It was a promotional stunt that in today’s dollars used a $144 million investment by Boeing.
And it was done without the knowledge of Bill Allen, then president of the company, who was watching. And fuming.
He was not a happy man. The firm’s future was on the line. No time for tricks.
But 60 years ago, on Aug. 7, 1955, Boeing’s chief of flight testing, the legendary Alvin “Tex” Johnston, pulled an impressive stunt in the prototype of the Boeing 707.
I've always liked this story. Then years later for the first flight of the 777: From here. There are so many great stories in aviation. Many sad ones, too.Boeing test pilots John E. Cashman and Kenny Higgins took the first Boeing 777-200 airliner, line number WA001, FAA registration N7771, on its first flight. Before taking off from Paine Field, Boeing’s president, Phil Condit, told Cashman, “Good luck, John. And no rolls!”