The First Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental gets some fresh air at Paine Field. Click for a MUCH larger version. Photo by/from Boeing.
We are now less than two weeks, away from the official roll out of the first Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental. On the Sunday the 31st this photo was taken by Boeing as the plane was being moved over to the paint hangar. In less than two short weeks on February 13th at about 11am, the aircraft will officially be unveiled to the world at a special ceremony at the Boeing factory.
The lucky folks who attended Aviation Geekfest 2010 were able to get a glimpse of the first 747-8I in person and I have to say she is one very beautiful bird. You better believe I will be there to see her debut on the 13th — it is a special valentines day gift for us airline geeks.
For those of you able to come hang out at Paine Field on the 13th, I invite you to come early, check out the Future of Flight and Boeing factory tour for a possible glimpse of the aircraft before it is unveiled to the world.
Still no word on who the owner of this amazing plane will be. I am told it is a private buyer and I know that all eight Boeing Business Jet orders for the 747-8 are for governments. If anyone is able to track down the owner, that would be awesome to share either via comments or always confidential via email (da***@ai*************.com)
One large hangar holds all the airplanes in the Flying Heritage Collection
Around the world there are a lot of old war birds on display for many to enjoy. However, there aren’t too many that are kept in original condition and are still flyable. This is one of the things that makes the Flying Heritage Collection (FHC) stand out from others. Recently I was able to take a visit to the facility to check it out — sadly I had never been.
One of the first things I noticed when going inside the old hangar, housing the aircraft, was the smell. This is something that will not come through in the photos, but it is an important part of the experience. You can smell the fluids of the aircraft. When visiting most museums there is no smell since the aircraft have not flown in years. It feels like you are walking into a full operational hangar — and in a way you are.
Of course the smell is not the only special part of the facility, you have got to love those planes. At first site, it might seem the Flying Heritage Collection is about showing off a very slick collection of aircraft, but it is not only about the story of the planes, but also the story of technology. Finding any of these aircraft is a hard thing to do, but to find them in flying form is extremely rare. The FHC works hard to refurbish the aircraft with as many original parts as possible. Somethings like wiring needs to be updated according the FAA, but they will re-wire the plane and wrap them all in the original fabric to keep to as close to rolling out of the factory as possible.
There are two aircraft in the collection that are flyable, but are not flown. The Focke Wulf D-13 Dora and the Nakajima Ki-43-1B Hayabusa Oscar are the only examples of their kind left. The FHC doesn’t want to fly them for fear that they might be damaged or even worse crash and then there would be none left for the world to enjoy.
It is a bit surprising, when first walking into the hangar, you do not see planes, but tanks. These are a new additions to the collection and just like the airplanes, they both work. These are a new addition to the facility and were added last Memorial Day. The Soviet T-34 and a German Jagdpanzer 38(t) obviously aren’t planes, but they help to tell the story of updates in technology produced through war. Just like the airplanes, these tanks are fully functional and are able of shooting.
The Flying Heritage Collection is located at Paine Field in Everett, WA
Taking a look at the airplanes is quite exciting, but the FHC does a good job putting the aircraft into perspective. As you would expect in a facility like this, every airplane has a place card explaining the basics of the aircraft, but they also give a history of that individual airplane, which was quite interesting. On the walls around the facility are story boards about how each country interacted with the aircraft and gives a bit more historical significance. Hanging from the ceiling are banners that explain when new technologies were discovered. For example, there was a banner that explained in 1942 ejection seats were invented and increased the odds of a pilot’s survival. It is interesting to compare the dates from the banners with the dates the aircraft were produced.
When I asked about how much each aircraft cost, I was told “a lot.” I would imagine that “a lot,” might be an understatement, it can’t be cheap to keep the planes in the condition that they are. Cost of the aircraft really isn’t a huge issue, since the facility is owned by Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft and chairman of Vulcan. On top of giving a lot of his money away for good causes, he also has a lot of fun toys. Luckily for us, he has decided to share his collection of warbirds with the public through his non-profit organization, Friends of Flying Heritage that supports the collection.
The oldest aircraft they have is the Curtis JN-4D Jenny - and it still flies.
The collection was open to the public in 2004 and was housed in Arlington, WA (about an hour north of Seattle, WA). In 2008 they moved to their current facility right on Paine Field. Right now there is only one more slot left for another plane and I was told they might have to start storing aircraft in Arlington and rotate them through the collection. Although it would be better to see all the collection at any given time, this also means you might be able to catch one flying between the two airports, which is always a good thing.
If you haven’t done so already, head on over to the Flying Heritage Collection and check them out. Tickets are only $12 and less for kids and seniors. Also be sure to make it to Paine Field for their Free Fly Days when you can watch them fly for free over the summer. They will fly the planes 10 different days over the summer, kicking it off during General Aviation Day.
I will be adding this write up in the Aviation in Seattle page, it should make a great addition. A special thanks to the Flying Heritage Collection and Snohomish County Tourism Bureau for setting up my visit.
MORE FUN STUFF:
* 29 Photos of my visit to the collection
* See photos of the planes flying from Liz Matzelle (be sure to catch the one with 787 ZA005 and the spitfire)
* Flying Heritage Collection Facebook page
* Build your own warbird on their website
* Photos of the tanks firing at Paine Field last year from the SEattle PI
Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 777-200LR (ET-ANP) at Paine Field. Click for more photos.
Ah, the life of waiting for a first flight in Seattle: cold, rain, wind, but no Boeing 787 Dreamliner. ZA102, the ninth Dreamliner, was set to take off for the first time today, but it has been pushed until at least tomorrow, Tuesday. The engines started up for a while, but then shut down and the left cowl was opened up. This didn’t mean Paine Field was short of any action this morning. There were two Boeing 777’s that took off, one Boeing 747-8 (BOE503) and a few Ryanair Boeing 737’s that did touch and goes.
CHECK OUT THE EYE CANDY FROM PAINE FIELD
ZA102 sitting on the factory floor in June 2010. Photo by Jon Ostrower.
Jon Ostrower (via Flight Blogger) and Matt Cawby (via KPAE blog) have both confirmed that the 9th Boeing 787 Dreamliner (ZA102 – N1006F), will be taking flight from Paine Field tomorrow. Although Boeing doesn’t confirm the time of lift off, I assume it should be around 10am.
ZA102 will be the first Dreamliner to actually be delivered to an airline and fly passengers. It is painted in the All Nippon Airways (ANA) tail, but has a white body. It is expected that ANA will have a special livery for this Dreamliner.
If you are in the Seattle area and have Monday off, head on over to Paine Field and experience a Dreamliner taking off for the first time. The weather says it will most likely rain, but that shouldn’t stop you. I am hoping to try and do a live video feed via my iPhone, but we shall see how it goes. Follow Twitter for the updates on the first flight of ZA102.
We are all still waiting on Boeing’s updated delivery schedule for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner after ZA002’s fire. For more information on the rest of the 787 test fleet, check out Ostrower’s most recent blog.
UPDATE HERE
Image: Jon Ostrower
Air New Zealand's first Boeing 777-300ER (ZK-OKM) parked next to the Future of Flight at Paine Field
Yesterday was quite the amazing day. Air New Zealand took delivery of their first Boeing 777-300ER. Not only is this the first of five that Air New Zealand will take delivery on, this aircraft also showcases their new interior and new slightly updated livery.
Many different companies will hype something as being new and “the next best thing,” then when you actually see it, you are left feeling disappointed. I have been looking forward to Air New Zealand’s new interior since they announced their Sky Couches almost a year ago (heck, I even gave the seats an “Awesome Medal“). What better way to check out the new interior than catch the plane’s first flight with passengers? Air New Zealand was kind enough to invite me to their delivery ceremony (I will blog about the actual delivery in the future) and get a tour of the plane before taking a short flight down to Los Angeles (disclaimer: I did not pay for the Air New Zealand flight to LAX, but did pay for a flight back to Seattle).
The flight deck of the Boeing 777-300ER.
This new interior was set to premier in Air New Zealand’s first Boeing 787 Dreamliner, but due to the delays they decided to put the interior on their Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. When first walking on, you can tell it is different. Modern, clean, trendy and it smelled good. If you like that new car smell, you would love new airplane smell.
The best seats start at the front of the plane and work their way back. And when I say front, I mean the very front. The cockpit of the Boeing 777-300ER is very roomy and someplace I wouldn’t mind hanging out for a few hours. Although they might be best seats in the house, you aren’t able to buy your way into them (other than putting in the time to be a pilot).
These are the very roomy Business Select seats up front.
The best seats you can actually pay for are located in the Business Premier section at the front of the plane. They have what you expect to see in a premium long haul international seat plus some. They provide a totally flat bed (with memory foam top), a cozy duvet, fluffy pillows, in-flight entertainment and a nice big table you can use to dine alone or with a guest on the small guest seat. The seats are tilted which can give you quite a bit of privacy, but they still allow you to have a conversation with those around you. I was lucky enough to be sitting in one of these seats on the delivery flight from Paine Field (PAE) to LAX and I have to say it was quite impressive (I am actually writing this at the seat right now with a laptop, food, paperwork, drink and camera on the table as well).
These are the clever Premium Economy seats at a slight angle.
The next option is Premium Economy. Some American airlines might have “premium economy” where it is a standard economy seat with a few more inches of room or near the front of the plane. These are high-end seats that provide ample room and entertainment. The seats do not lie-flat, but it still wouldn’t stop someone from having a good rest. The angle provides a good fit if you are traveling alone and want some privacy, but it is not enough to hinder two people flying together.
The very comfy Sky Couch seen enroute to LAX.
Who says that economy can’t be made fun? When heading farther back into the aircraft you come to black economy seats, but some of these seats are created better than the others. There are 20 sets of seats on the aircraft that can be transformed into a sky-couch. This is a great feat not only for Air New Zealand and Recaro (the company that designed them) but also the future of airline travel. Even though the couch provides a 5’1″ length, I was able to lay down and be quite comfortable at 6’1″. Lie-flat seats have been all the rage in First and Business Class seats for international airlines and Air New Zealand wanted to take it to the next level in economy. However, I plan to detail the Sky Couch seats in more detail in a future blog, since they deserve one.
This is economy class, where you will find the Sky Couch and standard economy seats.
If you do not get a Sky-Couch economy seat, do not worry, things still aren’t too shabby. The remainder of the seats are your standard economy seats. Each one still has their own in-flight entertainment screen, PC power and USB and iPod connections (all the seats on board do). You also get a nice little foot net to change up your seating position during those longs flights.
No matter where you are sitting, you are able to enjoy Air New Zealand’s new food options. All seats allow passengers to order food from their seat anytime during the flight. Meal service on your terms, not according to the clock. This Boeing 777-300ER is is the first aircraft to have induction ovens allowing the airline to offer more food choices for customers. Want your steak medium-rare? Sure thing (Well, Business Select are the only folks to get steak. But other classes do have other great food options). Since our flight was so short we weren’t able to experience the entire meal, but they did offer an array of high-end snacks like shrimp, duck and lamb. If the food served is any indication of the full meals, I am quite impressed.
Check out this window in the restroom.
The aircraft has nice little touches as well. In a few of the lavatories you will actually find a window to the outside. Nothing like seeing the terrain below as you do your business. If you do not want to look out the window, others have interesting images on the wall, like a bookshelf and chandelier. There are other neat additions like a concierge area (and there is a concierge on-board too) to help you find what to do when you arrive at your destination. If you have kids, they can enjoy story time with one of the on-board crew. Otherwise you have a great in-flight entertainment system with quite a few options — all free. Of course, I think one of the coolest features was the service (and that New Zealand accent).
The two hour flight to LAX was way too short. I would have loved to stay on-board and experience the luxury and near luxury treats for a full 13hr test flight down to Auckland. However, since it is close to the holidays I had to make my way back up to Seattle instead. I hope this is not the last time I come in contact with one of Air New Zealand’s Boeing 777-300ER’s.
CHECK OUT ALL 102 PHOTOS FROM THE DELIVERY FLIGHT
* News video on the SkyCouch (at 0:48 you can see me as I wrote this blog and 1:30 a few words)
* Photos and video of the Air New Zealand Boeing 777-300ER taking off from Paine Field
