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American airline companies landed their last passenger 747 jet into retirement last year citing higher costs of flying this aircraft in comparison to modern widebody twin-engine aircraft designed for the same purpose.

Is it possible to buy a passenger version of the Queen of the Skies (747-8) for use elsewhere if the costs of flying are not a problem and profitability in light of buying second hand compared to much expensive new aircraft? Will the FAA allow this if the aircraft is airworthy and for how long will Boeing keep maintaining its aircraft in terms of manufacturing spare parts and supporting it?

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    $\begingroup$ why do you think the FAA would care? As long as you have the paperwork to operate it and pay your taxes and other fees they couldn't care less what you own. $\endgroup$
    – jwenting
    Commented Mar 22, 2019 at 6:30
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    $\begingroup$ If you're in the upper millionaire or billionaire region of wealth and you fancy a 747, go ahead and do it. As long as you follow the proper regulations for private jets, there is no reason why you couldn't buy and fly a 747. $\endgroup$
    – Adwaenyth
    Commented Mar 22, 2019 at 8:48
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    $\begingroup$ The oldest 747-8 is only ~8 years old. It's not that second hand ones aren't occasionally offered up for sale, but if you're restricting yourself to the -8, don't expect a lot of great deals. $\endgroup$
    – Zach Lipton
    Commented Mar 23, 2019 at 17:48

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Sure, the 747 is a Type Certified and airworthy aircraft, the FAA does not really care who owns it so long as they play by the rules. Boeing even sells them directly to the private market via their BBJ line.

There are even a few used ones listed for sale right now.

Some people even buy them for other purposes than flying them...

for how long will boeing keep maintaining its aircraft in light of manufacturing spare parts and innovating it

this is impossible to speculate on as its their decision ultimately but considering how many 747's there are you will be flying it long into the future.

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yes you can get them for cheap as 250K USD in Dubai https://www.emiratesauction.com/en/Cars/sitem.aspx?randid=124597

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    $\begingroup$ You can buy a stripped, worn out 747 airframe for 250K. Do NOT expect flyable for that price. $\endgroup$
    – Romeo_4808N
    Commented Mar 23, 2019 at 15:05
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    $\begingroup$ The question specifies a 747-8. That's a 747-200. $\endgroup$
    – Nate Eldredge
    Commented Mar 23, 2019 at 15:22
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    $\begingroup$ For sure, the 250K is not include even one of the engine as all the engines will cost million dollars. $\endgroup$
    – AirCraft Lover
    Commented Mar 24, 2019 at 1:04
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Another striking West Coast location was a massive, painstakingly-disassembled and dressed 747 jetliner sprawled out over a small hill on the Universal Studios backlot. "You walk outside, and it's almost your worst nightmare of what really could happen," says Rick Carter. "A plane lands in your neighborhood, and just decimates everything."

The plane crash site was "a monumental set to put together. We had to buy a 747, and then we had to cut it up into pieces and have it strewn on the back lot, and then build houses around it. It was quite an undertaking."

[1]

For the neighborhood plane crash scene, the production crew bought a retired Boeing 747 formerly operated by All Nippon Airways as JA8147, with transportation costs of $2 million,[16] destroyed it into pieces, and built houses around them.

[2]

Steven Spielberg bought a 747 for his movie, War of the Worlds, destroyed it and filmed a scene using it.

There are some on sale here for a lowly 12,500,000$.

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