BA's 'Queen of the skies' takes her final flight

British Airways' "Queen of the skies" took her final flight

as the airline retired its 31 jumbo jets

Location: Heathrow Airport, UK

The 747 embarked on its maiden flight in 1969 and soon secured its place in history

as the world's most easily recognized jetliner

with its humped fuselage, four engines, and 16 main wheels

and as the jet which brought long-haul flights to the masses

thanks to its size and range

The final flights were witnessed by BA staff and engineers

who lined up to see them off, under cloud and driving rain