Bellingcat Challenge #89 "Rainbow Vision" Writeup

This article was automatically translated from Japanese by AI.

Challenge

Bellingcat Challenge #89 “Rainbow Vision”

What is the ICAO type code of this aircraft?

Solution

A reverse image search of the distinctive pier in the photo identified it as Navy Pier in Chicago.

The image’s EXIF data showed a capture time of April 18, 2026, at 18:34:30. Treating this as Chicago local time (CDT, UTC-5), I converted it to 23:34:30 UTC on the same day.

Flightradar24’s historical playback suggests that the photo was taken from a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner (I made several unsuccessful attempts because I could not find the aircraft at the exact EXIF timestamp).

Flightradar24 historical playback showing UAL2011 near Chicago with the aircraft type listed as Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner

Source: Flightradar24, September 17, 2026

ICAO’s Aircraft Type Designators search showed that the ICAO type code for the 787-9 Dreamliner is B789.

ICAO Aircraft Type Designators search results showing B789 as the type designator for the 787-9 Dreamliner

Source: ICAO, September 17, 2026

Flag

B789