Suddenly, giant airliners flying from sprawling airport to sprawling airport look a little vulnerable. Airbus has started seeing the effects on its assembly line; apart from an order for 20 A380s for Emirates in January 2018, Airbus hasn’t sold any of its giant airliners for more than two years. And some of those who have bought the plane are cancelling orders.

The 747’s saving grace is that it is a relatively easy aircraft to convert into a freighter.

“You can carry passengers, and if you can’t carry passengers you can carry freight and if you can’t carry freight you can carry fuel,” says John. “The A380? You can’t carry freight in that.”

The Boeing 747 assembly lines won’t go quiet just yet, but it’s likely that by 2020 most of the remaining 747s built will be cargo versions or private jets for governments and the super-rich. With it will come the end of Boeing’s 50+ years building jumbo-sized jets; the company’s plans for the next two decades don’t mention any planes of a similar size. But as of 2018 more than 1,500 have been delivered.

“While some may feel nostalgia for the bars and grand pianos that graced the 747, especially in its early days, economics dictate the shape - and size - of things to come,” says Robert Scott. “Those of us with a place in our hearts for the dear old 747 will have to bid farewell to an aircraft that established standards that seemed impossible only a generation ago.”

In the meantime, Sutter’s creation will continue to loom over the world’s airport terminals. And every time Mike Lombardi sees one, he’ll be reminded of the designer whose determination ensured that the 747 took flight.

“A couple of years ago I was due to fly out to London from Seattle. Just before I was about to make that trip, Joe Sutter passed away. Joe was like a kindly uncle, he really took me under his wing. I saw that 747 taxiing towards me, and I thought of Joe, and it was a very emotional moment.”

Lombardi says those 747s remaining – increasingly flying freight rather than passengers – will be in service for many years to come. Future generations will share his own memories as a child, watching a 747 climb into the air and wonder how it stays aloft.

“Even when you understand all the science of airplanes, I still think there’s a little bit of magic there too.”

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