The last plane to undergo maintenance inside Boeing Wichitas facility, an E-4B, started its engines and took off Thursday. It flew to the south, then gracefully turned back north for a final goodbye pass before disappearing from sight. A fixture in Wichita, Kan., since 1927, Boeing once employed as many as 40,000 people there. It was a vital center of military production during World War II, building trainers and the B-29 Superfortress and helping the city become known as the Air Capital of the World. Before Thursdays departure, Boeing employees completed maintenance on the white and blue aircraft for the Air Force. The modified Boeing 747 was undergoing final test flights and preparations for delivery, according to information from the Air Force according to a report in Stars and Stripes. It was headed for Offutt Air Force Base outside Omaha, an Air Force spokesman said.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.avweb.com/ownership/last-plane-maintained-at-boeing-wichita-departs