Via Flickr:
Because it was intended to serve as a cargo transport, the 747 was built with the cockpit well above the main cabin floor. Pan American suggested that passengers could sit in the area behind the cockpit. This inspired Boeing to connect the upper level with the main cabin by a graceful spiral staircase that was based on a similar design from the Boeing 377 Stratocruiser.
This nose section is from a Northwest Airlines Boeing
747-151. First flown in 1970, this 747 was the first built for Northwest and the first 747 to open service across the Pacific. It was retired in 1999.
