Seven years ago on August 30, a Philippine Airlines Boeing 747-400 took its flight from Manila to San Francisco. It was not just a normal flight but a very special one. It was the very last PAL Boeing 747 flight after 35 years of being in service with the airline. Upon touching down in Manila, RP-C7473 was given a water-gun salute. A special video was made to document the retirement of the Boeing 747 from the PAL service.
While the aircraft is fairly old and less efficient than today’s twin-engine ultra-long-range aircraft, the 747 left so much happy memories to its passengers and the crew who were able to fly it. Today, PAL utilizes the Boeing 777-300ER to replace Boeing 747 for long-haul service. In spite of a newer version of the 747 which is the B747-8 Intercontinental, the B777-300ER was a more fitting choice for PAL given its efficiency and capacity.
The B747 was still the best plane
For many of the crew and passengers, the Boeing 747 was still one of the best aircraft in the PAL fleet ever even if they were outdated in terms of inflight experience and avionics. For the passengers, they felt this “sense of security” knowing for a fact that they are flying inside a jumbo jet. According to some, they felt more secured even during turbulence. The massive 747 gave them that sense of stability and safety assurance. While all aircraft are built to withstand turbulence, there is just this thing in 747s that give you a better sense of comfort.
It was also PAL’s most comfortable aircraft. The seats were wider than that of the B777 and it had more legroom. The aisle was not so cramped and it seemed like there was just so much space to move inside. The seats were comfortable too. Of course, the luckiest passengers were those who were assigned to the upper deck of the aircraft.
For the crew, it was a wonder. According to some pilots, flying a 747 gave you that sense of “being on top”. Maybe its because the aircraft’s cockpit is positioned above the main cabin, basically higher than other commercial aircraft including the A380. Despite its huge size, the 747 was very graceful to fly. It was very stable also in the face of turbulence. For its pilots, the 747 was indeed a marvelous feat of engineering.
The cabin crew did love the working space in the galley and of course, the crew rest on top of the main cabin. The aisle was wider than the aircraft in PAL’s fleet today.
PAL acquired its first 747 in 1979
It was in 1979 that Philippine Airlines took its very first Boeing 747-200B. It became a game-changer for PAL. They replaced DC-10s in the transpacific routes in March 1980. They were also equipped with the popular “Skybeds” which were literally beds located at the upper deck of the aircraft. PAL was the first airline in Asia to boast this feature. These 747s were widely deployed on flights to the United States and Europe. PAL operated a total of 20 747-200s.
In 1993, PAL acquired the newer Boeing 747-400. The delivery of the very first aircraft flew from the Boeing plant in Washington straight to Subic Bay International Airport carrying then-President Fidel V. Ramos. PAL operated 5 B747-400s until they were retired in 2014 in place of the newer twin-engine Boeing 777-300ER.
While we all surely miss the Boeing 747, we definitely have to move forward with more efficient aircraft. While the B777-300ER is also a great aircraft, the memories of flying the B747 are truly priceless.
That’s 35 years of the jumbo in the PAL fleet.
