On January 22nd, 1970, Clipper Victor *(registration N736PA) made the first commercial flight of the Boeing 747, serving, Pan American World Airways New York-London route. The Queen of the Skies took off from John F. Kennedy Intl. Airport bound for Heathrow Airport, with 332 passengers and 20 crew on board. The flight crew consisted of pilot-in-command and Pan American chief pilot Captain Robert M. Weeks (49, over 15 000 flight hours), co-pilot Captain John Noland, and senior flight engineer First Officer August McKinney (57, over 14 000 flight hours).
The flight was originally scheduled to take place nearly seven hours earlier, but the 747 which was supposed to make the voyage (Clipper Young America, originally Clipper Constitution, registration N735PA) had to be replaced due to engine overheating. Twelve passengers switched to other flights due to the delay, but most chose to wait for the 747. The backup plane, Clipper Victor, was renamed Clipper Young America for the occasion, and finally departed from JFK at 1:52 AM EST. It arrived to LHR at 8:06 AM EST
1. Clipper Victor after her arrival to LHR (Associated Press)
2. Part of the crew posing for a group photo, including Captain Robert Weeks and Senior Flight Engineer August McKinney (The Times - via Twitter)
(Information sources: This Day in Aviation - Aerotime - Northwestern University - Now We Know ‘Em)