Delta 747 cockpit full#

The plane was already full of scribblings, inside and out, from the farewell flights and the sports charters, with passengers leaving a memory of the 747 or just scribbling their name and date on overhead bins, lavatory doors, emergency exit doors and assorted other places on the plane.Ī tribute near the entrance reads: 'Once upon a time, there was a girl who dreamtof flying. If the wedding was the centerpiece of the final flight, those black Sharpies were the party favors. I wish you could have been there.'' Graffiti tributes 'Captain Steve, this is the bride,'' she said. 'It was awesome. Rick called him from downstairs to find out what city they were married over. Hanlon, who suggested the couple get married on the flight after dating for nine years, was in the cockpit and unable to attend. The officiant was Nancey Price, a Delta crew scheduler.ĭuring the champagne toast after their vows, Rick raised a glass 'to the Queen of the Skies and us!'' The exhibition provides an in-depth look into one of the most iconic aircraft to ever fly. Rick's bouquet was made of red roses and white carnations. Collections The 747 Experience The Plane Up Close and Personal with The Queen of the Skies The Delta Flight Museum offers visitors the opportunity to explore the first 747-400 ever built, Delta’s Ship 6301.

Friends and family members carted on cake, cupcakes, gifts, decorations and fresh flowers. The in-flight wedding was the centerpiece of the final flight, kept secret to most passengers until the flight departed. 'Not many non-airline people get to see this,'' he said.Īnother hidden feature: a small elevator that carries catered meals to the upper deck so flight attendants don't have to navigate the small stairs. 'It's quite a big deal.'' Unknown detailsįluharty knows the nooks and crannies of the Boeing 747, showing off the 8-bed flight attendant sleeping quarters in the back of the plane and the pilots' rest area near the cockpit on the upper deck. 'I thought I was the most glamorous person,'' he said. It was on a flight from Atlanta to Tokyo.

Early versions of the 747 had a signature spiral staircase to reach the upper deck. The groom on the flight, Gene Peterson, starts training on his new aircraft Thursday in Atlanta.ĭelta flight attendant David Fluharty, who worked the flight Wednesday, wasn't emotional, but said he will miss so many things about the Boeing 747.įluharty, a 32-year veteran, didn't fly the 747-400 until the merger with Northwest and still remembers the first time he worked in the cushy 14-passenger Upper Deck, a signature feature of the plane, 13 steps and a world away from the main cabin. Gallaher is retiring after Wednesday's flight. Hanlon, who turns 62 Thursday, is going to fly the Airbus A350. 'It's almost like graduating from college.We're all going to different airplanes.'' 'Now we're going to be scattered,'' he said. 'It's not just the airplane going, but its our (747) fleet. It's sad,'' Hanlon said before he boarded the flight. (Delta actually retired its own 747s in 1977 but merged with Northwest in 2008 and inherited its fleet of 18 747s). Gallaher flew it from New York to Tokyo, Hanlon from Tokyo to New York. They were the first Delta pilots to fly this particular Boeing 747 when it began passenger service in 1999.

Wednesday's flight wasn't as much a wake as a heartfelt tribute to the workhorse with four engines and a flight range of 16 hours. YouTube: See landing in Atlanta on Ship 9880 in 2012.View Gallery: Delta Boeing 747 takes last flight Scattering in different directions YouTube: See Ship 9880 take-off from Detroit (DTW) in 2013. Museum Blog: See photos of Ship 9880 and Boeing 757 Ship 608 arriving at the Delta Flight Museum on April 27, 2014.įlickr: See photos of Ship 9880 in Eastern, Northwest and Delta liveries. Delta used a total of 177 DC-9s as part of its fleet. airline to fly scheduled DC-9 commercial flights. Ship 9880 was one of 97 DC-9s that came to Delta from Northwest Airlines.ĭelta was the first and the last U.S. Delta DC-9sĭelta had inaugurated the world's first DC-9 service in 1965, and flew DC-9s until 1993. After almost a 16-year absence, the DC-9 rejoined Delta's fleet during the Northwest merger in 2008, and flew until January 2014. The DC-9 was the first American-built jet to meet the requirements of smaller and intermediate sized cities. passenger traffic was on routes of 500 miles or less-distances usually served by propeller aircraft such as the Douglas DC-6, DC-7 and Convair 440. The DC-9 filled a different and very important niche at a time when 60% of all U.S. Prior to 1965, Delta acquired two jets, the Douglas DC-8 and the Convair 880, for long distance flights between larger cities.