[1] General Electric Aircraft Engines (now known as GE Aerospace) purchased the aircraft after Pan Am’s bankruptcy to serve as an airborne laboratory, specifically for testing jet engines from GE and its joint venture partners.

[1] The aircraft received several modifications, including removing seats, strengthening the left wing and tail for flight testing and installing data systems.

The company could then measure fuel burn and engine performance while also subjecting the test engine to difficult conditions such as a high angle of attack during aircraft stalls, zero-G operations, large sideslips and sustained flight in icing conditions.

In 2003, GE's flight test operations moved into a new hangar at the nearby Victorville Airport.

Facing growing maintenance costs, difficulty obtaining parts and a lack of modern navigation systems, GE made the decision to retire the aircraft.