Eastern Air Lines
Boeing 747-121 N731PA
(c/n 19637)
Eastern had
originally ordered 4 Boeing 747s but sold their order position to TWA
and opted for
the Lockheed L-1011 Tristar
instead. Since these were not scheduled for delievery until
mid-1972
and, in order to "keep up with the
Jones's" - in this case National and American - they leased four
Boeing 747s from Pan Am in
1971. They were a rather rare beast to spot but Bob Garrard
managed
to capture this
one taxiing at Miami in April of 1972. As soon nas the Tristars
came on board they
went back to Pan Am. N731PA was,
in fact, the first production Boeing 747.