A 17-hour test flight where you end up right back where you started is probably pretty boring. Any way to spice things up is probably welcome, which is likely why Boeing test pilots used their long, boring test flight to draw a massive outline of their plane all over America’s beautiful face.
The sky-drawing was noticed by the air-traffic tracking site Flightradar24, who posted this tweet:
When you have to test your new @RollsRoyce engine for 17 hours, you might as well have a bit of fun. pic.twitter.com/8IrBDzomHH
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) August 3, 2017
The Boeing 787-8 aircraft plotted its selfie over 22 states, and they even managed it so that the nose of the drawn plane points to the Puget Sound area where Boeing is headquartered.
Planes drawing images with their flight paths is by no means unknown. Usually, though, it seems like it’s just doodles of colossal dicks, like the United States was a middle school desk.
[referenced url=”https://gizmodo.com.au/2015/03/the-pilot-who-drew-this-giant-penis-in-the-sky-is-the-hero-we-deserve/” thumb=”https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/t_ku-large/mnfz94krgdp1albsvk6k.png” title=”The Pilot Who Drew This Giant Penis In The Sky Is The Hero We Deserve” excerpt=”GPS trolling is an art form spawning a movement of walkers, runners and auto enthusiasts to create map-based creations. But one enterprising pilot, with his own private plane and time to kill, took to the skies to draw the an image that fills the notebooks of 8th graders and college art majors alike — a big ol’ penis.”]
So, in that context, this aeroplane picture is high art, literally and conceptually.