1/22/1970: The Boeing 747 Enters Revenue Service

DALLAS — Today, in 1970, Pan Am introduced as its first customer the Boeing 747 'Jumbo Jet' for commercial use after several technical issues that caused the original Jumbo to be replaced.

Flight PA2, operated by 'Clipper Victor' (N736PA), departed from New York (JFK) and was headed to London Heathrow Airport (LHR). However, the inaugural flight encountered significant turbulence and did not go as smoothly as both PA and Boeing had hoped.

'Clipper Young America' operated PA's proving flight between JFK and LHR. Photo: Boeing

Substituted Clipper

Flight PA2 was scheduled to depart on January 21. The Boeing 747, named 'Clipper Young America' (N735PA), had previously completed a proving flight from JFK to LHR on January 12. Under the command of Captain Weeks, the aircraft had 345 passengers on board and pushed back from the gate at 19:30 EST. However, immediate issues arose with the No. 4 Pratt & Whitney JT9D engine.

As a result, the jumbo jet had to return to the gate and engineers were called in. Unfortunately, the engine problem, which was a common issue for early Boeing 747s, could not be resolved.

Pan Am needed a replacement aircraft, which arrived in the form of N736PA, 'Clipper Victor.' Passengers were transferred to the new jet, and finally, at 01:52 EST, the first Jumbo Jet carrying paying passengers took off.

'Clipper Young America' parked at its gate at JFK, waiting for its passengers to board. Sadly, the aircraft would not have the honor of operating the inaugural service. Photo: Boeing

Further Issues

Unfortunately, the return journey also encountered difficulties, causing inconvenience for the passengers. Out of the 153 passengers who had booked the flight, 36 had to be transferred to other flights.

The issue arose from a faulty compressed air bottle that was used to inflate the emergency escape slides in case of an emergency. This meant that the aircraft was unable to accommodate all the passengers who had made bookings. As a result, there was an additional delay of four and a half hours.

Sadly, Clipper Victor would later be involved in the world's most devastating air disaster on March 27, 1977. In thick fog at Tenerife (TFN), the jet collided with a KLM 747, resulting in the loss of 583 lives on that tragic day.

Featured image: 'Clipper Victor' N736PA was seen at LHR in 1972. You can read more about the history of one of the world's most iconic airlines, Pan Am, in our November/December 2021 issue.

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