The introduction of the Boeing 747 was a momentous event in commercial aviation history—and indeed in modern world history. While the challenges faced by the engineers at Boeing and engine manufacturer Pratt and Whitney, who created the world’s first jumbo jet, are well known, the story of the plane’s early development doesn’t end there.

The 747: A Tumultuous Beginning Flying Through Turbulence tells the next riveting chapter in the storied plane’s early history, revealing details of serious in-flight incidents and extraordinarily poor engine reliability and aircraft maintenance problems confronting the employees of Pan American World Airways and other airlines with 747 fleets.

Ron Marasco was the general manager of 747 maintenance at Pan Am during those heady days when the plane first went into service. His narrative draws from sources that include:

• Testimony and eyewitness accounts from people who had an array of engineering, technical, and flight operations responsibilities at the time


• Notes from the Pan Am Historical Foundation


• Documents from John Borger, the Pan Am chief engineer who spearheaded the 747’s development


• Personal notes and observations

The 747: A Tumultuous Beginning honors the thousands of airline workers whose story has never before been told.