In honor of Boeing’s 100th anniversary, our latest poll at HeraldNet.com asked which of its jets is your all-time favorite, and our poll had about as much suspense as a Russian presidential election. Obviously this was a chance to shower some love on the 747, which earned a fitting 47 percent of the vote.
The 747 is the “Queen of the Skies” for a reason. It revolutionized travel when it began passenger flights in 1970, and it’s still turning heads after 1,500 planes have rolled off the Everett assembly line.
Beyond the 747, votes were pretty well dispersed among the other choices in our poll and various write-in choices. Another Everett-built jumbo jet, the 777, was second with 18 percent of the vote. The 747’s baby brother has outsold the old standby for years but it’s still the Jim Belushi to the 747’s John.
Then we have the also-rans. The 737 is the best-selling jetliner of all-time, but it only registered 10 percent in our poll. It’s the Hyundai of Boeing jets: practical, reliable and probably not your first choice.
The 787 also took just 10 percent in our poll, despite the Dreamliner being Boeing’s most advanced jet to date with its quiet engines, fancy lighting and awesome cup holders. Perhaps there still are hard feelings about having to share the glory with those South Carolina interlopers.
The 727 was the leader among the write-ins with 22, while the 757 and 707 each also reached double digits. Only five people voted for the 767, another nice yet somewhat indistinct airplane. If Boeing’s jets were all kids on a family road trip, the 767 is the one that would be accidentally left behind at a gas station.
And nobody wrote in a vote for the Phantom Eye, X-32 Joint Strike Fighter, Pelican Ultra or other jets we’re not supposed to know or talk about. Well done. Your government appreciates your discretion.
— Doug Parry: parryracer@gmail.com; @parryracer
Now that we’ve, ahem, caught your attention, let’s talk about this new social media/video game/app craze, Pokemon Go.
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