First flight of the 747-8i

After several years of buildup – over a decade if you count projects that never materialized like the 747-600 and 747X – the newest edition of the veteran Boeing 747 flew on March 20, 2011. A three hour circuit around Washington state saw systems tests of all sorts. The successful first flight, which started at Paine Field (where the 747 is built) landed at Boeing field (to the south of Seattle) three hours later with a crew read to report how smoothly the first flight had gone. The aircraft is seen here powering down, prior to be tugged into position for a media event.