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  1. Back to Air Transport

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In Pictures: Boeing 737 MAX First Flight

Guy Norris
Chris Sloan

Throwing up spray from the rain-soaked runway, Boeing 737 MAX number one, 1A001, points its nose towards the overcast to begin its maiden flight. “We got out of Renton just in time,” says 737 chief pilot Ed Wilson who says tail winds that developed a few minutes after departure would have been over the limit for a first flight attempt. Note Boeing Flight Test’s venerable T-33 chase aircraft taking up station at the top of the image.

Chris Sloan

The aircraft rotated prior to the 3,000-ft marker along the 5,382-ft long runway 34. The short runway at Renton restricted take-off weight to 129,000 lb., well short of the 737-8’s design maximum take-off weight of 181,200 lb. Planned test duration was therefore only 2.5 hours, much shorter than subsequent test flights from Boeing Field where IA001 will be based for the duration.

Guy Norris

After landing into a gusty crosswind, test pilots Ed Wilson, Boeing’s 737 chief pilot, and Craig Bomben, vice president of flight operations, maneuver IA001 into position for its ceremonial tow-in towards the crowd at Boeing Field. 

Guy Norris

The pronounced nose-leg extension and higher bypass ratio CFM Leap-1B engines are evident in this nose-on aspect of IA001.

Guy Norris

Named ‘Spirit of Renton,” the first 737 MAX makes it flight test debut as the 8,888th member of the 737 family is delivered into service. The first 737-8 will enter service in 2017.

Guy Norris

Test pilots Craig Bomben (left) and Ed Wilson (right) emerge from IA001 to be greeted by Boeing Commercial Airplanes president Ray Conner.

Guy Norris

Festooned with the symbolic tails of customer airlines and sporting a large, dorsal-mounted satcom antenna, IA001’s test role is distinguished by the trailing static air data cone, seen hanging from the tip of the fin.  In a busy schedule unprecedented in the modern flight test era the 737-8 was up and flying again within 24 hours as it began the initial airworthiness campaign.

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 Boeing successfully completed the first flight of the 737 MAX on Jan. 29, marking the start of a test and certification effort slated to last into early 2017.

Guy Norris

Guy is a Senior Editor for Aviation Week, based in Los Angeles. Before joining Aviation Week in 2007, Guy was with Flight International, first as technical editor based in the U.K. and most recently as U.S. West Coast editor. Before joining Flight, he was London correspondent for Interavia, part of Jane's Information Group.

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