Dreamlifter N780BA: a cargo design with a hinged rear fuselage
N780BA was reported near Ashley, Michigan. Plane Alert DB includes it in the community list's "Distinctive aircraft" category.
Aircraft type · BLCF
Boeing 747-400 Dreamlifter observations
7 stories since June 2026 (12 Jun 2026 to 6 Sep 2026)
About the Boeing 747-400 Dreamlifter
- Boeing describes it as carrying large composite structures, including huge fuselage sections for the 787. [1]
- The Boeing 747-400LCF, known as the Dreamlifter, began with the 747-400 design and was modified to carry large 787 structures between Boeing’s suppliers and final-assembly sites. [1]
- The Dreamlifter’s most striking engineering choice is its hinged rear fuselage, which opens to let outsized cargo enter from behind. [1]
- Boeing’s history records that the first Dreamlifter flight took place on September 9, 2006. [1]
Airframes with more than one story
Operators seen flying it
- Atlas Air 4 stories
Stories
Boeing 747-400 Dreamlifter N718BA: Plane Alert DB's distinctive aircraft
The aircraft was reported near Marion, Indiana, at 34,000 feet. Its database build year is 1992.
Dreamlifter N747BC carries Plane Alert DB's distinctive aircraft label
The aircraft was reported near Pearl Beach, Michigan. The Dreamlifter design has a hinged rear fuselage for loading outsized cargo.
Plane Alert DB entry N718BA, a Boeing 747-400 Dreamlifter, at 37,000 ft
N718BA has an entry in Plane Alert DB, a community list of aircraft that spotters follow. It reported 37,000 ft and 531 knots.
Plane Alert DB's distinctive aircraft include Dreamlifter N249BA
Reported near Marion, Indiana, the Boeing 747-400 Dreamlifter has a hinged rear fuselage that opens for cargo loading.
A 1992 build year for Boeing 747-400 Dreamlifter N747BC near Monroe
The aircraft was reported near Monroe, Michigan. The Dreamlifter design uses a hinged rear fuselage to load outsized cargo.
Dreamlifter N780BA listed by Plane Alert DB as a distinctive aircraft
Reported near Ypsilanti, Michigan, the aircraft is listed as built in 1990. The Dreamlifter design has a hinged rear fuselage for loading cargo.