this is a little surreal. one of the first aircraft i ever flew on was a 747. in the 80s and 90s if you were on a long haul 6+ hour flight, it was likely a 747 (if not an L1011 or 767). it was notable for me personally as it was one of the most advanced feats of human ingenuity and engineering that i was able to get close to.
notably in the early 90s virgin atlantic was one of the first airlines to offer personal seatback video screens in economy on their 747s. the screens were backlit color lcd (similar to atari lynx), about 3.5" in diameter and had 6 or so channels that were on a four hour loop.
it's a bit sad to see the program end, as it sort of marks the end of an era where the engineering feat of putting something that large in the sky was prized. i suppose that focusing on operating efficiency and environmental sustainability are far more important, but it's hard to not be nostalgic for the long running engineering triumphs of the jet age.
notably in the early 90s virgin atlantic was one of the first airlines to offer personal seatback video screens in economy on their 747s. the screens were backlit color lcd (similar to atari lynx), about 3.5" in diameter and had 6 or so channels that were on a four hour loop.
edit: here's a link to an image of one for the curious. wild how far we've come. https://www.reddit.com/r/aviation/comments/1d5qij/virgin_atl...
it's a bit sad to see the program end, as it sort of marks the end of an era where the engineering feat of putting something that large in the sky was prized. i suppose that focusing on operating efficiency and environmental sustainability are far more important, but it's hard to not be nostalgic for the long running engineering triumphs of the jet age.