Boeing Donating 787 Dreamliner to Museum of Flight

The third Boeing 787 Dreamliner to be built, ZA003, becomes the fourth to fly, taking off from Paine Field, in Everett on March 14, 2010. Photo: The Boeing Company

If you've never been aboard a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, your chance is coming on Saturday.

Seattle's Museum of Flight announced Monday that it will be the first museum to put the world's first composite airliner on display. Boeing plans to donate the third flight-test 787 on Saturday.

The 787, ZA003, first flew on March 14, 2010. It performed flight tests and visited 23 countries during Boeing's global "Dream Tour."

A ceremony is scheduled to start at 11 a.m., featuring Boeing and museum officials. The 787 will be in the Museum's east parking lot, and open to the public from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, and all day Sunday.

To celebrate, Boeing employees, retirees and suppliers can get in for free, and bring up to six guests, on Saturday and Sunday. Employees and retirees must show proof of Boeing employment.

The museum plans to close the 787 to visitors on Nov. 10 through 21, so it can prepare the aircraft for permanent exhibition. For display, the museum will partially configure the jet as an airliner and flight-test aircraft, with displays covering the development of the 787, including artifacts from the program, occupying the remaining space.

Boeing has had trouble finding buyers for early production aircraft because of extensive modifications required in reaction to issues that arose during assembly and testing.

The Museum of Flight's Airpark includes the first 747, 727, production 737 and presidential 707, along with a Concord and Lockheed Super-G Constellation. Click through the gallery above to see photos of ZA003, plus other aircraft already in the airpark.