The 11th of September will mark the end of an era in our skies. The Boeing 747 - that magnificent plane which has taken many a Kiwi on their OE - will be retired from Air New Zealand's international fleet. The jumbo jet made its first appearance in 1981. Its distinctive shape made it instantly iconic - as did the fact that it was two and a half times larger than any existing plane. In the forty years since, more than 3.5 billion people have flown on a 747, the equivalent of more than half of the world's population.
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