Pan Am was founded in 1927. By an obscure mathematical property known as addition, this would mean that 1977 was their 50th anniversary.
So they decided to do something special. Pan Am flew a 747-SP1, the “Clipper New Horizons” around the world from San Francisco…
…over the North and South Pole. The flight took 54 hours, 7 minutes, and 12 seconds.
Here’s a Pan Am promo film/documentary about the flight.
Bonus video #1: would you like to watch a reasonably attractive blonde in a Boeing promo film for the 747? Then “Assignment 747” is for you!
Bonus video #2: If you want something with a little bit more substance, “The New Era: Flight Testing the 747 Superjet”. Personally, I think I’d watch this one before I watched the one with the blonde, but that’s just the kind of hairball I am.
I love me some 747s and I even got to see a Connie in that first one. Two of the most well known aircraft and among my top favorites. I watched the entire first one, that was neat. I took a look at the second one long enough to confirm the reasonable-ness of the attractiveness of the blonde (confirmed) and determine that ‘Roger’ says a lot but his wife actually puts it to action. In fact I kinda think the woman is boarding the “seven-four-seven” just to get away from Roger’s relentless commentary.