Boeing

The newest member of the Boeing Next-Generation 737 airplane family took to the skies over Washington state Friday on its maiden flight. Painted in the Boeing blue-and-white livery, the 737-900ER (Extended Range) took off at 9:21 a.m. PDT from the Renton Municipal Airport in Renton, Wash. The first flight marks the beginning of a five-month flight test program to obtain certification of the airplane from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and the European Aviation Safety Agency by early 2007.