Getting back to original subject of 787 type
Pardon me for "digressing" back to the original subject, but for those of you interested in HOW the FAA determines whether a specific aircraft shall get a common type rating is the following:
Take an "average" type rated line pilot on the 777, put him in the 787 simulator and give him an ATP practical test as a "test subject". If he can pass it without any training, then the aircraft MAY receive a common type rating.
Now I will give you an example of an aircraft that did not receive a common type rating:
The CRJ-1000 WILL NOT get a common type rating with the 200/700/900 (CL-65) because....
Every pilot they put through the check ride "busted" on the Autopilot coupled ILS. Apparently the automation is totally different in the CRJ-1000. All of the "test subjects" BLEW through the localizer and/or the Autopilot never captured it. Just pushing the APPR mode (like the other CRJ's) wasn't enough..
The FAA's Aircraft Evaluation Group (AEG) is responsible for making these determinations during Flight Standardization Boards (FSB).
Hope this helps shed some light on the subject. It's NOT politics....