This is the Boeing 747. More than twice the size of any airliner before it, the ‘jumbo jet’ revolutionized air travel. Two and half times the size of any jetliner before it, the so-called ‘jumbo jet’ transformed the way we fly.
At least part of the plane’s existence is thanks to this man; Juan Trippe, the President of Pan American Airways, and a bit of a visionary. Trippe foresaw how a plane this big could help decongest overcrowded airports and bring down the cost of flying opening up air travel to the middle class.
When Trippe’s airline put in the first order 747s, he boasted how the plane would become ‘a great weapon for peace’ because it would connect the world and bring people together. The 747, along with the newly introduced Lockheed C-5 were a new kind of aircraft. With their enormous size, power, and range, these planes opened up some intriguing possibilities.