Almost missed this one: Yesterday was the 40th anniversary of the very first flight of the Boeing 747. The world's first 'jumbo jet' first took to the skies on February 9, 1969, at Paine Field, near Everett, Washington.Writing about the historic event in his blog, Randy Tinseth, Boeing's current marketing vice president for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said:
February 9, 1969 was cold, cloudy, and windy. In other words, a typical winter’s day in this neck of the woods. But it was also a day that changed everything.Randy's Journal has more photos of the first Boeing 747, as well as the crew for the aircraft's first flight: Pilot Jack Waddell, Co-Pilot Brien Wygle and Flight Engineer Jess Wallick.
A little before lunchtime on that date, the first 747 took flight. This 747-100, dubbed the “City of Everett” would spend the next 75 minutes flying over the Puget Sound region.
These days, the “City of Everett” is on display at the Museum of Flight in Seattle.
Here are some more stories about the first flight of the Boeing 747 forty years ago:
- Boeing 747 turns 40 today - Seattle Times
- The day Boeing brought the world to everyone's door - Times Online, UK
- Four decades of a flying giant - BBC News
