On 18 June 1977, the 747 and Enterprise combo went aloft on the first "captive active" test. Inside the Shuttle, Fred Haise and Gordon Fullerton had a magnificent view; not being able to see any portion of the carrier aircraft added to the illusion that they were alone in the sky.

The flight lasted nearly an hour and all objectives were achieved. The test data indicated that the Space Shuttle was buffet- and flutter-free up to the maximum speed attained on the flight, over 320 kilometers per hour.