Boeing 747 Qantas finale

It could be said that Covick-19 has claimed another casualty.  Qantas Airways Boeing 747.

On 28 March 2020, Qantas operated its last commercial Boeing 747 flight from Santiago de Chile to Sydney.  That was not quite the end.  Next week Australia’s national airline will make a series of 1hr 15min party flights out of Sydney (Monday 13 July), Brisbane (Wednesday 17 July) and the Federal Capital on Friday (19 July).  They are bookable.

Qantas Airways 747-400 aircraft VH-OJA holds the world record for the longest ever commercial flight, non-stop from London to Sydney in 20hr, 9min 5sec in August 1989.  With the cancellation of the airline's “Project Sunrise” from Sydney to Europe this record is likely to remain for some time.

The oneworld airline introduced the 747-200 late 1971 and with four aircraft in the fleet by the middle of the 1972 was flying four times a week to London with three  intermediate stops, depending on the day of the week including Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Bahrain and Rome with Amsterdam being added later. With the early aircraft range was something of a problem. In nearly 50 years Qantas operated 60 Rolls-Royce powered Boeing Jumbos with the last delivered in 2003.

www.qantas.com

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All comments are filtered to exclude any excesses but the Editor does not have to agree with what is being said. 100 words maximum

Jean-Michel PRUDHOMME, SAINT-GERMAIN-EN-LAYE

The 5th engin is hanging from a "piloton", in order to be ferried from one station to another for maintenance or for recueing another aircraft. As far as I know all B-747 were/are equipped with such a piloton. JMP.