The delivery of the final Boeing 747 ever has sparked a wave of nostalgia around the world. And, crew onboard the final delivery flight has responded with their on wave of sorts via online flight tracking websites.
Atlas Air flew the last 747 ever produced on 1 February, ending 53 years of 747 deliveries from the Seattle factory.
The following day, N863GT took off from Washington State headed for Cincinnati. But, it had one final surprise for fans of the old Queen of the Skies
The aircraft drew the shape of the number 747 inside a large crown which was visible to anyone watching the flight on websites such as Flight Radar.
This was no small crown. It was just under 96 kilometres in width and took two and a half hours to complete.
It’s not the first time this technique has been used to get a message across.
In 2020, Qantas bid farewell to the last of its iconic Boeing 747-400 aircraft by drawing the airline’s kangaroo icon in the sky off the coast of New South Wales.
In 2017, Airbus drew a Christmas tree above Europe using one of its A380s.
Air New Zealand has also carried out some sky artwork, drawing a heart over Aotearoa during a special flight for its Koru Care charity.
And, in 2021, New Zealand pilot Vaughn Davis used the blank canvas of the open skies to spread the word about vaccinations.
But, the gimmick hasn’t always been so family friendly.
In 2019, an Australian pilot drew a penis in the sky as well as writing “I’m bored.”
