Boeing donates Dreamliner test plane to Pina Museum

Boeing, elected and community leaders joined together earlier to celebrate the permanent display of one of the original 787-8 Dreamliner flight test airplanes at the Pima Air & Space Museum.

“Boeing has a strong presence in Arizona and is proud to share this important achievement in aviation history with the community, our employees and visitors,” said Boeing Commercial Airplanes president Ray Conner.

“The Pima Air & Space Museum is a world-class facility and has been a great partner throughout the years. It’s the perfect location to showcase this pioneering airplane.”

This particular 787, ZA002, is the second Boeing 787-8 to be produced.

The airplane flew for the first time on December 22nd, 2009, joining what would become a six-airplane flight test and certification program for the 787-8.

The primary focus of ZA002 was testing systems performance.

“Aerospace is a cornerstone of Arizona’s economy, creating jobs and business opportunities across the state,” said governor Doug Ducey.

“Boeing’s donation of this state-of-the-art 787 Dreamliner is symbolic of Arizona’s rich history and bright future in aerospace, and a strong testament to our commitment to innovation and industry.”

ZA002 is the second of three flight test 787-8s Boeing plans to share with communities and future generations of employees and airplane enthusiasts.

The Pima Air & Space Museum is one of the largest aviation museums in the world, and the largest non-government funded aviation museum in the United States.

The museum maintains a collection of more than 300 aircraft and spacecraft from around the globe – including many rare and one-of-a-kind—and more than 125,000 artefacts.