Back in July I received a message, via Twitter, from a man called “Airplane Ben“. He mentioned to me that he owns a Boeing 747-SP and that he wanted me to fly on it. Most of you would be thinking that this was a joke, but I did some research and it turned out that there was indeed a Boeing 747-SP parked in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. From then on I followed Ben’s tweets with interest.
After seeing the tweet above, I knew then that my B747-SP dream in 2019 was getting closer. The plane was ready to leave storage in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada after spending almost a year on the ground.
From Africa to Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
While I was in Mauritius on a filming project with Air Mauritius, I got my invite to fly on the B747-SP. There was not a lot of details or clarity and there was definitely no certainty, but I decided to take the chance.
The timing was tight, super tight. I still couldn’t believe that I managed to make it all the way from Africa within 24 hours.
I flew from Mauritius to Paris and bought my ticket to Toronto after I landed in Paris. I arrived in Toronto on the same day, in the evening, on October 3rd; Hamilton is just a short 45 minute drive from Toronto. I met up with the maintenance crew in the hotel and was told that everything was ready, except that they were still waiting on one document from the FAA.
It is always uncertain with aviation until the last minute.
The bigger the risk you take, the bigger the reward when it works. But there is always the downside if it doesn’t happen.
I was preparing myself for the eventuality that the flight wouldn’t take place the following day, this would mean I would have to re-schedule my busy work diary.
The Next Day
While we were still waiting for the “Fly-wire” document from FAA, the pilots and flight engineer all arrived at the airport. We were taken out to the plane to start preparations for our flight, all the time hoping to receive the fly-wire document we needed to takeoff.
This B747-SP-21 was built in 1979 and delivered to Pan Am. In 1986, it was transferred to United Airlines. In 1995 it was acquired by Qatar Amiri Flight until 2018. It is currently owned by CSDS aircraft sales and leasing. The registration was changed recently to N7477S (ex N539PA, N148UA, VR-BAT and VP-BAT)
While The crew were busy with documents I was given a full tour of the aircraft, starting in the cockpit. These were some tense moments, without knowing whether we would be cleared for takeoff or not.
I was also shown the “Main Equipment Centre” located underneath the main floor and accessed by a staircase. Radios, avionics and IRS instruments are all stored here.
Around mid day, the good news finally arrived! We had received the Fly-wire and the aircraft was cleared to fly to Marana, Pinal Air Park in Arizona, USA. Everyone was relieved and started the final preparations for departure.
At 13:15, the ground engineer team bid a farewell to the plane and the door was closed.
I was the only passenger on this ferry flight to Marana, AZ.
I was sitting behind the pilots on the jumpseat, it was amazing to watch the pilots and flight engineer manually starting one engine after another. The 4 PW JT9D-7A engines came to life with an amazing sound!
3 men cockpit of B747-SP
At 13:42 the B747-SP was airborne, after nearly a year in storage! The spooling sound of 4 JT9D-7A engines was music to my ears!
Watch the Youtube video of the airborne scene.
Flight time from Hamilton to Marana was scheduled to be exactly 4 hours. Once the plane reached its cruising level of 38,000 ft, I went downstairs to walk around and took a lot of photos/videos. Let’s have a tour of the interior!
Tour of the VIP B747-SP Private Jet
Upper Deck
The upper deck has 12 “LA-Z-BOY” deep recliner seats and a small galley behind. Note that there are no overhead bins in the ceiling; instead, there are “side bins” next to the windows on each side.
Walking downstairs on the B747 classic spiral staircase, let’s have a look at the lower deck.
Master Bedroom and Bathroom
The master bedroom and bathroom are located at the nose area of the B747-SP. There is also a private working desk and sofa in the master bedroom. The bed can go up and down with a remote control.
The “Majlis”
Given that this aircraft is from a former Qatar Amiri Flight, there is the “Majlis” near the entrance of door 2. You can probably guess who normally sits in the blue colour “throne” seat. But on this flight it was my seat! 😉
The throne seat can recline to 180 degrees flat, with a push of an electronic button.
Continuing the tour by walking down the long aisle, the next room is the dining/conference room.
The B747-SP fuselage is so wide; it feels like I am inside a “Flying Palace”.
The Dining Hall
There is another small private office with a private toilet and shower, right behind the dining room.
The Aft-Cabin
The remaining sections on the B747-SP were filled with more seats, for the entourage and servants I presume. Given that the plane is 40 years old, the interiors have been well maintained and all the controls I tried worked flawlessly.
In terms of catering, there were drinks in the fridge and boxed club sandwiches available as snacks.
It was a really strange flight. I was the only person on the entire lower deck. No other passengers or crew were present. I used the 4 hour flight time to try out literally every single seat in all the areas.
The clouds gradually faded away to a clear sky, while we continued to head in a Southwest direction. During the descent into Marana we encountered some wild wind, which is quite common in the open desert area. The TCAS system was active and warned us “traffic, traffic” nearby, during our approach.
We landed at Marana, Pinal Air Park, AZ around 14:45 local time with a flight time of 4 hours and 1 minute. Sunny weather, with a temperature of nearly 100 degrees Fahrenheit, welcomed us. The B747-SP was scheduled for a C-Check in Marana and was waiting for a new buyer.
My Best Flight of 2019 so Far
I love the B747, I love luxury travel and I love classic aviation, what could be better than flying on a B747-SP Private Jet with a full VIP configuration? even better, I had the whole plane to myself!
I have been following the re-activation of this Boeing 747-SP for sometime. There were always going to be some risks that the flight may not have happened, due to one problem or another, but I am so glad that my gamble had been completely paid off! I think this flight has raised my aviation adventures to a new level. It is simply my best flight in 2019.
So from which hat do you pull out three certified and current pilots on the SP? I mean, what other ratings do these gentlemen entertain? The SR71, Caravelle and Doppelraab? Pretty amazing that they are still allowed to fly this thing. Super cool.
Hello
I flew on a PanAm flight 001 first class from Tokyo to Hong Kong back in 1980.
That flight was called around the world starting from N. York back to London.
It was a unique feeling for me wanting so much to “try” a non 747 – 200 jumbo.
I was returning to Greece from a business trip in Japan with an overnight stop over in Hong Kong.
Amazing experience.
Absolutely fantaistic. I flew on this plane on 23rd of April 1983,at the age of 15 when it was Pan Am from Melbourne to New York via LAX to stay with Faimly. It was my first flight overseas and I was flying on my own. Economy class was a bit more special in those days (althogh without the technonolgy). This was a life changing experience for me and international travel was something very special. Wonderful memories, fantastic the aircraft is still around!!
I remember when I was working for Pan Am and all the new 747sp were delivered. They were taken even to smaller airports so people could tour them. IND Was one of the smaller tour airports. There is pictures online yet today of that tour in the mid to late 70s at IND.
Sam: In 1982-83, I was working as a technician on the Boeing Flight line in Everett, WA. This could have been the same airplane I saw that came in for some maintenance by Boeing for 30 days. I was not part of its work crew. I never got on it then. There was a guard stationed 24/7 at the stairway. Only techs with special ID got near and on, and coming off they were checked for “sticky fingers” . A lot of Au on the plane. It was the King’s plane and the present monarch at that time also had a heart condition. I was told one section had a medical section with an operating room. That monarch later passed on and the plane probably had interior mods since then, most likely. I can’t believe there was ever another SP built to the wealth that it was.
Sam, I am sure u knew already, but u made the daily mail:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-7583311/amp/Inside-Boeing-747-PRIVATE-JET-Sam-Chui-passenger-154m-flying-palace.html
Thanks for sharing.
It looks remarkably like the plane that used to park up at Bournemouth International Airport at the beginning of the century.
The local rumour was that it had gold plated taps etc and was kept there for the owner’s student daughter(s?) to use if they wanted to nip somewhere like Paris for the day to shop.
Sam,
The SP was a joy.
First flew it with Qantas (I recall that it was a specific variant to do the South Pacific route hence the SP designation) and in the late 80s with UA, post Pan Am.
All 747 flights are still on my hit list, as much as I delight in the A350.
Sam. Amazing. Do you have any background on why the plane was in Hamilton for a year ?? I’ve heard a rumour re a potential buyer but perhaps you have more accurate real info.
I live 10min from Hamilton airport and had clue this was there. Amazing !!!
This very plane in Zürich in 2015, the logo on the tail went missing, which I suppose means the plane’s changed owner? https://youtu.be/h_uvF0nCdXI
Yes, it was mentioned on the article.
Sam, you never cease to amaze me with the access that you get! What other airworthy 747-SPs are still out there?
Sam !!!! Excellent review , Great Aircraft , this may be last few SP aircraft still in Service
hi sam, who would be enjoying the luxury of this airline? I mean which king?
Ex Qatar Head of State
Excellent & super cool video ! Flying on a SP is on my bucket list. Maybe some how avgeeks could charter a Sands 747sp for an avgeek flight. Keep up the great work Sam.
Can u do trip reviews on soviet plane and a330neo plz
What did you after the flight was over?
I flew Southwest from Phoenix to LA after!
What an awesome review, Sam. I flew on the 747SP quite a few times on Pan Am between JFK and Dhaharan. My father was working in Riyadh and the bank would buy us kids business class tickets to go “home” for Christmas and summer break. From a teenager’s point of view it was not a particularly fun flight. Long, boring and a not great business class seat. The eastbound flight left late and arrived after dark.
The real deal kind of reporting here – great flight
Remember getting a DC10 swapped for a 747SP on SFO-ORD in the mid 90s on UNITED…after I as a kid had scoped out the best DC10 seats in a copy of OAG from the public library
OAG guides at the library ! I used to do that too. Local library had the U.S., Euro & Pacific OAG pocket guides. I loved looking through them. Eventually had my own subscription to the U.S. & Pacific guides.
I regularly flew Pan Am’s direct flight from JFK to Hong Kong on a 747SP.in the late 1970s. We left JFK at 9:00 a.m., stopped at SFO for a brief fuel stop, and arrived in Hong Kong in the afternoon the next day. In first class the upper seats had the same numbers as your seat on the main passenger deck. The upper seating was dark and quiet during the flight so you could sleep or just de-stress. The minute you came down that spiral stair case to your regular seat the flight attendants offered you something of your choice to eat and drink. Service was impeccable!
We had a lot going on in Hawaii and the West coast in that era so I generally returned via traditional 747 via HON, LAX, etc. and did a few days work there before returning to the East coast.
Great memories of those days!
Absolutely amazing.
One of the most hideous interiors I have ever seen.
Interesting. If the plane was built in 1979, why the delay for a number of years to deliver it to Pan Am? Also, any idea what the broad seat next to the toilet is for?
It was delivered right to Pan Am in 1979.
I wondered this too. I went back and read it again and it looks like Sam just forgot the period after Pan Am in that sentence. If you read it with a period there, it makes more sense.
Guys my bad, I just corrected the sentence.
Sam this is amazing!!!!!!! What a dream! The only time I ever flew on a 747-SP was Iran Air back in 2015. I still remember reading your reviews of that plane. Kudos to you man!!! Very happy for you and thanks for sharing!