VIDEO: Boeing ecoDemonstrator’s West Seattle flyby

| Environment | Seen around town | West Seattle news

Thanks for the tips, and to Nate Miller for the video! That jet’s low flyby over northwest West Seattle this past hour was courtesy of Boeing – Flightradar24 identifies it as the “ecoDemonstrator” jet, a 777-200ER with its underside painted with POWERED BY SAF – short for Sustainable Aviation Fuel. Here’s a closer look in a photo tweeted by Bill Schrier:

(The smaller plane accompanying it is not identified on the tracker – possibly for photography.) You can read about the ecoDemonstrator program on Boeing’s website.

Freak out at Mioposto July 22, 2022 (5:41 pm)

Wish Boeing would more actively announce these activities. We thought it was a military escort and something big going down.

22bkadrs July 22, 2022 (5:51 pm)

The “Chase Plane” alongside the Demonstrator is the Boeing Company’s T-38 jet used for test flights & possibly inflight photography.

22blades July 22, 2022 (6:07 pm)

A better look at the T-38 Chase Plane taxiing out at Boeing Field. https://cdn.jetphotos.com/400/5/32674_1544920204.jpg
- Svenry July 22, 2022 (7:29 pm)
  
  Here’s a close up of the T-38 from today’s flyby. Slightly different tail number.
- Jethro Marx July 22, 2022 (8:06 pm)
  
  Looks fun; can I get a ride-along?

CarDriver July 22, 2022 (6:53 pm)

22blades. Boeing retiree here. Boeing does indeed use the chase plane mainly for photography and for inspecting flight test planes in flight. Side note. Boeing had a nice F86 they used. They had to sell it because someone scoured the earth and bought up all the spare parts. That meant every time Boeing needed a part that guy just held out his hand. They finally got tired of it and sold the plane and bought the T38.

Svenry July 22, 2022 (9:06 pm)

That’s crazy, thanks for sharing! Apparently that same F86 Sabre is at the Museum of Flight, though I wish it still had the Boeing paint job as seen here:
- 22blades July 23, 2022 (2:28 am)
  
  Agree! Awesome old skool paint job.

Svenry July 22, 2022 (7:55 pm)

Great video! That was a very cool & unexpected flyby, especially since that ecoDemonstrator was just announced last month. My view from the Alki Art Fair:

Svenry July 22, 2022 (8:42 pm)

Here’s a look at the flight path over Elliott Bay and overall view of the entire flight. Quite an interesting journey
- WSB July 22, 2022 (9:22 pm)
  
  thanks, I have an even-more complicated screengrab from Flightradar24:

22blades July 23, 2022 (2:20 am)

The Boeing Flight Test also had two T-33’s for Flight Test & photography until 2011. ( I kind of forgot about the F-86! )They flew chase for the 787’s first flight. Pictures from their final flight…

22blades July 23, 2022 (2:26 am)

Boinsted July 23, 2022 (10:29 am)

Yup – as CARDRIVER said, the T38 is used extensively for test flights and photography. When I ran air-to-air photography for Boeing years ago and we were shooting for a customer we would use both Wolfe Air and the legend Clay at Clay Lacy. Clay is always a blast to fly with.

Diane July 23, 2022 (10:49 am)

Sitting out in my backyard with a friend and we heard the approaching sound of a plane that was flying across incredibly low. Looked up into our amazement there was this beautiful plane flying overhead. A sight to behold. Happy to read it was a test flight.

Sorry, comment time is over.