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Joe Sutter and the 747...


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Joseph Sutter had a long career with Boeing, and was the Engineering Project Manager, responsible for the design of the 747 in the mid-1960s. He retired a number of years ago as a Senior VP at Boeing, and is (in his mid-90s) still active with the company from time to time. He is truly the daddy of the amazing 747, one of the most iconic aircraft ever created by mankind. A year or so after Joan and I were married (only then!), I found out that Mr. Sutter was my "uncle-in-law"! He was married to my then-mother-in-law's sister. I've not had the opportunity to meet him in person, but a friend who is writing a book on the 737 recently went to Seattle to interview Mr. Sutter, and was kind enough to carry some prints of my illustration of the 747 prototype with him for Uncle Joe to sign. Just received them in the mail today, and I'm off to Michael's to get it framed!! Thanks Dan, and thanks Uncle Joe!!

(Sorry.... meant to post this under Aviation Art)

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Edited by Jennings
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  • 2 weeks later...

Here she is framed up and hanging above my desk! I'm so tickled I can't even stand it! :)

Thanks to Miss Kassidy at Michael's in Bristol, Virginia for her expert assistance!

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Edited by Jennings
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In the summer of 1969 in Las Vegas, a TWA pilot who lived in our neighborhood invited a few of us kids (I was 9) who were plane nuts to go out the airport in his convertible Cadillac. Way back then, off of Eastern Ave., you could simply park at the overrun of runway 25 - separated by only a chain link fence. It appeared in the distance - getting slowly larger, and larger. We really couldn't comprehend what we were looking at - there was nothing to compare it to - we had no frame of reference. I've seen a lot of things in my life, but on that day in 1969, seeing that very first 747 come screaming over heads at 100', so close we felt we could touch it, was simply was of the most awesome things I've ever experienced. An everyday occurrence now that we take for granted, but back then, it was real-life science fiction, and I got to see it as close as anyone could imagine.

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The first time I ever saw a 747 was as we were lined up for takeoff at DTW in 1972. I was totally gaga over the 747 at the time - I had the Cheerios styrofoam Pan Am 747, and everything else I could get my hands on. We were lined up for takeoff aboard an Eastern 727 on our way to visit my grandparents in Charlotte for Easter of 1972. It was dark already, and as we turned 90 degrees to the end of the runway and I got a view down the approach path, I saw what looked like an endless row of cabin window lights passing by us. It was a 747 (probably Pan Am) landing right in front of us. My mom said my eyes got as big as dinner plates :) I'll never forget that sight!

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