Boeing's 787 jetliner finally takes to the air

The first flight of Boeing's new 787 jetliner brought no surprises _ exactly what pilots, engineers and company officials had anxiously sought for the long-delayed aircraft.

"The airplane responded just as we expected," Randy Neville, one of the two pilots, said after touchdown Tuesday at Seattle's Boeing Field. "It was a joy to fly."

Boeing has billions of dollars and its reputation riding on the sleek, blue-and-white aircraft that lifted off from Everett's Paine Field on a flight over western Washington state, beginning the extensive flight testing program needed to obtain Federal Aviation Administration certification.

The …