It might have seemed like an erratic flight plan, but the end result showed that the Boeing pilots had a method to their madness. In a test flight of a 787-8, they traced the silhouette of the plane itself into the sky over 22 states, per a company statement. The image becomes clear via flight-tracking sites such as FlightAware, and Boeing notes that the jet's nose is pointing toward the company's home base of Puget Sound, Wash.
Company pilots have previously pulled off similar stunts, including writing a "12" in the sky over Washington state to honor fans (the "12th man") of the Seattle Seahawks, notes USA Today. And, yes, all such flight paths must be approved by the FAA, reports NBC News. In this case, it took 18 hours to "draw" the plane's outline. (More Boeing stories.)