Delta’s Ship 6301—first passenger Boeing 747-400 ever built—debuts historic Atlanta exhibit | Lifestyle.INQ

OCTOBER 27, 2022

The 747 Experience at the Delta Flight Museum grounds
The 747 Experience at the Delta Flight Museum grounds
The 747 Experience at the Delta Flight Museum grounds, adjacent to the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world’s busiest airport. Photos: Cheche V. Moral

 

ATLANTA—Delta Air Lines unveiled Tuesday the “747 Experience,” the newest attraction at the Delta Flight Museum, opening to the public a unique opportunity to explore the inner workings of Ship 6301, the first passenger Boeing 747-400 ever built.

 

Parked across the Delta Flight Museum at the Delta World Headquarters here, Ship 6301 was inherited by Delta from Northwest Airlines following the two companies’ merger in 2008. Belonging to the first generation of jumbo jets, it was built in 1988, and made its first NWA flight in December 1989.

The internal workings of a 747-400 revealed.
The internal workings of a 747-400 revealed.
Walking on the wings. The 747-400 has a wing span of 213 ft.
Walking on the wings. The 747-400 has a wing span of 213 ft.

 

When it was retired in September 2015 as part of Delta’s move to transition to smaller, more fuel-efficient planes, the 6301 had logged 61 million miles—equivalent to 250 trips from the Earth to the moon—and had carried 4.9 million passengers.

 

It flew regularly from the United States to long-haul destinations like Manila, Tokyo, Seoul and Shanghai.

 

The inaugural of the exhibit with Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal and executives of Delta and Boeing
The inaugural of the exhibit with Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal and executives of Delta and Boeing

The Ship 6301 exhibit is an interactive experience that shows the internal workings of the iconic hump-backed 747-400, including an intimate look into the cockpit. A platform also allows a wing-walking experience for aviation enthusiasts.

The staircase that leads to the Ship 6301's upper deck and cockpit.
The staircase that leads to the Ship 6301’s upper deck and cockpit.

Dubbed the “Queen of the Skies,” there’s also a walk-through on the upper deck, where the cockpit and pilot’s rest area are located, as well as Delta One seats (business class).

The retirement of the 6301 in 2015 marked the end of an era for Delta and modern aviation in general, as airlines move to replace the 747-400 with more fuel-efficient, twin-engine aircraft like the Boeing 777 and Airbus A350, which carry nearly as many people on long-haul flights but burn less fuel.

 

From its original 16, Delta has seven remaining 747-400s in its fleet, all of which are set to be retired by year’s end.

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