Final Boeing 747 takes off from Everett facility

Everett

Spectators and airplane enthusiasts braved the cold Wednesday morning to see the last 747 take off from the Boeing facility in Everett.

As the plane heads to Cincinnati, it’s leaving a message for all of us in the sky.

The flight pattern includes a “747” with a crown on the top, highlighting that she’s always been known as the Queen of the Skies.

It was the world’s first jumbo jet, capable of carrying up to 660 passengers and flying nonstop for over 7,000 miles without refueling.

And she’s off!

The final 747 took off this morning to join @AtlasAirWW’s fleet. #QueenOfTheSkies pic.twitter.com/pZvX9AkKGw

— Boeing Airplanes (@BoeingAirplanes) February 1, 2023

“The airplane was extremely reliable. We would fly from Minneapolis to Narita, get out of the airplane, and within hours we’d turn around and we’d fly to Singapore back to Minneapolis,” said Eugene Vizzetti, a retired Northwest pilot.

The very first 747 ever built is on display inside the Museum of Flight in Tukwila.

“This is 747 number one, serial number one. First flew on Feb. 9, 1969. It’s had a 54-year run,” said Vizzetti.

Before becoming a docent at the museum, Vizzetti was a pilot for 31 years.

He said this was the first big airplane he got to fly.

“That’s what I flew — the 747 B models for Northwest. Flew them for about three years,” said Vizzetti. “It was a wonderful flying airplane.”

Over the years, the 747 has carried millions of travelers, six presidents, and even the Space Shuttle across the county and around the world.

In this age of clean energy and fuel economy, massive aircraft like this have been reduced to carrying cargo, which is what Atlas Air plans to do with this once majestic and eternally iconic Queen of the Skies.