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Video and Pictures of Boeing 787 Dreamliner ZA005 First Flight

David Parker Brown — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 23:43:50 +0000

What a day!

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.

Below is some media and I will be updating this as more becomes available:
* 48 of my photos of today’s event on Flickr
* Liz Matzelle’s awesome video from the other side of the runway
* Live video via my iPhone of the take of ZA005 from the Future of Flight Strato Deck
* Video from a helicopter from KING5 News — check out the gear going up and back down!
* Photos of ZA005 from the Seattle PI
* Photos from the Everett Herald
* Other live video commentary from the morning’s events

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Boeing 787 Dreamliner ZA003 and Boeing 747-8F RC522 Take Flight Today

David Parker Brown — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 02:51:50 +0000

787 ZA003 First Flight from Liz Matzelle on Vimeo.

Sigh. I really should have my own photos and video of today’s two flights. But my car had other plans. I was on a camping trip this weekend, with every intention to make it back to the Future of Flight in time for ZA003 Boeing 787 Dreamliner to take flight and then watch the second Boeing 747-8 to take off. However my car broke down and had to be towed 75 miles back to civilization. If this would have happened on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner’s first flight, I would have ditched the car and taken a taxi! Luckily some other great people were there to cover the action.

Above is a video of ZA003 taking off for the first time today, taken by Liz Matzelle (@ImperfectSense). This is the third Boeing 787 built, but the fourth to take the skies. ZA004 took to the skies beforehand on February 24th. ZA003 is being used to test the interiors,which I was able to tour of back in early February.

If seeing a Dreamliner taking off wasn’t enough, the second Boeing 747-8 also took the sky today after a few delays. The first 747-8 took flight on February 8th. I am currently trying to track down any video or photos taken of the flight, but I did find a photo from Kevin (@TxAgFlyer) showing RC22 waiting to fly.

Boeing recently announced before today’s flight, the Boeing 747-8 has completed 13 flights and 33 hours of flight time. The tests are going as planned — which is a good thing. Five pilots have flown the airplane taking it up to 30,000 feet and up to Mach .65. Boeing has completed initial stall tests and other dynamic maneuvers, and performed an extensive checkout of systems on the airplane. They are hoping to get the third Boeing 747-8 in the sky soon.

Additional Information:
* Photos from ZA003 first flight from @ImperfectSense
* Randy Tinseth, vice president, marketing for Boeing , blog on having four Boeing 787′s airborne

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Video of the Boeing 747-8 Landing

David Parker Brown — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 01:25:57 +0000

What comes up, must come down. After being in the air, flying over the Olympic Peninsula and heading over towards Mount Rainier, the Boeing 747-8 landed at Paine Field in Everett, WA a little after 4:15pm today. The day started foggy and we weren’t sure if she would take off, but it turned into an amazingly sunny and clear day. I would imagine Boeing got some wonderful pictures of the 747-8 flying today. Hopefully they will share soon.

PICTURES OF THE BOEING 747-8 LANDING

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Video and Pictures of Boeing 747-8 First Flight

David Parker Brown — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:30:46 +0000

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).

CHECK OUT MY 64 PICTURES OF TODAY ON FLICKER

Other good stuff from today (will be adding as more posts through out the day):
* Video of the Boeing 747-8 take off from KING5
* Video from the sky of the take off from KIRO7
* Keep up with all the details from Flight Blogger
* Video from the Future of Flight
* Photo gallery of the Boeing 747-8 from Seattle Times
* Pictures from the morning and take off from @TxAgFlyer
* Awesome close up photos from NYC Aviation

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Boeing 747-8 First Flight at Paine Field

David Parker Brown — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:49:24 +0000

The Boeing 747-8 right after take off. Taken from the Future of Flight's strato deck. By Kevin Frysinger

On Saturday the Boei ng 747-8 successfully completed her taxi-tests. Everything is in order for her to take to the skies and fly this morning at 10am PST.

The weather is looking like it will participate for this morning’s Boeing 747-8 first flight, although it won’t be as nice as it was on Saturday.

On Twitter be sure to follow: @AirlineReporter, @FlightBlogger, @ImperfectSense, @FutureofFlight, and #7478FF.

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.

CHECK OUT 64 PHOTOS AND A VIDEO FROM THE FIRST FLIGHT

Image from @TxAgFlyer

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Pictures of Boeing 747-8 Doing Taxi Testing

David Parker Brown — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 16:23:57 +0000

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 2:00pm: Taxi tests so far going great. Added 23 more photos.

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.

CHECK OUT MY PICTURES ON FLICKR (will be updating through out the morning)

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My Interior Tour of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner

David Parker Brown — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 02:10:38 +0000

A view of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner Flight Deck

There has been so much excitement about seeing the first Boeing 787 take off and even the second. Now it is time for the third Dreamliner to get some attention. This morning I was invited to see the third Boeing 787 Dreamliner up close and personal. Besides Boeing staff and a few guest airlines, this was the first time outsiders have been allowed to see what’s so special on the inside. Boeing has never invited media on a test plane like this before and they made it clear that this was a still a testbed and wasn’t the final product.

Passengers are able to tint the windows using the button below them. This is a middle level tint.

It was exciting walking up the stairs of the third Dreamliner. The first thing I noticed when walking in was space. Yes, many of the seats were missing, but it seemed tall and roomy. I was quick to move over to the windows and try the electronic dimmers. Instead of shades, you are able to push a button and dim the window from clear to very dark. This is something that will likely entertain children (and aviation nerds) for a few hours on a flight. Getting up to see the flight deck was awesome. The display screens were much larger than I thought and the heads up display was an exciting addition. They even had a 787 Dreamliner emblem on the ceiling, which was a nice touch.

Notice how little room the overhead bins take. The white lighting can be programmed with different color options.

This Boeing 787 test plane only had a few economy seats for us to preview, no Business or First class ones. Boeing will provide a catalog of seats for airlines to choose from. Airlines must choose out of the Boeing catalog for economy seats, but do not for Business Class.

Most of the plane was lit in white, although the front had a nice blue glow to it. Boeing will suggest to airlines that they have the lights on blue when passengers load, since studies show it gives the feeling of space . They also suggest airlines go brighter for meal services, since food looks better when well lit (not sure if peanuts do though).

In the front and rear of the aircraft are crew bunk areas. The bunk areas are located above in the ceiling and have some narrow stairs to get access. They make me think of summer camp, but they at least provide an area away from the passengers where the crew can rest.

It was amazing being able to get so close to this Dreamliner. She looked great in her Boeing "light" livery.

One surprisingly neat part of the Boeing 787 was the lavatories. If you wave your hand in front of the sensor, they will flush and the seat will close. They also have a very spacious feel with the ability to customize the lighting.

The Dreamliner is an amazing aircraft. Even non-aviation nerds should feel a stark difference flying on this aircraft versus others. I think most people were impressed even with this pre-production model. I can’t wait to see her fully decked out.

Check out 120 pictures I took of the interior and the short video of the Boeing 787 Flight Deck

Some other great coverage of today:
* Check out Mary Kirby’s coverage over at RunwayGirl
* Video of the dimming windows and around the cabin from KOMO4
* Photos + Video from KING5 (check out -00:23 on the video. Yea that’s me with video camera in my mouth…oops)
* Harriet Baskas looks at the Dreamliner Gallery, then the interior
* Slide show from KIRO7
* Photos from the Seattle PI
* Things with Wings Guy Norris has great photos of the window tinting

Going Inside the Boeing 787 Dreamliner

David Parker Brown — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 15:15:21 +0000

ZA001 Boeing 787 Dreamliner during taxi tests on 12/12/09

This morning I have the wonderful opportunity to check out the inside of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. There will be a few of us there on Twitter putting up live pictures. To follow live check out #787cabin and @AirlineReporter. I will update my blog as the day goes along. If you have been curious about Twitter, this is your excuse to dive in — you don’t need an account to watch.

UPDATE: I have posted my full write up, pictures and video on my newest blog, check it out!

See the Boeing 787 Dreamliner in Different Liveries!

David Parker Brown — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 20:59:58 +0000

Boeing 787 in First Choice livery. Photo from NewPlane.com

Preview what the Boeing 787 Dreamliner will look like in different airline liveries (scroll down a little bit for the custom liveries). From Aeroflot to VLAC.

It is great seeing the different designs in 3D on the computer screen, but I can’t wait to see them in person (of course you can already see ANA’s livery on the 787).

If the Boeing 787 liveries don’t distract you enough, you can also check out the new Boeing 747-8 Highlights page via Boeing.

Thanks to Sandy at the Future of Flight for finding this!

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Pictures of Saudi Arabian Boeing 777 Fuel Dump

David Parker Brown — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 14:39:09 +0000

Big photo shows a photo taken by Mark Hsiung showing the fuel dump of the Boeing 777 and the inset shows a passenger photo of the dump.

NYCAviation wrote up a blog talking about a Saudi Arabian Airlines Boeing 777-200ER having to make an emergency landing at JFK, after having gear issues after landing. In their comments, a passenger posted pictures of the fuel dump from the inside, giving a unique perspective.

After take off, the left rear landing gear door was still open (as seen in the photo). The pilot declared an emergency and for safety and weight issues, the aircraft dumped its fuel, reportedly circling twice, before landing.

The aircraft landed safely and no one on board was injured.

See more photos from the inside

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