Tuesday, September 17, 2013

1st 787-9 flight scheduled for today, weather dependent

UPDATE: (11:02AM Local, 2:02PM ET): ZB001 in the air!

UPDATE: (11:00AM Local, 2:00PM ET): BOE001 Heavy Cleared for takeoff!!)

UPDATE: (10:54AM Local, 1:54PM ET): BOE540 (787-8) waiting to taking off

UPDATE: (10:52AM Local, 1:52PM ET): Chase Plane on its way to Everett from Boeing Field

UPDATE: (10:41AM Local, 1:41PM ET): Still holding short of Runway 34L

UPDATE: (10:36AM LOCAL, 1:36PM ET): Waiting for the Boeing chance aircraft coming up from Boeing Field.  The takeoff runway will then be decided.

UPDATE: (10:27AM Local, 1:27PM ET): BOE001 Heavy Cleared to taxi runway 16R.

UPDATE: (10:22AM Local, 1:22PM ET): Engine Start!

UPDATE: (10:07AM Local, 1:07PM ET): Takeoff now expected at 10:30AM Local.
UPDATE: (10:33AM Local, 1:33PM ET): Taxiing down 16R/34L.  Looks to takeoff on 34L.

UPDATE: (10:29AM Local, 1:29PM ET): Taxiing!

UPDATE: (9:45AM Local, 12:45PM ET): Runway inspections is on going.  This is to prevent from and potential FOD damage to the aircraft during takeoff.

UPDATE: (9:30AM Local, 12:30PM ET): Crowds are gathering and Paine Tower is communicating with the crew on ZB001.

UPDATE: (9:20AM Local, 12:20PM ET):



UPDATE (9AM Local, 12 noon ET): Weather is looking good.  About 6 miles visibility and ceilings look fine.  About 1 hour until first flight.

Boeing's stretched 787-9 is on Flightaware for today's first flight:

787-9 First Flight

Boeing is planning a webcast of today's first flight which should leave at about 10AM local time and arrive at Boeig Field around 2:45PM local time.

787-9 First Flight Webcast

The flight will only take place if the weather cooperates.  Boeing needs a minimum ceiling of 1500'. 

If today's flight actually takes place it will come exactly 3 years and 9 months (or exactly 196 weeks) of  ZA001's first flight on December 15, 2009.  This was the first flight of the 787-8. 

I'll continue to update this blog entry especially with regards to the weather at Everett.

7 comments:

greg said...

Appreciate the coverage!

TravelingMan said...

http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/17/travel/boeing-787-9-dreamliner-takes-off/index.html?hpt=hp_c4

1coolguy1 said...

I bet Boeing wishes these 3 airlines - AI, China Southern and Hainan - came later in the build phase. The amount of $$$ they have tied up in all these related planes @ cost has to be over a BILLION.
Does Boeing get a substantial amount of their money before they start production of a customers' plane?
How much is left to collect once the plane has been completed, yet not flight tested?

Andrew Munsell said...

33 New orders today. Great for the program and now almost at 1000 787 Orders!

Ankith Singh said...

Hi Uresh, Only 1 787 has been delivered in the entire month. Do you know what is holding things up ? I see that LAN and ANA as well have been ready but not getting delivered. To busy wth 787-9 ???

Uresh said...

Most deliveries are at the end of the month. They're doing a lot of flight testing and Deliveries are also determined by the individual customer.

DF said...

Thanks for your coverage!