EVERETT, Washington — The Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental is huge. It is the largest passenger plane the company has ever built, but that doesn't give a sense of its awe-inspiring size. The 747-8 Intercontinentals took to the air for the first time Sunday. Anytime something that big makes its maiden flight, it draws a crowd. Reporters from around the world gathered at Paine Field north of Seattle. As the jumbo jet taxied by, its wings — with a span of 224 feet, 7 inches — just cleared the crowd. Boeing chief 747 pilot Mark Feuerstein and co-pilot Paul Stemer kept Boeing's biggest bird aloft for four hours and 25 minutes. They made a few unusual maneuvers while they were up there, including flying sideways and inducing stall warnings. It wasn't your typical first flight test. But then, the Intercontinental isn't your typical airplane. The fourth-generation 747 has a maximum seating capacity of 605, but most airlines will more likely use a seating capacity in the 450 seat range. Above: The 747-8 Intercontinental in all its glory at Paine Field. Photo: Jason Paur / Wired.com

After the 747-8 Intercontinental lined up on the runway at Paine Field in Everett, not far from the factory where it is built, a pair of Lockheed designed T-33 chase planes took position overhead. After completing a tight circle, the chase planes lined up with the runway and followed the giant airplane as it took off for the first time. The plane took to the air shortly before 10 a.m., one minute ahead of schedule. The 747-8 Intercontinental is the latest iteration of an iconic aircraft that first flew in 1969. It is every bit as big as it appears in photos. It's a hair over 250 feet long, making it 18 feet longer than the 747-400. It stands 63.5 feet tall and has a maximum takeoff weight of 975,000 pounds. Photo: Jason Paur / Wired.com

The chase planes followed the Intercontinental as it turned west toward the Pacific Ocean. In addition to the side slips and approach to stall maneuvers and other test points, Feuerstein says he and Stemer turned off a few computer aids to see how the airplane flies on its own. "We also turned off some of the stability augmentation of the airplane to see what the bare airframe behaved like," he said. And? "It was absolutely nominal," he said. That's pilot-speak for, "There were no problems." Photo: Jason Paur / Wired.com

The flight-test team took advantage of the good weather to do some sightseeing. They made a slight detour to check out Mount Baker, a 10,778-foot volcano on the border with Canada. The mountain gave them an alternative to Mount Rainier, the photo-op backdrop to last years' inaugural flight of the 747-8 freighter. Photo: Boeing

The 747-8 was the star of the show Sunday, but Boeing is also hard at work on the 787 Dreamliner. It spent some time in the air on Sunday, too. Here you can see the plane's characteristic wing flex as airplane ZA001, the first 787 Dreamliner to fly, touches down on runway 31R. The Dreamliner has a wingspan of 197 feet. In one of the 787's more spectacular tests, called the "ultimate-load wing-up bending test," Boeing subjected the Dreamliner's wings to 150 percent of the most extreme forces they're ever expected to experience. That meant bending them upward approximately 25 feet. They didn't snap. Photo: Jason Paur / Wired.com

This shot provides a nice view of the 787 Dreamliner's efficient wing. The Rolls Royce Trent 1000 is one of two engines offered on the aircraft, which Boeing says burns 20 percent less fuel than any other aircraft its size. The serrated engine cowling reduces noise and is a big reason the Dreamliner is noticeably quieter than other airliners as it flies overhead. Photo: Jason Paur / Wired.com

Minutes after Dreamliner ZA001 touched down, fellow 787 test bed ZA005 landed. Boeing is using it to test the General Electric GEnx engines. A version of the GEnx is also used on the 747-8. Photo: Jason Paur / Wired.com

Boeing uses former military jet trainers as chase aircraft during flight testing. The pilot and passenger provide extra eyes to watch the plane during testing and troubleshoot any problems. They also take photographs like that shot of the 747-8 Intercontinental over Mount Baker. The T-33 was designed by Lockheed Aircraft and made its first flight March 22, 1948 (63 years ago today), although this 1954 model was built under license by Canadair. The subsonic jet was the first jet trainer used by the U.S. Air Force and is a derivative of the P-80, the first operation fighter jet. Boeing uses two T-33s for chase work. Photo: Jason Paur / Wired.com

Boeing operates a 1961 Northrop T-38. Thousands of USAF pilots have received advanced training in this twin engine, supersonic jet over the years and the plane is still in use. NASA also uses them as chase planes for the space shuttle orbiter as well as for astronaut training. Photo: Jason Paur / Wired.com

The 747-8 touched down at Boeing Field in Seattle after 4 hours and 25 minutes aloft. It flew to 19,000 feet and 250 knots, or about 288 mph, during a flight that took it over eastern Washington. Feuerstein called it "a great privilege" and "an honor" to fly the airplane. With all of its drag devices deployed, the 747-8 Intercontinental still uses a fair amount of the 10,000 foot runway at Boeing Field. "This a great day for the 747-8 team and for all of Boeing," Elizabeth Lund, vice president and general manager of the 747-8 program, said in a statement. "What an honor it is to see such a beautiful airplane fly." Photo: Jason Paur / Wired.com

Boeing flight test crews kept busy Sunday, and the day was far from over after the 747-8 Intercontinental landed. After the press conference for the Intercontinental came to an end, the 747-8 freighter landed. The Intercontinental and freighter will complete well over 2,000 hours in the air by the time FAA certification wraps up later this year. Photo: Jason Paur / Wired.com

Once Boeing finishes its own flight testing, much of the same work must be done again for FAA certification. On those flights, an FAA pilot usually joins the flight crew and often takes the controls, Stemer said. That's not to say the FAA is in charge. "Most of the time as a courtesy we have the FAA sitting in the left seat as a pilot," Stemer said. "But the Boeing pilot is in ultimate command of the aircraft." Above: Boeing workers tow the 747-8 Intercontinental to its parking spot on the west side of Boeing Field. Photo: Jason Paur / Wired.com

Even test pilots must adhere to some of the same rules we do. Paper signs taped to the inside of the door of the Intercontinental read: "Electronic devices not approved by Boeing flight test are prohibited while in flight. Use of cell phones and pagers is prohibited in flight. They must be turned off while in flight. No Smoking." And just in case anyone was able to sneak aboard, the FAA requires notifying all aboard that the 747-8 Intercontinental is an experimental aircraft until certification is complete. Another sign warns: "Passenger Notice: This aircraft does not comply with federal safety regulations for standard aircraft." Photo: Jason Paur / Wired.com

That's Joe Sutter, the father of the 747, posing (in the middle) with others next to the nose gear of the Intercontinental. His initials grace the nose gear doors. Photo: Jason Paur / Wired.com