Members of the public gather around the outer fence of Paine Field to witness the first test flight of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner which took off under cloudy skies a little after 10 am West Coast time, Tuesday, December 15, 2009.
Everett, Washington:
The new Boeing 787 Dreamliner lifted into the gray skies here for the first time on Tuesday morning, more than two years behind schedule and burdened with restoring Boeing's pre-eminence in global commercial aviation.
"Engines, engines, engines, engines!" shouted April Seixeiro, 37, when the glossy twin-engine plane began warming up across from where spectators had informally gathered at Paine Field. Seixeiro was among scores of local residents and self-described "aviation geeks" who came to watch the first flight.
Moments after the plane took off at 10:27 a.m., Seixeiro was wiping tears from her eyes. A friend, Katie Bailey, 34, cried, too. "That was so beautiful," Bailey said.
Even as aviation fans celebrated in this Seattle suburb, where generations of families have built planes for Boeing, the 787's long route to takeoff was challenged yet again: the test flight was cut short because of what Boeing said was rough weather. Rather than cross the Cascade Mountains, as was intended, the plane instead spent much of its time over Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca before touching down in light rain about two hours early, at about 1:30 p.m., at its intended destination, Boeing Field in Seattle.
Randall Neville, one of the test pilots, said afterward that weather, including poor visibility, was the only reason for the change in plans. "The thing that caught me most today was that this airplane flew like we expected it to," Neville said. "There were no surprises."
Designed to be 20 percent more fuel-efficient, quieter and more comfortable than other commercial jets, and built for long-range flights, the 787 is central to Boeing's effort to retake momentum from Airbus, the European competitor that has gained on it over the last decade. Boeing has about 840 orders for the 787. Some others were dropped because of the recession and production delays. Boeing officials said Tuesday that customers would get the first 787s in the second half of 2010. The plane can seat 200 to 300 people.
Unlike jets Boeing made here for decades, the 787 is built more from plastic composites than metal and is pieced together from parts made around the country and the world. Initially expected to fly in 2007, it has been plagued by production flaws.
As Boeing has changed its manufacturing methods, it has also changed its relationship with the Seattle region. The company moved its executive offices to Chicago in 2001, and this fall it announced that it would open a second 787 plant in South Carolina. The company has had ongoing disputes with labor unions in the Seattle area, and many people here worry that it will reduce its presence in Washington state.
"It's a bigger deal than they say," said Seixeiro's husband, Steve, referring to the new South Carolina plant. Neither he nor his wife work for Boeing, but both view it as important to the area's economy.
Garrett Wiedmeier, who grew up with posters of jets on his bedroom walls and watched first flights of the 767 and 777, said he did not fault Boeing for expanding beyond Seattle.
"I think Boeing will be here for a long time to come," said Wiedmeier, 37. "It's just got such a big infrastructure here. But I do worry."
"Engines, engines, engines, engines!" shouted April Seixeiro, 37, when the glossy twin-engine plane began warming up across from where spectators had informally gathered at Paine Field. Seixeiro was among scores of local residents and self-described "aviation geeks" who came to watch the first flight.
Moments after the plane took off at 10:27 a.m., Seixeiro was wiping tears from her eyes. A friend, Katie Bailey, 34, cried, too. "That was so beautiful," Bailey said.
Even as aviation fans celebrated in this Seattle suburb, where generations of families have built planes for Boeing, the 787's long route to takeoff was challenged yet again: the test flight was cut short because of what Boeing said was rough weather. Rather than cross the Cascade Mountains, as was intended, the plane instead spent much of its time over Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca before touching down in light rain about two hours early, at about 1:30 p.m., at its intended destination, Boeing Field in Seattle.
Randall Neville, one of the test pilots, said afterward that weather, including poor visibility, was the only reason for the change in plans. "The thing that caught me most today was that this airplane flew like we expected it to," Neville said. "There were no surprises."
Designed to be 20 percent more fuel-efficient, quieter and more comfortable than other commercial jets, and built for long-range flights, the 787 is central to Boeing's effort to retake momentum from Airbus, the European competitor that has gained on it over the last decade. Boeing has about 840 orders for the 787. Some others were dropped because of the recession and production delays. Boeing officials said Tuesday that customers would get the first 787s in the second half of 2010. The plane can seat 200 to 300 people.
Unlike jets Boeing made here for decades, the 787 is built more from plastic composites than metal and is pieced together from parts made around the country and the world. Initially expected to fly in 2007, it has been plagued by production flaws.
As Boeing has changed its manufacturing methods, it has also changed its relationship with the Seattle region. The company moved its executive offices to Chicago in 2001, and this fall it announced that it would open a second 787 plant in South Carolina. The company has had ongoing disputes with labor unions in the Seattle area, and many people here worry that it will reduce its presence in Washington state.
"It's a bigger deal than they say," said Seixeiro's husband, Steve, referring to the new South Carolina plant. Neither he nor his wife work for Boeing, but both view it as important to the area's economy.
Garrett Wiedmeier, who grew up with posters of jets on his bedroom walls and watched first flights of the 767 and 777, said he did not fault Boeing for expanding beyond Seattle.
"I think Boeing will be here for a long time to come," said Wiedmeier, 37. "It's just got such a big infrastructure here. But I do worry."
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