Eyes on the sky: Dreamliner finishes 1st flight at Boeing Field

(AirlineReporter.com video of the takeoff, link found in Seattle Weekly compilation)
ORIGINAL 10:42 AM REPORT: You probably watched the Boeing 787 Dreamliner take off for its first flight – whether online or on TV – but if you want a closer look when the test flight concludes this afternoon, it’s reported to be coming in to the airport closest to West Seattle, Boeing Field [map]. So far the landing is expected to happen at or after 3 pm. We know many WSB’ers have Boeing ties; congratulations to you all. Here’s the official Boeing “first flight” website. 11:26 AM: Here’s the flight tracking from FlightAware (thanks to @mcneight for the link via Twitter) – and here’s iPhone video with the perspective from the media sidelines as the 787 took off, shot by @flightblogger:

1:28 PM UPDATE: And now it seems the Dreamliner’s arriving at Boeing Field earlier than projected – any minute now. KING5.com is streaming. Around 1:35 pm for landing, according to various Twitter sources.

1:35 PM UPDATE: And a picture-perfect (aside from the rain) landing. Q13 FOX stream came up fastest where we’re at.

4:18 PM: A couple of landing visuals which show the excitement just before and after this afternoon’s touchdown – this is video @codyrh shared via Twitter:

The change in plans meant not everybody got to Boeing Field in time. But “westseattledood“‘s photo from “vehicle approach” shows the interest:

sam December 15, 2009 (11:13 am)

hmmm- was going to go be in that area this afternoon but now I am having second thoughts.

Mookie December 15, 2009 (12:30 pm)

Loved the iPhone video—and the exhilarated comment at the end: “It flies!” Actually got a little choked up watching the other video, with the onlookers cheering. My mom worked at Boeing, as did my godfather; my sister and I both did too, as contractors way back in the day. Feeling proud and amazed as always that these things get designed, built and fly. “According to Boeing, the 787 uses 20 percent less fuel than any plane comparable in size.” Awesome.

alkikmac December 15, 2009 (1:01 pm)

Just heard from an inside source that the Dreamliner is heading back to Boeing Field NOW and will and within the next 30 minutes!

WSB December 15, 2009 (1:26 pm)

Darn, I am totally out of position – on the Eastside working on yet another aspect of the totem pole story … Share pix if you get ’em!

d December 15, 2009 (1:25 pm)

I live up above Boeing field and the Duwamish Greenbelt. I can’t see them, but I hear a whole bunch of helicopters. They must be waiting for “The Plane! The Plane!”

JEM December 15, 2009 (1:38 pm)

Just watched the approach to Boeing field out of a window at Starbucks. So Cool!

RobertSeattle December 15, 2009 (2:06 pm)

What, the pilots didn’t Twitter during the test flight? Lame! :-)

CountingCoup December 15, 2009 (2:50 pm)

Thats a nice looking bird…

jiggers December 15, 2009 (3:09 pm)

I wonder if they made sure that the coffee maker worked along with the video games. That’s very important.

J December 15, 2009 (3:55 pm)

Yay! We were there, at the Museum of Flight, watching it land with a bunch of other Boeing engineers, families, and assorted fans. It was great to be there with some of the people who made it happen, and share the pride. Yes, corporate outsourced a bunch of it, and tried to outsource more of it–but there’s still a lot of local talent and hard work involved. Congratulations to all! (Sorry, no pics.)

Mookie December 15, 2009 (4:43 pm)

RobertSeattle – yeah, and this pilot didn’t even do a barrel roll like that demo flight of the 707…

http://blog.seattlepi.com/airlinereporter/archives/185196.asp

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_367-80#The_barrel_roll

:-P

Cheryl December 15, 2009 (5:15 pm)

OMG! So exciting. Hope this brings zillions of dollars into our local economy.

:-)

RobertSeattle December 15, 2009 (6:59 pm)

Cheryl,

You mean half a zillion to Washington and half a zillion to South Carolina…

Teneighty December 16, 2009 (10:34 am)

Can anyone on the board tell me what’s up with the super flexy wings?? There’s a LOT of movement on takeoff and landing! I know they do static testing to failure, how did they do that with Gumby the Wonderplane, er the Dreamliner?

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