Here are some facts about why the 747 has ruled the skies for so long.

During its service, the 747 has flown more than 3.5 billion people With a capacity for 350-400 people, the 747 once carried 1,087, the Boeing 747 is known for being able to carry a lot of people a very long way. The story of the time was that one managed to carry 1,088 people is a sombre one, but it’s an example of when aviation came to the rescue of thousands of people in a very difficult situation.    It takes 90 gallons of paint to paint a 747.    K66740; 747-8I; Boeing Blue Livery; Air to Air; Over Tropical Water; Island below The Wright brothers could have fit their historic first flight inside a 747, the 747 has an over all length of 231ft and the Wright brother's first flight was airborne for 120ft.     There are an amazing 365 switches, dials, and lights in the incredibly confusing 747 cockpit. Credit: National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution Due to the double-decker layout, some passengers are closer to the front than the pilots    The Boeing 747 first flew in February 1969, five months before Apollo 11 landed on the moon.    Boeing didn't have a facility large enough to build the 747, so they had to construct a new assembly plant in Everett, WA.