• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Boeing

A Boeing Dreamliner Drew an Enormous Outline of Itself Above the U.S.

By
Kevin Lui
Kevin Lui
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Kevin Lui
Kevin Lui
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 4, 2017, 4:20 AM ET
A 787 Dreamliner passenger jet lands dur
A 787 Dreamliner lands at Paine Field in Everett, Washington, March 20, 2011. Mark Ralston—AFP/Getty Images

It can’t get more meta than this: a plane drawing the outline of itself in the sky with its own flight path.

That’s what the crew behind the controls of a Boeing (BA) 787 Dreamliner did during an 18-hour endurance test overnight Wednesday. Flight tracking sites such as FlightAware show the jet’s path resembled the outline of a 787 above 22 U.S. states.

“With time to spare in the air,” the testers “got creative” with their flight path, the Chicago-based plane maker said on its website. Eighteen hours of flight time theoretically covers the distance between Singapore and San Francisco, or Perth and London.

This #Dreamliner has been drawing a giant #Dreamliner for 13 hours now!

Live link:https://t.co/ltUSXWvJ2a pic.twitter.com/SWe4oaBbqi

— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) August 3, 2017

The plane’s wings spread from the north of Michigan to southern Texas, and Boeing said the nose of the outline has a meaning: it’s “pointing at the Puget Sound region, home to Boeing Commercial Airplanes,” according to the company’s website.

For more on Boeing, watch Fortune’s video:

According to tracking service FlightRadar24, which first hinted at the jet’s sky art in a tweet Wednesday, the 18-hour, 9,905-mile flight was used to test new Rolls-Royce engines that will power the 787-10, a stretched variant of the Dreamliner.

This wasn’t the first time Boeing pilots have gotten creative with endurance tests. In February, a crew drew the word “MAX” during a 737 MAX test flight over the northern U.S.

 

About the Author
By Kevin Lui
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

Ted Cruz says the quiet part out loud: Trump accounts are Social Security personal accounts as GOP senator reveals ‘dirty little secret’
PoliticsSocial Security
Ted Cruz says the quiet part out loud: Trump accounts are Social Security personal accounts as GOP senator reveals ‘dirty little secret’
By Jason MaMay 9, 2026
58 minutes ago
Putin presides over Russia’s Victory Day parade without tanks, missiles and other heavy equipment due to threat of Ukrainian long-range drones
PoliticsRussia
Putin presides over Russia’s Victory Day parade without tanks, missiles and other heavy equipment due to threat of Ukrainian long-range drones
By The Associated PressMay 9, 2026
3 hours ago
Bahrain, which hosts the U.S. Navy’s Mideast HQ, arrests dozens with alleged links to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard
PoliticsIran
Bahrain, which hosts the U.S. Navy’s Mideast HQ, arrests dozens with alleged links to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard
By Adam Schreck, Samy Magdy and The Associated PressMay 9, 2026
3 hours ago
Pedestrian who jumped Denver airport fence dies after being hit by Frontier Airlines plane, sparking an engine fire and forcing passengers to evacuate
North AmericaAirline industry
Pedestrian who jumped Denver airport fence dies after being hit by Frontier Airlines plane, sparking an engine fire and forcing passengers to evacuate
By The Associated PressMay 9, 2026
3 hours ago
As hantavirus outbreak unfolds, the CDC is missing in action, experts say. ‘I’m very sorry to say that we are not prepared’
PoliticsHealth
As hantavirus outbreak unfolds, the CDC is missing in action, experts say. ‘I’m very sorry to say that we are not prepared’
By Mike Stobbe and The Associated PressMay 9, 2026
4 hours ago
UFO files show Buzz Aldrin saw a ‘sizeable’ object close to the moon and a ‘fairly bright light source’ that the Apollo 11 crew felt could be a laser
Innovationspace
UFO files show Buzz Aldrin saw a ‘sizeable’ object close to the moon and a ‘fairly bright light source’ that the Apollo 11 crew felt could be a laser
By Seung Min Kim, Collin Binkley and The Associated PressMay 9, 2026
4 hours ago

Most Popular

California farmers must destroy 420,000 peach trees after Del Monte closes its canneries and cancels more than $550 million in long-term contracts
North America
California farmers must destroy 420,000 peach trees after Del Monte closes its canneries and cancels more than $550 million in long-term contracts
By Sasha RogelbergMay 7, 2026
2 days ago
A Michigan farm town voted down plans for a giant OpenAI-Oracle data center. Weeks later, construction began
Magazine
A Michigan farm town voted down plans for a giant OpenAI-Oracle data center. Weeks later, construction began
By Sharon GoldmanMay 6, 2026
3 days ago
'Blue dot fever' plagues musicians like Post Malone, Meghan Trainor, and Zayn as a growing list of artists cancel tours due to lagging ticket sales
Arts & Entertainment
'Blue dot fever' plagues musicians like Post Malone, Meghan Trainor, and Zayn as a growing list of artists cancel tours due to lagging ticket sales
By Dave Lozo and Morning BrewMay 7, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of May 8, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of May 8, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMay 8, 2026
1 day ago
The CEO of Maersk, which ships 14% of everything you buy, said the Iran war is adding $500 million in monthly costs it's trying not to pass down
Energy
The CEO of Maersk, which ships 14% of everything you buy, said the Iran war is adding $500 million in monthly costs it's trying not to pass down
By Sasha RogelbergMay 8, 2026
1 day ago
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky warns two types of people won’t survive the AI era: ‘pure people managers’ and workers who resist change
Success
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky warns two types of people won’t survive the AI era: ‘pure people managers’ and workers who resist change
By Emma BurleighMay 7, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.