My reflections on flying the 747

On this, the day of the last 747 rolling off the production line, I thought I might share a few memories of my time on that beautiful airplane. I think so many of us who can be considered avgeeks, from even my grandparents’ generation to millennials, have been star struck by the 747 since its inception. Not just the biggest, but also a very advanced and adaptable airplane that was rightfully the flagship of airlines around world. It not only advanced the technology but also democratized air travel for the masses by creating better economies of scale. It shrunk the world for millions of people in the best possible way. By the time I got to fly her, she was in the twilight of her passenger career (though still soldiering on today with the -8 at a few airlines) and had mostly been relegated to freight, which was to some extent her original purpose with the idea that passenger service would soon be all supersonic. But that was fine by me because it afforded the opportunity not only to fly as first officer, but very quickly upgrade to captain and circumnavigate the globe numerous times. A very literal dream come true for me. Stepping up from the CRJ to the 747-400 was a bit of a test as it was a much more technically complex aircraft with multiple redundant systems. To be honest, learning to use VNAV competently was the biggest challenge. But with time it all came together. The size, power and speed of the airplane were a bit overwhelming at first, but I quickly became acquainted with those characteristics and learned just how much capability and control were built in as well. I remember getting slam dunked into Hong Kong on my IOE trip. My first time into Hong Kong and my brain exhausted from what can only be described as severe jet lag. It was the proverbial dark and stormy night, and the approach controller kept us high and fast. As the situation unfolded, my instructor captain became very enthusiastic at this marvelous teaching moment that we were being handed. Somewhere between the flight levels and the runway at Hong Kong, I was hanging on for dear life as we came diving out of the sky at high speed, my brain several miles behind the airplane, I began to comprehend the capabilities of this aircraft and found myself adapting to it. Eventually with the tutelage of my experienced captain, we had the ship reigned in and stabilized on the ILS. As the runway lights emerged through the darkness and the precipitation, I distinctly recall thinking “I’m landing a 747 in Hong Kong!”. A long night of celebratory drinks between Wan Chai and Central followed. In the ensuing years I became intimately familiar with the airplane and its talents as well as limitations (which were few). I genuinely relished my time as a captain and being so comfortable and confident with my ability to put that airplane anywhere it could possibly need to go, given the appropriate performance limits. From icy runways in Anchorage and Chicago to the blistering heat in the Persian Gulf. Giant runways at places like Leipzig and Amsterdam, to barely big enough for us in Rijeka and Marana. 16 hour flights from Kuwait to California, and even a 15 minute hop from Sacramento to Travis AFB. It was a genuinely pleasurable airplane to fly in every sense. Powerful and responsive. Much more like a sports car where the 737 NGs, despite being so much smaller, fly like old pick up trucks. In addition to the amazing handling, the built in redundancy provided a level of comfort that few other airplanes possess. Although I eventually moved on to a new company and left the 747 behind, I believe that my time in that flight deck will be the best of my career. Seeing the world from the cockpit of the best airliner ever made was truly a privilege.