25 years ago I watched them, (well technically I watched them re-install, not remove the vertical stab) on the second Air Force One 747 so that it would fit in a hangar in Wichita. They didn't use any fancy tooling - a portable crane and lots of people. I didn't watch the whole thing (it was something like an all-day procedure) but I know it was completed successfully.
When I asked it this was unique, I was told "not particularly" - there are a lot of hangers put there that can take the length and width but not the height of a 747.