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by Ronald Marasco (Author)
The introduction of the Boeing 747 was a momentous event in commercial aviation history-and indeed in modern world history. While the challenges faced by the engineers at Boeing and engine manufacturer Pratt and Whitney, who created the world's first jumbo jet, are well known, the story of the plane's early development doesn't end there.
The 747: A Tumultuous Beginning Flying Through Turbulence tells the next riveting chapter in the storied plane's early history, revealing details of serious in-flight incidents and extraordinarily poor engine reliability and aircraft maintenance problems confronting the employees of Pan American World Airways and other airlines with 747 fleets.
Ron Marasco was the general manager of 747 maintenance at Pan Am during those heady days when the plane first went into service. His narrative draws from sources that include:
- Testimony and eyewitness accounts from people who had an array of engineering, technical, and flight operations responsibilities at the time
- Notes from the Pan Am Historical Foundation
- Documents from John Borger, the Pan Am chief engineer who spearheaded the 747's development
- Personal notes and observations
The 747: A Tumultuous Beginning honors the thousands of airline workers whose story has never before been told.
Author Biography
Ron Marasco began his airline career in 1956 as a flight engineer with Pan Am. From the beginning of the 747 operation until 1984, he held senior positions, including vice president of maintenance and engineering associated with all phases of 747 maintenance. After leaving Pan Am, he continued his involvement as senior vice president of operations for Flying Tigers and was the operations executive who spearheaded the start-up and FAA certification of Atlas Air and Polar Air Cargo, all of which had 747 cargo fleets.
He received the Air Transportation Association's prestigious Nuts and Bolts Award for outstanding professional leadership and management skills in airline maintenance and engineering spanning a career of forty years, and in celebration of his pioneering work in introducing the 747, into commercial service.
He currently is a Pan Am Historical Foundation board member and lives with his wife, Barbara, in East Hampton, New York.
