#krnt

I bicycled to Portland Int'l Airport #KPDX for a closer view of this unpainted Boeing 737 MAX8. Coming from Renton WA #KRNT where the 737 final assembly line is, I suspect this was the very first flight of this aircraft, known as the "B1" flight since it's the first flight done by Boeing test pilots. (A later pre-delivery flight with customer test pilots is called the "C1" flight.) Boeing has a paint hangar in Portland so some new planes fly here on B1 to get painted. #aviation #avgeek #PNW

Today I spotted a brand new Boeing 737 MAX8 arriving from Renton #KRNT on its B1 flight (first flight of the aircraft from the factory with Boeing test pilots) at Portland Int'l Airport #KPDX Runway 28L. As it went by I saw United globe livery on the already-painted rudder. So after this plane gets out of Boeing's Portland paint hangar, United test pilots will probably fly it on its 2nd flight. Assuming tests pass, United will pay for it & take delivery. #aviation #avgeek #business #travel #PNW

Before a plane arrives in Portland, there are hints an #avgeek can use to anticipate if it's probably a brand new green plane... Boeing-owned, coming from an airport with a Boeing factory, either Everett Paine Field #KPAE (777 & 767, soon Max10) or Renton Municipal Airport #KRNT (737). Then the flight path can be a big hint that the test pilots are putting a never-before-flown aircraft through the "test card" checklist. So it isn't exactly a direct route. 😀 #aviation #avgeek #business #travel

Boeing sends new planes for painting in Portland as extra capacity beyond what their paint hangars in the Seattle area can handle. At Everett #KPAE they can paint new 777s & 767s (and formerly 747s) on field before first flight. As needed, some fly unpainted to PDX for painting. And new 737s fly out of Renton #KRNT either to Boeing Field #KBFI in Seattle or to Portland #KPDX for paint. #aviation #avgeek #business #travel #PNW

The latest brand new Boeing plane to arrive in Portland #KPDX for painting isn't obvious to me (from the painted rudder and winglets) which airline it will go to. Perhaps it's a non-standard "special livery". This is a 737 MAX8 whose first flight was cancelled 2 days in a row before flying from the Renton #KRNT factory today . #aviation #travel #avgeek

Another brand-new green Boeing 737 MAX8 was flown to Portland #KPDX for painting this afternoon on its first flight out of the Renton #KRNT factory. Based on the painted rudder, this one appears to me to be going to Malaysia Airlines. I didn't have as good a vantage point since the wind & weather turned the runways around. It landed on Runway 10R. #aviation #travel #avgeek #PNW

From home in Portland I saw a green unpainted Boeing 737 MAX8 on final approach to Portland Int'l #KPDX, coming from the 737 factory in Renton #KRNT, Washington. The pre-painted rudder and winglets appear to be from AJet of Turkey. This is usually the first flight of the aircraft by Boeing test pilots. It's going to Boeing's Portland paint hangar which handles overflow when the Seattle-area paint hangars are booked. #aviation #avgeek #PNW

Viewed from my backyard, a new Boeing 737 MAX9 with pre-painted rudder indicating this one will be going to United Airlines. It came from Boeing's 737 factory in Renton WA #KRNT. This one was different because it did 2 touch-and-go's on Portland #KPDX Runway 28R before landing on Runway 28L, nearest to the Boeing paint hangar. I would have missed some pics if I had been at the airport, without enough time to reposition to the other runway. #UnpaintedAirplane #PicklePlane #aviation #avgeek #PNW

Spotted flying into Portland #KPDX this afternoon: a brand new green unpainted Boeing 737 MAX9 on its first flight out of the factory in Renton #KRNT. It came to the Boeing Portland Paint Hangar, which Boeing uses for overflow capacity when all the Seattle-area paint hangars (at RNT PAE BFI) are booked. The pre-painted rudder and winglets indicate this aircraft's customer is United Airlines. #UnpaintedAirplane #PicklePlane #aviation #avgeek #PNW

Planespotting from home this afternoon, I got pics of a brand new green Boeing 737 MAX8 inbound from the 737 factory in Renton #KRNT. It was on final approach to Portland Int'l #KPDX. After landing, ADS-B showed it taxied to the Boeing Portland Paint Hangar as expected. The pre-painted rudder looks like this plane's buyer is SCAT Airlines of Kazakhstan. ADS-B data agreed, showing a KZ reg. I saw another SCAT arrive May 31 & leave June 12. #UnpaintedAirplane #PicklePlane #aviation #avgeek #PNW

Spotted from home today in Portland: a brand new green unpainted Boeing 737 MAX8 on approach to Portland Int'l #KPDX on the aircraft's first flight out of the Boeing factory at Renton #KRNT. Each one is a new puzzle: I think this one is going to Norwegian Air Sweden due to the pre-painted rudder (with Norwegian Air Shuttle pattern) and the ADS-B data (indicating Swedish registration). It taxied to the Boeing Portland Paint Hangar. #UnpaintedAirplane #PicklePlane #aviation #avgeek #PNW

This afternoon I spotted a green unpainted Boeing 737 MAX8 on approach to Portland #KPDX, coming from the Boeing 737 factory in Renton #KRNT. It was probably the plane's first flight. Callsign was Boeing 940. After landing it taxied to the Boeing Portland Paint Hangar. The pre-painted rudder and winglets look like this plane's customer is Oman Air. ADS-B also showed OM registration. #UnpaintedAirplane #PicklePlane #aviation #avgeek #PNW

Flights with indirect routing like today's are a big hint that a plane coming from Renton #KRNT to Portland #KPDX will probably turn out to be a new unpainted green plane on its first flight. Boeing test pilots fly out to eastern Washington State while putting the plane through the "test card" checklist. Many things to verify as working properly before they hand off a new aircraft to the customer's line pilots. https://www.flightaware.com/live/flight/BOE940/history/20250904/1615Z/KRNT/KPDX #UnpaintedAirplane #PicklePlane #aviation #avgeek #PNW

Another plane that seemingly doesn't belong here: FlyDubai 737 MAX8 departing Portland Int'l Airport #KPDX. This plane is brand new and not yet delivered to the airline. It arrived at the Boeing Portland Paint Hangar on Oct 17 from the Boeing 737 factory in Renton #KRNT. This is probably the plane's second flight. I'm guessing customer pilots are doing a "C1" acceptance flight test since Boeing test pilots already tested it and it's in eastern Washington for maneuvers. #aviation #travel #avgeek

I got pictures of a brand new Boeing 737 MAX8 on final approach to Portland Int'l Airport #KPDX. This is the recurring theme of 737 MAX planes arriving for painting in Portland. It's flown by Boeing test pilots on its first flight out of the Boeing Renton #KRNT factory. The mystery each time we see one of these is what airline it's going to. This time the pre-painted rudder indicates the customer is American Airlines. #UnpaintedAirplane #PicklePlane #aviation #avgeek #PNW

Spotted arriving at PDX today: green/unpainted Boeing 737 MAX8 as BOE242 on final approach to Runway 28L. The pre-painted rudder looks like AeroMexico, though missing the stripes of standard livery. It transmitted ADS-B data indicating this plane will be registered in Mexico. This is the first flight of the aircraft, coming from the Boeing 737 factory in Renton #KRNT to the Boeing Portland Paint Hangar. #KPDX #UnpaintedAirplane #PicklePlane #aviation #avgeek #PNW

I got ~6mi/10km distant pictures of #UnpaintedAirplane Boeing 737 MAX8 N839AK as BOE866 on downwind leg of its approach to Runway 10R at Portland Int'l Airport #KPDX. This is a brand new plane on its "B1" flight (first flight of the airframe flown by Boeing test pilots) out of the factory in Renton #KRNT. The pre-painted rudder shows this plane will go to Alaska Airlines. I had not previously seen any Alaska planes coming to PDX for paint. #PicklePlane #aviation #travel #avgeek #PNW

Spotted on final approach to Portland Int'l Airport #KPDX: #UnpaintedAirplane Boeing 737 MAX9 flying as BOE964. This was the airplane's first flight, which departed from Boeing's 737 factory in Renton, Washington #KRNT. The pre-painted rudder and transponder telemetry both indicate this plane will be going to United Airlines. After landing it taxied to the Boeing Portland Paint Hangar. #PicklePlane #aviation #business #travel #avgeek #PNW