Boeing 787 First Test Flite at 10 AM PST. Seattle on Edge

On 2009-12-15 12:16:00 -0500, DaveS said:

On Dec 15, 8:45*am, DaveS wrote:
Here goes. This morning is scheduled for the first test flight of the
new Boeing 787 to be webcast at the addy below.

http://787firstflight.newairplane.com/ffindex.html

It took 2 extra years to get it right and today, weather willing the
bird will FLY for the first time with only 2 top test pilots aboard.
The aircraft will takeoff from Boeing field, climb over the Olympic
Mountains and head out into the Pacific. Then the bird will turn and
head East, climb over the Cascade Mountains and fly out to Moses Lake,
site of one of the world's longest runway, and if alls going well,
turn and return home.

Much is riding on the test program which will use the first 6 aircraft
off the Everett, Washington production line, and more than 1000
engineers, techs and aircraft mechanics in an intensive 24/7, year
long test program of the kind than have made Boeing aircraft the
safest in the air. Wish the pilots and this new bird a safe and
successful flight.

Dave
I love Airplanes

Correction, the test aircraft will takeoff from Paine Field. Here is
yesterday's Aviation Week article on the plane and the test with a bit
more of the perspective on just why this plane is so important.

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/gener...hannel=comm&id
=news/W787over.xml

And here again is the Boeing site for the live video feed of the test
flight. I believe they will have at least 2 chase planes.

http://787firstflight.newairplane.com/ffindex.html

Dave

Two T-33s and a T-38 out in front several miles checking out the weather.

Great take off. That thing looks like it is flying when it is standing
still (not unlike an EC-121 d;o) )

Thanks for that site, Dave.

Dave

PS: How do you tell winter from summer in Everett, Washington? In the
winter time the rain is cold.

On Dec 15, 10:40*am, David LaCourse wrote:
On 2009-12-15 12:16:00 -0500, DaveS said:





On Dec 15, 8:45 am, DaveS wrote:
Here goes. This morning is scheduled for the first test flight of the
new Boeing 787 to be webcast at the addy below.

http://787firstflight.newairplane.com/ffindex.html

It took 2 extra years to get it right and today, weather willing the
bird will FLY for the first time with only 2 top test pilots aboard.
The aircraft will takeoff from Boeing field, climb over the Olympic
Mountains and head out into the Pacific. Then the bird will turn and
head East, climb over the Cascade Mountains and fly out to Moses Lake,
site of one of the world's longest runway, and if alls going well,
turn and return home.

Much is riding on the test program which will use the first 6 aircraft
off the Everett, Washington production line, and more than 1000
engineers, techs and aircraft mechanics in an intensive 24/7, year
long test program of the kind than have made Boeing aircraft the
safest in the air. Wish the pilots and this new bird a safe and
successful flight.

Dave
I love Airplanes

Correction, the test aircraft will takeoff from Paine Field. Here is
yesterday's Aviation Week article on the plane and the test with a bit
more of the perspective on just why this plane is so important.

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/gener...hannel=comm&id
=news/W787over.xml

And here again is the Boeing site for the live video feed of the test
flight. I believe they will have at least 2 chase planes.

http://787firstflight.newairplane.com/ffindex.html

Dave

Two T-33s and a T-38 out in front several miles checking out the weather.

Great take off. *That thing looks like it is flying when it is standing
still (not unlike an EC-121 d;o) * *)

Thanks for that site, Dave.

Dave

PS: *How do you tell winter from summer in Everett, Washington? *In the
winter time the rain is cold.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

It is one beautiful aircraft. And we lucked out because a line of
showers was just passing thru the Kitsap peninsula headed for Paine/
Everett. We had lots of snow in the Cascades yesterday, 33", out to
Yakima in the East. Next weather situation will be Moses Lake airspace
where most of todays tests will be run. Weather for Moses from NWS a
few minutes ago is holding. . .

"Today: Snow likely, possibly mixed with freezing rain, mainly after
4pm. Cloudy, with a high near 31. Calm wind. Chance of precipitation
is 60%. Little or no ice accumulation expected. Total daytime snow
accumulation of less than one inch possible"

So if they have to come down in Moses in the snow they will at least
have a lot of runway to work with.

Not to be too cockey but building to the NW weather and moisture
regime is a good thing for planes that have to function in tougher
environments than the French Riverra. ;+))

Speaking of the 121, did you see how those composite wings flex on the
takeoff?

Dave
Fingers crossed

Speaking of the 121, did you see how those composite wings flex on the
takeoff?

Someone at work called it an ornithopter.
Frank Reid

On Dec 15, 11:23*am, Frank Reid © 2008 wrote:
Speaking of the 121, did you see how those composite wings flex on the
takeoff?

Someone at work called it an ornithopter.
Frank Reid

I had to look up that word, to re-member it. Yeah. Ornithopter. It
fits.
When I saw the tail on shot of the plane in the air with the two chase
planes I had this horrible instant of flashing on the problem they
were fixing last summer on the wing/body connection. Irrational but
real.

Haven't yet been able to find out how things worked out in the Moses
lake tests.

Dave

On Dec 15, 9:29*pm, DaveS wrote:
On Dec 15, 11:23*am, Frank Reid © 2008 wrote:

Speaking of the 121, did you see how those composite wings flex on the
takeoff?

Someone at work called it an ornithopter.
Frank Reid

I had to look up that word, to re-member it. Yeah. Ornithopter. It
fits.
When I saw the tail on shot of the plane in the air with the two chase
planes I had this horrible instant of flashing on the problem they
were fixing last summer on the wing/body connection. Irrational but
real.

Haven't yet been able to find out how things worked out in the Moses
lake tests.

Dave

Just a belated update on the test flight. Weather, decending clouds in
the Straits of Juan de Fuca, and a T-38 scout plane report of very bad
weather and turbulance over the Cascades and into Moses Lake to the
East. Consequently they came in after 3+ hours. Test pilot said the
windshield wipers at least checked out well. ;+))

By the way this pilot had to ditch a rebuilt Stratocruser into the
Sound a few years ago. Someone forgot to re gas. Beautiful ditch
however.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm...tflight16.html

On 2009-12-15 13:59:06 -0500, DaveS said:


"Speaking of the 121, did you see how those composite wings flex on the
takeoff?"

Yeah! At first I thought it was my imagination, but then I said, "NO.
Those things are up several feet from their no-fly position." Cool.

And, on the 121: I flew from Travis AFB to Hawaii, then to Kwajalein
and onto Guam in one, sitting backwards of course. Then to Japan.
Flew all the way from Japan to Midway and then back to Travis. Another
great aircraft and a great company (Lockheed) too.

Dave

On Dec 15, 2:14*pm, David LaCourse wrote:
On 2009-12-15 13:59:06 -0500, DaveS said:

"Speaking of the 121, did you see how those composite wings flex on the
takeoff?"

Yeah! *At first I thought it was my imagination, but then I said, "NO. *
Those things are up several feet from their no-fly position." *Cool.

And, on the 121: *I flew from Travis AFB to Hawaii, then to Kwajalein
and onto Guam in one, sitting backwards of course. *Then to Japan. *
Flew all the way from Japan to Midway and then back to Travis. *Another
great aircraft and a great company (Lockheed) too.

Dave

And not just an aircraft, but a piece of art, like the Valkyrie and
the VariEze.

oz, who saw the B-70 fly.......once

"MajorOz" wrote in message
...
On Dec 15, 2:14 pm, David LaCourse wrote:
On 2009-12-15 13:59:06 -0500, DaveS said:

"Speaking of the 121, did you see how those composite wings flex on the
takeoff?"

Yeah! At first I thought it was my imagination, but then I said, "NO.
Those things are up several feet from their no-fly position." Cool.

And, on the 121: I flew from Travis AFB to Hawaii, then to Kwajalein
and onto Guam in one, sitting backwards of course. Then to Japan.
Flew all the way from Japan to Midway and then back to Travis. Another
great aircraft and a great company (Lockheed) too.

Dave

And not just an aircraft, but a piece of art, like the Valkyrie and
the VariEze.

oz, who saw the B-70 fly.......once

Growing up in El Cerrito, Calif. I got to see lots of strange planes. As
they would fly to Travis. B-36's were common as Travis was one of the few
bases they used. And saw a Flying Wing a few times.

"David LaCourse" wrote in message
news:2009121515141217709-dplacourse@aolcom...
On 2009-12-15 13:59:06 -0500, DaveS said:


"Speaking of the 121, did you see how those composite wings flex on the
takeoff?"

Yeah! At first I thought it was my imagination, but then I said, "NO.
Those things are up several feet from their no-fly position." Cool.

And, on the 121: I flew from Travis AFB to Hawaii, then to Kwajalein and
onto Guam in one, sitting backwards of course. Then to Japan. Flew all
the way from Japan to Midway and then back to Travis. Another great
aircraft and a great company (Lockheed) too.

Dave





Funny about that. I worked on a lot of C-121's in the unit I was in, but
never rode in one. When I was first assigned to Travis in 1965, there were
a bunch of Radial engines for them on stands at the back of the shop we
used. Mobile Comm squadron. Never saw one used. Then went to Hamilton,
and a wing there flew 121's. So got to work on the radios. As to
airplanes. When in Costa Rica last year, ate at El Avion in Manual Antonio.
The surviving Ollie North airplane converted to a restaurant. One of the
few types of Air Force planes I flew on during my service. Normally they
gave me a ticket on a major or was a charter flight.

On Dec 15, 2:49*pm, "Bill McKee" wrote:
"David LaCourse" wrote in message

news:2009121515141217709-dplacourse@aolcom...





On 2009-12-15 13:59:06 -0500, DaveS said:

"Speaking of the 121, did you see how those composite wings flex on the
takeoff?"

Yeah! *At first I thought it was my imagination, but then I said, "NO..
Those things are up several feet from their no-fly position." *Cool.

And, on the 121: *I flew from Travis AFB to Hawaii, then to Kwajalein and
onto Guam in one, sitting backwards of course. *Then to Japan. *Flew all
the way from Japan to Midway and then back to Travis. *Another great
aircraft and a great company (Lockheed) too.

Dave

Funny about that. *I worked on a lot of C-121's in the unit I was in, but
never rode in one. *When I was first assigned to Travis in 1965, there were
a bunch of Radial engines for them on stands at the back of the shop we
used. *Mobile Comm squadron. *Never saw one used. *Then went to Hamilton,
and a wing there flew 121's. *So got to work on the radios. *As to
airplanes. *When in Costa Rica last year, ate at El Avion in Manual Antonio.
The surviving Ollie North airplane converted to a restaurant. *One of the
few types of Air Force planes I flew on during my service. *Normally they
gave me a ticket on a major or was a charter flight.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

They used to have a beautiful Curtis-Wright radial on a display stand
at the Seatac main terminal, absolutely a tribute to American
machining. Wonder what happened to the engines you saw at Travis? They
would be a great inspiration for Voc-ed kids in the JCs and HSs.

Dave