Boeing 787 Dreamliner at Farnborough with Spitfires (click for larger)
Boeing 787 Dreamliner at Farnborough with Spitfires (click for larger)
Boeing 787 Dreamliner at Farnborough (click for larger)
Boeing 787 Dreamliner at Farnborough (click for larger)
Boeing 787 Dreamliner at Farnborough (click for larger)
Boeing 787 Dreamliner at Farnborough (click for larger)
If you follow aviation or airlines, you probably heard about the Boeing 787 Dreamliner going to the Farnborough air show recently. It going was awesome, but it leaving was pretty cool too. Not the fact that it left, but how it left…being escorted by two Spitfires.
I arrived at the Future of Flight at about 9am to get ready for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner ZA005 to take flight. The weather wasn’t doing so great with mist, fog, and a low ceiling. There was no official time, but I was guessing 10am based on previous first flights. I thought the plan would be for ZA005 to complete high-speed taxi tests and then take off. However, time kept going and ZA005 just sat there. I heard a few different rumors of the reason, from a low ceiling to the chase plane not being ready. At least we got to watch a brand new Cathay Pacific Boeing 777 take off and land.
I had worked hard (took me three different ways) to get my iPhone hooked up to my tri-pod, so I could do a live feed while recording in HD, but I ended up having to tear it apart anyhow.
At 12:20pm I had to leave for an appointment I couldn’t miss. Since I promised a live feed, I left my iPhone with Sandy at the Future of Flight to do the live feed for me (THANK YOU SO MUCH SANDY)! However at about 2pm I got done with my appointment and made my way to a computer and saw the ZA005 had not taken off. BOO YA!
I hurried back and as I pull in I could see people along the fence still watching, so I knew I hadn’t missed anything. I grabbed my video camera and ran. Just as I got to the top of the hill and video camera turned on, ZA005 started rolling. For just running up a hill and not having a tri-pod ready, I don’t think the video turned out half bad.
I am never going to get sick of watching the 787 Dreamliner take off. They are so graceful, queit and oh man watching those wings bend is amazing. I am going to write up a blog with a little more information on these new GEnx engines being tested out today.
Over all I think the live feed function went well. By the time ZA005 took off there were 250 people watching the feed. I am excited to use that feature in future events.
A few Boeing 787's among other Boeing products from the sky. That is the Future of Flight in the background. Photo by Liz Matzelle
Saturday was the first sunny day in the Seattle area in a long time. The whole thing about Seattle always being rainy is normally not all true…however the past week and a half it sure has felt like it.
On Saturday Liz Matzelle (@ImperfectSense) was able to get a flight above Paine Field (KPAE) and she took some pretty sweet photos. Can you identify the planes in all her photos?
Capt. Ishii and Capt. Carriker relax in the flight deck between missions. From Boeing.
To be one of the lucky few that get to fly the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Until recently, only Boeing folks got the opportunity to fly the airplane. Two All Nippon Airways, who will be the Dreamliner’s first customer, pilots got to take the Dreamliner for a spin.
The flight lasted about two and a half hours, but won’t count towards the Dreamliner’s certification.
This also we are one step closer for the first Boeing 787 to be delivered and the general public gets to start flying in them!
Picture of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner from the Boeing 40C
Well, very carefully. From the AntiqueAirfield website, “The plan was for the Boeing 787 to intercept our flight of three with an overtake on our right side with the Boeing 40 in the foreground and 787 Dreamliner in the background of the photo. The Bonanza was lead for our flight of 3. Two conference calls with Boeing flight test were conducted the morning of the flight to confirm details. The Boeing 787 was light and could overtake us dirty at approximately 150 kts and clean at 190 knots. Our flight of 3 was stabilized at 90 knots. This would provide a 3-7 second photo window during each overtake pass.”
The Bonanza with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner in the background
Learn more about this amazing photo shoot (and see another photo) at AntiqueAirfield.com’s initial blog and newest blog.
