747 Farewell. Image by Seth Jaworski.

The Qantas Boeing 747 Farewell…Four Years On.

A lot can happen in four years. A global pandemic can arise and subside and an aviation career can enter a 400-day holding pattern when the surgeon’s scalpel beckons. Still, the passage of time can have little effect while the grasp on the memory remains strong.

From the fire trucks’ farewell to the triumphant fly past of Sydney Harbour and the kangaroo sky art off the east coast of Australia, 22nd July 2020 was undoubtedly a day to remember and a career highlight for me. Today, VH-OEJ sits in Michigan, progressively being cannabalised for spare parts, while I find myself flying the Boeing 747’s nephew, the Boeing 787.

There can be a moment of pause to contemplate the passing of the Queen of the Skies but ultimately time marches on. In business, sentimentality ultimately yields to the cold reality of numbers. However, for those that have flown, and flown on, the aircraft that changed world travel, the Queen will always be pivotal in a range of memories.

For me, the 747 introduced me to international airline operations when I had only ever known domestic routes. Paris, London, the USA, Chile, Hong Kong, Japan, South Africa, Antarctica – the list goes on. The Boeing 747 was the aircraft that first truly showed me the world.

However, I am so fortunate to still revisit those same sights, smells and scenery. Perched at 37,000 feet, the world is still my street map as the Andes slip by, as do icebergs shortly thereafter. The Thames still captures my imagination with the history that has stirred in its waters and I have walked in my father’s footsteps in the shadow of the Emperor’s Palace in Tokyo. Memories are not to be forgotten – they are merely built upon to make life’s tapestry an even larger and more intricate piece.

I will never forget my time on the 747 as it inspired me to write a book about the experience. Similarly, its place in history is now well established. The Queen of the Skies may have passed but the world that she showed us still calls for us to venture forth.

My Boeing 747 Books are Available Here.