Rollout of the first XB-47 prototype. The first flight was not until 17 December 1947. Photo from: Whites Aviation Collection/Alexander Turnbull Library

1953: TOS USAF as a B-47E. 1963: Converted to WB-47E; assigned to the 57th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, 9th Weather Reconnaissance Wing at Hickam AFB, HI. It flew weather recon missions for the Navy throughout these years. 29 Oct '69: Last recon mission for any B-47. 30 Oct '69: Flown to Boeing Field, Seattle, WA, via McClellan AFB, CA; last flight of an active duty B-47. Ownership was taken over by the Naval Aviation Museum and loaned to the Boeing Museum of Flight for display. Photo shows it waiting restoration on the military ramp.

This MAX has seemingly had an identity crisis. Built and painted for LOT Polish as SP-LVG, it sat unloved from late 2019 until early 2023 when it ferried from Moses Lake to Victorville for paint. It emerged painted all white with the Bonza rudder as VH-UDV. It then interestingly ferried back to Moses Lake pinging as C-FLBG for Flair Airlines. It's been doing a bunch of test flights as C-FLBG so who knows if Flair will end up taking it. Returning back to BFI as BOE384.

FlyDubai's 46th MAX 8 heads out on a test flight as "Boeing (BOE) 041."

The newest MAX 9 for Alaska arrives from Renton on its first flight as BOE752. This airframe will later be registered N982AK.

Arriving from Anchorage as "Southern Cross (SXI) 2332" is the 3rd QantasLink 717 to be ferried out to the desert for retirement. Originally delivered to Midwest Airlines in February 2003, it later joined MexicanaClick and then QantasLink in 2012. All the 717s were operated under contract by National Jet Systems. Routing for this one was CBR-ASP-DRW-CEB-NGO-CTS-ADK-ANC-BFI-VCV.

United is up to a whopping 111 MAXs in the fleet now, with another 29 coming in the near future. Here's one of them returning from its 2nd test flight as BOE489.

Registered N150L when delivered to Bonanza in October 1959, this Fairchild built F-27A was re-registered N750L in 1964. Merged with Air West in March 1968, the airline was bought by Howard Hughes in 1969 and re-named Hughes Air West the following year. Sold to Air Mauritanie as 5T-CJU, Horizon Air acquired the aircraft in May 1984 (N4798W) and converted to an F-27J re-registered N280PH by July. With CATA Linea Aerea as LV-PAD / AZV from 1987. Retired in 1995, parts were be used to re-build F-27 LV-RLB (cn 42), the abandoned fuselage was donated to a technical school in Buenos Aires circa 2005.

photographer unknown

The full civilian history of this aircraft can be found at http://www.wdaguy.com/N87U.html. The aircraft was last reported painted in blue US Navy colours undergoing restoration at Northwest Regional Airport, Roanoke, TX., in June 2019.

Taken on a typically rainy and overcast day in Seattle after returning from a test flight.

Photographer: Bruce Trombecky

4 Jan '45: TOS USAAF as B-29; assigned to 874th BS/498th Bomb Group, Isley Field, Saipan. Changed to 875th BS; 39 combat missions over Japan. 10/45: Unit moved to March Field, CA, then 1/46 moved to MacDill Army Air Field, FL. 6/49 to 1/50: Converted to KB-29M refueler; assigned to the 55th ARS/55th Strategic Reconnaissance Group, Ramey AFB, PR. Served duty in the Korean War. By 1956: TOS USN; assigned to the Naval Air Weapons Station, China Lake, CA, for use as a ground target. 1986: Shipped to Lowry AFB, Denver, CO. 1987: Restored for display at their Heritage Museum. 1992: Boeing Museum.

4 Jan '45: TOS USAAF as B-29; assigned to 874th BS/498th Bomb Group, Isley Field, Saipan. Changed to 875th BS; 39 combat missions over Japan. 10/45: Unit moved to March Field, CA, then 1/46 moved to MacDill Army Air Field, FL. 6/49 to 1/50: Converted to KB-29M refueler; assigned to the 55th ARS/55th Strategic Reconnaissance Group, Ramey AFB, PR. Served duty in the Korean War. By 1956: TOS USN; assigned to the Naval Air Weapons Station, China Lake, CA, for use as a ground target. 1986: Shipped to Lowry AFB, Denver, CO. 1987: Restored for display at their Heritage Museum. 1992: Boeing Museum.

operated for the Washington WaterPower Company - later registrations include N516LW, N767JH, YV-416T and YV-2871

Delivered at the end of 2019 and is now allegedly in Chinese Air Force colours.

Built in 2018 but not delivered and has been in store since

MAINE91 on arrival from Bangor, Maine this afternoon at BFI. A nice surprise as these KC-135s almost never land at Boeing Field.

Another brand new 737-8 for Southwest Airlines. Taxiing out for a test flight as BOE139 this afternoon.