Boeing testing 747-8 in Moses Lake
Courtesy photo<br> The 747-8 during its first flight. The plane is presently being tested in Moses Lake.
MOSES LAKE — The first Boeing 747-8 landed at Grant County International Airport and is undergoing tests.
The company decided to rent the former Japan Airlines (JAL) hanger at Grant County International Airport in October. The company plans to conduct air worthiness tests on the plane.
“Boeing does quite a few tests in Moses Lake,” a Boeing spokesperson stated in October. “The Grant County International Airport is ideal because of the length of the runway and minimal conflicts with other aircraft in the surrounding airspace.”
The company is testing a variety of flap setting, speeds and altitudes, according to Boeing. These are the first set of tests for the plane.
The plane 18-feet longer and 13-feet wider than its predecessor, the 747-400.
Tim Bader, a company spokesman, said the length of the company’s stay depends on how long it takes to complete the tests before sending the plane to Palmdale, Calif., near Los Angeles.
“You got the number one plane over there (in Moses Lake),” he said. “The other two are still on the Everett flight line.”
The company is expected to transfer about 100 employees to Moses Lake with each plane, said Craig Baldwin, the Port of Moses Lake’s executive manager.