Boeing 787 Dreamliner Takes off on First Flight

In the company of two T-33 military chase planes, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner's First Flight began at 10:27 AM Pacific time today beneath a 2,500 ft cloud deck.

Rolling on Paine field's runway 34L, the airliner initiated a climb and then turned west toward Port Angeles, which is located on the Straits of Juan de Fuca in extreme Northwestern Washington state.

Pilots Mike Carriker and Randy Neville left the landing gear extended initially during their climb which is standard procedure for a First Flight in case the test needs to be aborted and the airplane landed quickly.

Such was not the case with the Dreamliner, call sign Boeing 001, as the pilots executed a flawless takeoff and continued the climb to an initial altitude of 9,000 ft.

Near Port Angeles, the objectives of the First Flight's syllabus will be ticked off one by one during a flight that could last up to 5 hours depending on the weather and how rapidly the tasks can be completed.

Check the Design News website daily for more in-depth coverage of the First Flight of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.