Boeing 787 Dreamliner ZA005 at Paine Field. I took this photo earlier today from the Future of Flight
I have received word that the fifth Boeing 787 Dreamliner (ZA005) will be conducting taxi tests early next week and hearing first flight maybe mid-week. Being the fifth 787 to take flight, it might just seem like another day for most people, but the ZA005 is significant. It will be the first Boeing 787 Dreamliner to lift off using General Electric GEnx engines. The first four (ZA001, ZA002, ZA003, ZA004) have all flow with Rolls Royce Trent 1000 engines.
You can be sure I will be there to cover the lift off. I am interested to see how the GEnx engines sound versus the RR ones.
I was looking around for some photos of ZA005 with the GEnx engines, but wasn’t finding any. It is such a beautiful day, I decided to head to Paine Field and get some of my own. While getting ZA005 photos, I also got quite a few other ones. One of the benefits of living in the Seattle area!
I was also playing with streaming live video and got it to work, so I am hoping to offer this during first flight of ZA005 as well. If you want to be notified anytime I am doing a live feed, make sure to create a QIK account and add me as a friend.
Today the third (although it was the second one made) Boeing 747-8 Freighter (N5017Q) took to the sky. The first flew on February 8th and the second just took off on March 14th. I missed the second take off, but was able to make it to the Future of Flight to see RC521 take to the skies earlier today.
At the time of posting this, the 747-8 did a loop over the Olympic Peninsula and now is headed towards Moses Lake, WA. When watching the video, be sure to hear all the frek’n frogs that were croaking by the Future of Flight.
The day started out pretty foggy today and the first flight of the Boeing 747-8 was delayed for a few hours. It was well worth the wait, because when she took the air, the sun was out and the sky was blue. The Boeing 747-8 was surprisingly quiet on take off and the chase planes made much more noise.
The Boeing 747-8 is scheduled to be in the air until 4:22pm, when it will land back at Paine Field (and I will be there to take video/pictures).
I will be on the Future of Flight Strato Deck taking pictures and video of the event. Check back on this blog for all the updates, pictures and video of this morning’s first flight.
NOTE: Some people have asked if they can use my pictures and video — yes please. I just ask you give credit and link back to my blog!
UPDATE 9:10am: It is mighty foggy right now. Just watched a Emirates Boeing 777 take off and it disappeared instantly into the clouds. Hopefully it burns off soon. Boeing employees are starting to gather along the runway. Posting a few foggy pictures to my Flickr.
UPDATE 10:30am: The first flight has been delayed due to weather.
UPDATE 10:50am: Been change to no definite flight time due to weather. We now just sit and wait. While waiting I uploaded a few more pictures to Flickr.
UPDATE 11:15am: Hearing the Boeing 747-8 could take off as early as noon. Also hearing 2pm. Stay tuned, I am not leaving!
UPDATE 11:50am: Told Boeing 747-8 flight flight should be happening with-in an hour. Starting to see blue in the sky.
UPDATE 12:43pm: She took off and looked wonderful! Great job to Boeing all of the people that made the first flight possible. Working to get photos and video up soon.
UPDATE 3:30pm: The Boeing 747-8 is still set to land at 4:22pm at KPAE.
Boeing 747-8 #1 out on the taxi way at Paine Field at 1:15pm today
Very shortly I am off to the Future of Flight to watch the Boeing 747-8 complete its taxi testing. This test is a great sign that the 747-8 is on her way to make her first flight on Monday. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner completed similar taxi testing just days before her first flight.
I will be updating this post with pictures and video as I collect them this morning. Also be sure to follow #7478TT on Twitter since there will be quite a few Twitter followers covering this event.
UPDATE 10:10am: Boeing 747-8 is still sitting still, no strobes, no engine start up yet.
UPDATE 10:45am: Strobes came on for a few minutes, then back off. Been entertained with two Boeing 777’s land, and now a Boeing 757 taking off. Updated my photos.
Boeing 747-8 engine smoke from the start up, partly blocked by a new Boeing 777
UPDATE 11:30am: Still nothing new. Strobes are still off, stairs are still at the doors. No word on what is causing the delay yet.
UPDATE 11:45am: Word is estimating engine start at around noon for the Boeing 747-8
UPDATE 12:30pm: Reports that the door is closed and stairs pulled away. Still no strobes or engine start yet.
UPDATE 1:00pm: The Boeing 747-8 has been pulled back and engines 3 & 4 have been started.
UPDATE 1:15pm: She is out on the taxi way now. Uploaded a bunch more pics of her coming out to the taxi way on my flickr (I haven’t edited or checked them, just putting them up for now)
UPDATE 4:00pm: During the last high speed test, it appeared the plane pulled to the right. Possible brake lock-up? After that it taxied back to its parking spot. Working on getting video up.
