Meet the fleet: ALLIED AIRLINES 747-400 6ef1315

The flag carrier of the Bay. ALLIED’s 747-400s run the trans-Pacific trunk — Tokyo, Hong Kong, Sydney — every departure threading the Golden Gate on climb-out, every arrival letting down over the East Bay for SFO’s 28s. 388 souls aboard, four big fans at a rumble you can feel from your own cockpit. Navy pilots know her as the big friendly on the scope: ALLIED 412 HEAVY and her sisters, squawking their way in at all hours, in all weather.

THE AIRCRAFT — Boeing 747-400 · length 231 ft 10 in · wingspan 211 ft 5 in · four engines (PW4000 / CF6 / RB211 family, about 63,000 lb of thrust apiece) · cruise Mach 0.85 · range 7,285 nautical miles · 416 seats in a typical three-class cabin · first flight 29 April 1988 — a contemporary of a certain Amiga simulator — in airline service since 1989.

Where to meet her: heavy departures off SFO climbing through 4,000 over the ocean, or arrivals on long finals to the 28s. Intercept her, formate on the wing, count the windows — then check your fire, because the court martial is quick and the debrief is unforgiving.