Photos: United Celebrates the Queen of the Skies at SFO Family Day

One United 747 departs while another taxis at SFO (Photo: Carl Barbour)

[ Multimedia ]October 15, 2017 8:38 pm ET

By Ryan Ewing

On Oct. 8, United opened its maintenance base at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) up to airline employees and their families for the carrier’s annual SFO Family Day. This year was special, though, as the airline celebrated the end of an era, saying goodbye to the Boeing 747 fleet.

At the event, two 747-400 aircraft were on display — N118UA and N119UA — each of which had lines circling around the ramp area for those eager to get onboard. Flight attendants and pilots were on hand to show folks the inside of the iconic jet.

To celebrate the Queen of the Skies, United added retro-themed decals to N118UA and N121UA. These aircraft are expected to travel around the U.S. for tours and special flights leading up to the aircraft’s last scheduled flight in November.

N119UA, the second 747 on display at family day, was retired on Monday, Oct. 9, a day after the event. The airline currently has a fleet of nine 747 aircraft.

Also on display at United’s SFO Family Day were a 787-9 Dreamliner, a 737 plane pull, and a 757 landing gear demonstration inside the maintenance facility.

United’s last 747 flight will take place between San Francisco and Honolulu on Nov. 7 with a retro-theme, harkening back to the airplane’s launch on the same route back in the 1970s.

Photos by Carl Barbour and Ryan Ewing

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Ryan Ewing

Ryan founded AirlineGeeks.com back in February 2013 and has amassed considerable experience in the aviation sector. His work has been featured in several publications and news outlets, including CNN, WJLA, CNET, and Business Insider. During his time in the industry, he's worked in roles pertaining to airport/airline operations while holding a B.S. in Air Transportation Management from Arizona State University along with an MBA. Ryan has experience in several facets of the industry from behind the yoke of a Cessna 172 to interviewing airline industry executives. Ryan works for AirlineGeeks' owner FLYING Media, spearheading coverage in the commercial aviation space.

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Author

Ryan Ewing

Ryan founded AirlineGeeks.com back in February 2013 and has amassed considerable experience in the aviation sector. His work has been featured in several publications and news outlets, including CNN, WJLA, CNET, and Business Insider. During his time in the industry, he's worked in roles pertaining to airport/airline operations while holding a B.S. in Air Transportation Management from Arizona State University along with an MBA. Ryan has experience in several facets of the industry from behind the yoke of a Cessna 172 to interviewing airline industry executives. Ryan works for AirlineGeeks' owner FLYING Media, spearheading coverage in the commercial aviation space.

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