Crew flies Boeing's new 747 from Seattle to Pittsburgh… for sandwiches
Last updated at 8:26 PM on 25th June 2011
The flight crew testing a next-generation Boeing jumbo jet made a long trip for a taste of Pittsburgh's most famous sandwich.
The Seattle-based crew manning a new $300million 747-8 Freighter jet made the 2,500-mile test flight from outside Seattle to western Pennsylvania for a Primanti Bros sandwich.
The jet made the eight-hour flight east as the aircraft maker wraps up reliability testing with a series of cross-country flights.
Jumbo jet: Flight crews are testing the functionality of Boeing's new 747-8 Intercontinental with cross-country flights
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports flight test director Paul Shank handed out Pittsburgh's famous Primanti Brothers menus during a briefing on Wednesday.
The crew boarded and set course for the city and arranged for Pittsburgh International-based Atlantic Aviation to pick up an order of the restaurant's signature fry-and-slaw-filled sandwiches in time for their arrival.
Eight hours later, Shank said they were enjoying the messy meal aboard the jumbo jetliner. One hour later, they were back in the air.
Mr Shank, 37, grew up in the New Florence area; and relished giving his crew a taste of where he grew up.
Mammoth: The flight crew flew to Pittsburgh for Primanti Bros' signature fry-and-slaw-filled sandwiches
He told the newspaper: 'Everybody loved it. They were all like, "Who would have thought to put fries and cole slaw on a sandwich?" It was comfort food for me, something that reminded me of home.'
But it won't be their only cross-country trip in search of a good meal.
Shank told the newspaper the crew will also fly to Michigan's Upper Peninsula for some pasties and will jet to Maine for lobster rolls as they test out the aircraft's function with domestic flights.
Always open: The crew had the sandwiches delivered to from the restaurant to the jetliner by Pittsburgh International-based Atlantic Aviation
Boeing's 747-8 Intercontinental is among the next-generation models of the original 747 jumbo jet, the four-engine widebody that first took flight in 1969.
Boeing spokesman Joanna Pickup said the first Intercontinental aircraft for passenger use is scheduled for commercial use early next year.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2008119/Crew-flies-Boeings-new-747-Seattle-Pittsburgh-sandwiches.html#ixzz1QO6WYhi6
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