Boeing 787 Dreamliner takes first flight

The 787 Dreamliner took flight Tuesday afternoon after more than two years of delays for the next-generation airliner, which is partially produced in North Charleston.

Employees of Boeing Charleston were able to witness the flight on a large screen from the company’s production facility on International Boulevard in North Charleston and at the adjacent Global Aeronautica plant. The actual flight took place in Everett, Wash., where the first Dreamliner was assembled.

Two smaller chase planes followed the 787 after a smooth liftoff from a damp runway near Seattle. The Dreamliner was scheduled to fly north and go out over the ocean, and then the two pilots were to choose where they would fly the jet next.

The flight was a significant step in the continuing development of the Dreamliner, which is being produced in sections from different locations around the world and shipped for final assembly in Everett, Wash., near Seattle.

Boeing announced in October that it would build a second final assembly line at its current campus near Charleston International Airport. The first model of the airplane, which flew Tuesday, will be produced in North Charleston once the second assembly line is fully operational.

On Saturday, Boeing completed high-speed taxi tests at its airfield near Seattle. Mike Delaney, vice president and chief project engineer for the 787, said of those tests, “Our pilots told me the airplane performed beautifully.”

During the testing, the airplane reached a top speed of approximately 130 knots, and the pilots lifted the nose gear from the pavement.

Boeing plans to start production in North Charleston in mid-2011 and to roll the first Dreamliner off the assembly line in Charleston by 2012. To support production, the company will hire about 1,000 mechanics and flight line workers, the company said, in addition to support staff.