Above: One of the airplanes in the 777-9 test fleet, WH001, takes off from Edwards Air Force Base in California. (Bones Wolfe photo © Boeing)

The 777-9 team achieved a first for the fleet last week – testing with all five flight test airplanes – as the program works toward first delivery next year. 

• The test fleet – currently Boeing’s largest for commercial airplanes – flew in five locations across five days.
• The WH001 (pictured above) team began takeoff performance testing at Edwards Air Force Base in California, evaluating a variety of configurations, led by Capt. Heather Ross. 

• The WH002 team performed certification testing with artificial ice shapes affixed to the airplane’s wings and other surfaces out of Moses Lake, Washington. Developed and 3D-printed by Boeing engineers, the ice shapes help demonstrate that the airplane’s performance in icing conditions — where ice forms on airplane surfaces during flight – meets requirements for U.S. Federal Aviation Administration certification. The flight was led by Capt. Ted Grady. (Bill Westbrook photo © Boeing)

• The WH003 team conducted engine starts certification testing at Boeing Field near Seattle, the test fleet’s home base, led by Capt. Klas Ohman. (Craig Larsen photo © Boeing)

• The WH004 team prepared for hot-day certification testing ground and flight tests in Yuma, Ariz. Sensors and monitors allow the test team to determine if all systems hardware and software operate as expected. The flight was led by Capt. Chris Caps. (Bones Wolfe photo © Boeing)

• The WH286 team flew to Marana, Ariz., and began testing to demonstrate compliance with requirements for resilience against electromagnetic interference. Capts. Mark Brown and Korhan Orgun flew the airplane from Paine Field in Everett to Marana. (Aaron Vigoren photo © Boeing)

A team effort: “It requires a tremendous amount of effort from many teams to safely plan and execute testing on a single airplane,” said Brandon Schmitz, 777X test program manager. “When you scale that up five-fold, it’s amazing to see our teams orchestrate successful testing across the entire fleet, especially in different locations.”

Catch up quick: The team has logged more than 1,500 flights and 4,100 flight hours on the 777-9 test fleet as part of a rigorous program to demonstrate the airplane’s safety, reliability and performance, according to the program. 

The bottom line: “Across our program, our team is coming together to complete our work so we can deliver the 777-9 to our customers,” said Terry Beezhold, 777-9 vice president and general manager. “I am proud of this team and their relentless focus on our important mission.”