Boeing 787 Dreamliner ZA001. Check it out.
Do you like the Boeing 787 Dreamliner? Of course you do. Do you live in the Seattle area? Well, if you do come check out the very first Boeing 787 Dreamliner (ZA001) at the Museum of Flight on October 9th from 10am to 5pm. Here is the schedule:
10 am to 5 pm: 787 Number One on view in the Museum parking lot. Free. Up-close viewing with Museum admission. Flight simulators in the Museum’s Aviation Learning Center configured to fly like 787. Free with admission to the Museum.
11 am: Dreamliner Family Workshop. Free with admission to the Museum. ’œTip-to-Tail Tour’ of 787. Free with admission to the Museum.
1 pm: Dreamliner Family Workshop. Free with admission to the Museum.
1:30 pm: Lecture: Dreamliner Program Overview with Boeing Chief Pilot Randy Neville. A pilot who flew the plane on its historic first flight, Boeing Chief Pilot Randy Neville, will talk about the Dreamliner program during a 1:30 p.m. presentation at the Museum. Neville will provide an overview of the Dreamliner and its test flights. Since the maiden flight on Dec. 15, 2009, specially outfitted 787s have been actively flying in an extensive and demanding flight program to test the new technologies developed for Dreamliner. The 787 has since achieved FAA certification, and deliveries of new 787 airliners recently began on Sept. 26, 2011.
3 pm: ’œTip-to-Tail Tour’ of 787. Free with admission to the Museum.
Unfortunately, there will not be access to the interior of ZA001, but it doesn’t really have an interior anyhow, so that is okay. To learn more, check out the Museum of Flight’s website.
United's first Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
It is always a special treat to get inside the Boeing Factory. Even more so, when one is able to bring a camera. During the standard Boeing Factory tour, guests are not allowed to take any photos. Even during special media events where Boeing has allowed cameras, they have not allowed journalists the opportunity to be on the 787 factory floor. During ANA’s delivery event, media was invited to take a tour of the 787 Dreamliner line, on the factory floor and I wanted to share some of the photos.
An Ethiopian Boeing 787 Dreamliner on the factory floor.
United's first Dreamliner from the factory floor.
A completed nose section of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner on the factory floor.
Ethiopian, United and Air India Boeing 787s.
APU on the back of the Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Check out the 777 stairs that have been modified for 787 use.
CHECK OUT MORE BOEING FACTORY PHOTOS
and some from ANA’s 787 delivery ceremony
ANA's first Boeing 787 Dreamliner (JA801A) waits in the dark next to the Future of Flight
It was cold, dark and windy, but all worth it to catch the delivery flight of All Nippon Airways’ (ANA) first Boeing 787 Dreamliner delivery flight.
Media watches on as ANA's first 787 gets pushed back.
ANA’s first 787 (JA801A was parked next to the Future of Flight as airline employees loaded up and prepared for their flight to Haneda (HND). The flight was scheduled to take off around 6:35am, but was delayed a bit until about 7:15am. This was okay, since it allowed a little more light before lift off. The aircraft lined up and took off heading south. After lift off, the pilots waved the wings to say good bye.
JA801A lines up for take off at Paine Field.
It was very emotional for Boeing employees who were gathered on the Strato Deck on top of the Future of Flight. Some had tears of happiness, since so much of their life has been tied up in making the 787 successful.
ANA pilots wave the wings as they head off to Japan.
JA801A will be arriving in Tokyo just before 9am local time to another great celebration. You can follow the flight status on FlightAware.com.
MORE PHOTOS OF THE ANA 787 DREAMLINER DELIVERY FLIGHT
500 employees walk with ANA's Boeing 787 Dreamliner during the delivery celebration today.
It was cold and it was very wet, but the celebration was still great. The event was set up outside the Boeing Factory at Paine Field. By the stage was ZA002 in standard ANA livery and down the way sat the 24th 787 with special ANA 787 livery (JA802A). The first 787 to go to ANA, JA801A, was seen parked next to the Future of Flight for its first flight early tomorrow morning. Almost right on time, the 787 in special ANA livery was pulled towards the stage with 500 Boeing employees walking with it.
Scarfs were handed out and then raised in celebration during the 787 Delivery event. A 787 (ZA002) looks on.
After JA802A arrived to the stage, everyone cheered. Hundreds of Boeing workers stood in the rain while executives from both Boeing and ANA talked about this historic event. The first 787 for ANA, JA801A is set to take off tomorrow at 6:35am PDT. Boeing will offer another live feed via their website and I will be there on Twitter as well.
Boeing employees huddle under the 787 Dreamliner to get out of the rain.
“Today we celebrate a significant moment in the history of flight,” said Jim McNerney, Boeing chairman, president and CEO. “The 787 Dreamliner is the biggest innovation in commercial aviation since the Boeing 707 introduced the world to passenger jet travel more than 50 years ago. I want to thank ANA and all the employees of Boeing and our partner companies for the talent, technology and teamwork that have brought this game-changing airplane to life.”
During the ceremony, Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Jim Albaugh presented a ceremonial key to Shinichiro Ito, president and CEO of ANA.
“It’s not often that we have the chance to make history, do something big and bold that will change the world in untold ways and endure long after we are gone,” said Albaugh. “That’s what the 787 Dreamliner is and what ANA and Boeing have done together ’“ build what truly is the first new airplane of the 21st century.”
Be sure to check these too:
* MORE OF MY 787 DELIVERY PHOTOS
* Great roof shot of both aircraft from Boeing
* Gallery from the Seattle PI
This Boeing 787 will be celebrated today around the world.
Today is the day of the official Boeing 787 Dreamliner delivery ceremony. Be sure to catch it live via Boeing’s website and Twitter. The ceremony is only supposed to last until about 9:30am PDT, so do not miss it. The aircraft will be leaving Paine Field tomorrow morning at about 7am PDT. There will be no media on board the first flight, just ANA employees, but media will be present at the lift off (including myself).
The 787 delivery will be completed outside Boeing’s factory and let’s hope for good weather. Right now, the forecast is rain (I know, surprising right?), but either way, this event is happening.
As announced yesterday, the aircraft is already officially ANA’s. This event will celebrate this historic delivery and I am told there might be some “pulling” of the heart strings.
