Flight BOE1

[Mick West]

The above track is from Oct 1, 2014.

BOE1 is a flight number given to Boeing test aircraft. In this case, it's A 787-900, flying to and from Boeing Field in Seattle. This is an aircraft that is not yet in service and is going through various tests to ensure everything is working. In this case it looks like it was doing some high speed turns and climbs.

Other flights of BOE1 show similar unusual flights that are typical of test flights

 

[Trailblazer]

This is my favourite Boeing test flight.

https://uk.flightaware.com/live/flight/BOE12/history/20140130/1830Z/KBFI/KPAE

Info on this flight here:
http://www.geekwire.com/2014/boeings-new-seahawks-themed-747-takes-first-flight-12thman-pattern/

 

[solrey]

Those tight turns over the Oregon coast range occurred due west of me and the contrails drifted directly overhead, but I was too busy with yard work yesterday afternoon to bother grabbing the camera to take a pic. I've seen quite a few contrails drift overhead from Boeing test flights making turns over the same area just a few miles west of here.

 

[MikeC]

I reckon this one is still better:

Mick you say the 787-900 is not in production yet - but that's not true - they've been delivered to a few airlines now and Air New Zealand made it's first revenue flight on August 9 -

Perhaps you meant that particular plane was testing prior to delivery to a customer??

 

[Mick West]

I reckon this one is still better:

Mick you say the 787-900 is not in production yet - but that's not true - they've been delivered to a few airlines now and Air New Zealand made it's first revenue flight on August 9 -

Perhaps you meant that particular plane was testing prior to delivery to a customer??

Actually I did not know it was in production, I've changed it to "in service"

 

[Trailblazer]

Those tight turns over the Oregon coast range occurred due west of me and the contrails drifted directly overhead, but I was too busy with yard work yesterday afternoon to bother grabbing the camera to take a pic. I've seen quite a few contrails drift overhead from Boeing test flights making turns over the same area just a few miles west of here.

Did it look anything like this?

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10100414019558678&set=o.1428160077460038&type=1

 

[Trailblazer]

Look at that spike in the track out over the Pacific. Looks like they might be refining the same technology that Ian Simpson spotted with those diversions to the Gulf of Guinea?

(Or alternatively there was a glitch in the data, like Ian Simpson spotted etc etc etc...)

Actually, all joking aside, that is a nice illustration of how such glitches occur:

http://uk.flightaware.com/live/flight/BOE1/history/20140926/1630Z/KBFI/KBFI/tracklog

One spurious point, with inaccurate positions, was picked up via a different tracking station. Coincidentally (or not?) this occurred just as the aircraft started its descent from 40,000 feet.

 

[solrey]

Did it look anything like this?

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10100414019558678&set=o.1428160077460038&type=1

Yep, that was one of them but from a different perspective a few miles to the SE of me. That pic looks like it was taken somewhere in SE Corvallis near Willamette Park, looking toward the NW.