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Watchlisted aircraftBoeing 747-400 Dreamlifter

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.

Nearl CrewsObserved Published

Map of Boeing 747-400 Dreamlifter N780BA's recorded track near Ypsilanti, Michigan: 6 positions over 75 seconds, about 11 miles.
Saved positions of Boeing 747-400 Dreamlifter N780BA near Ypsilanti, Michigan, drawn from a short archived excerpt. The line breaks at gaps over 45 seconds, at source changes and at rejected positions. The path measures about 11 miles (9.9 nautical miles) along the plotted segments. Archive timestamps do not establish exact message freshness. USGS topographic background shows roads, water and place names where available. It is a current reference map, not imagery from the flight date. Map data sources

A Dreamlifter on Plane Alert DB's "Distinctive aircraft" list was reported near Ypsilanti, Michigan, on June 12, 2026. The aircraft database identifies it as Boeing 747-400 Dreamlifter N780BA, built in 1990 and now 36 years old. The list entry does not show who was aboard.

The Dreamlifter was developed from the 747-400 to carry large structures for the 787, including huge fuselage sections. Its hinged rear fuselage opens to admit outsized cargo from behind. That loading arrangement is a defining feature of this modified freighter design.

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.

Other Boeing 747-400 Dreamlifter stories

Representative Boeing Dreamlifter on an airport apron, showing its enlarged cargo fuselage.
Representative Boeing Dreamlifter photo. Image source and license

Recorded data for N780BA

Observation
Observed to
Event typeUnusual aircraft
Recorded sourceADS-B, ICAO address
Post date
Last revised
Aircraft
Aircraft typeBOEING 747-400LCF Dreamlifter
Type designatorBLCF
Tail number (registration)N780BA
CallsignGTI4316
ICAO addressAA90A0

Measurements

Displayed measurements may be rounded.

Saved reading at .
Ground speed485.4 kn
Archived altitude; reference not retained34,000 ft
Last archived label at . Archive labels are carried between saved positions.
CallsignGTI4316
Watchlist association
SourcePlane Alert DB
CategoryDistinctive aircraft
Pinned source version6f7a19044a8dc9ed1c5687c8d26650df7296321e
AttributionAircraft association/category: Plane Alert DB / SDR-Enthusiasts and contributors.
LicencesOpen Database License 1.0; Database Contents License 1.0
ScopeSource association only; not verified current ownership, operator, historical association or presence of any person aboard.
Record details

Public event ID: 5b076a83-a8c7-4092-a9db-1c395f29d8a9.

Record revision: 3.

Evidence version: ff949fdb2162ec191b7b22878e2fa5fd6ef6597485af3872b66c85ccea76d083.

More about N780BA

Other Boeing 747-400 Dreamlifter stories

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