The Hastings Deering stairs were designed for the Boeing 707 which entered service with Qantas in 1959. They were also suitable for the DC-8, VC-10 and most other large aircraft requiring stairs. By the time the first Qantas Boeing 747 was delivered in 1971, larger mobile stairs had been developed but not every airport had them. At this time, Brisbane was not served by the 747 so there was no requirement for the larger stairs. Nevertheless, it was decided that the fourth Qantas 747 VH-EBD City of Perth should call at Brisbane on its delivery flight so that the people of Brisbane could inspect the new Qantas flagship. To facilitate disembarking and boarding, two adapters were provided to bridge the gap between the 747 door sill and the top platform of the HD stairs at full extension. When this photograph was taken, VH-EBD had just arrived and the cabin was still undergoing the obligatory Quarantine inspection. A second set of HD stairs with adapter was later positioned at the aeroplane. The aircraft arrived on 12 December 1971 and after being open for public inspection departed for Sydney later the same day. VH-EBD was the first Boeing 747 and indeed the first widebody aircraft of any type to visit Brisbane. It should be noted that the vehicle in the photo is not necessarily the same vehicle displayed at QAM.Photo: Ron Cuskelly