Stretched out in my business class seat, glass in hand, I begin to relax on the flight to New York when suddenly the unthinkable happens.
An urgent tap on my shoulder from a cabin crew member: ‘Sir, we need you in the cabin.’
Within seconds, I jump into the captain’s seat, sweat on my brow, and am ordered to grab the controls. With zero hours of flying experience, I’m suddenly in charge of the gigantic 747 jumbo jet.
But this isn’t a “terror at 30,000 feet” nightmare. Instead, it’s “thrills at 3 feet” and one of the most surreal days in the country.
Instead of crossing the Atlantic, I’m inside a large, simple shed next to some stables in rural Cheshire. This bizarre experience takes place aboard a real, retired British Airways jumbo jet, now converted into a flight simulator and dining experience, firmly fixed to the ground.
In 2020, BA and Virgin Atlantic presented plans to scrap the 747, a plane beloved by passengers for its instantly recognizable hump and double-decker design.
Nicknamed The Queen of the Skies, Boeing’s beast first took off in 1969 and made flying accessible to millions. But 50 years later, the classic design was being replaced by planes that consumed less gasoline.
Aviation enthusiast Dan Chang and two friends rescued an original BA 747 cockpit and a full business class cabin on the upper deck. “It’s a unique aircraft,” says Dan, who runs the 744 Experience near Tattenhall, Cheshire.
Fantastic flight: Jonathan Samuels (pictured) heads to Cheshire to find out how a British Airways 747 has become a visitor experience
Jonathan reveals that three friends saved the cabin of a BA 747 and a complete business class cabin on the upper deck (seen here) from scrapping after the airline decided to retire the fleet.
Above, Jonathan at the controls of his jumbo simulator experience.
The confusing name is because the cabin is from a 747-400 model and 744 is an abbreviation of this type.
The final journey of these huge pieces of plane (without wings) was from a scrap facility in Cardiff on a low-loader truck.
With a police escort, the 747 moved slowly along rural roads toward its eventual resting place.
In one particularly difficult spot, the wide fuselage lightly grazed the wall of a house. “I spoke to the homeowner and told him I would be happy to pay for any damages.” Dan remembers.
“But he said, ‘No way, I want to keep the evidence when I tell my friends that a jumbo jet came into my house.’
The state-of-the-art 220-degree display screen offers a view almost as good as the real thing, while hidden speakers recreate the roar and screech of the engines.
The computer allows you to take off and land anywhere in the world. Fly over Las Vegas at night or try getting close to Hong Kong’s old airport, Kai Tak.
So how’s my own “flight” going? With clammy hands on the controls, the jumbo jet’s computer counts the altitude as I descend into New York’s JFK airport: ’40, 30, 20…’
Above, the upper deck cabin, which is part of the 744 Experience
90-minute experience includes ‘light snacks’, reveals Jonathan
My landing is a little bumpy but we made it. All souls saved. And what a ride.
How to do it: 90-minute experiences from £249 including taking charge of the controls, light refreshments and up to two non-flying guests watching your performance/flight from the cockpit (744experience.es).
So where else can you enjoy a jumbo…?
In the Cotswolds, an old 747 has been converted into a wedding venue
COTSWOLDS CABIN
You can visit a retired 747 at Cotswold Airport in Kemble, Gloucestershire, where tours of the aircraft are offered. On the eve of the Christmas holidays, the two-hour events The Flight Before Christmas are held. These include the chance to meet Santa in his grotto, gifts, mince pies, gingerbread and mulled wine.
The plane can also be booked for weddings, birthdays and corporate events.
How to do it: Guided tours from £12.50; ‘The Flight Before Christmas’ tickets from £29 (negus747.com).
MANCHESTER MACHINE
At the city’s Barton Airfield, The Deck is another flight simulator on an old 747.
When planes began to be scrapped as airlines retired jumbo jets, Drew Hanna created his business Doors2Manual selling spare parts like cabin windows and switches to souvenir hunters.
Then he went further: he bought the front part of a 747 and opened it to the public.
How to do it: 20 minutes on The Deck simulator costs from £74.95 (thedeck747.com).
