This was the thirty-fourth Boeing 747SP to be constructed and the third of its type to be added to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) fleet from the order placed with Boeing on December 19, 1978. Rolled out at Everett on June 17, 1980 it was equipped with Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7J engines. Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N1304E its maiden flight took place on July 11, 1980. Accepted at Paine Field on September 23, 1980 it was configured to seat 30 First Class and 261 Economy Class passengers.

This aircraft operated C.A.A.C.'s first revenue service from the United States when it departed Seattle's Tacoma International Airport on October 01, 1980 on a Seattle - Shanghai - Seattle round trip. This was the first of six such flights organised by General Motors Corporation as part of their sales incentive program. The flights had to be sanctioned by the U. S. Government and as a further requirement the aircraft had to be on the U. S. Aircraft Register.

In later years the U. S. Government's requirement that aircraft operated by Chinese airlines flying to the United States had to be U. S. registered was relaxed. The aircraft was then added to the Chinese Aircraft Register as B-2452 on January 01, 1988.

B-2452 was transferred to Air China when it was established on July 01, 1988. Its formation was the result of the government's decision to split the operating divisions of Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) into separate airlines. Air China was given chief responsibility for intercontinental flights and took over the CAAC's long haul aircraft and routes when it was granted autonomy. This resulted in new airline titles and logos being applied to the aircraft.

When this aircraft was withdrawn from service it was sold to the UT Finance Corporation on November 12, 1999. It was entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N139SW and ferried to Victorville, California for storage. It was ferried to Plattsburgh International Airport, New York on May 31, 2001 for sale to Pratt & Whitney. It was reregistered as N747UT on October 29, 2010. It was observed at Plattsburgh on January 14, 2002 performing airborne tests with a PW4000 engine.

It was recorded as having flown 57,553 hours with 13,914 cycles on January 08, 2005. It underwent maintenance at Plattsburgh in August 2005. It was cancelled from the United States Aircraft Register on June 11, 2009 and entered onto the Canadian Aircraft Register as C-FPAW on June 25, 2009 and operated by Pratt & Whitney Canada. The aircraft is airworthy and registered in the 'experimental' category as it is currently used for airborne engine testing and other associated activities.

It was observed on June 20, 2011 performing a series of circuits at Montreal's Mirabel International Airport.