As a new member of the Delta team, I’m pleased to introduce to you the Boeing 747-400 in the new Delta paint scheme. Ship 6305 is the first of 16 747-400s operated by Northwest Airlines, now a part of Delta, to be rolled out of a hangar in Victorville, CA in the new paint scheme.
Many travelers over the holiday period will be among the first to see the newly painted Delta aircraft as it re-enters service in mid-December.
If you’re a frequent Delta traveler, then the 747-400 may be unfamiliar to you. So allow me to share with you some interesting factoids about the plane, which I’ve been proud to fly for 10 years.
- Takeoff weight: 870,000 pounds
- Capacity: 403 customers in a two-class configuration (65 lie-flat business class seats and 338 coach class seats)
- Speed: 570 miles per hour
- Range: 8,300 miles
- Powered by four Pratt Whitney engines - each providing 46,500 pounds of thrust
- Takeoff speed: 165 mph
- Landing speed: 145 mph
- Pilots sit 30 feet above the ground
- Tail is 62 feet high
- Its landing gear is comprised of 18 wheels
- The wingspan exceeds the entire first flight flown by the Wright brothers
The Boeing 747-400 has been a centerpiece of the previous Northwest international fleet, along with the Airbus A330. Now that Northwest is a part of the Delta team, the 747-400 will be soon taking Delta customers to other destinations around the world.
For those with an interest in what goes on “behind the scenes,” you may be interested to know that since Delta’s merger with Northwest in October 2008, both airlines continue to operate under two separate FAA operating certificates. Teams at Delta and Northwest are working diligently to integrate the two airlines’ policies and procedures, leading up to a single operating certificate in about a year from now.
So in the meantime, even though our Boeing 747-400s – along with other aircraft from the previous Northwest fleet - will continue to be painted in Delta colors, they will continue to be flown by Northwest crews under Northwest operating procedures, as part of the Delta team.
For those plane enthusiasts who are interested in everything aviation, you’ll be able to tell what is operated under the Northwest certificate by a label affixed to the side of the plane that reads, “Operated by Northwest Airlines, Inc.” Air Traffic Controllers will also tell us apart when we’re taxiing around airports worldwide with our new FAA call sign that distinguishes Northwest planes “in Delta colors.”
So thanks for letting me share some airplane insight with you today. We hope to see you aboard the Boeing 747-400 – or any other Delta flight – in the very near future!
Do you have your own pictures to add? Check out our official group on Flickr.
Thank you,
Steve G. Smith
Delta Fleet Captain
Boeing 747 Fleet
December 12th, 2008 at 6:29 pm
Nice….can’t wait to see one on the tarmac
December 12th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
[...] Courtesy of Delta Air Lines [...]
December 12th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
[...] Over at the Delta blog, Steve G. Smith writes “many travelers over the holiday period will be among the first to see the newly painted Delta aircraft as it re-enters service in mid-December.” Permalink | Trackback URL: http://blogs.wsj.com/middleseat/2008/12/12/first-northwest-747-400-gets-delta-paint-job/trackback/ Save & Share: wsj:http://blogs.wsj.com/middleseat/2008/12/12/first-northwest-747-400-gets-delta-paint-job/ | Share on Facebook | Del.icio.us | Digg this | Email This | Print Read more: Northwest Airlines, Flying, Delta Post a Comment Name : [...]
December 12th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
Amazing…. It’s great to finally have a 747 back in DL colors, even though this is the first time in my lifetime. It symbolizes Delta’s power and prestige. The Queen of the Skies will always reign on! (though I still would take a DL 757 (not NW - at least until they’re fixed up) over anything
December 12th, 2008 at 8:08 pm
So will this plane be flying a NW or a DL route? Any word on what routes the 747 will be serving yet?
December 12th, 2008 at 9:24 pm
Wow. It’s been a long time since I saw the DL widget on a 747. I remember as a kid visitng family in Dallas, and seeing DL’s original 747-100s at Love Field. American and Braniff also flew 747s there at the time.
Geez, I’m old.
December 12th, 2008 at 9:43 pm
I have been waiting to see the 747 in Delta’s logo. While it is a monumental occasion, I have to admit that the widget and “DELTA” name look too small for such a massive and beautiful aircraft. In fact, I have always thought the “new logo” widget and name should have been larger, but that observation is even more obvious now on the 747. Any chance of considering increasing the size of the widget and name fleetwide before too many more aircraft are painted? It would be really impressive!
December 12th, 2008 at 11:49 pm
I’m being honest in saying there is too much white! Keep the NW silver with the DL colors and it will improve!
December 13th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
Steve, how long before we start calling it Moby Dick, seeing as how it’s the “white wale”?
Good lookin’ a/c, tho. I’m starting to get used to livery although, I’ll always have a fondness for the “Widget” livery.
December 13th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
Oops, that should have read “white WHALE”.
December 13th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
I like it! Very sleek and modern. Hopefully I’ll see it in the air somewhere over DTW sooner than later!
December 13th, 2008 at 6:32 pm
Exciting change.
When can we see pictures of the inside? Are you keeping the NWA interior and World Business Class seats or switching to the Delta product?
December 13th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
The font doesn’t look right. It’s to high. Move it back behind the forward door and center it between the windows. Who let that thing out like that??
Other than that it looks pretty nice. Can’t wait to see one in ATL.
December 13th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
Does this airplane feature an upgraded interior? If not, when?
December 13th, 2008 at 10:28 pm
Nice to finally see a 747 in Delta’s livery again.
Wish however, they painted the “Delta” titles slightly different, they seem too small and misplaced against the big white fuselage.
December 14th, 2008 at 1:37 am
OMG! I just saw the photos on the a.net forum (http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/general_aviation/read.main/4245201/). It’s gotta be the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen (except my dear 75). Still, sheesh, I’m in awe. What a powerful image (no pun intended).
December 15th, 2008 at 11:36 am
What? The metal part on the engines didn’t get a polishing?
December 15th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
Will there be any Pink ones?
December 15th, 2008 at 7:46 pm
Wow..been a long time since we’ve seen the DL livery on a 747… what’s the seat map going to look like i wonder..
December 21st, 2008 at 12:06 pm
[...] Delta Air Lines Blog | Breaking News: Delta Unveils a New 747-400 Livery . [...]
December 21st, 2008 at 12:10 pm
It mentions “Air Traffic Controllers will also tell us apart when we’re taxiing around airports worldwide with our new FAA call sign that distinguishes Northwest planes “in Delta colors.” ”
What is the new call sign for NW that are in Delta Colors? Obviously not Delta nor Northwest.
January 2nd, 2009 at 10:01 pm
I’d love to see the Delta logo much larger on the side of the 747.
January 27th, 2009 at 5:20 pm
Sad sight for the “Red Tail” lovers…
February 2nd, 2009 at 12:01 am
Honestly, the plane’s new paint scheme looks ugly. I liked Northwest’s previous 2 schemes much more. The plane now just looks cheap. It is not a good idea for the tail to be painted in Delta colors when the plane is still used for Northwest-coded flights since air traffic controllers look for the tail when identifying a plane.
Although I am only a passenger of AA, I still loathe how Delta will displace American Airlines as the world’s largest (Northwest and Delta are still 2 separate airlines as they have separate operations and therefore American is still the largest airline). Maybe American should buy out Continental. That way it’ll have a chance of maintaining its status as the world’s largest and oneworld will become larger.