What's This... Actual MOVEMENT?

After months of delays, Boeing's troubled 787 Dreamliner program appears to be finally -- and cautiously -- back on track.

One day after announcing the successful power-on of the first 787 -- a milestone Boeing accomplished two weeks ahead of its latest revised schedule, though one year later than originally planned -- the planemaker moved its static test airframe from the final assembly building in Everett, WA to another production facility.

The move frees up room for the second flight-test 787 to move to the production bay. The first Dreamliner remains in the nose-to-door position and the third flight-test airplane is in the first position. It will remain there until the fourth flight-test airplane is ready for assembly to begin later this month.

If this sounds more like a logistics-related news item than a purely aviation story, well... you're right, but it also marks another milestone of sorts for the American planemaker.

After months of comparative inactivity -- as work crews fretted to essentially rebuild the first 787, which was unveiled last July -- the 787 production line is looking more and more like, well, an actual aircraft production line.

For the Dreamliner's 58 customers, that can't come a moment too soon.

FMI: www.boeing.com