Issue 295: Dream Tour

It was also the only chance for the public to see the inside of the plane during its Australian visit. In all, more than 90 people responded to our competition on our website to write in 25 words or fewer what most interested them in the 787 and what they’d most like to see.

Owen Zupp, Australian Aviation’s host for the visit, takes up the story:

When the opportunity came along to host 10 readers of Australian Aviation on a close up tour of the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner in Sydney in late May, I jumped at the chance.

It was an opportunity to once again climb over this wonderful aeroplane, which I first saw in Seattle last year. And it was also a chance to meet those valuable people who take the time to read the words I have written each month and to discover who they really are.

Who they are became very evident almost as soon as we boarded the shuttle bus to take us to the Dreamliner’s parking spot at Sydney Airport.

Their enthusiasm was tangible and their backgrounds diverse. They ranged from a professional in the pharmaceutical industry to student pilots about to embark on their own aviation adventure. Some were studying at the University of NSW while another was about to move into the airlines. A few had driven from the suburbs, one from Canberra and yet another had flown in from Adelaide to see this new-age flying machine.

The buzz they created was audible at a distance as they pointed, photographed and smiled at the Dreamliner. They circumnavigated the aeroplane numerous times, pausing to look at the mammoth engines or the clean, compact undercarriage — always stopping for just one more photo.

The Boeing team was without exception enthusiastic and knowledgeable. Always at the ready to answer questions about the pride of their fleet, the Australian Aviation contingent kept them busy from the flightdeck to the aft galley.
All the while I was reminded of the main reason I tap away at the keyboard for my blog and the magazine. It’s because I’m privileged to have access to a wide range of aviation endeavours and the process of sharing those experiences with like-minded aviators is immensely satisfying. This is even more apparent when the opportunity arises to meet the readers.

Very ably supported by my wife, also a Boeing pilot, we fielded questions as varied as where did we learn to fly, our thoughts on flight instruction and the workings of heads-up displays.

Dreamliner chatter and aviation banter flew thick and fast as the sun began to sit a little lower than the 787’s raked wing-tip. It was time to go and I could fully understand the reluctance to call it a day as Boeing had made it a day to remember.

Below, no fewer than seven of the 10 lucky AA readers share their thoughts on their encounter with aviation’s latest and greatest, while our accompanying photo spread features some of their photos, plus those from the 787’s media flight from Sydney to Brisbane and return for Qantas.

Brett Mander

Back in 2001 I learned that Boeing was studying a futuristic aircraft concept dubbed the ‘Sonic Cruiser’. It was to travel almost supersonically and would be Boeing’s 21st Century answer to the Concorde. However the airlines wanted a more efficient aircraft and the design morphed into the 7E7 and finally the 787 Dreamliner that we know today. Over the last 11 years I have closely followed the development of this aircraft through all its trials and tribulations including the roll out ceremony in 2007 and its first flight in December 2009.

I was lucky enough to be selected to have a closer look at the Dreamliner during its Sydney stopover as part of the Dream Tour. It was amazing to finally get to see the aircraft in the metal (plastic) after all these years. The first thing you notice is the wing. It’s very smooth and very thin. One of the Boeing representatives told me that the wings flex 12ft upwards in flight!

The engines are also massive for a jet of this size and with the chevron shaped trailing edge of the nacelles they are quite a sight. We were able to hold a small section of the composite fuselage and it was surprisingly light but very strong and less than half the thickness of a finger. The aircraft has a stocky profile but with its sleek swept wings, huge power plants and angular nose, the Dreamliner looks fast, even on the tarmac.

Once inside the cabin you immediately get a sense of space. The huge windows and Boeing Sky Interior with its variable LED lighting is impressive. Of course, I had to try the electric dimmable windows. A nice touch but are they just a novelty? I’m undecided. It was also great to be able to have a look at parts of the aircraft you would never normally see, like the cosy crew rest areas in the ceiling and the futuristic and spacious cockpit.
This was a unique opportunity to look over the latest in commercial aviation. It made the trip over from Adelaide very worthwhile and it will be a day I will remember for a long time.

Peter Thompson

It was fantastic to be given an opportunity to tour the Boeing 787 Dreamliner in. I entered the Australian Aviation competition on the Wednesday previous, only to find that one of my great friends had also entered three entries before me. I thought it would be fantastic if we were both selected considering that we were both from Adelaide and would have to fund our entire adventure.

To my amazement (and Brett’s) that dream came true. Flights were immediately booked and our day of travel commenced on the Monday morning.

To be able to tour the Boeing 787 Dreamliner was a dream I’ve had over many years. The Boeing family has always impressed, having travelled on much of the fleet. Privately, having trained and achieved a qualification as a private pilot, the cockpit was always going to be of significant interest.

The sleek design, openness, wide screen displays, electronic flight bags and dual heads up displays certainly impressed. But the experience didn’t end there. The cabin of the aircraft was so open. It felt like you would need to place a person standing on your shoulders to touch the roof in the entrance of the aircraft. The storage bins for carry-on luggage were enormous — meaning less required — the windows ,which were electronically dimmable, were huge and the coloured lighting throughout was amazing.

But the adventure went beyond all the improvements that you could see. There was a Boeing staff member behind every curtain you walked through only too pleased to provide information. To hear how the frame of the aircraft was manufactured, to handle a piece of the frame and the window revealed that there was a lot more to this aircraft beyond what was visible.

At 7pm Monday evening we were back in the Qantas Club lounge awaiting our flight back to Adelaide where we could review our souvenirs of 144 photos and some video to remember the trip. It had truly been a fantastic day indeed. I would like to thank Australian Aviation and Boeing for giving me the opportunity to tour the 787 Dreamliner. I can’t wait for it to enter commercial operations over Australia!

Jonathan Parrott

Stepping down from the coach at Kingsford-Smith Airport on the domestic apron, I could see the chilled autumn wind passing through the massive Trent 1000 engines spinning the fan blades effortlessly, a stark reminder of how efficient this new aircraft is with its frictionless turbine and 2.85 metre diameter fan.

Getting closer to the aircraft you could see immediately how much new technology has gone into making this aircraft more efficient driving down costs for airlines to shrink their expenses pie chart dominated by fuel. The lack of rivets, the beautiful upswept wings, the engine chevrons and smaller fairings all contribute to make this aircraft 20 per cent more fuel efficient.

Walking into the cabin, the improvements are far from over. Passenger comfort has been increased with dynamic full spectrum LED lighting, larger windows, larger doors and even though I wasn’t lucky enough to experience the 787 in flight I would believe that the improvements would continue.

The major effort by Boeing and constituents to put together this fantastic aircraft is commendable and even though the program has been plagued by delays, it was absolutely exhilarating to see this aircraft up close and experience the future of air travel.

Graham Fraser

The Dreamliner represents the future of domestic and medium-haul international airline operations. Just as the A380 has revolutionised both the operational economics and the passenger experience, so to the Dreamliner will fundamentally change the way passengers and operators alike will view flying.

As a frequent premium class flyer to South-East Asia and the UK, my aircraft of preference is currently the A380. Qantas, Emirates and Singapore Airlines operate that aircraft to and from Australia. It is a quieter, more enjoyable and comfortable aircraft than the ageing 747 — now effectively a minor player — or an Airbus A330. The 777-300ER fleet offered by airlines other than Qantas have modern interiors but lack the presence of the A380.

The Dreamliner promises to raise the bar a further step. The passenger features are well documented – from the oversized electrically dimmable windows and mood lighting to the lower cabin pressure (lower even than the A380) enabling a more comfortable flying experience.

It is the engineering advances that offer an airline the most advantages. Reduced noise and reduced weight via the composite materials and advanced flight management are impressive but the real star is the engineering feat of the wing. The Dreamliner’s wing flex is extraordinary – the curvature of the wing itself majestic, and the performance that results is expected to be amazing.

With 50 aircraft on order, including the extended range 787-9 variant, it will be interesting to see the fleet deployment that Qantas and Jetstar implement. Based on my tour of the Dreamliner, mid 2013, when the first Jetstar delivery is scheduled, can’t come soon enough.

Mariano Salvati

Having the opportunity to see the 787 up close and personal on its DreamTour was a truly rewarding and eye-opening experience. As a current bachelor of aviation management and soon graduate diploma in flying student at the University of NSW, it allowed me simply to view what kind of aircraft future pilots like myself will be flying but also what kind of aircraft airlines will be operating and what kind of flying experience will be offered to their leisure and business customers.
Externally, the 787 appears flawless with its chic blue paint scheme. The key design elements range from its two Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 turbofan engines, which reduces noise alongside, making it fuel efficient, to its majestic flight deck with the HUDs, to its stylish interior with elegant seats, LED mood lighting and outsized, passenger controlled dimmable windows, providing a breakthrough traveller experience which will seek to bring back the emotional experience and enjoyment in flying, proving to make the 787 a major success and formidable competitor to Airbus.

On top of being able to meet the Dreamliner, it was also the opportunity to meet the Boeing crew including attendants, engineers and technical test pilots. I got to spend a bit of time with one of the technical test pilots, Todd Abraham. Hearing his stories from when he was a student himself,to becoming a captain on the Embraer 145 for ExpressJet Airlines in the United States, to then further becoming a Boeing flight test pilot which led to his position of a technical pilot on the 787 was naturally heartfelt.

His words of advice are an inspiration I will never forget and will carry me throughout my studies and later as I build my pathway to a career in the airlines. The chance to see and feel what the 787 is like was purely a magical experience and defiantly something I will be bragging to my fellow friends about for a long while yet.

Grahame Hutchison

Having inspected the first development Dreamliner, ZA001, back in November last year, my expectation for the Australian Aviation Dreamliner tour was to see how all the new technologies have come together in a commercially configured aircraft.

As we approached the aircraft form our coach, you immediately sense something very special about the Dreamliner, whether it’s the gleaming finish of the composite fibre fuselage, the high-aspect raked wings, or the Trent 1000 engines with unique chevrons. All of these elements contribute to an impressive 20 per cent reduction in fuel burn and a 60 per cent lower noise footprint.

Stepping into the main cabin, everything about this aircraft has the same next generation feel. The much larger electro chromic windows, dynamic LED lighting and massive overhead luggage bins will stand out immediately with passengers. The cockpit is a mix of standard display screens but with dual head up displays (HUDs), dual electronic flight bags (EFBs), and electronic checklists.

Overhead fuse panels are now electronic, and can be checked on one of the displays, using a B777 style mouse. Even the cockpit seats have a sculptured futuristic style.

Walking around the Dreamliner it is obvious that significant effort has gone into the aerodynamics of the aircraft. All control surfaces blend seamlessly with the smooth wing technology and compact laminar flow nacelles enclose the flap actuators.

Gone are the hydraulic braking systems on the main undercarriage, replaced by electric brakes that are mechanically less complex and reduce maintenance time. Overall, maintenance costs have been reduced by 30 per cent.

With so many new technologies, and reduced fuel burn, noise footprint, and maintenance costs, airlines operating the Dreamliner will have a significant competitive advantage over those with current generation aircraft.

At the end of our one -and-a-half hour inspection I was convinced that the Dreamliner really does live up to “The Dream”. Thank you to Boeing and Australian Aviation.

Giles Richardson

I have been at Rex for four years and I am just about to start with Jetstar. With Jetstar being the first Australian operator of the 787 it’s entirely possible that I may get to fly one of these one day. I suspect there will be a large line of seniority in front of me, but as this aircraft shows, you have to dream big!

Everyone asks about the chromatic windows. There are four buttons, one for each setting from clear to 25 per cent, 50 per cent and 100 per cent (dark). It takes 90 seconds for the glass to go from clear to dark. There is an obvious weight saving with no blinds but more importantly no moving parts means no maintenance, no jammed orbroken blinds.

It’s possible to isolate any controls from devious children. The pièce de résistance though is the ability of the master switch to override the controls and turn all the windows to clear for take-off and landing. The flight attendants are going to love that. No more “window blind please” 58 times.

The question I get asked the most is why we have blinds open for take-off and landing, closely followed by why do we dim the lights for the same. I’m sure that most reading this know the answers but for those that don’t — in the event of an accident and/or evacuation, having the blinds open allows passengers to see any potential hazards outside, like fire for example. Dimming the cabin lights in the evening also allows the eyes to adjust to the darkness, should one need to escape into the night!

I chatted for over an hour to one of the Boeing Ttechies about the systems on board. This is the first Boeing with only an entirely electrical connection between primary flight controls and surfaces, however it still retains the Boeing principles.

The yoke pedals and throttles all move with the autopilot engaged as in the conventional Boeings, though of course they don’t need to at all. Boeing believes they provide visual clues to the pilot as to what the aircraft is doing. At this stage of my flying career, I would have to agree. I will get back to you after some time on the airbus, which of course does not provide these visual clues.

The Dreamliner does not have a trim switch in the traditional sense. The pilot sets the attitude he wants with the elevator, then presses a kind of sync switch, which moves the variable incidence tailplane until the elevator is back in the neutral position.

The techies were so enthusiastic — it really was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Thanks again to Australian Aviation. We all went home with tall tales to tell!