Category: FlightBlogger

Journeys Across Continents Grounded
I visited Journeys Across Continents this morning only to find that it was shutdown yesterday. Yellow Herbie, as he’s known to his many readers – including this one – was a FO on a Malaysia Airlines 777, and chronicled his crisscrossing the world from the right seat of the twin jet. There’s no explanation of why the blog was shutdown or if it’ll ever be back, but it will be sorely missed.

A380 Podcast
I recorded a podcast this afternoon with Addison Schonland and
Erkan Pinar on the EIS of A380 so far, Erkin and I generally agree it’s gone well,
but I pushed back and play devil’s advocate on a few different points. Worth
a listen.

Quiet A350 Cancellations?
One item in this Bloomberg report caught my eye:

Airbus SAS, the world’s largest planemaker, said on May 7
that its net orders plunged 97 percent in the first four months
of 2009 from a year earlier. The Toulouse, France-based unit of
European Aeronautic, Defence & Space Co. said it lost 19
contracts, including five for its newest A350 long-haul plane.

This was definitely news to me. Mainly because Airbus firmed an order for 5 A350-800s from Kingfisher last month. A typo perhaps?

The Path to First Flight
Boeing has updated newairplane.com with some fresh 787 content, including a neat video of some of the many milestones that have brought Boeing to this point. Take a look at the gear swing tests with the full actuation and gear doors. Once an aviation geek, always an aviation geek.

In Case You Were Wondering
727 – E1/737-100 – PA099/737-700 – YA001/737-800 – YC001/P-8A – YP001/747-100 – RA001/
747-8F – RC501/747-8I – RC001/757-200 – NA001/767 – VA001/777-200 – WA001/777-200ER – WB001/777-300 – WB501/777-200LR – WD001/777-300ER – WD501/777F – WF001/787 – ZA001

AJOYAs
In the craziness of last week, I neglected to mention that the shortlist for the Aerospace Journalist of the Year Awards was announced. A big congratulations to Flight journalists Mary Kirby, Aimee Turner, Niall O’Keeffe and Siva Govindasamy on their nominations! This blogger picked up three in the Breaking News & Air Transport categories. I’ve tried to link to as many of my fellow nominees as possible. The winners will be announced on June 15th in Paris. Congrats to all my fellow shortlisters!

Breaking News
Airbus Dreamliner Dossier Revealed by Jon Ostrower, FlightBlogger
As Wolves Circle by David Lombardo, Aviation International News
Helicopter EMS: A Continuing Safety Failure by Patrick Veillette, Business & Commercial Aviation
Machinists vent frustration over strike vote by Jon Ostrower, FlightBlogger
Questions Raised over Norway’s JSF Costs by Robert Hewson, Janes Defence Weekly

Air Transport
A Flawed Dream by Jon Ostrower, Flight International
One Destination by Ian Harbison, GreenSky – Aviation and the Environment
The Dream & Nightmare by Geoffrey Thomas, Air Transport World
The Perfect Storm by Aimée Turner, Flight International
The Real Con-Air by Dino Carrara, Air International

Air France SKYTEAM Boeing 777, originally uploaded by moonm.

I figure this is another in the unintentionally continuing series of posts about Air France 777s. The latest 777-300ER built for the airline sports the new silver Skyteam livery. The aircraft, F-GZNE, is the fifth to wear the updated livery. A picture of the plane was snapped as it was coming back into the factory for a spot in Building 40-24. Right behind it, you’ll notice ZA002 painted in ANA colors as it gets ready to fly about 20 days after ZA001.

Day one of engine testing saw the twin Trent 1000 engines run as high as 80%, with propulsion testing wrapping up around 10:30 PM PT yesterday evening, according to program sources.

In addition, the aircraft underwent further testing of the flight control hydraulics and very-high frequency and high frequency radio checks. Higher power setting runs are on the docket for testing today.

As the program looks ahead to the coming days, Boeing has restructured the road to 787 first flight with significant changes in the intermediate and final gauntlet tests.

Scott Fancher, general manager and vice president of the 787 program, said yesterday at Boeing’s annual investor conference:

“In about two weeks, we’ll run into what we refer to as the intermediate gauntlet test, similar to the factory gauntlet tests, but much, much more robust. Here we will operate the aircraft on engines seven days, 24/7 with aircrew on the flight deck simulating ground and flight environments, not just nominal flight profiles but a wide range of off-nominals as well, demonstrating the full robustness and gaining confidence in the robustness of the aircraft. From there, we’ll go into preflight checks, taxi tests, then into first flight.”

Fancher added:

“I also want to talk about the seven day intermediate gauntlet test, but to give you a sense for the maturity accelerating on the program originally that seven day gauntlet test was scheduled for not long before first flight. We’ve actually pulled that to the left, because quite frankly the systems are mature and ready to take it earlier from where we originally planned.”

Boeing originally planned an eight-day final gauntlet ahead of preflight checks, but now says:

“Some of the final gauntlet testing has
been moved into intermediate gauntlet tests to help retire risk earlier by
getting through those test sequences.”

The company declined to specify the revised duration of the final gauntlet, saying only that “it will be much shorter.”

ALSO SEE: Here to there: 787 pre-first flight milestones explained

Dreamliner One Engine Start from Liz Matzelle

At 9:31 AM Pacific Time at Boeing’s Everett facility, the first 787 Dreamliner spooled up and started its twin Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines. The white smoke seen in the video is the engine storage oil being burnt off during the initial start.

At the time of the start, Liz Matzelle, who graciously provided the video, was standing at Everett’s grassy
knoll, about 2,200 feet from Stall 105 where ZA001 is parked. When
asked about the sound of the engines starting up, Liz remarked that,
“Lights are still on but I’m serious, there’s no way to tell if the
engines are running or not.”

UPDATE 7:35 AM ET: Last night’s Braxton Hicks engine “start” had all the ingredients of the real thing. Though the last step, engine ignition, is being held for early this morning in Everett. ZA001’s engines were spun up for the first time with fuel flowing to the engine, several sources tell FlightBlogger. The test bore a strong resemblance to engine start, minus the tell-tale cloud of white smoke that would be seen when the storage oil is burnt off.

UPDATE 11:12 AM ET: A bit more clarity now on last night’s test. The engine spins are referred to as a ‘wet motor’ test. Essentially, the engine is spin to make sure all the hardware is running smoothly while pumping fuel through the line ensuring that there are no leaks.

Several sources have indicated that the engine start test window opens in Everett beginning at 8:30 AM PT (11:30 AM ET).

This is a developing story and will be updated as information becomes available.

The world is a buzz with news dripping out of the Pacific Northwest as Boeing’s first 787 Dreamliner is on the verge of starting its Trent 1000 engines for the first time.

Pre-run tests are scheduled for Thursday morning ahead of engine start that could come as early as this [tomorrow] afternoon depending on the outcome of the tests.

The ‘more-electric’ architecture of the 787 will start the engines electrically, rather than drawing bleed air for the start. The system replaces pipes and valves for the bleed air system with cables and contactors.

In a very simplified way, the electrical power sources – the tail cone’s auxiliary power unit or an external ground car – convert electrical power with two 250 kVA variable frequency starter generators (VFSGs) that sit on gearboxes and act as motors to begin spinning up the engine.

UPDATE 3:35 PM ET: Well, it’s not Thursday today. I’ll look back on this moment and laugh, but in the meantime, I’ll just cringe that I didn’t know what day of the week it really was. So, yes, it’s Wednesday. However, seeing as I just earned an additional 24-hours on my week, I can safely say that engine start will be in the next 24 hours, with all outward signs pointing to Thursday (real Thursday, unlike fake Thursday – aka Wednesday).

ZA001 – Taken 11:51 AM PT:
Photo Credit Liz Matzelle

ZA001 – May 19 (Top) – May 17 (Bottom)

Well, it had occurred to me that over the last several weeks with all my on-the-road reporting, I had forgotten some of the old standbys on this page like Movie Monday. As it is still one of my favorite weekly traditions on this blog, I give you the Dogfights of Desert Storm. Produced by the same people who brought us Dogfights of the Tuskegee Airmen, this History Channel program takes you inside the cockpit of the F-15C during the 1991 Gulf War and Operation Desert Storm.

Parts two through five after the jump.