Flying Offline: Hopping across California with the retired Boeing 747 of United Airlines

Flight UA395


As Summer holidays have started for me, I felt for a mood to make a sunny flight across the beautiful coastlines of the Calofornian West Coast. This is not just a typical commercial flight we get to experience everyday. I flew this flight not with a Boeing 737, but I decided to open the dusty hangars to tug the beautiful Queen into the airport.

I am flying offline again, since I do not have a subscription, and I do enjoy experiencing the regions that is offered, as I change around every once in a while.


Flight Information

Route: San Francisco Int’l Airport (KSFO) 🇺🇸 to Los Angeles Airport (KLAX) 🇺🇸

Server: Solo

Flight Time: 0:55 Hours ⌚

Time of Flight: 1st of July, 2022


#1 - Waiting for pushback 🛻

Bit of a cloudy weather today with a tighter fog in the distance across the city, compared to the destination that I reached in the next hour.


#2 - Taxiing towards runway 28L 💺

A view of some kind of a radar, and I find it cool to see the dome on the top rotating around. The unique ATC tower can also be seen in the distance!


#3 - Lining up before the great roar!

The engines of the Boating 747 is surely amazing to listen to with the power it has on the 4 engines!


#4 - V1, Rotate! 🛫

Imagining the cockpit callouts on the background, I love the beautiful angle of the takeoff and the airport in this screenshot.


#5 - Turning South ↪️

The view of the San Francisco’s cityscape appears more clearly as I am climbing up. The weather turns more clear and brighter the further I am flying away from the city.


#6 - Another view of the city 🌁

Looking at the final image of San Francisco, a view of the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge can be seen far away across the lake, linking the peninsula to the East Bay.

#7 - A view of the Calofornian countryside 🏜️

This picture has been taken near the town of Los Banos, as this open wide desert contains tiles of green fields and crops surrounded by mountains!


#8 - Approaching the city of Los Angeles 🌃

As the day is coming to an end, our flight is too. Los Angeles is one massive city with a stunning view of the West Coast. The sky also darkens with colour.


#9 - Touchdown, runway 24L 🛬

At the Golden Hour I have smoothly landed the queen down to the ground gently. I was struggling with the approach due to the sheer size of the aircraft and how high above the ground I am in the cockpit. It was very fun flying this aircraft.

#10 - Resting at the stand.

As the sun is almost down, the engines are switched off and the aircraft goes to sleep. It was surely one memorable flight


I hope you have enjoyed! I hope to post more in the Summer.

36 Likes

Fantastic snaps and great storyline! You have received my automatic Seal of Approval for including SFO in this topic!

The 747 is a beautiful aircraft, I really hope it is reworked some day.

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Nice pictures ! I miss the 747… a lot ☹️

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Beautiful photos! And yes the 747 is such a wonderful aircraft! :)

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I hear voting for it would help

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747 needs wingflex

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I can agree. :)

The Boeing 747 requires a compete rework from ground up. I would be looking forward towards a working cockpit more than completely relying on the HUD screen.

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Those shots are beautiful ! :)

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This isn’t happening within our lifetimes. However I think many of us would be happy with just wingflex for now

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I agree, I remember I used to see them all the time at SFO. Lufty, BAW, and (of course) United were all common.

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