Detailed tour through the FIRST Boeing 747 prototype - RA001 at the Museum of Flight in Seattle 

I saw it rotting outdoors back in 1994. Nice to see that they have decided to restore it and preserve it. It deserves nothing less!

I slipped and fell down the spiral staircase once, let me say that once you get started you don't stop until you hit the bottom LOL. I blame alcohol. a childhood friends mom and dad were on the Pan Am/KLM crash in Tenerife. They were both Doctors from Seattle on a trip, She was able to get out an overwing exit but an explosion pulled him back into the plane where he perished. She jumped off the wing and broke her ankles. I was never allowed to bring it up around her, she was an absolute mess from watching her husband get killed and all those bodies. He told me that she once said she saw a man or woman while on her way to the wing exit still sitting in their seat without their head which had been decapitated by a piece of metal flying through the cabin. Total nightmare.

The 747 has a special place in my heart, because it was the first plane I ever flew on when I visited the US as a kid in the 90's, even getting a pre 9/11 visit to the cockpit to talk to the pilots while we were over Hudson Bay. Such a well designed plane and a workhorse.

I worked on the 747 (and all the other 7's, but the 747 will always be my favorite) as a Flight Controls engineer for over 20 years. Actually got to go aboard RA001 one time when I was working on mods for it to do the 777 engine tests. Awesome video, brought a tear to my eye. Long Live the Queen of the Skies!

This aeroplane had sat idle for many years, taped up, with nobody entering it. I contacted the museums curator almost 20 years ago and asked if there were any photos of the interior, because I hadn't been able to find any. He opened the old girl up after many years and took dozens of photos and sent them to me on a CD. Felt very privileged, and the condition now, to what it was, is amazing. Great video Paul.

Former Boeing Everett here... been through 747 builds from pile of parts to final certification. I spent my last 2 years as a Certified Lean Manufacturing Coach. Went around country helping other plants improve processes and reduce defects. Even went to St Louis to lean out manufacturing on F/A 18 Super Hornets. That simple 2 seat, 1 window, 2 engine, no bathrooms or kitchens or in flight entertainment... was taking 5 times as long to build as a 747 with 400 seats, 200 windows, 8 toilets, 2 kitchens and a flight deck bigger than 1/2 F/A 18. We reduced build time drastically.

When I was growing up in the 1960’s, I was fascinated with anything that flew. My parents and I always vacationed in our car, so I could only imagine what it was like to be a passenger on a plane. I knew all about the new 747 being developed by Boeing and thought nothing that large could ever fly. But fly it did, I was excited watching the stories on the news about it, and one Christmas got a battery operated 747 that was the best gift I got that year. In the spring of 1970, my folks said they had something for me to think about. My decision on the subject would be what the 3 of us would do. They told me they had been saving money for a big splurge. I had to decide on a new in ground pool installed in our yard, or flying to California and spending the summer with my mother’s sister and her family. I hadn’t seen my aunt and my 5 cousins since they moved to California a few years before. I immediately chose the trip. I couldn’t wait for the summer of 1971 to arrive. It seemed the date of our trip would never come. Almost immediately, I began pestering my dad if we could fly on a 747. He said he’d ask the travel agent when he and my mom went for their appointment to plan the trip. They came home with bad news. At that time, San Diego was too small for 747’s. But I was excited we’d be starting our trip on an American 707. We’d be stopping at O’Hare Airport for a short layover, then continue on. The day in June I thought would never arrive came so quickly, I now was nervous. We were leaving the last day of school, so I had a half day, and left at lunchtime. My mother was in the living room looking fidgety. All 500 pieces of our luggage was lined up. The three of us were waiting for my granpa to arrive from his job at Ford to pick us up and take us to Metro. I’d never been to an airport before, there were so many people, and being in Detroit, the main concourse looked like an auto showroom with every American manufacturer displaying their 1971 models. As we check in, my mom noticed the vinyl travel bags American was selling and got me one. Back then guests could go to the gate with passengers. My granpa saw us off, and we could see him waving from the observation deck. I didn’t know why, but my mom showed me where the barf bags were when we sat down. It was a little embarrassing. Soon enough we were taking off,.............. and I barfed, even more embarrassing. We landed in Chicago, the turnaround was quick. People deplaning, and others boarding to go to San Diego. I fell asleep and my mother was waking up to tell me we were almost there. I remember stepping onto the stairs in the dark and the heavy smell of jet fuel. My aunt and uncle were there to meet us, driving us to their home in Poway. It was a fun summer, we did everything from visiting Disneyland to spending a day in Tijuana. At the beginning of August my dad flew back to start work again. He worked at Ford and the plants were coming to life to start making the 1972 lineup. I was sad to see him go, we’d never really been apart. My cousins wondered why I was crying because they saw their dad only a few times a year. Since we were going back so late, my mother started school clothes shopping for me in California. The day before we left, my mother had us packed and ready to go. My folks had bought so much on the trip, she had to send things UPS. We woke up early, said goodbye to my aunt and my cousins, and my uncle packed us into his car to drive us to the airport. Of course he had a “short cut” that made us late for check in. We checked our luggage, we were told the flight was waiting for us. American had an American golf cart to speed us to the gate. As we arrived, they were pushing the stairs back to the plane. My mom was embarrassed and apologized to everyone. We couldn’t sit together. That was o.k. because the return trip was different. We flew on an American 727 to LAX, to change planes and fly on to DTW. The flight seemed like it was only 20 minutes. My mom found our departure gate, we went to the news stand for a paper and magazines. Our flight hadn’t arrived yet, then my mom told me dad had a surprise for me. We were flying home on a new 747. I think I was in shock. After my dad flew back home, he pulled some strings, and paid more, for this special surprise. As I looked out the window at the gate, the silver 747 was approaching. Now I really thought this thing will never fly. My mom asked if I was happy, I just shook my head as I continued staring at the plane. I have no idea how they boarded the plane so quickly. We got settled into our seats, my mom looked nervous and said she need a drink when we got “up there”. After we took off, I asked my mom to see if I could go upstairs. The stewardess said upper deck was for first class passengers only. I was disappointed but a few minutes later she came back with a “Richie Rich” comic book and plastic wings for me. I asked where the bathroom was and was told it was all the way at the rear of the plane. I climbed over my moms legs and walked back. I walked through a partition and suddenly I was in a cocktail lounge behind coach. There were club chairs and tables with mushroomed shaped, chrome table lamps, and a bar with a bartender filling drink orders. I practically ran back to get my mom. I told her what was in the back and she thought I was fibbing. I finally got her to follow me back and she couldn’t believe it either. I used the bathroom and when I came out of the bathroom, my mom was waving. She was at a seat with a new drink and a Coke for me. It was the best thing, having a Coke and looking out the windows at the Grand Canyon. When we arrived at DTW, my dad was at the gate, grinning from ear to ear. “well? well? well?” “How was it?” I told him it was the best part of trip. He looked at me and said I could have saved him a whole bunch of money. He was joking of course. I never got to fly in another 747, the closest I ever came was a DC 10. I’ll always think the 747 was nicer, and I still have the wings and the comic book.

I worked as an American Airlines gate agent at ORD for several years, both dispatching and meeting flights and from late '74 until early '75, I flew on both the 747 and DC-10 as an inflight passenger service director. By far, the '47 was both my and the public's [at least with those I recall interacting with] favorite airplane. On several landings I experienced, I didn't even feel like we were on the ground. They were like riding on a pillow of air. Truly, Boeing at its greatest and long before the suits and stockholders put profit above safety and comfort. No wonder Airbus does so well. They built on Boeing's standards of construction, while Boeing ignored the wisdom of its own employees. American industry still doesn't seem to get it.

This brings back memories. I worked these 742s and 744s as flight attendant for many years. Started in 1993 and retired 2018. All those looking nightflights back from SE Asia and all the trans- Atlantic and trans-Siberia flights, flying over the Gobi desert, Afghanistan. What a time I had! And swoosh - and it is all in the past. I haven’t seen an aircraft from inside since my last trip to Mauritius Christmas 2018. And I don’t miss it at all. I appreciate so much my own bed every night now, no hotel room somewhere around the world, no packing a suitcase, or putting the washing machine on after a trip. I simply enjoy the calmness and silence from my back terrace, looking into the woods, with my two dogs next to me! Utter bliss! But I am so grateful for all the flights these birds brought me safely to all the destinations and back! Thank you for your videos. Aviation is and always will be a fascinating area!

The lines of this plane are classic. Boeing has a history of making some of the handsomest passenger planes ever.

It was the best plane ever. Spacious, extremely comfortable and smooth flying. Turbulance for the Boing 747 was just a joke. In 1984 I flew direct from Buenos Aires, Argentina to Los Angeles, USA in one of these beauties from Aerolineas Argentina. It was a dream flight!

Undoubtedly, it is a legend and an unforgettable aircraft in aviation history.

The Museum of Flight in Seattle is a blast! You’re standing not too far from their DB Cooper exhibit and the 727. Their World War I and II exhibition halls upstairs are also incredible.

Man seeing it empty like that really gives you an idea of the size, basically a flying warehouse.

I’m glad they restored that plane. That’s one thing I do miss about being on the ramp. Seeing the 747s at work, along with other cool airplanes, witnessing them in their element.

I worked that airplane in Experimental Flight Test and was one of the engine guys. I guarantee you that it never looked that good when we were using it. It had a lot of cool demonstration stuff in it. The whole cabin was a false floor that had miles of orange cable and pressure sensors going to the instrumentation racks. The number 2 engine strut was the most instermented in the world. Really a lot of fun.

I went to Abbotsford Airport in 1969 to tour The First 747 . I also Travelled from Vancouver to Disneyland in the Spring of 1971 on the I 5 Hwy from Canada to California . You could see 747 Airliners Parked waiting for Final Touches before Delivery . I first had the Chance to Fly on One in 1980 . Sat in the Seats at the very Front going to Honolulu when I was 18 . Awesome Aircraft !

I can somewhat remember watching the PW engines rolling out of Middletown CT when the 747 was being manufactered. It was pretty cool

I worked this very plane as a air traffic controller @ Bangor ME in 1972. She had stopped to refuel and clear customs, up till then she was the largest plane I had seen. She was HUGE compared to the B727's, DC-9, DC8's and B707's that flew in to the airport on a regular bases!

I had a chance to take a flight from New York to Copenhagen in 1977. My mom took my brother and myself on a trip to Europe. I was 15 and I was excited to get to be a passenger on the 747. What an awesome plane.

Always will be my favorite aircraft.

It truly warms my heart to see this aircraft fully restored! Legendary and deserving of it's place indoors to be enjoyed by and to awe everyone who visits.

My dad worked on the Boeing plant in Everett so I got to go see the first flight in February of 1969. A memory I’ll never forget!

Thanks for the great tour Paul the 747 made flying accessible to almost anyone.

The first 747 I ever flew on was a Northwest ORIENT that I rode from Seattle to Tokyo in August of 1970. I even remember the registration was N604US. It had only been in service maybe four months. A funny thing happened after I had boarded and settled into my seat. There were only about 50 passengers on board that day, scattered all over the vast interior of the plane. A flight attendant asked me to pick another seat way back towards the rear to help 'balance the load'. I thought she was kidding but when I stood up I saw other passengers making this same impromptu migration. At that point I had to ponder just what possible effect my scrawny, 150 lb body might have on the handling of this THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY TON plane! I could return to my original seat once we were airborne but by George I was going to have to move to keep the plane from stalling or rolling over at takeoff!

Thanks Paul. I saw RA001 at the Museum of Flight many years ago, but she was outside and not preserved and on display yet. Nice to get the tour

Got my RM Williams on time for a Paul vid …Interesting to see the JAL logo up there too with JAL 123 being of the 747s biggest disasters

Oh wow I didn’t know the first 747 from Pan-am was also the one involved with the tragic accident. Great video as always

Isn't it just absolutely mind blowing how far humans have come to be able to build something like this? Just insane to me.

Proud to have been a Boeing employee for 20 years. I lost count of all of the 747 landing gear doors I made over the years.

When i was a kid, i remember seeing this plane on the news as it was making its first test flight. Nice to see it is still here and not awaiting to be scrapped some where is a storage desert.

I worked on the 747 (and all the other 7's, but the 747 will always be my favorite) as a Flight Controls engineer for over 20 years. Actually got to go aboard RA001 one time when I was working on mods for it to do the 777 engine tests. Awesome video, brought a tear to my eye.

Great insight as always mate, anything related to a 747 lies at the heart of all aviation enthusiasts, job well done!

My grandfather stood in that plane at some point before it was finished. He was a mechanical engineer at the time, and Boeing, and 3M both wanted to hire him. Part of his tour out at Boeing was to check out the new 747 before it was completed. He ended up choosing to work for 3M due to it being closer to home.

I got to see 1 of the last Quantas 747's when it landed in Cancun Mexico a few years back. Was beautiful

As always Paul wonderful tour of the Aircraft, 747 is still my favorite Aircraft! after seeing all those Airline logo's it's so sad to see how many Airlines have gone Away. When in Seattle the Museum and the Boeing Assembly Plants are a Must See!

Fascinating, thanks for posting Paul! 👍

I flew into Boeing field years ago and was thrilled to see her on the ramp. I wasn’t aware of the inflight refuelling part of the development and evolution the 747… thanks so much for the informative video!

Nice tour Paul. I worked for Pan Am in the Jet Center at JFK overhauling landing gear in the heavy machine shop. Being there in the last 5 years they were operating, i saw many of the original 747-121's , like N747 PA Clipper Juan T Trippe ,N739 PA Clipper Maid Of The Seas and many more. In the final years these planes had over 75,000 Hrs. and 16,000 cycles on them. By the early 90's many were scrapped. I miss The Queen Of The Skies.Thanks for the memories. JIM.

Another awesome documentary you have made. Thank you very much, Paul, for sharing your wonderful video with us.

Oh mate, you've given the Chemtrail nuts more ammo with those ballast barrels there. Oh Lord LOL

My Dad worked on it as the first LTV rep to fly on it. He took my brother and I to watch the 2nd flight at Paine Field across the highway from the Everett plant.

Excellent video. I never knew about the 'anti-flutter' weights and that they were 'depleted uranium'.

I’m glad she is preserved in a hanger. I will visit her one day. My brother is moving to Missouri so in the future we will visit this museum and this beautiful 747.

Awesome stuff Paul, it looks so good in its restored state. Having seen it a number of years ago before the restoration, it’s so good to see it just now!

Great video. The fact that they designed it as a freighter first really paid off. Those aircraft will be flying for decades more.

Yet another fantastic tour! Thx for sharing the opportunity to almost be there with you!

At some point in 1969, if I'm recalling it correctly, my Navy ship put into Montego Bay, Jamaica, and I and some of my shipmates were strolling around town and wandered down a road that led to the airport. We were amazed to see a 747 parked there. There had been news stories about the soon-to-be-released 747 but at this point it wasn't in full production or in service with the airlines yet and few people had actually seen one. Apparently the prototype/prototypes were being operated on long distance test flights by Boeing crews and they had found their way to Jamaica. I remember being absolutely amazed at the sheer size of the thing compared to previous jet liners.

Long before 11 I got to walk a 747 from cargo to cockpit! Will never forget. I even got a first class ride on a red eye from Huston to Oakland. So few passengers the flight crew invited all to first class to save walking. Super sweet;

Paul another great vlog A true classic

Another GREAT SHOW 👍, THAT landing gear is awesome.

In 1969 when I was 9 years old I lived in Roswell New Mexico. Outside of Roswell there is a airforce base which was no longer used by the airforce, Walker afb. Boeing use that base to do test flights for the 747 and that 747 was the one that was used for the test flights. I would get on my bike and ride to the base to see the 747 do touch and go.

Seattle! Awesome to see you in my neck of the woods! Great video as always

I was on this exact plane last year. Quite amazing being in the first one

Super cool! I never knew the 747 was up for consideration as a refueler. Great vid, thanks for sharing :)

Wow! They did a brilliant job restoring it! Looks amazing! I wonder if it could still fly if it was fully restored? Thanks for the tour Paul, very cool! 😎

Thank you for sharing your tour here. I do miss flying the 747-400s.

Brilliant walk through as always, I've learnt so much from your tours, so many details. Thankyou.

The 747 was derived from the aircraft proposed for the USAF Cargo aircraft, in which the Lockheed C-5 won the competition.

I've been there several times. If your ever in Seattle it's a must stop.

The coolest part of the video is the Jolly Rogers F-14 parked next to the Viking

It's in remarkable condition considering its age. That bed upstairs is a tad weird.

Excellent presentation. I've flown all over the planet on the 747. She's a quite a gal. Long Live the Queen of the skies!

The Sutter twist was what stopped the wing flutter. The uranium is for counter balance mostly on flight controls, seeing as they used it on the rudder surface as well. the twist is the most noticeable thing on the wing….

I’m glad this is being kept safe at a museum

The engineering involved is mind-boggling .. Aircraft and spacecraft represent the best of humanity

What a beautiful aircraft! It's great that it's now stored inside! I didn't know about the in air refuelling modification!

You brilliantly brought history into sharp focus for modern eyes, excellent photography and good narrative. Outstanding presentation!

Fascinating video! Thanks for sharing!

The 747 was a magnificent plane...looked amazing..

your knowledge of planes is quite remarkable

The skies are just not the same without the Queen of the skies! Thanks so much for sharing- your trip to the USA was beyond incredible! 👍

I live in Washington and love visiting there. There are so many cool aircraft to visit and crawl inside of. If you get the chance to visit you should.

Great video Paul, what a beautiful piece of kit!

That thing was in rough shape when it was sitting outside. It looks great now.

So they have all the logos of all the 747 commercial operators on that plane. Cool! I have a fond memory with the 747. I flew round trip from Seoul Gimpo airport to lax in business class upper deck on Asiana airlines in the mid 90’s when I was like 5 or 6. My dad my sister and I all went to go visit our mom who came to the states first to study abroad.

When we were told it's impossible, we knew it's the right way to be done. This is the famous quote for the Boeing 747 Joe Sutter said as he constructed and created the Boeing 747 - the most impressive, the most majestic and most iconic aircraft ever in the sky! Lovely greetings from Sarah Sutter

Another very interesting video looking at a true classic of aviation!

A very interesting tour of the the first Boeing 747-100 prototype. Thank you very much for sharing this video.

I have been through that. Amazing museum.

Great video of one of the best and important aircraft in aviation history.

So neat to see this aircraft. Also wonderful that finally it’s been preserved as it deserves 👍🏼

I remember watch the 747s doing testing at the Salina, Kansas airport (an ex miltary base with extra-long runway that had little traffic) they were doing touch and goes. It looked huge.

Absolutely majestic bird....

I see the Aer Lingus logo on the display of customers on the side of the plane. Great to see it finally restored. Regards from Ireland

I very clearly remember the first time I saw a 747 at New York's JFK Airport. It was stunningly HUGE!

Thanks very much Paul! Love your informative videos! ♥️

I really appreciate your videos Paul, thanks for sharing and the effort you place into your work.

Great video on the awesome 747

Love it Paul, as I've said before, any video about a 747 is a great video!!

Thanks enjoying your series in learning about these different interesting aircraft!

Cracking report on the prototype.

This is truly a remarkable machine.

One of the neat things about a 747 is that if you go back to the tail during cruise the whole tail makes a gentle rocking motion which is quite pleasant. On long flights when maintenance was onboard we would go sleep on the aft pressure bulkhead. With the interior in it the back of the airplane is still the most comfortable and quietest.

Boeing 747 - a peak of Boeing engineering performance.

I've enjoyed my visits to the Museum of Flight, I lived in the Seattle area for about 5 years but now living back in Melbourne.

The 747 Queen of the skies is legendary.

Great video mate, still my favorite plane. Still such a beautiful craft

Great tour and great information 👍

Hi Paul love your videos. Was lucky enough to see this 747 when I was in Seattle in 2013. And the day I was there I was able to get a look inside. It was before the restoration. Great to see the Air Lingus logo on there Im from Ireland and In the 90s I remember seeing them at Dublin Airport before they were sent for scrapping which was a real shame. They could have kept one for a Museum piece etc.