After years of tests, delays, and questions, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner finally took to the skies yesterday.
I got a chance to tour the Dreamliner at Boeing last year, so I watched the webcast of the maiden voyage yesterday with a little added excitement.
You can watch my tour of the Dreamliner interior at http://bit.ly/8RU4Nr and http://bit.ly/6CbxMc. If you missed the first flight, check out the video below: Video: Boeing 787 Dreamliner First Flight
UPDATE: Beautiful take-off! By the way, this test flight is expected to last anywhere from 2 to 5 hours.
As I noted earlier, today is the first flight – a test flight – for Boeing’s 787, the long delayed Dreamliner.
There’s a lot of interest in this, and you can see the “live” webcast here on Boeing’s website – the flight is now scheduled to get underway at 1pm EST, 10am PST.
I’ll be watching. Maybe later we can compare notes.
Weather permitting, you’ll be able to watch a live webcast of the long awaited Dreamliner taking to the air.
The first flight of this magnificent plane is expected to take place at Boeing’s Everett, Washington facility at 9:40am PST (12:40pm EST). Watch it here.
The plane had some tests on the tarmac over the weekend and did well, and I hope that continues – the aircraft has already gone through two years worth of delays due to production problems.
 |
Dreamliner Progress Report: more delays…
The Dreamliner, which has already overshot its delivery date by about two years – is now likely to be pushed back perhaps a few more months, due to a “structural flaw” discovered during ground testing.
Some of Boeing’s customers are getting frustrated: according to the Wall St. Journal, Australia’s Qantas “scratched” orders for 15 of the planes, and will delay taking 15 others (but they also have more Dreamliners on order).
In case you were thinking of getting in line – and many airlines still very much want this huge plane – the list price is $178 million.
|
 |
Now they’re blaming it on the machinists’ strike.
Well, the strike and other issues — are being blamed for the latest Dreamliner delays — but Boeing execs say the 787 Dreamliner will make its first flight in the second quarter of 2009. And the first delivery of the huge commercial jetliner has now been penciled in for the first quarter of 2010.
The Dreamliner has faced a series of disappointing delays — originally, it was supposed to make that first flight in the summer of 2007, with first delivery later that year.
I would like to see this big bird finally take to the air.
|
 |
The strike by Boeing’s machinists – which began Sept. 6 – has ended, pending ratification of its new 4 year contract. Boeing announced the workers were to begin returning to their jobs last night after the 58-day walk-out.
One of the results of the strike, according to an MSNBC report: further delay of the debut of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, which already is at least 15 months behind schedule (it had been hoped it would be in the air this month).
According to the report, the machinists say the new contract gives them “improved job security language”. But the report also notes that some analysts are wondering who won what – analysts who suggest that Boeing could eventually move some operations to “Southern states with weaker unions.”
|
 |
American Airlines isn’t fazed one bit by the delays in Dreamliner deliveries.
The carrier said yesterday it plans to buy as many as 100 of the Boeing 787-9’s – a wide body aircraft that’s been compared to the even bigger Godzilla of the skies, the Airbus 380.
As reported in Bloomberg, this order from American “reinvigorates the sales campaign” of the 787-9″ which is 15 months behind schedule.
I am getting a chance to see this big beautiful plane today — and I’ll fill you in later.
|
