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As It Departs The Skies, How The 747 Changed International Travel

Published November 10, 2017 at 1:52 PM EST
A Boeing model 747, the largest commercial jetliner in the world, flies over the Puget Sound area of western Washington state in October 1969. The 747 jet is accompanied by a Sabre V chase plane, background, to observe certain flight tests. (AP Photo)
A Boeing model 747, the largest commercial jetliner in the world, flies over the Puget Sound area of western Washington state in October 1969. The 747 jet is accompanied by a Sabre V chase plane, background, to observe certain flight tests. (AP Photo)

This week, United made its last flight on a Boeing 747 aircraft. Delta will be retiring the 747 by the end of the year, which means no North American passenger airlines will operate the “Queen of the Sky.”

Here & Now‘s Jeremy Hobson speaks with Clive Irving, aviation correspondent for The Daily Beast and author of the book “Wide-Body: The Triumph of the 747,” about the end of the 747 era.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

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