ZA003 to fly to Farnborough this evening

Boeing has filed the flight plan for it's third 787 to fly to Farnborough in the first transcontinental flight of the 787 since test flights began 7 months ago. Usually ZA003 flies under the flight number of BOE003 but for this special occaision the 787 is flying there and back under the flight number of BOE787. The flight plan calls for an expected arrival time of 7:30 AM on Sunday morning but Boeing has said the airplane will arrive at about 9 AM. The difference is due to test flying around the North Pole to test the inertial navigation system where ZA003 will fly in figure 8s and then proceed to Farnborough Field.

Thsi will be the first 787 flight abroad and this appearance at the show is of huge importance to Boeing to demonstrate that the program is past the hurdles that have plauged to program for the past two and a half years despite the warning from Scott Fancher that deliveries MAY slide into 2011. I will be putting up another post reviewing hte test flight program to date in a day or so so more on that issue in that post.