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Pilot draws picture of Boeing 747 in sky on plane’s last flight

The flight from Rome to Tel Aviv marked the final journey by the aircraft for Israeli airline El Al.
The flight from Rome to Tel Aviv marked the final journey by the aircraft for Israeli airline El Al. The flight from Rome to Tel Aviv marked the final journey by the aircraft for Israeli airline El Al.

A pilot flying a Boeing 747 on its final journey has marked the occasion by drawing a portrait of the aircraft in the sky.

The flight from Rome to Tel Aviv marked the final journey by the aircraft for El Al after 48 years of service with the Israeli airline.

When it reached the sky over the Mediterranean south-west of Cyprus, the pilot took the 747 on a weaving flight path to create an outline of the jumbo jet.

The unique drawing was tracked on the plane’s GPS system, with website Flightradar24 mapping the flight – which descended to 10,000ft (3,000m) to create the artwork.

Flight LY1747 began making the image two hours after take-off from Rome at 10am on Sunday, flying a little less than four hours before landing at its destination in the Israeli city.

The flight path of the 747
The flight path of the 747 (Screen grab/Flightradar24/PA)

The Boeing 747 has been nicknamed the Queen of the Skies since its maiden flight on February 9 in 1969.

Many airlines are now replacing the model with more advanced and efficient planes, with El Al opting for a new fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliners.