Dreamliner traces '787' and Boeing logo in U.S. skies
The aviation giant's next-gen plane took two weeks to fly a complex route over the Northern U.S. The result? A perfect satellite image for its marketing purposes.
Now this is clever marketing.
Over the last few months, Boeing has been sending its next-generation airplane, the 787 Dreamliner, all over the world on a goodwill tour meant to impress country after country with its composite materials, its curved wings, and of course its fuel efficiency.
But this month, the aviation giant sent one of its Dreamliners on a very precise flight over the United States. Over the the last two weeks, a 787 has been plying the skies of America, tracing out "787" and Boeing's signature logo over much of the northern U.S.
To be sure, no one on the ground would have been able to look up and recognize what was happening. But when the plane touched down in Seattle, it completed the complex route and--more importantly--the image seen above that shows just what happens when marketing meets flying. And leads to articles just like this one written by aviation geeks who can't help but be impressed.
Looking through the flight logs, it's quite impressive how tight some of the plane's turns must have been. All told, the flight took about 18 hours and 9,000 nautical miles over Oregon, Colorado, Montana, and several other states.
And it's not the first time Boeing has done something like this. Last August, according to the Seattle PI, one of Boeing's 747-8 Intercontinentals traced "747" in the skies over the U.S.
Correction, 1:29 p.m. PT: This story originally misstated when the Boeing flight took place and how long it took to complete.