Having flown on BA’s flagship aircraft many a time growing up, becoming obsessed with the Boeing 747 – you’d be mad to think I would pass up the opportunity to get a bit more intimate with the old girl. I was lucky enough to get myself over to a dreary Cotswolds on the morning of the 8th of October last year to see ‘Negus’ (G-CIVB) settle herself into Kemble Airfield (EGBP) on her final flight over from Heathrow, so naturally, this experience setup by SpeedbirdTV would really be top of the list for someone like me…
My little day out had already exceeded expectations when I realized upon driving up to where the immaculate 747 was situated I was in fact barrelling down the Top Gear test track which in itself I thought was pretty damn cool.
I don’t think any image I can post will ever do the experience any justice. The weather was beginning to clear as myself and my poor Mother who I had dragged along for the ride were queuing up beneath the starboard wing. Ive got some decent images of the Rolls Royce RB211-524-G’s that have powered the queen for the last 30 or so years.
The cabin has been left in the same condition that it was when the passengers disembarked on its final commercial flight, bar a thorough clean and the odd oven unit removed. Its even still got that 747 smell. There was a small ground power unit running the lighting inside the aircraft but sadly the APU and battery were off so the cockpit displays were blank. Not to worry. The view inside the cockpit was still spectacular and a view that every AVGeek should be privy to at some point.
Once outside the aircraft, you’re able to wander round to your heart’s content and get as close up to ‘Landor’ as you please. Walk around the gear, peer inside any of the Rolls Royce engines, touch the belly of the beast? If they ever put something like this on again I implore anyone to go and experience it. A beautiful machine – gone too soon.
