….What time GMT, did it take off. ….

27th April 2005 10:29 MEZ or LT

It certainly is a big day in Commercial Aviation history.

Even some german farmer’s are calling: Vive l’airbus!!! 😉 😀

But the maiden flight of the Boeing 787 will also be a big day in Commercial Aviation history.

I suspect that some Boeing fans were expecting she couldn’t ….. :diablo:

On german TV, Dr. Horst Teltschik, President Boeing Germany, congratulate Airbus on the maiden flight of the Airbus 380.

Airbus Press conference live at that link!!!

Up it goes!

27th April 2005 10:29 LT

7 87 Launch Anniversary

Boeing 787 Dreamliner Program Celebrates Launch Anniversary today:
http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/2005/q2/nr_050426g.html

[…]
Our designers took the concept image that reflected our aspirations for the program — a truly unique and recognizable external shape — and created an efficient airplane that people will instantly recognize,” said Bair.

Passengers will recognize the 787 because of its distinctive nose, wings, tail and engine cowl. Inside, passengers will find bigger windows, innovative lighting, more personal space, bigger overhead bins, a lower cabin altitude during flight and improved humidity.

The 787 design team is continuing to finalize internal configuration elements of the airplane. Full firm configuration is expected to be complete this summer. […]

A better shot from the front fuselage: 🙂

Source: Boeing’s newairplane homepage

Just found at Aviation Week:

Air Canada Taps Boeing; ‘Two Engines Better Than Four’
04/26/2005 09:20:54 AM
By Steven Lott

Air Canada yesterday dealt a blow to Airbus’s efforts to grow its North American orderbook and win an A350 customer when the Canadian carrier inked a large deal with Boeing for potentially 100 long-haul Boeing 777s and 787s.

The carrier for several months has been evaluating aircraft to replace its mixed widebody fleet of 65 A330s, A340s and 767s. Many observers thought Air Canada was leaning toward Airbus because it already operates a large fleet of about 110 narrowbody A320 family aircraft and about 20 relatively young A330s and A340s. The airline’s management, however, found the Boeing package offered “overwhelmingly attractive economics.” The 787s will save the airline 30% in fuel burn and maintenance costs, compared with the 767s they replace, CEO Robert Milton told The DAILY.

The package includes firm orders for 18 Boeing 777s, plus options for another 18 planes. The airline will take a mix of 777-300ERs and

-200LRs, as well as two 777 long-haul freighters. The first three 777-300ERss will arrive in May, June and December of 2006, with another another eight coming in 2007. The carrier’s first -300ERs will fly on the Vancouver-Tokyo route and will also be used for London and Frankfurt. The -200LRs will be used on long-range flights to Sydney, Hong Kong and India.

The 777s will eventually replace the 10 A340-300s and the two brand-new A340-500s. The carrier technically has three A340-600s on order but has no plans to take delivery of those planes following the Boeing order. The eight A330s also will eventually be phased out of the fleet. Air Canada plans to sell the long-haul Airbus aircraft on the open market, but if it has trouble, Boeing will take the planes off its hands.

What really got management excited is the route potential for the 14 new 787s. The first deliveries aren’t planned until 2010, and the carrier has options and purchase rights for an additional 46 787s. The 223-seat 787-8 will slowly replace the carrier’s 45 767s, which will be more than 20 years old when deliveries start. The carrier also will fly the 259-seat 787-9, which will replace the A330s. CEO Robert Milton sang the praises of the 787-9, which he believes hits the “ultimate widebody sweet spot” in terms of operating economics.

While the competition for Air Canada’s order was brutal, Milton said it came down to price and economics. He said the 787 is a “game changer” and offers a “quantum leap” in aircraft technology from equipment flying today. In evaluating the Airbus offer, Milton felt the A350 was a “little larger than we wanted,” noting that the Canadian market is a “small one and highly seasonal.” The A350 was offered with about 270 seats. “It’s a bigger, heavier airplane than we need,” he told The DAILY.

Comparing the 777 and A340, Milton delivered a blow to Airbus’s aggressive campaign that “four engines are better than two.” The fact that the 777s have two engines means that it is more fuel-efficient, lighter and has lower maintenance costs than the A340, Milton claims. As part of the carrier’s analysis of the two aircraft, the airline estimated operating costs if fuel further spiked to $70 or $90 per barrel, and the two engines made a difference, he said.

GE engines will power the 777s, and the carrier will decide in the next 90 days whether it operate Rolls-Royce or GE engines on the 787s. The order is subject to several conditions, including final documentation and an agreement with the pilots on pay rates for the new planes. The companies expect to finalize the agreement by mid-year. Air Canada will soon apply for financing from the U.S. Export-Import Bank for the aircraft. The order does not require “a significant upfront cash payment,” Milton said.

Source: Aviation Daily – Air Canada Taps Boeing; ‘Two Engines Better Than Four’

German TV:
ZDF spezial – Der Gigant hebt ab
Erstflug Airbus A380
Channel: ZDF
Time: 09.45 – 10.30

Source: http://www.zdf.de/ZDFde/einzelsendung/0,1970,2501175,00.html

That makes no sense. Why would they stop the broadcast at 10.30 – the scheduled take-off time

Austrian TV:
Zeit im Bild Spezial – Erstflug A-380:
Channel: ORF 1
Time: 09.25 – 12.10