Forever Incredible: The Last Boeing 747 Delivered
In a ceremony held at the Boeing factory in Everett, Washington, the very last 747 to roll off the production line was officially handed over to Atlas Air. Thus closing a chapter on what has been Boeing’s flagship model for decades.
A Storied History
It’s hard to imagine that the 747 originally started off as a failed military cargo aircraft for the United States Air Force. But it eventually became one of the most iconic commercial jets to ever take flight and one of the more successful. Despite being redesigned as a civilian passenger aircraft, the 747 did eventually end up being used by the military, either as VIP transports, specialized Command and Control Aircraft, or even supporting military operations in a logistical role.
Honoring Joe Sutter
The last 747, registered as N863GT, has a hybrid paint scheme that denotes Atlas’ leased service for shipper Apex Logistics. One key feature it will have is a decal right next to the nose paying homage to Joe Sutter, who is seen as the Father of the 747 and who passed away in 2016.
~NC
