NASA's SOFIA flying telescope, retired in September after 12 years of observing the cosmos from the stratosphere in a modified Boeing 747, is moving to its permanent home at the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona.
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According to data from ch-aviation.com, the oldest active Boeing 747 family aircraft left in the world today is a 747-100SF that flies for the Iranian Air Force. Bearing registration 5-8103, this veteran quadjet is 52.86 years old and flew for TWA from 1970 to 1975 before being converted for usage as a freighter.
Over the past decade, the giant aircraft was eclipsed by smaller, more nimble models like Boeing's own 777 or Airbus SE's A350 that only have two engines but still manage to fly the same routes, albeit at much lower operating costs.
As of July 2020, a total of 60 Boeing 747 aircraft, or just under 4% of the total number of 747s built, first flown commercially in 1970, have been involved in accidents and incidents resulting in a hull loss, meaning that the aircraft was either destroyed or damaged beyond economical repair.
The planes are due for delivery in 2024 as part of a $3.9 billion contract. Boeing's 777X, its latest passenger plane model and projected replacement for the 747, is set for delivery in 2025.