I had hair back then. The panel on the right is the power to the Shuttle, IIRC:

".....had hair back then."

I left some of mine along with my scalp on those overhead switches getting into my seat once in a while.

I was at Barksdale when the 747/Shuttle did a fly by, then landed for fuel. This was after the shuttle had to land at White Sands, NM.

Just flew the queen tonight. I'm lucky enough to still fly her for another 7 years. Passing over Baltimore,

[youtube]http://youtu.be/6XnsUUN5wOY[/youtube]

[youtube]http://youtu.be/56gSo8GCiQU[/youtube]

Interesting 747 tri-jet design at the 4:30 mark in the second clip.

[youtube]http://youtu.be/ltvYo6P61U0[/youtube]

I had the opportunity to fly her twice.

Once when hired by Evergreen in the early 2000's. I turned down the kind offer because the pay was too low and my kids were young. (It was the right decision.)

Again in 2015 when I could have bid on it at my current job. I briefly flew the 787 instead, before upgrading on the guppy.

Truth be told, there's no airplane I'll ever fly professionally that is as amazing and fun as the 757.

NASA chose the 747SP for the SOPHIA program, Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy.

It has a 106 inch infrared telescope aiming through a large door in an unpressurized section while the scientists are in the pressurized section.

It flys long missions flying patterns at 38,000 to 45,000, above 99% of the infrared blocking atmosphere.

While under development NASA approached Evergreen to provide flight crews, but none of the pilots and engineers wanted to spend long periods boring holes in the sky.

I don't want to pollute this 747 tribute thread on a 757 tangent, but Daniel, if I start a 757 thread would you share the reasons why you say this?

I don't want to pollute this 747 tribute thread on a 757 tangent, but Daniel, if I start a 757 thread would you share the reasons why you say this?

Great idea, Jay!

I'm going to be super busy between now and the end of the year. Let's get one going in January and I'll give it the time it deserves, to include the jet's history.

Great idea, Jay!

I'm going to be super busy between now and the end of the year. Let's get one going in January and I'll give it the time it deserves, to include the jet's history.

I passed on the transition from the 747 Classics (steam gauges with flight engineer) to the 747 400 all glass two man crew because the guys that went to the 400 were complaining they didn't get to hand fly the plane very much. We hand flew the Classics most of the time except in cruise.

We had a lot of openings when we got the 747 Dreamlifters but most of them went way junior.

We considered the Classics a "pilot's" airplane and the 400's to be a "thinking man's" airplane, resulting in calluses on the index finger.

Actual ATC exchange coming out of San Francisco. 747 "Approach, we're climbing a little slow today." Unknown "You'd do a little better if you throw that piano overboard." [/quote]

Let's take a moment to remember the late John Deakin who, for a while there, was the highest time 747 pilot anywhere.