Qantas Boeing 747SP, LAX June 1983 The SP stood for Special Performance. It was meant for long routes that didn’t need the near 400 passenger capacity. Rather than starting from scratch with a new design, Boeing thought it would be better to modify the existing 747 design. By decreasing weight and reducing the number of passengers, the range could be extended greatly. But, it still needed to modify the tail and wings, It’s chief competitors were the Lockheed L-1011 and Douglas DC-10, however, it wasn’t all that successful with sales. Only 45 were made. The photo was taken at the west end of runway 24 at LAX where they did engine run-ups. – Ron Monroe Qantas chose to decorate their lounges, with a somewhat colonial theme using Captain Cook as inspiration – www.facebook.com/VintageAirliners ✈