Air France bids farewell to the 747: The aircraft that reshaped the world of air travel

It was a journey like no other: A roundabout flight from Paris to Paris, with no stops, leaving even seasoned travelers teary-eyed.

For both Air France and its beloved Boeing 747s, the time had come to part ways – but letting go was harder than expected for the airline and its crew.

Though the final scheduled Air France 747 flight had already touched down days earlier, we found ourselves gathered at 8 a.m. for the first of two ‘final flights’ over France, which were really just a precursor to even more ‘final flights’ circling around Le Bourget airfield.

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When Air France revealed it was retiring its final three 747s due to the high costs of upkeep, their switchboard was flooded with calls.

Around 30,000 people attempted to secure a spot on one of these iconic final flights.

What makes the Boeing 747 so deeply nostalgic for so many?

A French aviation expert suggests it’s because the 747 was the first aircraft to make air travel accessible to the masses.

When the 747 first debuted with Pan Am in 1970, it carried a unique flair and an undeniable elegance.

Who could forget the spiral staircase leading to the upper deck, complete with its stylish open bar? Pure luxury – first class, naturally!

With its unmatched seating capacity and impressive range, the 747 revolutionized international air travel for an entire generation, earning the title 'Queen of the Skies.'

The jumbo jet’s ability to carry so many passengers to distant corners of the globe meant that countless people experienced their first overseas adventure aboard a 747.

In fact, the 747 holds the record for the highest number of passengers ever carried on a commercial flight, according to Air France.

In 1991, Israeli airline El Al used a 747 to evacuate Jews from Ethiopia, transporting over 1,080 passengers in a single journey.

Two babies were born mid-flight during the journey.

For 37 years, the 747 reigned as the world’s largest commercial airliner, until the Airbus A380 was introduced in 2007.

As aircraft design continues to evolve, Delta Air Lines and other airlines are expected to follow Air France’s lead and retire their 747s in the years ahead.

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For many pilots – whether still flying or long retired – the 747 symbolized the last true flying experience before automation and computers took over the cockpit.

Pulleys and cables stretch across the entire aircraft, linking the flight deck controls to the control surfaces on the wings and tail.

Pilots often mention how they had an innate sense of the 747’s movements, a feeling that newer, computer-driven planes with their electronic systems simply can't replicate.

And the veteran pilots had plenty of tales to share.

One recalled the countless hours spent in taxi school, learning how to maneuver the massive aircraft on the ground.

The cockpit was positioned so far ahead of the nose wheel that pilots had to adjust to the sensation of turning, which often felt like moving sideways instead of straight ahead.

What’s more, airports weren’t initially designed to accommodate such a massive aircraft.

Runways and taxiways had to be expanded and redesigned, and at times, the clearance for the wingtips was dangerously close.

One pilot fondly recalled lighting up a cigarette near the sextant viewing port.

In the early days, before GPS technology, flight crews relied on a sextant for celestial navigation to pinpoint their location when out of radio range.

The 747s made long-haul flights, including routes over the poles, possible. As a result, the aircraft was fitted with a small door in the cockpit ceiling for star observations using a sextant.

Though the sextant is no longer in use, the small observation port remains in place.

When smoking was eventually banned on flights, some crew members who struggled to quit could still be found sneaking a smoke near the sextant port, where the fumes were sucked out.

But let’s leave the nostalgia behind for now.

We had flown from Paris to Marseille, over the Bay of Biscay, up France’s west coast to Mont-St.-Michel, and were now approaching for a landing back at our starting point: Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport.

A 20-year-old aspiring commercial pilot (whose grandmother had paid for his 220-euro “last flight” ticket) expressed regret that he would never have the opportunity to fly a 747.

The cabin attendant’s voice cracked as she made the landing announcement. And then Capt.

Thierry Mondon performed what had to be one of the smoothest 'last 747' landings of his entire career.

The airport firefighters were on hand to give us a spectacular water cannon salute.

The ground crew eagerly snapped photos to capture the moment.

Once the plane finally came to a stop and the 'fasten seat belt' sign switched off, a weathered old Air France pilot seated in front of me stubbornly refused to unbuckle.

'I’m attached to this plane,' he said. 'And I’m not letting go.'