Boeing 747-400 Dreamlifter N718BA: Plane Alert DB's distinctive aircraft

N718BA, listed by Plane Alert DB in its "Distinctive aircraft" category, was reported near Marion, Indiana, on August 29, 2026. The aircraft database identifies it as a Boeing 747-400 Dreamlifter built in 1992, making the airframe 34 years old. A recorded altitude of 34,000 feet places the sighting high above Indiana.

The Dreamlifter type was modified from the 747-400 to carry large Boeing 787 structures. Its hinged rear fuselage opens for loading outsized cargo from behind, a feature that helps explain the interest in this aircraft type. The Plane Alert DB entry does not show who was aboard.

About the Boeing 747-400 Dreamlifter

• Boeing’s history records that the first Dreamlifter flight took place on September 9, 2006.
• Boeing describes it as carrying large composite structures, including huge fuselage sections for the 787.
• 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.
• The Dreamlifter’s most striking engineering choice is its hinged rear fuselage, which opens to let outsized cargo enter from behind.

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