AGAINST a patch of blue sky, a passenger aircraft like no other in the world appeared over Derby.

Turning with a grace that belied its size, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner arced toward Rolls-Royce's Sinfin site, the sun catching its carbon-fibre wings as it did so.

Waiting patiently on the ground were thousands of Rolls-Royce staff, many of whom had devoted more than five years of their lives working on the Trent 1000 engines that power this futuristic aircraft.

Not more than 1,000ft above the ground, the Dreamliner swooped in like a bird of prey. See a video of it here.

The men at the controls, Boeing test pilots Ted Grundy and Mike Bryan, dipped the wings in celebration as they passed overhead.

The aircraft passed with a whoosh, rather than a roar – a testament to the quiet running of the Trent 1000 engines.

On the ground, the Rolls-Royce workers broke into spontaneous applause and cheering.

This was Boeing's thank-you to them.

Together, the two companies had worked to create what is being touted as the most environmentally-friendly aircraft to date.

Thanks to a combination of Rolls-Royce power and the fact the Dreamliner is made of lightweight composite material, it is 20% more fuel-efficient than conventional aircraft.

The fly-past over the Rolls-Royce site was a particularly proud moment for the one thousand or so workers who had been directly involved in the Trent project.

Dave Benbow, chief project engineer for the Trent 1000 programme, said: "We first started work on this in about 2004.

"We've had many long days working on this project, so to see the aircraft in the flesh was a real thrill.

"We've worked with the Boeing guys in America every day on this. As a consequence, a working day in Derby for us doesn't start until about 3pm our time.

"But it's been worth it. I think for everyone who worked on the programme, seeing the aircraft up there gave them a real boost.

"We're currently in the middle of developing another new engine, the Trent XWB, and I'm seeing the Dreamliner help give everyone involved in that an added push too."

Rob Wain, project manager for the Trent 1000, said: "This aircraft is five years of our lives. To see it flying above us made it real.

"I just felt a sense of pride seeing it up there. We feel like we have been involved in something pioneering.

"I also think it was a great gesture by Boeing to arrange for the Dreamliner to fly over Derby and recognise our involvement.

"I've heard from the pilots that our engines are performing really well. For us, that is nice to hear. We feel it is a job well done."

Dawn Pollitt, a PA working in group finance at Rolls-Royce, who stood outside her office to see the Dreamliner, said: "I couldn't believe how quiet it was. The Dreamliner means a great deal to people here and I'm glad to have finally seen it in action."

Martin Woole, a subsystems manager who worked on the fan blades of the Trent 1000, said: "To see it in the flesh was very satisfying."

Since its maiden test flight in December, the Dreamliner has been going through an intense testing programme at Boeing's Seattle base in order to achieve its certificate of airworthiness so that it can start flying paying passengers.

Last Sunday it made the trip to the UK, its first journey outside America, in order to make an appearance at the Farnborough International Air Show, which started on Monday.

Yesterday, it headed back to the USA, but not before taking a detour to Derby.

Staff at the site had been told to expect the aircraft sometime between 5.15pm and 5.45pm.

At 5.15pm, the Dreamliner then appeared on the horizon and came in across Rolls-Royce, right on schedule.

But the Dreamliner programme itself has not run to time. In fact, it has run a couple of years behind schedule as Boeing sought to perfect the design of the aircraft.

But Rolls-Royce workers who witnessed the fly-past seemed to agree that it had been worth the wait.

Andy Geer, Trent 1000 chief engineer, said: "It was a big moment seeing the Dreamliner over the Rolls-Royce site.

"I think the time is now right for the Dreamliner as the economy starts to show signs of recovery. I'm hopeful that in a couple of years' time the aircraft will be a common sight in our skies.

"But the fact that Derby was the first city outside of America to get up close and personal with the Dreamliner is something very special."

The Dreamliner's trip to the UK was all part of its testing programme.

Once in service it will be able to seat up to 290 passengers.

But as well as carrying passengers, the aircraft also carries the future hopes of Rolls-Royce in Derby as Boeing looks to secure more orders from airlines in the coming years.

This should mean more engine deals coming Rolls-Royce's way.

But Rolls-Royce is not the sole engine supplier for the Dreamliner. Rival General Electric also makes engines for the 787.

However, Rolls-Royce is the lead engine supplier and already has orders for 520 Trent 1000s from 20 airlines.

Its engines are also performing the lion's share of the current testing programme.

If all goes well, then full production on the Dreamliner will begin later this year. The first airline to get its hands on one will be Japan's All Nippon Airways.

Thomson Airways will be the first UK airline to take delivery of a Dreamliner in January 2012.

Don Ruhmann, Boeing's director of propulsion systems for the Dreamliner, was at Rolls-Royce yesterday to witness the fly-past.

He said: "Rolls-Royce has worked in partnership with us and it has done an incredible job.

"I'm delighted that we were able to arrange this fly-past. There's a lot of people who have worked incredibly hard to make the Dreamliner a reality.

"We firmly believe we have a product that will prove extremely popular with airlines worldwide because it is so fuel efficient."