DALLAS — Today, in 1988, Friendship One, a United Airlines (UA) Boeing 747-SP (Special Performance), set a new round-the-world record. The type circled the globe in 36 hours, 54 minutes, and 15 seconds.

The jet (N147UA) left Seattle's Boeing Field (BFI) at 7:14 p.m. local time on January 28. Onboard were numerous journalists, celebrities, including Neil Armstrong, and philanthropists, all looked after by 18 volunteers.

The Jumbo had been kitted out with enough food and drink for the two-day trip, two exercise bikes, and 37 foam mattresses.

A Historic Journey

Heading east, the aircraft's first stop was in Athens, Greece. The Boeing 747 touched down on schedule and, after a short delay for refueling, was soon back on its way. One crew member left behind a check for US$10,000 for a Greek charity. Its second stop was in Taipei, Taiwan.

After completing a history lap of the airfield, the jet touched down at Seattle's Boeing Field (BFI) at 8:45 a.m. local time. One hundred of the 141 passengers onboard donated US$5,000 each to raise US$500,000 for local children's charities.

The Friendship Foundation 

Horizon Airlines co-founder Joe Clark, UA pilot Clay Lacy, and aviation historian Bruce McCaw came up with the idea. They went on to form the Friendship Foundation charity and named the plane "Friendship One."

UA donated the aircraft, and Boeing and numerous other companies assisted with fuel, operating, and maintenance costs.

The 747 had flown 22,997 miles at an average speed of 623.59 mph. Sadly, the record was short-lived. A little less than a month later, a Gulfstream IV beat the Jumbo jet record, and in 1992, an Air France (AF) Concorde beat the record again.

Featured image: N147UA pictured at LHR. Photo: Tim Rees (GFDL 1.2 or GFDL 1.2), via Wikimedia Commons