SEATTLE, Aug. 26 – Boeing Training & Flight Services has started 787 Dreamliner flight certification training following the provisional approval from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for Boeing’s Seattle-based 787 flight training devices. As part of flight training, pilots train on a 787 flat panel training device and a 787 full-flight simulator. Both devices are manufactured by Thales.
“The innovations of the 787 have inspired us to develop the most effective training curriculum based on our customers’ training needs matched with efficient delivery and modern simulation tools,” said Sherry Carbary, vice president, Flight Services, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “With the FAA’s approval on our flight training devices, we are embarking on an exciting journey toward delivering qualified and competent crews.”
The provisional designation will be removed once the airplane is fully certified. Local FAA offices will approve training courses customized for individual operators and these may be based on provisional approvals prior to certification of the airplane.
“We’re pleased with the progress we are making in ensuring our support products and services are ready for our customers,” said Mike Fleming, 787 director of Services and Support, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “This is an exciting time for our customers and an important achievement for the entire Boeing team as we move toward delivery of the first 787.”
There are currently eight training suites at five Boeing Training & Flight Services locations around the world in Tokyo, Singapore, Shanghai, Seattle and Gatwick, U.K.
FARNBOROUGH, United Kingdom, July 18, 2010 – The Boeing 787 Dreamliner made its international debut landing at the Farnborough Airport at 9:09 a.m. (local time) in support of the Farnborough International Airshow that begins Monday.
“It’s an honor to showcase the 787 here at the Farnborough Airshow,” said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of the 787 program, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “I can’t think of a finer stage on which to present this highly anticipated airplane.”
This is the first international trip made by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The airplane came nonstop flight to Farnborough, U.K., from Seattle.
“We took advantage of the flying time to conduct some flight testing on the way,” Fancher said. “We’re taking every opportunity to complete our testing requirements when we fly.”
The 787 Dreamliner is built by an international team and will provide airlines around the globe with a new level of efficiency in operations, with a 20 percent reduction in fuel use when compared to similar-sized airplanes. The 787 also brings a new level of passenger comfort to travelers including bigger windows and more personal space as well as an environment designed to help them arrive at their destinations feeling refreshed.
Boeing executives and members of the board of directors, dignitaries from the United States and U.K. and a wide variety of media were on hand to welcome captains Mike Bryan and Ted Grady as they stepped off the airplane and welcomed visitors aboard. About a dozen people traveled on the airplane to conduct testing during the flight.
Fancher and other Boeing executives will provide a media briefing on the 787 at the airshow’s main press chalet at 10 a.m. (local time). The airplane, referred to as ZA003, will depart Tuesday afternoon, July 20.
EVERETT, Wash., June 17, 2010 – The Boeing 787 Dreamliner flight test fleet passed 1,000 hours of testing yesterday. The program estimates that it is about 40 percent through the test conditions required to certify the first version of the all-new jetliner.
“More work remains but we are seeing excellent progress in flight test,” said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of the 787 program for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “Even more important than the hours we’ve logged are the test conditions we have completed. The team is being very efficient in getting the data we need.
“It’s also important to note that we are making solid progress on the ground testing required on the flight test fleet as well,” Fancher said.
EVERETT, Wash., June 16, 2010 – The first Boeing 787 Dreamliner with General Electric (GE) engines, the airplane referred to as ZA005, completed its first flight at 6:29 p.m. (Pacific time) today, following a 3 hour and 48 minute flight over the state of Washington.
GE executives and Boeing employees were on hand to welcome Captains Mike Bryan and Mike Carriker to Boeing Field following completion of the flight.
“The airplane handled just like I expected,” said Bryan, who captained the flight. “It was just like every other 787 flight that I’ve flown in the last several months – smooth, per plan and excellent.”
“We’re pleased to introduce the fifth Dreamliner to the flight test fleet and to start flight testing with GE engines,” said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of the 787 program for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “It’s taken the collective resources and dedication of our teams to get to this day. There’s just nothing like a first flight to validate that it has been worth the sacrifices we have all seen our teams make in the past several years.”
ZA005 will be used to test the General Electric engine package and demonstrate that the changes made with the new engine do not change the airplane’s handling characteristics.
The sixth, and final, 787 to join the flight test program is expected to fly before the end of July.
About the 787 Dreamliner
The 787 Dreamliner is an all-new twinjet designed to meet the needs of airlines around the world in providing nonstop service between mid-size cities with new levels of efficiency. The airplane will bring improved levels of comfort to passengers with larger windows, bigger baggage bins and advances in the cabin environment, including lower cabin altitude, higher humidity and cleaner air. Delivery of the first 787 is planned for the fourth quarter of 2010.
Fifty-six customers around the world have ordered 860 787s since the program was launched in April 2004, making the Dreamliner the fastest-selling new commercial jetliner in history.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., May 26, 2010 – The fourth Boeing 787 Dreamliner, ZA004, has been stationed in Colorado Springs, Colo., for several days for a short series of high-field-elevation tests. Earlier this month another 787 conducted touch-and-go maneuvers in Colorado Springs.
The tests, which have to be conducted at an airport with a high elevation, follow tests on the same airplane over the weekend in Mesa, Ariz., done at a low-elevation airport in hot weather.
The 787 flight test fleet, currently comprised of four airplanes, has logged more than 840 hours of flying in the last six months. Two more airplanes are expected to join the flight test fleet soon.
MESA, Ariz., May 25, 2010 – The Boeing 787 Dreamliner made its first landing at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport this weekend. ZA004, the fourth 787, is undergoing a short series of tests that require a combination of hot weather and low-altitude conditions. A crew of nearly 75 is supporting the airplane to ensure smooth operations during testing. The stay in Arizona is expected to last only a few days.
The 787 flight test fleet, currently comprised of four airplanes, has logged more than 820 hours of flying in the last six months. Two more airplanes are expected to join the flight test fleet soon.