1969-1981 B742

The Boeing 747 was the hot ticket item for any major airline or less than major airline attempting assert itself as the end of the 60s loomed. However, the game changing plane came at a game changing price. Despite intense lobbying by management, the German government, particularly the Bundesrat, were not convinced that the game changing price was worth it to the taxpayer. Thus, even as many European competitors welcomed the Queen of the Skies to their fleets, Himmelbahn remained without a monarch.

A number of factors contributed to salvation for the company’s hopes for acquiring 747s. For one, the government was embarrassed that its flag carrier now lagged behind others. Also, the 747 was proving that widebodies could be commercially viable and quite profitable in service. More importantly, some of the more frugal members of the Bundesrat no longer held elected office. Initially the government ponied up for a deal to acquire a small number of the 747’s smaller cousin, the DC-10, from trusted partner Douglas. The order was small but significant. By 1972, it would prove to be a mistake. Days after the first of the type was delivered to Himmelbahn, a DC-10 suffered a mysterious failure that conjured a cloud above the type that would never fully dissipate. In the aftermath of the incident, Himmelbahn’s DC-10s were grounded for an unacceptable period of time. A platoon of leased 747s from carriers that had purchased the type and then realized that it was uneconomical replaced the ground bound DC-10s Simultaneously, British engine manufacturer Rolls Royce, looking to drum up more business for their new RB211 line of engines, offered a discount to airlines wishing to affix the new engines to Boeing’s new and improved 747-200. Himmelbahn jumped on the opportunity, ordering 6 of the type.

In 1976, Himmelbahn’s first brand new 747 became the 5^th of the type to operate with the airline. In a show of national and regional pride, the first 747-200 was delivered with a variation of the regular Neudüsenflugzeugvogel scheme. The 747-200 featured the word “Steildüsenflugzeug” (roughly translating to super jet plane) which was a marketing term Himmelbahn used for the 747s. The livery also featured the seal of each of Germany’s states. The crests only appeared on the first 747-200 delivered, named after Prince Friedrich Karl Nikolaus, but the Steildüsenflugzeug title appeared on every 747-200 delivered new to the airline.

The 747s proved much more popular than the DC-10s and Himmelbahn became a costumer of every subsequent major variant of the aircraft. As smaller operators dumped the type in the late 70s and early 80s, Himmelbahn would acquire a 16 strong fleet of used 747-100 and 200s. This made the airline one of very few who operated 747s with Rolls Royce, Pratt and Whitney, and General Electric powerplants. Some of these original generation 747s would last in service with Himmelbahn until 2004.