Sad thing for us. I apologise. Im sorry. It gets sold on for scrap metal. I am on a voyage to witness the last days of the jumbo jet and treats the pioneers that half a century ago, put this giant in the skies. The first giant 747. They buy an aeroplane this big would not fly. Symbol of power, beast of burden and shes carrying over 5 billion of us across the planet. Now is it in the production. It is with a heavy heart that we see this. Covid19 is written the final chapter. Covid i9 pandemic has decimated demand for air travel. Worldwide, these giants of aviation are parking up these giants of aviation are parking up many never to fly again. British airways is scrapping its entire fleet of 31 74 sevens klm, virgin and qantas also saying goodbye. We are not anticipating seeing particularly long haul passenger return out of 2024, 2025. There is not enough demand to justify the use ofa not enough demand to justify the use of a very large aircraft. Oil prices, imagine the 747 having few yea rs before prices, imagine the 747 having few years before going into a gracious, grateful retirement. Instead, they decide to stop them, thats it. Syd ney decide to stop them, thats it. Sydney and a big farewell as the last 747 jumbo jet departs australia for the breakers yard. As we suffer through this covid 19 crisis on behalf of australian people over the country, many of whom i flied with. Godspeed. On board it is a 14 hour flight godspeed. On board it is a 14 hour flight to its final resting place in americas desert. Airlines around the world have had massive farewells to their 747s, but once the last champagne has been sipped, this is where it ends. These remote desert bone yards are where planes come to die. Analysts say covid 19 has left brought airlines with over 4000 surplus aircraft. The oldest and largest or most vulnerable. From high above, they spot their 747s final resting place. It is the place we re final resting place. It is the place were aircraft go to die and yet we arrive with this living breathing aeroplane and so, we are taking this thing with the soul into a place we re very thing with the soul into a place were very nearby, aircraft have met their end. Everyone took a turn doing something, turning the switch are saying that we all participated in this. The 747 once the pride of qantas connected australia with the world for 50 years. The 747 change the way people travelled, up until the way people travelled, up until the end, aviation was not an expensive business, it was not something for the masses or long haul travel. We wouldnt be surprised that a long aircraft is no longer fit for purpose. For instance, down to, its technology is for the 605 and 705 and we moved on a long way more than 787 or in a 350 are probably between 30 and 50 more fuel efficient. Are probably between 30 and 50 more fuelefficient. In the boneyard, you get to witness the sheer size of a jumbo. Right now, im in the ring of the 747. But like a vast dinosaur, that has now speeded its extinction. People do not want to fly these huge planes and connecting flights. I think increasingly now, with covid 19, people are going to be relu cta nt to covid 19, people are going to be reluctant to change planes, theyre going to be reluctant to change flights. Theyre going to be reluctant to change flights. They re going going to be reluctant to change flights. Theyre going to want to fly from airport a to airport be in for that, you need smaller planes. It is not just for that, you need smaller planes. It is notjust the 747 coming to an end, production of its rival, airbus 380 also in this next year. On a cold winter day last january, airbus unveiled this mighty double decker forjapans unveiled this mighty double decker for japans airways. With unveiled this mighty double decker forjapans airways. With 550 seats, it is even bigger than boeing 747. It costs 445 million, but because the pandemic, it is yet to carry a single paying passenger. The idea the biden aircraft and its parked up not carrying passengers really is the antithesis of business sense. It means youre losing money both in the value of the product, but also in keeping fit to fly. Some of those plans will come back into service, for the 747 in many cases, this is the end. British airways, the biggest flyer, the Biggest Company with 747s, 31 biggest flyer, the Biggest Company with 7475, 31 of them, they have announced they re never going with 7475, 31 of them, they have announced theyre never going to fly again and that is dramatic. And so, the engines come off first. An air salvage international, gregory is already breaking up the unwanted 747s. Will be down for a breakup 5ite 747s. Will be down for a breakup site after we removed the last engine there. With so many being retired, there is not an awful lot of value in the aircraft and spare part5. Of value in the aircraft and spare parts. A look if you may be converted into freighters. The rest, crushed. We just tune the aircraft up crushed. We just tune the aircraft up and then it gets sold for scrap metal but unfortunately scrap metal is down. It goes to make things like tin cans, anything else of aluminium. We have been an undated with calls for parts of this aircraft. Back at london heathrow, this 25 year old 747 is about to make its very lastjourney. How does it feel single by . Its very emotional. Ive been here for 20 yea rs emotional. Ive been here for 20 years now, the scale is unbelievable and coming to fly and walk around here, its incredible. How does a fly. Nearly 400 tonnes of it and he gets up in the air. Delta is checked and ready to go. On the memories feel her 345 empty seats. Hows it going to be flying this off in its last flight . It is sad to see, they can still fly. I personally find it quite emotional that you landed and then you shut it down and then i apologised to one once because i was really sorry. I delivered you to end your life, as it were. This is been an absolute part of british history for 50 years. The modern aircraft in fuel efficient, and make sense on those thinner routes at the moment to fly these. With 50 million miles on the clock, india victoria delta. It is been a pleasure and privilege to pilot thi5 it is been a pleasure and privilege to pilot this aircraft. It is a heavy heart. Thank you very much. The vision for this giant came from the 60s, space, speed, size, apollo, concorde, the jumbo. Mankind the 60s, space, speed, size, apollo, concorde, thejumbo. Mankind seemed unstoppable. Before the covid 19 pandemic, i was lucky enough to meet some of the pioneers that built the very first 747. Until the 1960s, aviation had been for the rich. But the founder had a vision. This was the founder had a vision. This was the 747 named after my father, we are christening the first pan am 747 of the line. It was a magnificent day. What is your father want to achieve for the 747. The 747 was an opportunity to really develop new market5 opportunity to really develop new markets where people can fly for much lower fare5. Markets where people can fly for much lower fares. Conveniently, his best friend was the boss of bowling. There are close friends, they would go off on these fishing trips. Toward friends. You build it, ill buy it and i will buy it if you build it. Two and a half times larger than anything billed or flown before. It was a huge aeroplane. Boeing said about turning a vision into an aircraft. This was so big, the United States i5 into an aircraft. This was so big, the United States is going to be greate5t generation. They came to the depression, they lived that hard life, they fought in the war, they had been tested, they believed that they could do anything. The one trip insisted there will be two decks. This and we can add a second level to this aeroplane and that this expression, it well dont you see, and it started and well dont you see, if we did this, and it would where people down. And he got what he wanted. Revolution not evolution. The giant was born. Huge, it was breathtaking. He stepped into the plan and in front of us was this monster is 747, cannot repeat what everybody said when they first took a look at this aeroplane, it was a massive wake up call. The first giant 747s the first giant 7475 presented to the world. Dad was thrilled when the 747 was an actual reality. Few knew that it still can fly. Today, that very first 747 rests at seattles museum of flight source l these are presented people. As a test engineer. Carrying trench 50 people around the sky, you did not want to put him on the ground. Everything was duplicated for safety. There are still people saying that he can fly and Going Forward to that first flight, and Going Forward to that first flight, bill islands says to our chief test pilot, he said if the company is writing on this, so do not screw it up. He said she, thanks nestor. The brakes released in the aeroplane started to roll down the runway. Lots of spray, reside disappear almost into a spray. It was intense for everybody, because you really needed to know, will this thing fly. I was with the systems and we had a lot of concerns that we re and we had a lot of concerns that were relative to whether the engine would stay lit. Everything looks very normal and the right side. Would stay lit. Everything looks very normal and the right sidem looks low, when he came back to land, we looked at it and we thought all of us have this feeling, my goodness. What speed is he flying at . To allay public fears, test pilot stressed casually dressed. Nojumpsuits. Pilot stressed casually dressed. No jumpsuits. It is pilot stressed casually dressed. Nojumpsuits. It is hard to imagine that when this was first rolled out, they thought it would end up more cinderella than queen of the skies. 0nly cinderella than queen of the skies. Only two months after the 747 for his flu, the british and french tested their vision of the future. Concorde travelling twice the speed of sound. At this time, aviation is ata of sound. At this time, aviation is at a crossroads. Can we all enjoy the supersonic speed or will we be travelling with 450 others. So, no one knew at this time but the race was on. Of supersonic won that battle, but when you build this into thejumbo battle, but when you build this into the jumbo snows so to be turned into a lowly freighter. But concord faced a lowly freighter. But concord faced a barrage of American Environmental and business lobbies. So, with the final score card tallied, over 1500 we re final score card tallied, over 1500 were built in only 14 concord with British Airways and you be the judge. 28 airlines signed up for the 747. They will need new airports to ta ke 747. They will need new airports to take care of these. Man, how are they going to get that thing in the air . Passengers on them. And i rememberthe air . Passengers on them. And i remember the crew looking up at that aircraft and the closer we got, the bigger it got. And i was thinking, how are we going to do this . Seats as far she could see. It is very frightening to start that. Every country you went to, cloud standing and watching it come in. Is test freights and towards created jumbo mania, brittons later became British Airways and their man was sent to america to learn how to fly ajumbo. Sent to america to learn how to fly a jumbo. There was no simulators, just the real thing. About ten of us from the flight deck watching this and you had no idea that for the first landing, how high you are up and it really was like landing a block of lead. They thought when they were at the beginning of the runway, the wheels were still on the ground. It was nice to look down on the peasants and thejets below. With his giant block of flats, designers got to work on ocean liner Style Interiors in every colour. The size and scope of this aeroplane allowed this size of peoples imaginations to grow. The imaginations to grow. The imaginations of designers went wild and it was not only upstairs, the lounge where they could do this, but it can go downstairs, this giant cargo hold and turn that into a large area and so you have these wonderful ideas like the tiger lounge where you had the spiral staircase going down in these wild fabrics and mirrors and shack carpeting. It is a race for luxury that continues on big jets to this day. There were even new treats in the economy. Movies were in an fares we re the economy. Movies were in an fares were down. Before the pandemic, we brought you back to london heathrow with British Airways top 747 pilot. This is a big change of course. Flatbed seats. It was not all clockwork, boeing had installed space age autopilot. Clockwork, boeing had installed spaceage autopilot. Is used in the apollo project and right, thered be on the astronauts, they would go and ta ke on the astronauts, they would go and take you to the moon and of the other side of the corridor would be the people of us, the same system and there was just the people of us, the same system and there wasjust pan and made the worlds first 747 passenger flight from new york to london. It certainly did not go to plan. Before the pandemic, interest when the original crew to norway. Amazing to meet you. So, this is you on the first flight . Yes, just after landing in london and me between the captains. Does still fityes. Something happen for take off. 0ne something happen for take off. One of the engines heated up in some people said they had seen flames, maybe they did, but the captain decided to go back in. The worlds press watch the worlds biggestjet return. Pan m. It was a state of shock throughout the facility. This was our worst nightmare. They said something was burning and we got off. A manmade giant crossing the atlantic, cenex had heard that before. There were people outside who were demonstrating that this had all the earmarks of the titanic. Some people said never again, and there would never come back, think it was the third passage of the didnt want to go back. When we inspected the engine, there was molten metal in the tailpipe. The only 747 was secretly swapped. We arrived at the anger and the painters had just finished stenciling the name of the original aircraft. Seven hours later, pain still wet, they tried it again. Aircraft. Seven hours later, pain still wet, they tried it againm was very quiet when they took off. You people are nervous . Of course. Its worse anything. So, we decided to start with the champagne and the tortoise hay, ladies, come on. Keep serving champagne. They wont know, evenif serving champagne. They wont know, even if you open the air. They landed safely in those early engine problems may have grounded the fleet back then, but the size of the 747, they better headlines than its glitches. Was became footnotes, at the end of the day, the plane was a huge success. 50 years on in the us president still insists on the a jumbo will do for air force one. Costing nearly 4 billion, boeings very last two passenger 747s will replace this 30 year old one. The president of the United States, your depth of the biggest in the baddest aeroplane on the blog and this is it. Bruce dickinson is a life in 747 pilot. He understands the president refused a twin engine jet. The aeroplane will fly on one, so you can lose three engines, if youre the president of the United States and people are going to maybe shoot at you, that is a good reason for having four. This is the first time ive seen this big boy. Wow bruce certified to fly the 747 while recovering from throat cancer and then plant a world tour and a customised iron maiden jumbo jet. Air force one. Is a display to be a big story because youre a comeback from throat cancer. Youre going to be flying a 747 around the world with iron maiden in the colour scheme on it was just to die for. With iron maiden in the colour scheme on it wasjust to die for. To be the comeback kid on this beautiful machine, it was a privileged. What a privilege it is to fly these planes. You do feel like youre the queen of the skies. So, what can you do with the 400 tonne retired aircraft . In the us, he tried to sell in the entire 747 on ebay, but no buyer could get it out of the desert. I did not look at it as out of the desert. I did not look at itasa out of the desert. I did not look at it as a grave robbing. He now carves them up for fans. It as a grave robbing. He now carves them up forfans. Your very it as a grave robbing. He now carves them up for fans. Your very own pilot seat, or an entire 747 those. Its a very sweet feeling, you see the start of a new life. The next step is to turn some of this engineering into offices and Living Spaces and being able to literally live inside a piece of aviation history. Anything coming in here is that coming out. Thats where they come to die. In the desert, i am with big imagination, with crowdfunding, they are taking the 747 on a road trip. Its so gigantic, you cant just 747 on a road trip. Its so gigantic, you cantjust take it down the highway, so we had to do is ta ke down the highway, so we had to do is take the upper half of the plane off, so we are disassembling it and then were going to move it 500 miles. They have already moved the entire upper section of their reincarnate at 747, welcoming fans to the legendary burning man art festival in nevada last year. Its been reborn. This is going to become a musician. A palace of stortz a party palace. Its going to be beautiful for a lot of people. It lives on. Sadly, the project and festival are now on hold because of the pandemic. 0ver festival are now on hold because of the pandemic. Over in amsterdam, a lucky retired 747 has been stripped down, repainted and repositioned as a Visitor Centre on the history of aviation. An epic story, the 747 has started and for 50 years. A double decker aircraft, who wouldve believed it. They will not believe it. Its incredible. The 747, board alongside concorde, it is finally laid to alongside concorde, it is finally la id to rest alongside concorde, it is finally laid to rest by the pandemic of 2020. I think one one things back to the days that we had such great times and it allowed so many people to fly all over the world. Were going to miss you girl. It was the queen of the sky, but it was also the mother of everything that followed it. I still feel like a pilot now. She was a classy thing. Wonderful machine. Ijust feel like home was there. When we pause and look at the sky and see the 747, we can say, when we are at our best, thatis can say, when we are at our best, that is what we can achieve. Hello there. Weve had reports of localflooding across the south east of england because of the incessant persistent and at times heavy rain. The west of the week we are going to hold on to some heavy rain. This time pushing further westwards. It is starting to cause disruption with furtherflooding in places. This area of low pressure, which contains what was storm alex, is continuing to dominate the weather scene right across the uk with weather fronts spiralling. We have had a lot of rain right across the country, as you can see from the radar picture. A few dry interludes developing across the south east but more rain developing here through the course of the night. A blanket yellow warning for as much of the country to the seating and tonight but it is the amber warnings that we have got across wales, south western england and in towards the east and north east of scotland, where we are most concerned about. Anywhere here could see flooding by the time we reach sunday morning. A few spots over the hills could see an excess of 100 millimetres. You can see the extent of the rain fall through tonight, pushing its way slightly westwards into parts of Northern Ireland to the early hours and here it will be windy with gales all the way down to the south west. Rain also pushing back into the south east but drier interludes, i think, across Eastern England but will be rather cloudy some spots of drizzle and temperatures no lower than nine or ten degrees outside. It is very wet across scotland, much better day for Northern Ireland, the rain running into wales, South West England and then towards the south east but central areas in the centre of the low may see some sunshine but also a few heavy showers. That will push temperatures up to 15 degrees. And it remains windy as well around that periphery of the low. The low still with us as we head on into the start of next week. It is not going anywhere fast and will continue to bring fairly breezy conditions across the west and south west and bands of showers, too. But there will be some sunshine around. Favoured spots in towards central southern england. Some of the showers could turn out to be quite heavy across Northern Areas and again the temperatures, low teens for most but we could make 15 or 16. Low pressure eventually begins to dissolve away as we move deeper on into the weeks of the showers get fewer. It looks like we could see some dry weather as High Pressure builds in. This is bbc news with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. Donald trump says hes feeling well, with the help of the doctors and nurses at Walter Reed National military medical center. Earlier his doctor gave this update. At this time the team and i are extremely happy with the progress the president has made. Thursday he had a mild cough with some nasal congestion and fatigue all of which are now resolving and improving. Despite that upbeat assessment, mixed messages as Associated Press reports the president s chief of staff said mr trump went through a very concerning period. The white house says mr trump remains in charge but his president ial campaign is postponing rallies and other events, well ask what his illness could mean