Going Jumbo - Boeing 747-100

1988 ushered in a big new age for Raines, in more ways than one.

Raines' parent company had being mulling over the Boeing 747 since 1984. After a partnership with DHL in 1986, DHL negotiated an overseas contract with Raines for flights to Germany. Because of the range limits of the DC-8, Raines finally decided to buy the famous widebody and ordered 3 initial 747-100 freighters. Along with these, the company also ordered 2 passenger 747s to start charter operations backed by funding by the US military.

N472RI was the first of these cargo aircraft. It had previously served with Trans World Airlines until 1987 when it was sold to a leasing company, which converted it into cargo and sold it to Raines. It was delivered to the company in 1988 and served until 2001, when it was stored at Pinal Airpark and was subsequently scrapped roughly around 2010.

N601BN was an ex-Braniff aircraft which flew for the ill-fated airline from 1971 to 1982. It was stored under ownership by a leasing company for 6 years until being acquired by Raines, which flew the aircraft until 2001. It was scrapped at JFK a year later.