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).
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.
Today, the Boeing 747-8 is completing it taxi tests. I was able to get a few videos of the airplane in action. The video above is the Boeing 747-8 doing 60kt tests with no problems. Below are other videos I shot today:
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 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.
Turbine Beaver ready to fly on Lake Union just north of Downtown Seattle
Those of you who live in the Seattle area got quite the treat on Tuesday. Almost to 60 degrees and sunny (not your typical February 2nd kind of weather). It was a perfect day to take a scenic seaplane ride over Seattle in a Turbine Beaver with Kenmore Air.
Mary Kirby, who writes the awesome Runway Girl blog, was in town for the Boeing 787 interior tour and we both got the opportunity to tour the city from above and it was an awesome trip. We were both excited about being able to fly on a seaplane, “There is something about a seaplane that makes me giddy,” Kirby told me after the trip.
About half way through we noticed a familiar looking plane in the sky, one with unique wings. It was ZA002, the second Boeing 787 above Seattle. Luckily the pilot is an aviation fan as well (how could a pilot not be?) and he turned the plane so we could all get a better look. Unfortunately my camera wouldn’t focus on the Boeing 787, but I did get a few blurry shots. “Seeing the Dreamliner from a seaplane might be one of the very best vantage points in the world. In short, I was in heaven,” Kirby told me when asked how she felt about seeing the Dreamliner flying for the first time.
Seeing the Space Needle from the air is always amazing
It is amazing to see Seattle from the sky. The town is really beautiful and seeing her from the air gives a unique perspective. Sure I see Seattle flying in and out of the airport quite a bit, but it is a different experience being in a smaller plane.
