Pilot’s last minute schedule change saw him fly rarest 747
- This YouTuber pilot was given a last minute schedule change
- Rather than flying from Texas to Florida, he would be heading to Italy
- He would be doing so in the world’s rarest 747 plane
Published on Nov 06, 2024 at 7:44 PM (UTC+4)
by Ben Thompson
Last updated on Nov 06, 2024 at 9:59 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
This pilot was given a last minute schedule change which resulted in him flying the rarest 747 ever.
Kelsey Hughes, the host of YouTube channel 74 Gear, gave his one million subscribers an insight into his day.
Hughes was meant to be flying from Houston, Texas to Miami, Florida.
But things changed at the last minute.
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How this pilot ended up flying the rarest 747
Instead of his planned operation, Hughes ended up flying to Italy to pick up fuselage parts.
He’d then make the return to Charleston, South Carolina.
So, which plane did he make this long trip in?
None other than the the Boeing Dreamlifter.
If you’ve never heard of this aircraft before, it’s no wonder.
This highly modified 747 was originally designed to transport Boeing 787 parts between Italy, Japan and the US.
It also saw frequent activity during the COVID-19 pandemic when it was used to transport medical supplies.
Only four Dreamlifters have been made in total, and all of them have been converted from passenger planes.
Hughes was part of a three person crew for the 11 hour journey, during which he got some shut eye.
He mentioned there was only blanket between all the pilots, when usually they’d get one each.
In the morning, he got himself a breakfast before getting back to work.
This isn’t the first time that a pilot has given an insight to life on a flight, as this other vlogger filmed himself inside a cockpit on a long-haul flight.
How is the Dreamlifter different from other planes?
There are some differences between the Dreamlifter and a standard 747-400.
The Dreamlifter has a slightly longer length of 235 feet compared to 231 feet.
It has also has a much wider fuselage.
The cargo portion of the plane is un-pressurized, to avoid causing damage to any products being carried.
Obviously, standard planes have pressurized air for the comfort of human passengers onboard.
Visually, the Dreamliner looks a lot different from your usual plane.
The giant hump has drawn comparisons with the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile – cars shaped like a hot do used to promote Oscar Mayer products in the US.
In fact, when the plane was first built, Boeing’s president Scott Carson joked to the designer of the 747: “Sorry for what we did to your plane.”
But this is about air miles, not trying to win a beauty pageant.
But sometimes the ugliest things can be iconic in their own right – just like this car that got made famous through Breaking Bad.
To see the Dreamlifter for yourself, head over to 74 Gear‘s YouTube channel.