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Boeing 747: The Plane That Shrank the World

Boeing 747: The Plane That Shrank the World

Great Business Stories vor 6 Monaten

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32:27

I’ll start with a quote from 2023 at a ceremony to announce and
celebrate the retirement of the jumbo jet: ""“It is the most well
thought out and safest aircraft ever built. Even when you
understand the science behind flight, there’s nothing like seeing
a 747 take flight to remind you that there’s also magic here.” So
spoke John Travolta, the actor and plane nut — he’s a licensed
747 pilot and a huge fan of the plane. He actually has a house
with a runway, and his planes, which include a 707, are parked
outside. You really have to Google this — it's pretty
amazing.

But what I find even more fascinating than a 747 in flight or
Travolta's home is how the 747 came into being: the agreement to
build it was sealed with just a handshake on John Wayne's yacht,
how Boeing overcame huge obstacles to build the biggest plane in
the world in just 3 years — and to do this they had to build the
biggest factory in the world, and it remains the biggest factory
in the world — its construction almost brought down Boeing and
its main partner Pan Am, and as you’d expect there are big
personalities — it’s a thrilling story — enjoy.