On September 30, 1968 the first Boeing 747 rolled out of the factory in Everett, Washington. Tonight, on December 6, 2022 the 1574th and last 747 rolled out of the plant. Here is a chronology courtesy of Boeing and some MyEverettNews.com photos of tonight’s rollout.
The huge doors begin to open and the plane’s nose is visible.
Employees who worked on the 747 line up to watch the rollout.
A tug begins to bring out the last “Queen of the Skies”
Halfway there…
The last 747 emerges from a historic line.
A full moon shines over the scene in Everett, Washington.
The original 747 team was known as “The Incredibles”
The 747-8 rolls over Highway 526.
Now on to paint and final preparation for delivery to Atlas Air.
The 747 is an icon of commercial aviation. Nicknamed the Queen of the Skies, the 747-100 made its first test flight on February 9, 1969. It was the first airplane with two aisles and marked the first commercial use of the high bypass turbofan engine. It allowed more people to fly farther, faster and more affordably than ever before.
The distinctive hump on the 747 makes it readily recognizable, a symbol of great engineering, and often noted as an outstanding work of architecture. The 747 has also become a part of popular culture starring in numerous movies, TV shows and in the lyrics of songs.
The first 747 was the result of the work of more than 50,000 Boeing employees. Called “the Incredibles,” these pioneers were construction workers, mechanics, engineers, secretaries, and administrators. They made aviation history by building the 747 – the largest commercial airplane in the world – in less than 28 months during the late 1960s.
April 13, 1966: Boeing announces it will build a 490 passenger 747 transport
June 1966: Construction begins on factory in Everett, WA
Sept. 30, 1968: First 747-100 rolls out of the factory
Feb. 9, 1969 The Boeing 747-100 makes its first flight
Jan. 21, 1970: First 747 entered service on launch customer Pan Am Airlines’ New York–London route
July 18, 1974: NASA buys a Boeing 747 from American Airlines, and under a $30 million contract from Rockwell International, Boeing begins modifying it into the first Shuttle Carrier Aircraft
Jan. 14, 1977: Modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft delivered to NASA
Dec.19, 1980: 500th Boeing 747 rolls out at Everett, Wash. factory
Jan. 26, 1988: Dual ceremonies celebrate the simultaneous rollout of the Boeing 737-400 and the 747-400
Aug. 23, 1990: A new Air Force One, a modified Boeing 747-200B, is delivered to the Air Force and President George H.W. Bush
March 8, 1993: The Boeing 747-400 Freighter rolls out
Jan. 7, 2004: Boeing launches the 747-400 Special Freighter program with an agreement with Cathay Pacific Airways to convert at least six 747- 400 passenger airplanes into freighters
Aug. 17, 2005: UPS orders its first eight 747-400 Freighters
Oct. 5, 2005: The first 747-400 passenger airplane to be converted into the 747400 Boeing Converted Freighter program arrives in Hong Kong for launch customer Cathay Pacific Airways
Nov. 14, 2005: The Boeing 747-8 program is launched with an order of 18 freighters from Cargolux and Nippon Air Cargo
Aug. 17, 2006: First 747-400 Large Cargo Freighter (LCF), better known as Dreamlifter, rolls out of hangar at Taipei’s Chiang Kai-Shek International Airport. It is the first of four Dreamlifters that will be used to transport major assembles for the all-new Boeing 787 Dreamliner
Sept. 9, 2006: Dreamlifter makes its first flight, initiating the flight-test program that will culminate in U.S. Federal Aviation Administration certification
Oct. 17, 2006: Boeing Business Jets announces launch of wide-body VIP airplanes with seven orders for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and 747-8
Dec. 6, 2006: Deutsche Lufthansa AG places the first order for the new 747-8 intercontinental passenger airplane
Jan. 16, 2007: 747-400 Dreamlifter delivers the first 787 Dreamliner major assemblies to Global Aeronautica in Charleston, South Carolina
Feb. 28, 2008: Boeing delivers its 1,400 747, a 747-400 Freighter to GE Commercial Aviation Services
Aug. 9, 2008: Major assembly begins on the first 747-8 Freighter
Feb. 8, 2010: 747-8, the third generation of the legendary 747 family, makes its first flight
March 11, 2010: The 747-8 Freighter completes initial airworthiness testing
May 3, 2010: Boeing begins assembly of the first 747-8 intercontinental
March 20, 2011: 747-8 intercontinental completes its first flight
June 20, 2011: 747-8 Freighter lands at Paris-Le Bourget airport after completing the first transatlantic flight of a large commercial airplane powered on all engines by a sustainable aviation jet fuel – a blend of 15 percent carmelina-based biofuel mixed with 85 percent traditional kerosene Jet A fuel
Oct. 12, 2011: First 747-8 Freighter delivered to Cargolux
April 25, 2012: First 747-8 intercontinental delivered to Lufthansa
Jan. 29, 2014: Boeing reveals a 747-8 Freighter painted in the livery of the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks to commemorate the team’s upcoming Super Bowl appearance
June 28, 2014: Boeing delivers 1,500th 747 to Lufthansa
Aug. 4 2017: United States Air Force purchases two 747-8s to serve as next Air Force Ones
Feb. 9, 2019: Boeing celebrates the 50th anniversary of the 747-100 first flight.
July 30, 2020: Boeing announces end of 747 production by end of 2022 due to market preference; Atlas Air will be the final 747 customer with an order of four 747-8 Freighters.
December 6, 2022: Last 747-8 Line #1574 rolls out of the Boeing factory in Everett, Washington
December 6, 2022
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