Airline Reporter » Boeing 787

LIVE: Boeing 787 Dreamliner is Making an EPIC Flight Path Design

David Parker Brown — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:41:14 +0000

This Boeing 787 Dreamliner flight is EPIC!

This is a live shot (well about 5min old) of flight aware catching a Boeing 787 Dreamliner taking an interesting route east across the US. It might look a bit like a “787″ and the future path is showing that it might be in the process of making a “-8.”

I gave a quick call to Boeing and they aren’t will to say what is going on (yet), but I expect more details to be released once the plane lands back at 7am at KBFI (where it took off). Until then, you can spend the next 12 hours watching this Dreamliner make an epic flight.

Last August, Boeing did something similar with the 747-8, making a “747″ flight plan over the US during the 747-8F’s final test flight.

Working on more info and will update…

UPDATE: 7:45pm
Wow, I didn’t zoom out enough (thanks Pat) … The flight path shows not only are they making a “787-8″ but also the entire Boeing logo. You might be an AvGeek if watching this live gives you goose bumps! This is truly a work of art.

Did the special flight of this Boeing 787 get called off? Or is Flight Aware showing wrong info.

UPDATE: 7:55pm
Uh oh… the flight status is not showing the full Boeing logo anymore and now the aircraft is heading back to KBFI, with a return time of 10:51PM PST.

UPDATE 8:05PM
Flight Aware is not known to be the most accurate and now the landing time is showing at 8:34pm. My guess is the 787 is continuing on with its full logo.

On track to do the full logo.

UPDATE 8:20PM
Looks like the plane is making a nice arch up to the northeast and a sharp turn to the southeast, meaning it is still on track to make the full logo. According to Jon Ostrower, this is aircraft is ZA236 (which is set to be delivered to Air India) and is working the final flying certification flights for the GEnx-1B engines.

Gotta love Flight Aware.

UPDATE 8:55PM
Yea, I am going with Flight Aware doesn’t know what is going on. Looks like the aircraft is on target to making the origional design and I am not quite sure what this one is supposed to be.

Taken at 9:05PM PST, Flight Aware is back to showing the original flight plan that we haven't seen for a while.

Where is United Airline’s First Boeing 787 Dreamliner?

David Parker Brown — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:00:55 +0000

United Airline's first Boeing 787 Dreamliner (line number 45) on the factory floor on September 25, 2011.

A few weeks ago there were rumors that United’s first 787 Dreamliner might have gone into the paint booth. As an airline geek, this is exciting news. It would mean that we get to see the 787 in a United livery and we get to find out if United is going to dress their first 787 in a special livery.

As time passed and no 787 in United livery came out of the paint booth, I started to wonder… where the heck is United’s first Dreamliner?

I reached out to United and they said that their plane was out of the factory, but has not gone into paint. “We are quite excited for this revolutionary aircraft to join our fleet,” Mary Ryan with United Airlines communications explained to AirlineReporter.com. “As for the status of our first 787, unfortunately the rumor is untrue: the aircraft is out of the assembly process but has not yet gone into paint.”

Bummer, but my guess is that we won’t miss it since I expect United to celebrate their first aircraft.

There were other rumors that aircraft #45 might not be going to United Airlines anymore. No worries Boeing confirmed to me that, “there has been no change to the customer who will take delivery of [L/N45].”

The last rumor is that United is planning to paint their Dreamliner in a special livery. Although it is likely, my bet is do not expect a revolutionary change. My guess is that the globe will still be apart of the 787 and that United is not planning on an entirely new livery for their entire fleet. I know there are some of you hoping that United will unveil an entirely new livery starting with the 787 Dreamliner, but they have spent millions on transitioning to the globe and I highly doubt they will work towards another look.

The livery rumors will have to remain out there for the time being. We might just have to wait until the big unveil, which at this time no one knows when it will be.

A Look at ANA’s New Boeing 787 Dreamliner Livery and International Interior

David Parker Brown — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 17:40:48 +0000

All Nippon Airways (ANA) recently announced an updated livery for the Boeing 787s and finally they are being seen out in the wild. ANA’s third 787 (registered JA805A) was officially delivered on December 30th, but it was not flown to Japan until January 4, 2012.

On January 14th, JA805A was used on the 787′s first regularly scheduled international flight from Haneda (HND) to Beijing (PEK). JA805A is ANA’s first 787 to have their international interior configuration with new staggered business class seating. ANA’s fourth 787 Dreamliner (JA807A) was delivered and flown to Tokyo on January 13th and most likely will be used on the Handeda (HND) to Frankfurt (FRA) route that ANA expects to start on January 21, 2012.

Here are some photos showing JA805A and JA806A’s new livery and interior:

ANA Boeing 787 (JA805A) departing Haneda Rwy34R as ANA1255 in the morning of 14 Jan 2012. Photo by Runway21R.

First scheduled international flight of 787 Dreamliner (JA805A) from Haneda (HND) to Beijing (PEK) on January 14, 2012. Photo by Kentaro Iemoto.

ANA Boeing 787 (JA805A) departing Haneda Rwy34R as ANA1255 in the morning of 14 Jan 2012. Photo by Runway21R.

First scheduled international flight of 787 Dreamliner (JA805A) from Haneda (HND) to Beijing (PEK) on January 14, 2012. Photo by Kentaro Iemoto.

ANA JA806A parked at Paine Field on December 27, 2012. Photo by James Polivka.

ANA's configuration for long haul service. Image from ANA.

All images found on Flickr and done by:
* James Polivka
* Runway21R
* Kentaro Iemoto

Boeing Completed Delivery Paperwork on Third 787 Dreamliner to ANA in 2011

David Parker Brown — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 16:51:43 +0000

Boeing 787 Dreamliner JA805A landing at Paine Field on December 23rd.

I am just getting word directly from All Nippon Airways (ANA) that they did complete the paperwork on the 30th of December for the delivery of their third 787 Dreamliner. Although ANA will not take possession of the aircraft until January 4th, the airline considers the signing of the paperwork as the ”official delivery date.”

The aircraft will be JA805A (L/N 31), configured for long-haul international service.

Boeing had hoped to deliver five to seven Dreamliners in 2011, but additional delays hurt that timeline. They delivered their first 787 (JA801A) to ANA on September 27, 2011 and their second (JA802A) on October 15th, 2011.

Image: Jame Polivka

ANA Will Put Special Livery on all Their (Delayed) Boeing 787 Dreamliners

David Parker Brown — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 16:00:58 +0000

Starting with their 3rd 787, ANA will paint all future Dreamliners with this special livery. Photo from ANA.

That chances are that most of you who read this blog, won’t have any trouble telling the difference between a Boeing 787 Dreamliner and other aircraft. For those who might not have the keen-airliner-eye, it could be a bit more of a challenge. All Nippon Airways (ANA), the launch customer for the 787, is trying to make spotting them a bit easier with an updated livery just for their Dreamliners.

ANA’s first two 787s were painted in a unique livery to celebrate taking delivery of the 787 first. Starting with their third aircraft, the airline will have the numbers “787″ clearly painted on the side of the aircraft, where the rest of the livery will be unchanged. So when will ANA take delivery of their third Dreamliner? No one is certain, but Boeing is hoping before the end of the year (aka in two days).

Boeing has stated that they plan to deliver three more 787 Dreamliners to ANA before the calendar reaches 2012. This is yet another delay in the 787 schedule. Normally I am put off when almost any story that is written about the 787 includes the word “delay” — many times even in the title. However, this is a whole new delay and just because Boeing delivered their first two 787s does not mean there aren’t new aircraft hiccups that keep popping up.

According to the Seattle Times, Boeing was planning to deliver five to seven Dreamliners by the end of the year, which is still less than they origionally planned. Then the FAA found some issues with wiring and now Boeing is struggling to deliver any additional 787s to ANA before 2011 is over .

Originally, ANA had hope to take delivery of their third Dreamliner in November and wanted to use it on flights from Tokyo to Beijing in December. Instead, it sits at Paine Field, waiting to head to Japan. At least ANA is enjoying the two 787s they are currently operating (JA801A and JA802A). Airline spokeswoman Jean Saito told the Seattle Times that, “the first two Dreamliners, operating on domestic routes in Japan, have had a smooth entry into service.”

The rumors I am hearing is that Boeing is seriously planning to deliver at least one additional 787 Dreamliner to ANA in the next few days. That doesn’t leave much time — I only hope that the rumors are true.

ANA Boeing 787 Dreamliner to Fly from Seattle and San Jose to Tokyo

David Parker Brown — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 16:18:55 +0000

ANA's first Boeing 787 Dreamliner at Paine Field. Soon we will see these at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

It has been announced by All Nippon Airways (ANA) that Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) will be one of the international destinations for their Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Starting in 2012, the airline will offer a non-stop flight from Seattle to Narita Airport in Tokyo.

Mr. Shinichiro Ito, ANA Group President and CEO said,”We are very pleased to announce the launch of long-haul international services from Tokyo to Seattle. This city is an important destination on the U.S. West Coast and is home to companies such as Microsoft, Amazon, Starbucks and, of course, Boeing itself. We are confident that passenger demand to fly to Seattle will be high, not only in Japan but other Asian cities.”

ANA also announced that they will start flights from Narita to San Jose, CA. Not that San Jose getting the 787 is any less exciting, it is just the fact that I am based in Seattle and have been really hoping that ANA would start 787 service here.

Not only will both airports receive service from ANA, but both will also get the Dreamliner for the first time. This is a great example on how the Dreamliner will change how airlines do business; offering point-to-point flights between destinations that might not have the demand for a larger aircraft like the Boeing 777 or 747.

“We are very pleased to announce the launch of further international Dreamliner services to these two new destinations on the west coast of the United States,” Shinichiro Ito, President and CEO of ANA Group stated in a press release.” We will make full use of the efficiencies of the 787 as well as capitalizing on our close relationship with United and Continental Airlines to enhance the competitiveness of our joint ventures with these two Star Alliance partners.”

Congratulations to Ethiopian Airlines for Joining the Star Alliance

David Parker Brown — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 12:12:36 +0000

Ethiopian

Ethiopian DC3 taken in 1973. Photo by Christian Hanuise via Wikipedia

On December 13th, Ethiopian Airlines was welcomed into the Star Alliance. This is just one of quite a few major steps that the African airline has taken in recent years.

The airline started operations in 1946 and is the flag carrier of Ethiopia. It is currently owned 100% by the government and has grand plans for the next few years, which they call, “Vision 2025.” Their vision is not only to grow the airline, but to, “contribute positively to socio economic development of Ethiopia in particular and the countries it operates in general by undertaking its corporate social responsibilities and providing vital global air connectivity.”

In November 2010, the airline took delivery of their first Boeing 777 and they currently operate a fleet of five of the wide bodied aircraft. They aren’t stopping with just 777s, they are looking to the future and have orders for ten Boeing 787s and 12 Airbus A350s. Joining the Star Alliance is just one step in Ethiopian Airlines becoming more of a global player.

A far cry from the DC-3: Ethiopian Airlines first 787 Dreamliner on the Boeing Factory Floor in Sept 2011.

“It is another historical milestone for Ethiopian to join this most prestigious and longest serving Alliance in the world,”said Tewolde Gebremariam, CEO Ethiopian Airlines via a press release. “This day will remain colourfully marked in our history book. It is in line with our efforts to lay a strong foundation for the airline to achieve its vision 2025 objectives.”

If you like the airline, do not waste your time just buying a model. They are actually selling three Boeing 757-200ERs via their website right now. Talk about a great gift for the holidays!

Want a bit more? My friend and NYCAviation.com writer Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren recently took some flights on Ethiopian and reviewed their business class (cloud nine) and economy class products.

Boeing Round Up: Southwest 737MAX Order, 787 Dream Tour, 777 ETOPS and More

David Parker Brown — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:00:30 +0000

Over the past week I have been receiving many different press releases from Boeing – most of which I wanted to share, but haven’t had the time to give them the attention that they deserve. To make sure that they all get a little attention, I decided to do this round up to touch base on what’s going on with Boeing. There are a few more story lines that I hope to go into a bit more detail over the next few days, but for now…

HI RES (click for bigger): Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8. Photo by Boeing.

SOUTHWEST AIRLINES BECOMES LAUNCH CUSTOMER FOR THE 737 MAX
On December 13th, Boeing announced that Southwest airlines placed an order for 150 of the 737 MAX and would become the launch customer the new version of the 737.

“Southwest is a special Boeing customer and has been a true partner in the evolution of the 737,” said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Jim Albaugh. “Throughout our 40-year relationship, our two companies have collaborated to launch the 737-300, 737-500 and the Next-Generation 737-700 – affirming the 737 as the world’s preferred single-aisle airplane. As launch customer for the 737 MAX, Southwest, Boeing and the 737 continue that legacy.”

The firm order is Boeing’s largest in both dollar value and the number of aircraft ordered.

“Today’s environment demands that we become more fuel efficient and environmentally friendly, and as the launch Customer of the Boeing 737 MAX, we have accomplished both,” said Gary Kelly, Southwest Airlines Chairman, President, and CEO. “We are teaming up with our friends from Boeing to lead the industry in a way that makes both our shareholders and our Customers proud to associate with Southwest Airlines. Today’s announcement will allow us to maintain our position as a low-cost provider in the years ahead.”

VIDEO: Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 Max. Computer generated by Boeing. Thanks to Robert for pointing this out.

Air New Zealand's first Boeing 777-300ER at Paine Field. Photo by AirlineReporter.com.

BOEING 777 NOW HAS 330-MINUTE ETOPS
On December 12th, Boeing announced that its 777 received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to fly up to 330-minutes away from an alternative airport.

“Boeing twin-engine jets have flown more than 7 million ETOPS flights since 1985, and more than 120 Boeing operators fly more than 50,000 ETOPS flights each month,” said Larry Loftis, vice president and general manager 777 program. “This is the logical continuation of the Boeing philosophy of point-to-point service. Passengers want to minimize their overall travel time. This is one more step in that direction.”

To date, the 777 has flown more than 2 million ETOPS flights since June 1995 and 93% of 777s are flown on ETOPS routes.

“What this means is that the airplane is able to fly a straighter route between the city pairs and that’s good for the environment,” said Capt. David Morgan, chief pilot for Air New Zealand. “Less fuel is burned and less carbon dioxide is emitted into the atmosphere. It’s also good for customers because flights are potentially shorter and passengers could arrive sooner at their destinations.”

CHECKING IN WITH THE DREAMLINER WORLD TOUR
Boeing’s third Dreamliner, ZA003, is taking a six month journey around the world. Its first stop was in Beijing, China with different stops with-in China from December 4th to 11th.

“This great day demonstrates our partnership with China in pursuing aviation excellence,” said Marc Allen, Boeing China president. “Chengfei, Hafei and Shenfei — as exclusive and single-source Boeing suppliers — have made a great contribution to the success of the 787 program, producing the rudder, wing-to-body fairing, and vertical fin leading edge. We want to thank them for their role in making today possible.”

On the 11th, ZA003 flew over to Africa and became the first time a 787 has landed in that continent. From the 11th to the 14th, the 787 hung out in Nairobi and allowed Ethiopian Airline employees the chance to see the new aircraft they should be taking delivery of soon. ZA003 will remain in Africa until the 16th of December before flying to the Middle East with a stop in Doha to visit Qatar Airways.

At this point, Boeing has not announced future destinations, but I would imagine that ZA003 will continue to head west.

Graphic showing the record breaking Boeing 787 Dreamliner flight. Image is from GE. Click for larger.

THE 787 DREAMLINER BREAKS WORLD RECORDS
While ZA003 is traveling the world, ZA006 went and set some new world records. The 787 Dreamliner recently established two new records for speed and distance for the aircraft’s weight class.

From Boeing’s press release, “The sixth 787, ZA006, powered by General Electric GEnx engines, departed from Boeing Field in Seattle at 11:02 a.m. on Dec. 6 and set the distance record for its class (440,000-550,000 lbs.) with a 10,710 nmi (19,835 km) flight to Dhaka, Bangladesh, with credit for 10,337 nmi (19,144 km). This record had previously been held by the Airbus A330 based on a 9,127 nmi (16,903 km) flight in 2002.”

“Following an approximately two-hour stop for refueling in Dhaka, the airplane returned to Seattle on a 9,734 nmi (18,027 km) flight. The airplane landed at 5:29 a.m. on Dec. 8, setting a new record for speed around the world (eastbound) with a total trip time of 42 hours and 27 minutes. There was no previous around-the-world speed record for this weight class.”

Go Dreamliner go!

OTHER BOEING HEADLINES RECENTLY:
* FedEx announced order for additional 767 and 777 Freighters
* Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental Receives FAA Certification
* Ethihad Airways Orders 10 787-9 Dreamliners
* Boeing to Build New Everett Delivery Center at Paine Field

PHOTO: JAL’s First Boeing 787 Dreamliner in New Livery (updated)

David Parker Brown — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 17:50:41 +0000

HI RES IMAGE (click for larger). JAL's first Boeing 787 rolls out of the paint hangar in new livery. Photo by Boeing.

From Boeing’s press release: “The first Boeing (NYSE: BA) 787 Dreamliner to enter service for Japan Airlines (JAL) rolled out of the paint hangar last night. The airplane’s livery features the iconic new brand mark on its tail and underscores the airline’s commitment to provide the highest level of service to customers and contribute to the advancement of society. The logo is a distinct symbol of the airline which was the first Japanese carrier to fly internationally from Japan since 1954.”

This is the new livery that JAL first premiered on one of their Boeing 767s back in March 2011 and was shown off in drawings in January 2011. JAL already had multiple 787 Dreamliners painted in their older livery at Paine Field and it was assumed that they would be re-painted in the new livery before delivery.

The resurrection of the crane is to match the airline’s, “new philosophy and corporate policy which underscore the company’s re-commitment to provide the highest levels of service to customers and to raise its corporate value in order to contribute to the advancement of society.”

I have seen the livery in person a few times now on 767s and 737s and I have to say I am still not a huge fan of it. I am okay with simplicity and I realize this is a cultural thing with connecting with the airline’s roots, but give me a swooping cheatline or something. Although it does look better on the 787 vs the other aircraft I have seen.

What do you think of the new JAL livery on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner?

Design Your Own Boeing 787 Dreamliner Livery — It’s Easy!

David Parker Brown — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 15:00:58 +0000

I am not going to lie. This is the best livery possible. Can you do better? Click photo for full 360 interactive version.

WARNING! Reading this story might lead one to spend a good chunk of their day designing their own Boeing 787 liveries. Do not continue if you have other, more important things to do with your day.

All joking aside, Boeing has recently released the ability for anyone to create almost any livery on a 787 Dreamliner and it works pretty slick. You have to agree not to put cuss words on your plane and that you are over 18 and then you are given a clean, white 787 Dreamliner to start your design. You are able to add symbols, text, free hand and a much more in any color your heart desires. Although there are a few things that can become frustrating, the tool is relatively easy to use. The key is to remember that you need to make the same design on both sides, otherwise your design doesn’t really work in the 360 view.

Once you are done, you can submit it to the gallery and it takes about 24 hours for Boeing to approve your design. There are already quite a few designs to look through online now. Some are pretty amazing and some are… well not so amazing.

If the custom designs are not your thing, you can still check out the 787 in the livery of many airlines on NewAirplane.com.

So do you have what it takes? Take a shot and design your own livery and when you are done, leave a link to your design in the comments.

Video and Follow Up Thoughts on One’s First Boeing 787 Dreamliner Flight

David Parker Brown — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 17:30:59 +0000

It is hard to believe that it has been over two weeks since I took a ride on All Nippon Airways (ANA) second Boeing 787 Dreamliner (JA802A). Since then I have finally been able to get my video done (which is shared in this story) and it has allowed me to think more about flying on the 787 Dreamliner. I also reached out to a few others who were able to take a flight that week and see what their thoughts are after having a bit of time to mentally digest.

When flying in the 787 I knew it was different. It took off very smoothly and it was quiet as I expected it would be. I didn’t fully appreciate how nice it was until my flight home. The day after the 787 excursion, I was on a ANA Boeing 777-300ER back to LA. The 777 is by no means a bad aircraft and it seemed amazing when I flew to Tokyo, but it seemed very different on the way home. This was the exact same plane that I flew from LAX to Tokyo just a few days earlier. On my 777 flight to Japan, the 777 seemed new, fresh and comfortable. But flying on it after the 787, it now seemed outdated, cramped and not nearly as nice.

To be fair, this 777 did not have ANA’s newest staggered business class product, but the current one is not horrid. I think my perception of my 777 flight to Japan versus going home was a real eye opener on how different the 787 is to the airline business. In the words of Reading Rainbow, ”But you don’t have to take my word for it…”

Mount Fuji seen from ANA's second Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Guy Norris, who writes for Aviation Week and is @AvWeekGuy on Twitter:

AirlineReporter.com: What was your favorite part of the 787 flight?
Norris: The fact that despite I was with 240 of my newest, closest friends, the big windows and open architecture made the cabin feel larger than it actually was. The smoothness of the flight and the skyline of the windows gave the unusual sensation of almost flying in a dirigible – like a luxury airship. I didn’t expect that. Interestingly I found the light control on the window shade very useful for modulating light levels – like having sets of giant sunglasses with various tint levels.

Was it what you thought it would be?
It was just what I hoped – and expected.

Will it be difficult to fly on non-787 aircraft now?
It already is!

The view of the wing from the lavatory. Not too bad eh?

Chris Sloan who writes for Airways Magazine, runs Airchive.com and is President/Owner of 2c Media:

AirlineReporter.com: What was your favorite part of the 787 flight?
Sloan: I was absolutely in awe of that raked wing. Watching all the control surfaces react to gusts and chop was mesmerizing to me. I think you commented in a post how it’s difficult to appreciate from in-cabin just how curved up the dihedral is. I agree. The in-flight entertainment of the wing could not be beat. The positive, upbeat, convivial atmosphere of passengers and crew in being a part of history was equally wonderful to the aircraft itself.

Was it what you thought it would be?
I wouldn’t say anything could be better. As I think many of us have remarked, had the flight been the longer-haul, we would have been able to discern the affects on the lower pressurization and higher humidity on our well-being. It was very difficult to tell after just a 4 1/2 hour flight. I also actually wished for turbulence just to feel more of the gust suppression system’s affect. It really couldn’t have been better, well maybe… just a bit if I were sitting in Business Class…but I’m not complaining!

Will it be difficult to fly on non-787 aircraft now?
I flew back on an ANA Boeing 777-300ER. The service and aircraft were superb, so I wasn’t feeling any pain, but perhaps the question should be “will it be difficult to fly on a non-ANA, ordinary flight?” Now if I am an airline, I would say I would want every aircraft in my medium haul fleet to be a 787 to start reaping those savings now.

An Inside Look at the Third 787 Dreamliner’s New Interior

David Parker Brown — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 16:00:28 +0000

Boeing's third 787 Dreamliner ZA003 arrives in Dubai. Photo by Boeing.

Previously, Boeing’s third 787 Dreamliner, called ZA003, was a test bed for certifying the aircraft and only contained a partial interior. Now that the first two 787s have started operations with All Nippon Airways, Boeing decided to transfrom ZA003 from a testbed into a show horse. ZA003′s first stop is the Dubai Airshow, where she recently landed and showed off her new paint scheme containing 56 tail icons representing all the current Dreamliner customers.

HI-RESOLUTION (click for larger): The bar area, inside ZA003's entrance. Photo by Boeing.

Back in October, when Boeing reveled ZA003′s new livery in an updated Dreamliner livery, it was not clear what Boeing had in mind for the aircraft. Many assumed it would be used to promote the 787 and that is exactly what Boeing had in mind. ZA003 will be on display at the Dubai airshow from November 13th to 16th to drum up additional orders from airlines or heck, even private buyers — this is the middle east after all.

HI-RESOLUTION (click for larger): The new interior of ZA003. This is the first time seeing a 3-3-3 layout in the Dreamliner. Photo by Boeing.

Boeing has released some photos of ZA003′s new interior and I figured they were worth sharing. This is the first time seeing a real Dreamliner interior in a nine-abreast layout in economy. Both of ANA’s 787s have eight abreast in a 2-4-2 layout and ZA003 is set up in a 3-3-3 configuration.

Randy Tinseth, who is the Vice President, Marketing for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, stated on his blog, “For the first time that I’ve ever seen, the group turned right as they entered the door instead of turning left for the cockpit. That’s how excited they were to check out the interior of the airplane that we recently installed to highlight the passenger experience.”

Whoa, how things have changed. This is the inside of ZA003 taken in February 2010.

This is a huge improvement versus what the interior looked like previously. At the time, I remember thinking how great that ZA003′s interior first looked during my visit tour inside. Now, it looks quite lame, compared to it’s updated interior and that of ANA’s 787s.

So, where will ZA003 go next? Boeing is not quite saying. “As we’ve mentioned we have big plans for this airplane but we’re not quite ready to spell them out at this time,” Boeing spokesperson Scott Lefeber explained to AirlineReporter.com. “Planning for large events is complex and requires a great deal of integration. When we’re ready to make an announcement and provide you with meaningful details, we certainly will do that.”

Video on Aviation Employees and Their Passion – From GE

David Parker Brown — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 20:45:22 +0000

this video highlights the passion that many who work in the aviation business have about their jobs and what they do. Over and over again, I find that many who work in the field of aviation (in one way or another) mirror the thoughts portrayed on the video. Most people understand that they are a part of something larger that is very important to almost everyone in the world.

I think the best part of this GE-made video is when some of their employees, who helped to make the GEnx engine, get to travel to Everett, WA and see their product first hand. First, they got to view the GEnx engine on a 787 (which I am assuming is most likely ZA005) and then they got to watch Lufthansa’s first Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental take off operating four of their engines.

Short Take: 787 Cabin Experience on Apex Editor’s Blog

David Parker Brown — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 02:30:15 +0000

That's me before boarding ANA's second 787 Dreamliner for my excursion flight.

As previously posted, I recently was lucky enough to be able to make a trip over to Tokyo, Japan to fly on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner for the first time. I was asked by APEX (Airline Passenger Experience Association) to write about my experience. Since the story is quite a bit different from the story I posted on the blog I wanted to share…

TAKE A LOOK AT MY BOEING 787 DREAMLINER FLIGHT STORY ON APEX

Happy Halloween: A Boeing 787 Corn Maze

David Parker Brown — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 11:00:40 +0000

Can you see the Boeing 787 Dreamliner in the corn? Photo by Boeing

Tomorrow is Halloween and to celebrate, here is a corn maze that looks like a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. From Boeing’s Flickr page:

Boone Hall , one of America’s oldest working plantations, unveiled an annual attraction at its sprawling grounds in South Carolina: a specially-themed corn maze. This year, the maze was meticulously cut to showcase a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Boeing, which began building the first 787 at its new South Carolina final-assembly facility this year, sponsored the maze. The attraction will be opened to the public through October 31st.