Boeing 707 Prototype Flies: Jet Age Takes Off
Boeing's test pilot Alvin "Tex" Johnston rolled the prototype 367-80 (known as the Dash 80) off the runway at Renton Field on July 15, 1954, proving that a jet-powered commercial airliner was viable. The aircraft was Boeing's $16 million gamble on a future that airlines hadn't yet committed to. Pan Am's Juan Trippe wanted to buy Douglas DC-8s instead; Boeing responded by widening the fuselage six inches to match. The Dash 80 evolved into the Boeing 707, which entered airline service in 1958 and cut transatlantic flight times from twelve hours to seven. Johnston later barrel-rolled the prototype over a crowd at a boat race, nearly giving Boeing's president a heart attack.
July 15, 1954
72 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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