Successful First Flight of Australia's 737 AWACS Aircraft

Published: May 21, 2004
Source: www.boeing.com


A new era in airborne surveillance and command and control began today with the successful first flight of the Boeing [NYSE: BA] 737 airborne early warning and control, or AEW&C aircraft for Australia’s Project Wedgetail.



The plane rolled down the runway at Boeing Field in Seattle and took to the skies at 10:15 a.m. PDT, heading west to the Pacific Ocean. It then flew back and forth over Washington State’s Olympic Peninsula before landing at Boeing Field.



During the two-hour flight Boeing pilot Charles Gebhardt and co-pilot Ray Craig conducted a series of tests on the airplane’s systems and structures. The pilots were in constant contact with a group of test engineers monitoring the flight at Boeing Field.continue..