The Boeing 787 will soon take to the skies for All-Nippon Airways. To mark the occasion, here’s a look back at my first flights on some of the great commercial aircraft of our era.
Dreamliner
Boeing’s Dreamliner to Lift Off Today
Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner is set to fly this morning at 10 a.m. This is no ordinary airplane: Large-scale use of composites, a more comfortable cabin and super-efficient performance are all combining to let this widebody jet pave the way for the future.
This first flight has been delayed, and the delays have cost Boeing a pretty penny in sales. But when you’re pretty much starting from scratch rather than just replicating the past, you’re bound to have a few bumps. In Boeing’s case, the problems came from strikes and supplier problems.
To me, the bigger windows and higher cabin humidity will make this a comfy ol’ plane. The higher humidity won’t pose a threat to the mostly composite fuselage as it does to a conventional aluminum fuselage. I’m really excited for the 787 to get certified and start hitting the air. Aside from its technical cool factor, it’s also a really, really, ridiculously good-looking airplane.
The Seattle Times, naturally, is not missing this chance to flex its graphics and reporting muscle to cover this. Check out its monster Boeing spread!
Game-Changing Boeing 787 – First Flight Coming Soon?
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is reporting that the Boeing 787 might be going wheels-up for the first time before July 1.
Let’s hope so. The 787 has the potential to change travel for the better. I’m not just talking about its fuel economy, which is still a great step forward. I’m not talking about its higher cabin humidity and bigger windows, which will make travel more comfortable.
I’m mostly thinking of the sum of its benefits. With its fuel economy, any company considering phasing out a bunch of older planes should really have a good think about the 787. Yes, it’s a big wide-body twinjet. But imagine replacing five 737-800s with three 787s-3s: Depending on the seating configuration, you’d carry more people with fewer planes.
Long term, I’d bet that adds up to fuel savings, more passengers moved, fewer gate fees and fewer planes clogging the taxiways and airways. On that last point: Southwest Airlines sends a never-ending stream of 737s from Phoenix to LA. Call me crazy, but why not fewer flights in more airplanes? That means paying fewer crew members, too. And it would free up some gates that airports could use to entice other airlines – like you, Phoenix Sky Harbor, that so dreadfully lacks international carriers to major international destinations (hint, poke, hint, hint).
That could mean fewer flight delays, resulting in happier customers (especially when you factor in the cabin enhancements).
I know I’m not alone here, as the always-wise Patrick Smith of Ask the Pilot fame confirms. I remember that, back in the “old [...]
