Best. Week. Ever.
FlightBlogger had its highest traffic in a single week…ever. The combination of the 787 power-on, Hawker 4000 certification, live twittering from Vought, Global Aeronautica and Spirit, and the peek inside Dreamliner Four’s flight deck and cabin racked up a staggering 63,000 page loads and 44,000 visitors. That tops the previous best seven day take during the Singapore Air Show in February by over 50%. Worth noting, this blog is rapidly closing in on 1,000,000 hits since it was reborn in November of last year.
Also, what’d you think of Twitter? Love it? Hate it? Jon, what’s Twitter?
Moving Day
As the close of the month draws near, Boeing has a big two weeks ahead. First, progressing with power-0on to validate the systems integration is job number one. Yet, even as the task of electrifying 787 ZA001 continues, a delicately choreographed dance is set to unfold in Everett in the next week or so. The fatigue airframe ZY998, will make its move later this week to its temporary home on the 767 line, freeing up a spot for Dreamliner Four to begin final assembly when the nose and center fuselage arrive. With ZY998 moving out, Dreamliner One will come out to play once again as well. Stay tuned.
Oh yeah, and 777F first flight should be really soon as well. Most likely before the United States turns a youthful looking 232.
UPDATE: I was rightfully reminded that on June 19 the Government Accountability Office (formerly the General Accounting Office) will be issuing its decision on Boeing’s tanker protest.
Get ‘Em While They’re Hot
QANTAS has put begun selling tickets for the inaugural A380 flights between Melbourne and LA on October 20 and adding Sydney to Los Angeles starting October 24. V Australia, the new international arm of Virgin Blue will begin flights on the Sydney-LA route with a brand new 777-300ER in December. Should be quite interesting to see who gets the better operating economics, the twin-engine Boeing with 350 or the four-engine Airbus with 450.
UPDATE: Looks like QANTAS is giving serious consideration to the 777-300ER as a 747 replacement across the Pacific.
Farnborough
One month from today we’ll be in the thick of the 2008 Farnborough Air Show. I’ve pretty much been prepping for this since I started with Flight in Dubai last November.
The last nine months will have been a rehearsal for the big dance next
month. I’ll be there with bells on, ready to blog, twitter, flickr and
other fun noun-verbs at the biggest aviation event of the year.
A Familiar Face
One last item. I took this photo as I was flying out of Wichita over McConnell Air Force Base on Friday. You might just recognize the aircraft on the ramp. I zoomed in to give you a better view. Click the image for a larger version.
This post was originally published to the internet between 2007 and 2012. Links, images, and embedded media from that era may no longer function as intended.
This post originally appeared at Flightglobal.com from 2007 to 2012.