Question
Airport 1975 promo shot

What type of plane is used in "Airport 1975"?

Last updated: October 18, 2025

"Airport 1975" threw Karen Black into the cockpit of a massive commercial airliner after a midair collision killed most of the crew and blinded the captain. What followed was one of the more absurd (and profitable) disaster films of the 1970s, complete with Charlton Heston dangling from a helicopter to save the day and Gloria Swanson playing herself as an aging diva. The film's producers needed a serious piece of aviation hardware to make their sky-high drama believable. What type of plane served as the star of "Airport 1975"?

Correct Answer: Boeing 747-100

(Source)

American Airlines had temporarily parked a Boeing 747-100 during their 1974 fleet restructuring, which worked out perfectly for Universal's budget. See, buying a plane just to blow a hole in it wasn't exactly practical, so the producers rented one from American for just $30,000 per day. After slapping some Columbia Airlines paint on it, and with the help of some classic practical effects, they could get all of their exterior flying shots without having to explain to insurance companies why they'd destroyed a multi-million dollar jumbo jet. The dramatic cockpit damage was just movie magic created on studio sets, which becomes obvious if you pay attention during the final landing scenes where they carefully avoid showing the supposedly damaged cockpit area. After its 15 minutes of fame were up, the 747 returned to normal airline duty and eventually hauled cargo for UPS, where it enjoyed a much quieter retirement than its fictional counterpart ever got.

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