag of sodas, one to get the prime rib and any left over steaks and another to raid the desert trays for untouched deserts which most nights was ice cream that made the sundaes for 1st class. 

The “stewardesses “ were all babes in heels , there was a certain amount of panache .  It was the era of "free love" and all that (basically it was a free fire zone for the crews on layover (PUN INTENDED) AND they were actually told that they were expected to find a husband within a couple of years. None were over 30 IIRC.  They were let go if they got engaged or married (the idea was to attract the businessman, had a real close friend become a stew for TWA and she was married inside of 1 1/2 years), had to do a weight check every month and all their clothes and makeup had to meet standards when checking in for a flight. 

 I was at CAL when Pan Am brought the first one to LAX on a provisional certificate and parked it on the south side. All night long the interior airport road was a traffic jam of guys driving over to walk under it. 

CAL got their first one a few months later- a rope start -100 of course 

The cockpit escape was a small door in the overhead just aft of the FE panel that had several inertia reels next to it and you were to open the door climb out on top and jump hanging onto the handle of the inertia reel which supposedly would slow your drop to the ground 40 feet below.  

Early on there was a problem with the pilot seats upstairs. They were designed to be electric driven backward from the instrument panel aft about 5 feet so the pilots could get in, they moved back and outboard. On one takeoff with the Capt. flying his seat activated just about rotation and as he was moving away from the control wheel aft he looked over at his F/O and said- "you got it!" 

They came with a Litton INS system for long range navigation over water. When we mechanics got trained to taxi them, because the cockpit was so high off the ground, visual effects of speed were distorted and we found many mechanics taxiing at 60 kts!! We had to go back to school the learn how to fire up the INS to give us a ground speed readout for taxi. 

I've spent 16 hrs upstairs NYC to Joburg several times over the years. Going the way of all the old grand lux autos Caddy Eldo, Lincoln Continental, Pontiac Bonneville all the old long heavy cruising submarines of yesteryear 

[Jim Peace]

23 hours ago, ArtVandelay said:

Despite what looks like a more modern flight deck by 747 standards, I laugh at their navigation displays. Mono green, and not much info.

yup....to this day whether its a brand new 767 or 747-8 you will find some pilots with a stratus and foreflight upfront....Its still nicer to have a top down view of weather which is unachievable with modern boeings...my 56 year old mooney can do it with a GTN

[M016576]

On 7/2/2020 at 9:01 PM, toto said:

My understanding is that they decided against commissioning new aircraft for the presidential transport. They bought two used airframes that had never seen commerical service (so they were mothballed but nearly new - I think they were destined for a Russian airline that ran into financial trouble).

That is correct- the two 747's being re-worked to take over as AF-1 were already built, sitting on the ramp awaiting delivery to a now defunct airline.

[M016576]

On 7/3/2020 at 5:24 AM, aviatoreb said:

Huh _ forgot about that.

Maybe Air Force one will need to be an airbus?!  :-?  or 777?  Maybe they can do something with a C130 Air Force one?  Or I hear the Russians build some pretty large airplanes.  Maybe we can contract a presidential ride from them.  :-O

Technically, any fixed wing aircraft the president is riding on flown by the PAG is considered "Air Force One." 

The 747 most associate with being AF-1 is actually known as a VC-25 by military designation.... he also regularly uses a 757 for travel (mainly due to it's ability to fly into smaller strips).. that's known as a VC-32.

Of course, any rotor wing aircraft the president is riding on is known as "Marine One."  and the squadron tasked to lift the president via rotorwing has multiple aircraft... H-60's,  V-22's, etc.

[M20F-1968]

On 7/2/2020 at 5:36 PM, flyboy0681 said:

It's hasn't been formally announced yet, but Boeing is going to cease production of the 747. It's been a fantastic run, the first commercial flight taking place in January, 1970. What other airliner has had a 50+ year production run? She will always be the queen of the skies and definitely be missed.

 

I am dating myself but the PanAm 747 was my first flight ever in a commercial airliner when I was in high school.  I traveled to Europe with my father to visit where he grew up.  I can still remember waking up to that long long wing flying over Mt Blanc peeking through the clouds.

John Breda

[aviatoreb]

25 minutes ago, M016576 said:

Technically, any fixed wing aircraft the president is riding on flown by the PAG is considered "Air Force One." 

The 747 most associate with being AF-1 is actually known as a VC-25 by military designation.... he also regularly uses a 757 for travel (mainly due to it's ability to fly into smaller strips).. that's known as a VC-32.

Of course, any rotor wing aircraft the president is riding on is known as "Marine One."  and the squadron tasked to lift the president via rotorwing has multiple aircraft... H-60's,  V-22's, etc.

I didn't know that.  Has any president ever ridden in a V22?

So by this nomenclature.  We could add a yellow piper cub and an experimental gyro copter  For a low cost budget Air Force one and marine one.

[aviatoreb]

3 hours ago, Hyett6420 said:

Yep next one will be an Airbus.  Sorry just HAD to.  Lol.  

Yer late - I said that earlier. :-O

[Hank]

3 minutes ago, aviatoreb said:

So by this nomenclature.  We could add a yellow piper cub and an experimental gyro copter  For a low cost budget Air Force one and marine one.

Certainly! Now that landing a gyro in downtown DC bas been demostrated, ADIZ be damned!

[aviatoreb]

1 minute ago, Hank said:

Certainly! Now that landing a gyro in downtown DC bas been demostrated, ADIZ be damned!

And we could really save money by teaching potus to fly him/herself.

[Hank]

1 minute ago, aviatoreb said:

And we could really save money by teaching potus to fly him/herself.

I'm sure there's an EAA chapter in VA / MD that would be happy to provide a pilot, just for the publicity. They could put their name and meeting location on the side and get national attention! The local VFW could supply an honor guard to keep reporters away, too.

Edited July 4, 2020 by Hank

[aviatoreb]

23 minutes ago, Hank said:

I'm sure there's an EAA chapter in VA / MD that would be happy to provide a pilot, just for the publicity. They could put their name and meeting location on the side and get national attention! The local VFW could supply an honor guard to keep reporters away, too.

Then the yellow piper cub could be repainted in the baby blue that is standard for AF1.

However I recommend that it still keep the checkered painted tail - cuz you all know how I like checkered tails.

Edited July 4, 2020 by aviatoreb

[Bluevalley]

The 747 is a grand old bird! I'm glad I got to fly it for a few years. The biggest downside was the 12 to 14hr flights across the pacific. The number one memory I have with the '47 is shooting the IGS 13 approach to minimums at night into KAI TAK airport at Hong Kong! The biggest thing you had to get used to was the inertia of maneuvering that much weight.

[GeeBee]

2 hours ago, aviatoreb said:

Then the yellow piper cub could be repainted in the baby blue that is standard for AF1.

However I recommend that it still keep the checkered painted tail - cuz you all know how I like checkered tails.

Painting a Cub baby blue? That is just soooooo wrong dude!

 

[flyboy0681]

Of note..

 

https://www.npr.org/2020/07/23/894542202/qantas-retires-its-last-747-with-a-dash-of-sky-art