Boeing 777X Begins FAA Certification Flight Testing

Boeing 777X [Courtesy: Boeing]

Boeing has initiated a series of test flights for its commercial twin-engine 777X that are required for the jet to be certified by the FAA.

According to the Seattle Times, the first aircraft took off from King County International Airport/Boeing Field (KBFI) on Friday at 6 p.m. PDT with Boeing pilots and FAA personnel on board.

The flight is the first of several that will be conducted over the next 18 months.

According to Boeing, the 777X is designed to be more fuel efficient with reduced carbon dioxide emissions and have a greater operating range and lower operational cost than the Airbus A350, which is considered its direct competition.

The wings of the 777X have a folding tip that the company said "enables high-span efficiency while maintaining taxiway and gate compatibility."

In the cockpit there is touchscreen technology similar to what is used in the B777 and B787 aircraft. Passengers aboard the 777X will note there is more room in the cabin, as it has been extended laterally by 4 inches. In addition, the windows are larger and placed higher in the bulkhead.

Boeing 777X [Courtesy: Boeing]

Meg GodlewskiAuthor

Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.