Atlas Air flew home the last 747 ever produced on 1 February, marking the end of 747 deliveries from Boeing after 53 years.

A day after a gala ceremony fit for the Queen of the Skies the 747-8F registered N863GT thundered down Paine Field’s Runway 16R and lifted into the air to the awe of gathered onlookers. After a low pass at Paine, the flight headed east for Cincinnati, but not before drawing a special tribute to the 747.

En route from Everett to Cincinnati, the Atlas Air 747 took the time to draw a crown and “747” over eastern Washington. The 152 kilometer (94.5 mi) wide by 95.8 km (59.5 mi) high piece of sky art took 2 hours 35 minutes to complete at an altitude of 12,775 feet. The flight plan for this portion of the flight included 39 separate way points.

The final 747 delivery

The delivery of N863GT marks the final 747 to fly away from Everett after 1,574 model 747s came off the production line. From the first 747-100 to the shortened 747SP to the most successful variant, the 747-400, to the final 747-8, Boeing’s most iconic work has exited the building at Paine Field. The building will now be repurposed for 787 rework and a fourth final assembly line for the 737 MAX.

Just days before Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to travel to China for “high-level talks,” the Pentagon announced that the US government has detected a Chinese spy balloon drifting over the continental United States for the past two days.

Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said:

“The United States government has detected and is tracking a high-altitude surveillance balloon that is over the continental United States right now. The U.S. government, to include Norad, continues to track and monitor it closely. The balloon is currently traveling at an altitude well above commercial air traffic and does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground. Instances of this kind of balloon activity have been observed previously over the past several years. Once the balloon was detected, the US government acted immediately to protect against the collection of sensitive information.”

A senior official told Fox News that the government is “confident” the balloon belongs to the People’s Republic of China.

Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL) is sounding the alarm about an unsettling trend of companies with close ties to the Chinese Communist Party buying up U.S. military academies, including the one attended by Donald Trump when he was a teenager