Daily Times

Virgin Atlantic is giving its last remaining Boeing 747 aircraft a celebratory send-off, by inviting aviation enthusiasts to dine aboard the “Queen of the Skies” one last time. The airline will open the doors to its Boeing 747 for one day on Saturday, December 12, for “the ultimate 747 experience”. Taking place at Virgin Atlantic’s Heathrow hangar, the three-hour event includes a full aircraft tour, where visitors can delve below deck to explore areas of the plane rarely seen by the public, including the plane’s underbelly, cargo hold and cockpit. This will be followed by a three-course meal in the plane’s upper class cabin, known fondly as the Bubble. Participants can also have a photo taken in one of the aircraft’s recognisable red engines. Virgin Atlantic pilots (including Yvonne Kershaw, the first female pilot to captain the 747), cabin crew and engineers who have worked on the aircraft will be present to provide first-hand accounts and anecdotes on what life was like on-board the famous jumbo jet. The Boeing 747 made its first cross-Atlantic passenger flight from New York to London in May 1970, carrying 350 passengers – a record at the time. It became the aircraft of choice for long-haul flights, and played a major part in democratising air travel.