The undated screenshot of the webpage of Flightradar24.com shows the test flight of a pilot who has flown a huge Christmas Tree over Germany. Airbus spokesman Heiko Stolzke told news agency dpa Thursday, Dec. 14, 2017 that the nearly 5½-hour flight the previous day was "a standard internal Airbus test flight before the delivery of a new aircraft. (Flightradar24.com/dpa via AP)
Republished December 14, 2017 - 8:45 AM
Original Publication Date December 14, 2017 - 7:56 AM
BERLIN - A pilot has traced a virtual Christmas tree over Germany on a test flight with an Airbus A380.
Airbus spokesman Heiko Stolzke told news agency dpa Thursday that the nearly 5 1/2-hour flight the previous day was "a standard internal Airbus test flight before the delivery of a new aircraft."
He said the idea for the Christmas tree pattern of the flight, which took off from and landed at the company's plant in Hamburg, came from the pilot and engineers on the flight and it was carried out in co-operation with air traffic control.
The plane turned several corners and loops during its flight to produce a pattern in the shape of a tree complete with baubles.
News from © The Associated Press, 2017