"The Privilege And Joy...": Pilot On Flying Air India's Iconic Boeing 747

After dominating the skies for years, Air India's iconic jet Boeing 747 bid its farewell to the sky on Monday. The aircraft, also known as the "Queen of the Skies", made its last take-off from Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. During its final flight, the pilot performed a 'wing wave' manoeuvre, a customary gesture in the sky when an aircraft reaches retirement age. As the aircraft departed for the US, many aviation enthusiasts took to social media to bid farewell to the gigantic aircraft. One post included that of a pilot who had flown the iconic jet himself. 

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), user Ultra Long Ranger shared a picture of himself taken in the cockpit of Air India's Boeing 747. "The privilege and joy of flying the Queen was unmatched. Hope she continues to soar with her new owners. Godspeed, my beloved Jumbo.." the pilot wrote in the caption. 

Take a look below: 

The privilege and joy of flying the Queen was unmatched. Hope she continues to soar with her new owners. Godspeed, my beloved Jumbo.. pic.twitter.com/PQBJ4d8GJ8

— Ultra Long Ranger (@Aero_Sapien) April 22, 2024

In a following tweet, the pilot wrote, "15 years of pure joy. Observers seat, right seat, left seat! Graceful handling, an absolute beauty to hand fly."

The post, shared a few days back, has accumulated over 20,000 views and several comments. "My first foreign visit to England was on a Boeing Maharaja in 1985, and fully enjoyed to and from from bangalore," recalled one user. "What a boss! To have the bragging rights of having flown the Queen of there Skies is truly unmatched," expressed another. 

"Captain, u were born to bid this craft a stunning goodbye. Kudos to u!" commented a third user. 

"Sir, can you shed some light on the manoeuvre (kind of dancing on the sky) during the final takeoff? Was it pre-panned, or is it customary? TIA," posted an individual.

"It's called a wing wave, sort of a bye-bye. It is done occasionally on farewells and aircraft/pilot retirements, though never without planning or with passengers on board," the pilot explained. 

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Another joined, "Sir, how did you know that she was perfectly airworthy as she has spent many months exposed to the weather dust and other elements?"

The pilot said, "Engineering certification after all required checks, tests, and inspections obviously had to be done. Just like any other aeroplane coming out of maintenance or mothballing". 

Notably, Air India last flew the 747s in 2021, and since then, they've been parked at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.