Boeing 747 Dreamlifter FAA Certification

Those of you who are in love with aviation will be happy to hear that the Boeing Dreamlifter, the specially modified 747-400 used to transport the major assemblies of the all-new Boeing 787 Dreamliner, was granted type certification on Saturday, June 2, from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). So they’re getting this certification AFTER they’ve been using the plane to move parts for the Dreamliner?

The certification…certifies the Dreamlifter has successfully passed all of the stringent testing and safety requirements required by the FAA. The Dreamlifter does not need to be certified by other regulatory agencies.

Unfortunately, the Dreamlifter is not certified to carry passengers beyond essential crew. The Dreamlifter completed 437 flight-test hours and 639 hours of ground testing since its first flight on Sept. 9, 2006.

With certification achieved, operation of the Dreamlifter fleet will soon be assumed by Evergreen International Airlines (EIA) of McMinnville, Ore. EIA must first complete the required New Airplane Process Document process proving it is ready to operate the aircraft.