First Boeing 747-400 delivered to British Airways. August 1989
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ก.ค. 2017
- Updated note. 31 January 2021. Wow - so much has changed since I posted this film 3 years ago. I’m glad this film has had a decent number of views - it is a real piece of history now. If you want to see more, I filmed many of the final Heathrow based 747s leaving for their final journeys mostly for scrap during the autumn of 2020. They are all available on my channel “Heathrow Aircraft - past and present”. Or take a look at my 2+ hour film which catches all 36 of the BA 747 fleet in their twilight years. • The complete British A... Thanks for looking at my channel. Best wishes Steve
British Airways is currently the last remaining airline with a substantial amount of passenger 747-400s in their fleet, operating up to 36 747-400s out of their hub airport London Heathrow. This film goes back to where it all began film from August 1989 showing delivery of BAs first Boeing 747 400 series - G BNLA City of London.
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Word has just been received that BA are retiring all of their 747 fleet immediately over the next few months. COVID has ruined the aviation industry and the 747. Sorry for anyone who was planning to fly on BA's 747s after pandemic, it just wasn't able to hang in there long enough. RIP.
Qantas also just retied it's last 747-400 to the Victorville Boneyard,it's a shame, a great bird.
I was planning, but I guess I waited to damn long. The last time I sat on a Boeing 747 was in 1990 as a toddler, which was on a British Airways.
The government virus *
@British Airways Boeing 747-436 No. I worked for BA at the time of retirement before being made redundant at the end of August 2020. Staff got the email in July 2020 announcing immediate retirement of entire fleet. Even on the BA website here says it was announced in July mediacentre.britishairways.com/pressrelease/details/86/0/12468
Luckily Lufthansa will be keeping their -8’s and their -400s!
The BA captain interviewed at the end of this film is a legend. When I was 16 in 1986 he flew us back from Seattle and after a flight-deck visit mid Atlantic, invited me back to join them for the landing at Heathrow. We flew a Bovingdon arrival over Central London and my mind was blown! He was so incredibly friendly as were his crew, and although this is almost 40 years ago I remember the experience as if it was yesterday.
@Andrew Myers. Hi Andrew that must have been a shock seeing him on this clip. Fantastic experience to be invited to the flight deck for the landing. Sad that those days are gone now isn’t it. Thanks for sharing. Best wishes Steve
Captn J.C. Pettit.
Loved that livery. The best era for BA.
@@keerthivasannambiraju955 Hey cover up, your BCal bias is showing
I liked the next one after that with the lowercase lettering
Nice livery but also imposing and dated by todays standard. However the current livery looks refined but also a bit bland to me.
@@Ibirdball hi Ibirdball weird seeing u here
@@PeteS_1994 Nothing wrong with being a bit imposing in the aviation world!
Never got to fly on a 747 until 2009. What a revelation!
@Ray Jennings. Did you hear Lord King, Chairman of the airline saying in the film “it’s as good as you can get; I suppose one day they’ll make something better but that’s it for now” - sums up the 747 for me!
@@HeathrowAircraft She was rightly named, 'The Queen of the Skies'! Slightly different story if, as I do, you live below the climb out from 09R for aircraft outbound to the West. I live in Sunbury and it's no exageration to say that when they were on Easterlies and off to the States, on their climbing turn, they would be at full chat and around 1500ft directly over my house. They weren't quite so Queenly then but I did get some good ott shots! Missing them though, now. As the old saying goes and Joni Mitchell sang, 'You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone.'.
@@rayjennings3637 Absolutely! Used to love that sound of them climbing out from 09R - but I fully appreciate living near to there, you may not have always relished the sound! Very distinctive though wasn’t it?!
And this livery is coming back part of BA 100 years celebrations!
I’m back here after BA announced immediate retirement of the Queen of the Skies due to the coronavirus causing financial strain on the airline. Words can’t express my sadness and grief. I used to spot many 747s at Terminal 4 when they were operating there from 1986 to 2008. So I’m very devastated that a huge part of my childhood has been ripped away from me in the most unimaginable manner. But nevertheless I will always be thankful to the 747 for inspiring me to expand my horizons and love flying the way I do now.
@Jay Deshpande yes it is incredibly sad isn’t it. It was good you got a chance to fly on one - you’ll always have those memories.....
I was on the inaugural '400 flight to Toronto back in 1989. Subsequently flew dozens of times around the world on '400's. The upper deck was lovely.
The 747-400 of British Airways is now gone forever from Heathrow with the departures of G-CIVB (Negus retro) & G-CIVY (Standard BA paint), with "IVY" doing a goodbye flyover before forever turning away from Heathrow
@Kevin Meno. Yes - very sad. I filmed the departure - here is the link th-cam.com/video/PdP8FXOUFWA/w-d-xo.html
So nice to see a time when the 747 was the image of BA!
@Anthony Furnival- yes - I remember it as if it was yesterday - I was working for BA at the time …..
@@HeathrowAircraft nice, what was your job role?
@Anthony Furnival I was a corporate property surveyor. We each had a “patch” of the world plus UK airports. Lots of travel- turning left onboard ❤️Those were the days!!
@@HeathrowAircraft sounds like an amazing job, I bet you miss it!
@Anthony Furnival. Thank you - I miss the travel - but not the job 🤣
The days when the 747 was flown by everyone... It's so sad to see such a radical and amazing aircraft simply be dropped by everyone...
@Alien Man. I absolutely agree. Very very sad. Heathrow won’t be the same again ....
All previous and actual British Airways livery looked beautiful on the 747 too bad is now a distant memory because of the pandemic
*G-BNLA*
Age: 29.5 years old
Delivered: June 1989
painted in "Chelsea Rose" livery on June 1999
painted in "Union Flag" livery on September 2003
withdrawn from use (wfu) on October 2009
stored at Victorville Southern California Logistics on November 30 2009
Status: *Scrapped*
*G-BNLA*
Manufacturer Serial Number (MSN) 23908
Line Number: 727
Aircraft Type: Boeing 747-436
First Flight: 3 Jun 1989
Age: 29.5 Years
Test Registration: N60665
Production Site: Everett (PAE)
Airframe Status: Broken up Dec 2018 at VCV
Delivered: 30 Jun 1989
painted in "Chelsea Rose" cs Jan 1999
painted in "Union Flag" cs Sep 2003
wfu 26 Oct 2009
std at VCV 30 Nov 2009
@@PlanesAndGames732 we know
Rip
G-bnla was my favourite plane
31 years later: The Last British Airways 747 was retired. RIP 1989-2020
@Gabriel Ruiz. Yes - and I was there for both!! Makes me feel old!
Still the most beautiful aircraft in my eyes to this year.
@omniultima4747 yes definitely! ✈️
Lord King, amazing chap, "beautifully fitted cabins" will be turning in his grave if he saw things today
“Amazing chap”…….? He was an out and out c**t!
I love the 747 so much. It’s been a part of my life and will always be in my heart and soul forever.
It's too bad I never got to fly on the 747, and they are all but gone now.
There are still some -8s around which will likely continue flying for some time
Standardbenutzer Y I believe he’s referring to BA 747s. Besides, most 744s are being retired now and there aren’t many 748Is, compared to 748Fs
I’m flying one for a cargo airline, they’ll be around for a while.
they were awful
I wish I flew it. I’m feel bad to not fly it knowing that it’s gone for ever 🥺.
My all time favourite aeroplane is The Boeing 747-400. It’s so beautiful. 🥰😍 I ❤ this aeroplane. The best aeroplane ever.
@Izzy. Definitely yes. I agree! ✈️😍
July 2020, Coronavirus Lockdown.
Goodbye Queen of the Skies.
Sad to see you go.
October 8th, 2020: Day 1 of no more BA 747s at LHR 😭
@Planes and Games. And worse still; as someone in the airline community recently tweeted; for the first time in 50 years there are no 747s at Heathrow at all now .....
@@HeathrowAircraft 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
I once flew on a Boeing 747-400 on a short domestic flight, they were a superb aircraft.
It’s sad that that virtually all passenger 747s have been retired, in my books, it was the best airplane ever made, not to mention they were beautiful to look at.
@SR 1968 Yes it is very sad that the pax 747s are virtually non existent now. Just today (9th Dec) I filmed another Virgin 747 (G-VLIP) leaving Heathrow for the last time......
Thanks for sharing this. Such a legend.
Totally Amazing!. The BA Landor Livery Is just majestic.
Luckily got a chance to fly on one of BAs -400s a couple years ago as part of a trip to Italy with my wife and kids. Have some great pictures of her at Logan Airport in Boston. Wonderful plane. Will miss them greatly.
@Jim Eadie. Yes there was something very reassuring about that raspy roar from the RB211s at the start of the takeoff run. If you wanted a “bumper” film to watch, take a look at this 2.5 hour film showing the complete fleet in their twilight years - including the last flights of 9 ....th-cam.com/video/ODzb1geqUVE/w-d-xo.html
Beautiful livery for a beautiful aircraft.
They getting retired. So sad. 😢
Was my favourite aircraft B747-400. The most iconic design and honour to fly on. RIP BA 747s will never be the same again seeing a jumbo jet
I was one of the crew on G-BNLA. The other 744 was G-BNLC. The third 747-436 G-BNLB had to have its four engines replaced in Spokane after a hot start.
@Victor Grasscourt. Wow I bet you have some amazing memories. Would you say that was the best time within the airline?
The 747-400 never had a better livery than this.
Landor was the best
@stevesmitherman2981 yes 🙌 I agree!
Outstanding. Subscribed
Yes thank you so so much,for sharing them GREAT MEMORIES (Lloyd).👍✈🇬🇧
@Cheryl Pinnock. Hi Lloyd, thank you - I’m glad you enjoyed this film and that it brought back good memories. Perhaps that was the golden age for BA? Very best wishes Steve
Orders for 19 with options for a further 12…all taken with a further 26 eventually delivered. Actually, by the mid 90s BA had an order book that would have eventually totalled a massive 88 ship fleet of this type had it not been for the recession of the late 90s. I wonder if there will ever be a period in the future where BA has nearly 90 aircraft of a single type of long haul jet in its fleet. I’d like to think perhaps the 777-9 has a chance.
I remember was first time flight by British Airways (747) from Heathrow to Detroit was 1985. The best British Airways. ✈️👍🏼
A premier favorite livery still to this day it was defined, sharp and very very British. Flew British Airways a lot from mid 80s to early 90s to London from the states. A very classy airline, those days when you called reservations. It was a pleasure to be holding listening to flower duet. Privatization for British Airways be PM Margaret Thatcher, facilitated by Lord King offered a superior product differential marketed by to fly, to serve.
Beautiful
Great video.☺️
I always remember seeing a BA 747-400 called ‘City of Lincoln’ flying over Lincoln with the BBMF Lancaster side by side. I flew on the same plane to Aussie a couple of years later, and got chatting with some of the cabin crew about it, they then sent me to the flight deck and I had a good chat with the pilots and they showed me around the cockpit...it was an awesome experience.
Amazing. “City of Lincoln” is (was) G-BNLT. There are just 4 left of the original “BNL” series still flying with BA and I am stalking them to get footage of their twilight months in service! If you haven’t looked, take a look at my recent upload of 7 BA 747s Landing back at Heathrow. I’ve got lots more clips to upload too! Thanks again for your comments.
Concorde and British Airways in the 1990s Thanks, I’ll check those videos out. I know that the City of Lincoln 744 visited RAF Coningsby in Lincs a couple of times over the years for PR work, my old man was contractor for maintaining runway lights at this and other local RAF airfields at the time, I remember him telling me this beast visited once and how it was a tight squeeze around the taxiways!
lol. Yes I bet it was. That must have been a great sight! Keep in touch!
That’s pure lies. Nobody is allowed in cockpit.
@@kphillipeb it was a little different back in the early 90s...
I need to come to London and fly BA 747s. Absolutely beautiful
AvGeek NZ Yes go for it! Come over when the COVID is out of the way! Enjoy them before they are gone! 🥺
Just a delight to watch.
@Barrie Douglas. Thanks Barrie - it seems a long time ago now but I still remember that day!
@@HeathrowAircraft my
My best memories of Boeing 747s are of a flight from Perth Western Australia to London in 1976 on a 747-200B, then in 1989 I flew Qantas to Harare on a 747-300, then a British Airways overnight flight to London, Then a British Airways 747-200B all the way from London to Perth Western Australia, great times.
@@barriedouglas7272 Epic. So you have flown on the real classics too - great memories I’m sure!!!
Amazing aircraft, it was the golden era.
Bellasie Yes you are right it definitely was! I am glad to have worked for BA during those times...
RIP BA 747
(1970~2020)
3:37 A380 reference hint 😉
"Something better''
777, 787 & A350 hint
Can't think of something better.
Erm.... 747-8i would be the real improvement, Lufthansa is removing A380’s off routes and replacing them with 747-8i’s on the routes
Plot twist: they never made something better 😞
Probably more the proposed 747-600X that BA was at one point considering before Boeing cancelled the project due to lack of demannd
And they've still got them to this day...
I was at LHR the day the first two were delivered
@Ian Halsall. I was working for BA at the time but sadly didn’t stop to see them landing. Good that you were there to witness it!
TH-cam recommended this to me after they were all retired :(
It’s very sad that they were retired
Listen to that classic beautiful engine!😍 They don't sound like that anymore!😔
I know - you are quite right. They were good times!
@Mark Grudt so you’re saying all they sound like now is bam boom bang?😂
The QUEEN
Great video!Nostalgia.At least they will still be flying until 2024.
Was that the NASA DC-8-72 in the background at the very beginning?
Looked like it to me.Just received the model of that today.Coincidence.....Probably😎👍
Melvyn Cox well spotted. I think you are right. Coincidence??
Great 👍
Regardless carrier, the 747 will always be missing in the sky’s as as a passenger carrier, guess the 747-8s will be the last to leave us. I’m happy to have made my first and probably last flight in a 747 with the same carrier. My first was with a 747-200 from CPH to DMK in 1979 and what was probably my last from DPS to BKK last August both obviously with Thai.
Love the intro
@Bilal Ahmed Thanks! I still remember the first BA 747-400 arriving at Heathrow - showing my age! 😂
Me thinks BA’s inspiration for a dual departure of the last two 747’s to leave LHR last October must have came from the dual arrival Steve? 🧐. Shame the weather put pay to that dual take off. Best wishes, John
@WeAreMany. Hi John yes I think you’re right. Although the 1989 footage is quite grainy now, you can see the simultaneous landing, which I remember on the day, working for BA as I did. As you say, the weather was so terrible last October that they decided at the 11th hour not to run the simultaneous departure on both runways. From my own viewpoint I was glad that happened, as I was filming on 27R so caught the 2 departures one straight after the other…. Hope you are ok John?
@@HeathrowAircraft I can’t believe that was nearly a year ago now. What a damp and miserable day. The weather befitted the occasion actually! I’m ok thanks. Hope all is well with you too? I’ve shelved a weekend in Istanbul. Too much hassle getting pre-covid bookings reinstated with Turkish Airlines. Lack of transparency too. I’ve got a night booked at Heathrow for a bit of spotting on 14/10 instead.
@@littlejohn000 Hi John - you can’t beat a bit of spotting 😎 - but it must be disappointing to not get to Istanbul all the same. Move it on your “to do” list to early next year instead perhaps, when restrictions may be easier?🤔 Let me know how you get on with the spotting! I’ve heard some of the BA A380s are returning and are being used on short haul routes (presumably for pilot re- acclimatisation) starting on 9th Nov? 🥂 S.
Sadly both of them, G-BNLA "City of London" and G-BNLC "City of Cardiff" are scrapped
@Mark Grudt And 25+ year old 747s, such as G-BNLY and G-CIVB are still flying, these were just 20 year old
@Heathrow Aircraft
Coinincidence.Certainly was mate!
Back when BA was a great airline. Now, flying Ryanair is almost the same service.
I’m so sad the 747 is retired now. B A was most known with thar 747s. You will be missed in our hearts for ever queen of the sky’s 😞
Back in the days woooooow
Christian Haselwanter- Grasl Yes - lovely. Looked great didn’t they!
Heathrow Aircraft - past and present. Yeeeees my flights on BA744 and 772 with world tail livery... amazing wasn’t it 😍❤️
Christian Haselwanter- Grasl Yes you are right. They were good days ! 👍❤️
And there is still one flying in these colours. And it is an old G-BNL*! {G-BNLY}
Well, there was...
My 8th Birthday that day in 1989!
you knows this is old when u see the intro
@Rahul Ummadi. An oldie but a goodie!
Channel subscribed 👌👍💐
@Train Bus Plane Et al. Spotting. Thank you very much! Be sure to check out on my channel my films showing the final flights of 10 of the BA 747s and 3 Virgin 747s too! ✈️👏
I just hope it isn’t scrapped and still flying.
Bilal Ahmed Hi unfortunately it was! Take a look at my “follow on film” that I made about this first generation of the 747-400s. th-cam.com/video/VDGGLGNXuUU/w-d-xo.html
Heathrow Aircraft - past and present. Truly heart breaking. I believe they can last much longer than they usually do but airplanes are made at a surplus that feeds our economy just like cars, where perfectly good cars go to the scrap yard just for needing simple repairs but we as people needing new cars every few years.
Who else is here after BA announced the 747 retirement
Good old British chaps probably how the Americans think we all speak lol
@Optical Flow Drones. Yes I think you’re right 🤣
I love landor
30yrs ago and BA are still flying them... Update your fleet BA! To more fuel and technical efficient aircraft, for the environment and passenger comfort.
Alan Jackson you are right but there is still something unique about the 747!
@@HeathrowAircraft Indeed most of us, including myself have a great fondness for the 747.
Alan Jackson Yes me too! Don’t know whether you’ve seen on my channel a follow on to this film looking at what happened to the oldest of the 400 series?
th-cam.com/video/VDGGLGNXuUU/w-d-xo.html
Good to talk with you! Steve (Heathrow aircraft)
Alan Jackson come on. The Queen can still provide passengers with a safe and reliable flight. And the 747 has much smoother and faster flights than other aircraft
Time to say goodbye,
The plane that made the airline. Now she's gone. But the 747 will live in av geeks and the British Airways company for as long as BA keeps on flying...
@Alien Man. Yes - well said.... glad you liked the film .....
They should have given us the experience of sitting in first and seeing and hearing the take off.. Fools!
I see 2 planes with Rolls royce RB211-524G Engine.
If only BA kept the Landor
I guess you're in luck
www.godsavethepoints.com/ba-landor-livery-2019-boeing-747-pictures/
The 70-90’s had the 747, Concorde & the fastest passenger a/c the VC-10.
And the millennials think they have it all...
@D A Davidson. Yes very true - good point!
Convair 990 was faster than VC10
Before T5 😮
Yes! I’m in the process of updating my channel to BA “past and present” and I’m tracking and filming the remaining 747-400s of that first series that were introduced in the early 90s. Why not subscribe so that you can keep in touch?
Sadly, they are all retired now.
Anyone else here after the retirement :(
2020 this plane is being retired.
what's a better name then Lord king?? he don't deserve that name!
I was seven years old and wanted to be just an Economy passenger.
Miss the world tails on a 747.
Soon they will all be retired.
F
add some earape
the airplane001 👀✈️👍
Fast forward to today and BA did absolutely nothing with their a380s. No innovation, horrible to work on, dull cabins.
Interesting you say horrible to work on. Is that from a customer facing perspective or engineering ?
🤔🙄😂
Worst year in history.
sean rollins Not for Boeing
2020: I'm about to end this man's whole career
You were done over. Should be a full refund as you received none of the benefits at all. Either the advertising is deliberately misleading or the airline is inept or corrupt. Either way, try contacting the EU air transport commission.