747 historical events 1972-1976 - Boeing 747 | information center

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747 historical events 1972-1976

747 History > Milestones

I collected all the important milestones of the mighty  BOEING 747  in the past 50+ years. I tried to do my best to recall every important moment of more than fifty-year. I hope my efforts serve your reading enjoyment.

Corrections andadditions are warmly welcome at postmaster@boeing747.net
Dates are in yyyy.mm.dd. format.

747 milestones | 1972-1976


  • 1972.03.07 Boeing 747-200F certified by FAA.


  • 1972.03.09 D-ABYE First 747-200F Freighter delivered to Lufthansa German Airlines.


  • 1972.03.27 First ever 747-200C Convertible ordered by World Airways

  • 1972.04.19 747-200 Freighter enters commercial service with Lufthansa German Airlines.


  • September 1972 747 worldwide fleet accumulates one million flight hours.



  • 1972.10.27  73-1676 First military 747 rolls out, an E4-A for the USAF.


  • 1972.10.30 Boeing announces it will produce a short-range version of the 747, Japan Air Lines (JAL) announces order for 4 of the new version, designated 747SR.


  • 1973.02.27 First E4-A ordered by US Air Force The Boeing E-4 Advanced Airborne Command Post (AACP), the current "Nightwatch" aircraft, is a strategic command and control military aircraft operated by the United States Air Force (USAF). The E-4 series are specially modified from the Boeing 747-200B for the National Emergency Airborne Command Post (NEACP) program.

  • 1973.02.28 First 747-200C Convertible rolls out of the factory, MSN: 20651, N747WA for World Airways.


  • 1973.03.23 First flight of the 747-200 Convertible.

  • 1973.04.17 747C convertible passenger-cargo airliner certificated by FAA and delivered to World Airways, largest charter carrier of the era.


  • 1973.04.18 First delivery of a JT9D-7AW engine, capable of 46,950lb (21,297kg) thrust (dry), or 48,750lb (22,113kg) with water injection, fitted to a 200B 4X-AXC (the 200th 747 delivery) to El Al  


  • 1973.04.22  first 747-200C Convertible delivered to World Airways


  • May 1973 747-200 Convertible enters commercial service with U.S.-based World Airways.


  • 1973.06.13 First flight of the E-4A for USAF (Advanced Airborne Command Post Aircraft)


  • 1973.07.01  first E4-A delivery to US Air Force



  • 1973.06.26 N7470 First 747 makes first flight with General Electric GE CF-6 engines.


  • August 1973 Boeing announced development start of a 'Special Performance' 747.


  • 1973.08.03. Roll out of the first B-747SR, MSN: 20781, JA8117 for JAL


  • 1973.08.31. First flight of the B-747SR

  • 1973.09.10 Pan American World Airways becomes the first airline to order the 747SP (Special Performance) extra-long-range jetliner.


  • 1973.09.26  JA8117 first 747-100SR delivered to JAL Japan Air Lines and certified by the FAA with the first delivery on the same day.

  • 1973.10.07 First 747SR (Short Range) enters commercial service with Japan Airlines (Tokyo to Naha, Okinawa)

  • 1974.02.15 SABENA Belgian World Airways the first carrier to get 747 with side cargo-door modification designated as SCD.


  • 1974.04.08 First 747-200M (Combi) ordered by Air Canada


  • 1974.07.18. NASA buys a Boeing 747 from American Airlines, and under a $30 million contract from Rockwell International, Boeing begins modifying it into the first Space Shuttle Carrier Aircraft.

  • 1974.10.30 First 747-200 Combi rolls out of the factory, MSN: 20977, C-GAGA for Air Canada, also the 250 th B747 produced.


  • 1974.11.18 First flight of the 747-200 Combi.

  • 1974.11.20 D-ABYB named "Hessen", a Lufthansa 747 crashes on takeoff in Nairobi; it is the first fatal accident of the type.


  • 1974.12.29 VH-EBB QANTAS 747-238B City of Melbourne (fitted with 369 seats) evacuates 674 passengers (306 adults, 328 children and 40 infants) from Darwin to Sydney, following the devastation caused by Cyclone Tracy.


  • October 1975 747 worldwide fleet carries 100 millionth passenger.

  • 1975.03.07 747-200 Combi enters commercial service with Air Canada.


  • 1975.04.08 747 approved for thirty-two passengers in upper deck compartment when fitted with left side upper deck emergency exit.


  • 1975.05.19 First 747SP (special performance) rolls out of the factory, MSN: 21022, later N530PA for Pan Am


  • 1975.06.27 British Airways orders 747s powered by Rolls-Royce RB211-524 engines rated at 50.100 lb (22.680kg), the third 747 engine-type option.


  • 1975.07.04 First flight of the 747SP; attains a top speed of Mach 0.92.


  • 1975.09.11 Last 747-100 order placed by Air France


  • October 1975: 747 worldwide fleet carries 100 millionth passenger.


  • 1975.11.12 747SP begins 72.000 miles sales world tour.


  • 1975.12.10 Boeing 747SP lands at Boeing Field, Seattle, completing a twenty-nine day, 72.152-mile (116.093 km) worldwide demonstration tour during which it visited eighteen cities in eighteen countries, and made three non-stop flights of more than 7.000 miles (11.263km).


  • 1976.02.04 The 747SP is certificated by the Federal Aviation Administration for commercial use.


  • 1976.02.09. Roll out of the last 747-100, a 136 for British Airways G-BDPV MSN: 21213.


  • 1976.03.05 N533PA first 747SP delivered to Pan Am World Airways , this is also the 2800th delivered Boeing Jetliner



  • 1976.03.24 A South African Airways 747SP landed in Cape Town following a 10.290-mile (16.557km) non-stop delivery flight from Paine Field, Washington, setting a world distance record for commercial aircraft.



  • 1976.05.01-03 A new around-the-world record was set by a Pan American World Airways 747SP (Clipper Liberty Bell) when it landed at New York JFK airport after a two-stop, 22.864-mile (36.788km) flight. Elapsed time totalled 39 hours 26 minutes. En-route stops were at Delhi and Tokyo. Pan American World Airways’ Boeing 747SP–21 Clipper Liberty Bell, N533PA, departed New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, on a record-setting around the world flight. Under the command of Captain Walter H. Mullikan, the airline’s chief pilot, the flight crew included co-pilots Albert A. Frink, Lyman G. Watt, and flight engineers Frank Cassaniti and Edwards Shields. The airliner carried 98 passengers. The flight set a new speed record for a flight around the world, eastbound, and three speed records for commercial airline routes.Clipper Liberty Bell flew eastward from New York JFK to Indira Ghandi International Airport (DEL), New Delhi, India, a distance of 8,081 miles (13,005.1 kilometers), at an average speed of 869.63 kilometers per hour (540.363 miles per hour). After servicing the 747, it continued on its journey. The next destination was Tokyo International Airport (HND), Tokyo, Japan. This stage covered 7,539 miles (12,132.8 kilometers). The airliner’s average speed was 421.20 kilometers per hour (261.722 miles per hour). Striking Pan Am workers at Tokyo delayed preparing the airliner for the next leg of the journey. After refueling, the Pan American flight continued on to its starting point, John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York, New York. This final leg was 7,517 miles (12,097.4 kilometers). The average speed was 912.50 kilometers per hour (567.001 miles per hour). The total duration of the flight was 46 hours, 1 second. The actual flight time was 39 hours, 25 minutes, 53 seconds. Total distance flown was 23,137 miles (37,235.4 kilometers). The average speed for the entire flight was 809.24 kilometers per hour (502.838 miles per hour). Clipper Liberty Bell had been christened in a ceremony at Indianapolis on 30 April 1976 by Betty Ford, First Lady of the United States of America.


  • 1976.07.02 N658PA the last 747-100 delivery to Pan Am World Airways



  • 1976.09.03 Maiden flight of a Rolls Royce RB-211 powered 747.


  • 1976.11.01 A new world record for maximum mass lifted to 6.562ft (2.000m) was claimed for the 747 when a 747B powered by Rolls-Royce RB211 engines took off from Lemoore Naval Air Station, California, at 840.500lb (381.251 kg) and climbed to the required altitude in 6 minutes 33 seconds.


  • 1976.12.02. Roll out of the 300th B-747, MSN: 21218, a 286B/SCD for SAA

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