5.1. Alden International Air Lines Boeing 747-100 "Spirit of Plymouth"

By the mid-60’s, the Jet Age had, for the first time, made air travel accessible to everyone. Demand skyrocketed everywhere, and even jets couldn’t keep up. The airlines needed a plane that was at least twice as large as any airliner flying at that point. Boeing answered with the 747. The new airliner was so huge, it almost killed the company, and it could not fit into most airports. It was the first “wide-body” aircraft, with two passenger decks and and two isles on the lower floor. Powered by the Pratt & Whitney JT9D, the Queen of the Skies made its maiden flight on February 9th, 1969, and entered service the following year.

Alden was among the first to receive theirs, being one of three launch customers for the type (the others being Vanguard and Columbia). The airline operated a fleet of 12 -100’s from 1970 to 1994. The 747 was the flagship type of the fleet, and each aircraft was christened with its own name commemorating historical events, ships, people, and places. The aircraft shown above in her original livery, N740AL, was the first to be delivered, and was named ‘Spirit of Plymouth’.