Wait, what? Delta 747 crosses street

[ WATCH VIDEO ] APRIL 30, 2016 ATLANTA A crew member gives directions to the tug driver as they move a retired Boeing 747-400 to the Delta Flight museum Saturday, April 30, 2016. Delta Air Lines Ship 6301 made its final journey to Delta’s Atlanta world headquarters campus in preparation for the Delta Flight Museum's latest exhibit featuring the retired aircraft. On September 9, 2015, Delta retired Ship 6301, the first Boeing 747-400 aircraft manufactured for a commercial airline, after its final flight from Honolulu to Atlanta. KENT D. JOHNSON /kdjohnson@ajc.com #delta747experience

APRIL 30, 2016 ATLANTA Crews move a retired Boeing 747-400 to the Delta Flight museum Saturday, April 30, 2016. Delta Air Lines Ship 6301 made its final journey to Delta’s Atlanta world headquarters campus in preparation for the Delta Flight Museum's latest exhibit featuring the retired aircraft. On September 9, 2015, Delta retired Ship 6301, the first Boeing 747-400 aircraft manufactured for a commercial airline, after its final flight from Honolulu to Atlanta. KENT D. JOHNSON /kdjohnson@ajc.com #delta747experience

APRIL 30, 2016 ATLANTA A crowd of onlookers is seen from below the plane as it moves into position at the Delta Flight Museum Saturday, April 30, 2016. Delta Air Lines Ship 6301 made its final journey to Delta’s Atlanta world headquarters campus in preparation for the Delta Flight Museum's latest exhibit featuring the retired aircraft. KENT D. JOHNSON /kdjohnson@ajc.com #delta747experience

APRIL 30, 2016 ATLANTA Spectators and media watch as crews move a retired Boeing 747-400 to the Delta Flight museum Saturday, April 30, 2016. Delta Air Lines Ship 6301 made its final journey to Delta’s Atlanta world headquarters campus in preparation for the Delta Flight Museum's latest exhibit featuring the retired aircraft. The plane will join several others when it goes on exhibit in 2017. KENT D. JOHNSON /kdjohnson@ajc.com #delta747experience

[ WATCH VIDEO ] APRIL 30, 2016 ATLANTA Delta Flight Museum employees Fiana Thacker (left) and Dasha McCoy watch as crews move a retired Boeing 747-400 to the Delta Flight museum Saturday, April 30, 2016. Delta Air Lines Ship 6301 made its final journey to Delta’s Atlanta world headquarters campus in preparation for the Delta Flight Museum's latest exhibit featuring the retired aircraft. KENT D. JOHNSON /kdjohnson@ajc.com #delta747experience

APRIL 30, 2016 ATLANTA Bobcat loaders construct a steel ramp as crews move a retired Boeing 747-400 to the Delta Flight museum Saturday, April 30, 2016. Delta Air Lines Ship 6301 made its final journey to Delta’s Atlanta world headquarters campus in preparation for the Delta Flight Museum's latest exhibit featuring the retired aircraft. On September 9, 2015, Delta retired Ship 6301, the first Boeing 747-400 aircraft manufactured for a commercial airline, after its final flight from Honolulu to Atlanta. KENT D. JOHNSON /kdjohnson@ajc.com #delta747experience

APRIL 30, 2016 ATLANTA A worker takes down a fence post while crews move a retired Boeing 747-400 to the Delta Flight museum Saturday, April 30, 2016. Officials stopped traffic on Woolman Place and Toffie Terrace and also removed several obstructions as the plane rolled across the street. KENT D. JOHNSON /kdjohnson@ajc.com #delta747experience

APRIL 30, 2016 ATLANTA Crews move a retired Boeing 747-400 across Woolman Place and Toffie Terrace to the Delta Flight museum Saturday, April 30, 2016. The plane was retired in 2015 after flying more than 61 million miles. KENT D. JOHNSON /kdjohnson@ajc.com #delta747experience

[ WATCH VIDEO ] APRIL 30, 2016 ATLANTA A retired Boeing 747-400 sits on the tarmac before crews move it to the Delta Flight museum Saturday, April 30, 2016. KENT D. JOHNSON /kdjohnson@ajc.com #delta747experience

APRIL 30, 2016 ATLANTA Spectators watch as crews move a retired Boeing 747-400 to the Delta Flight museum Saturday, April 30, 2016. KENT D. JOHNSON /kdjohnson@ajc.com #delta747experience

APRIL 30, 2016 ATLANTA Crews use a SuperTug to move a retired Boeing 747-400 to the Delta Flight museum Saturday, April 30, 2016. KENT D. JOHNSON /kdjohnson@ajc.com #delta747experience

APRIL 30, 2016 ATLANTA The plane is moved to a temporary spot in the museum parking lot near a McDonnell Douglas DC-9. KENT D. JOHNSON /kdjohnson@ajc.com #delta747experience

APRIL 30, 2016 ATLANTA The plane is moved to a temporary spot in the Delta flight museum parking lot. It will join several other aircraft when it goes on display in early 2017. KENT D. JOHNSON /kdjohnson@ajc.com #delta747experience

[ WATCH VIDEO ] APRIL 30, 2016 ATLANTA Backing carefully into place, the plane is moved to a temporary spot in the museum parking lot. Crews moved the retired Boeing 747-400 to the Delta Flight museum Saturday, April 30, 2016. KENT D. JOHNSON /kdjohnson@ajc.com #delta747experience

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[ WATCH VIDEO ] APRIL 30, 2016 ATLANTA A crew member gives directions to the tug driver as they move a retired Boeing 747-400 to the Delta Flight museum Saturday, April 30, 2016. Delta Air Lines Ship 6301 made its final journey to Delta’s Atlanta world headquarters campus in preparation for the Delta Flight Museum's latest exhibit featuring the retired aircraft. On September 9, 2015, Delta retired Ship 6301, the first Boeing 747-400 aircraft manufactured for a commercial airline, after its final flight from Honolulu to Atlanta. KENT D. JOHNSON /kdjohnson@ajc.com #delta747experience

By Kelly Yamanouchi

April 30, 2016

Delta Air Lines very carefully moved a Boeing 747-400 jumbo jet across a city street to its museum at its headquarters on Saturday morning, to prepare for an exhibit featuring the retired widebody.

The multi-hour mission to move “Ship 6301” to the Delta Flight Museum required careful planning.

KENT D. JOHNSON /kdjohnson@ajc.com

The 747 will be on exhibit sometime in early 2017 and open to the public for tours.

Delta’s ‘747 Experience’ at Delta Flight Museum

The plane has an interesting back-story. It was the first 747-400 built by Boeing, and was initially flown by Northwest Airlines. Delta acquired Northwest in 2008.

Before it began flying as an airliner, it took its first flight in 1988 and was used for engine testing by Pratt & Whitney.

Over its lifetime, Ship 6301 flew more than 60 million miles. The airline’s final flight before retirement was Flight 836 on Sept. 9, 2015, from Honolulu to Atlanta.