If you saw a low-flying 747 in the skies over the Hartford area on Wednesday afternoon, there was no need for concern.
A plane powered by Pratt & Whitney engines did a show-and-tell of sorts over the company's facilities in East Hartford and Middletown.
The plane took off from Bradley around 4 p.m.
People gathered on rooftops and in parking lots to get a glimpse of the widebody aircraft.
In other Pratt & Whitney news, the company president sees improving military and commercial aerospace business, but not for a while.
David Hess, president of the subsidiary of United Technologies Corp., told reporters at the company's annual media day on Wednesday that the outlook is "pretty strong" toward the end of the decade. But he said Pratt & Whitney must navigate a few "transitional years."
High fuel costs and the weak economic recovery are pressuring airlines. But Hess said Pratt & Whitney's purchase of Rolls-Royce from a joint venture that makes engines for the Airbus A320 will boost engine deliveries by 2018.
On the military side, he said Pratt & Whitney's engine for the F-35 joint strike fighter will generate revenue long-term, even as Congress and the Obama administration consider Pentagon budget cuts now.
