I flew the Bus from 2002-2003 before furlough. I echo the positive sentiments of the others. I think it is more comfortable for passengers as well as the crew, because the cabin is 6 inches bigger in diameter. Cabin air, whether in back, or in the cockpit, is superior even to the 747-400, which had 4 zones, if I remember correctly. As a fighter and trainer-background guy, the stick is more natural to me than a wheel.

The FMS is slightly different. The story goes that Honeywell built both boxes for Boeing and EADS. Boeing claimed the software was proprietary, and EADS therefore had to take away the "Execute" button. I got used to it. Not sure if the story is true, but seems plausible.

One of the big advantages (Huge, actually) is the way normal checklists and EPs are presented on the glass (at least, that is how UAL's Buses are set up). They all pop-up automatically. This from "Before Pushback" to multiple compound emergencies (where the glass decides the priority; no more guessing like in the 727).

Critical-Action items are red on the EICAS, clean-ups are Yellow, and advisory are Green. Do something out of order? It "Dings" at you and puts a cursor showing what step you should be doing.

Airbus uses a "lights-out" philosophy on the overhead panel...it is normally dark unless there is an abnormal or emergency. Then, only the swithces that are illuminated will be pressed during the course of the EP. Example: Engine fire. Only light on is the Fire light. When the EICAS step says to arm the bottle, you press the light...and an "Armed" light takes its place. When the step says "Discharge 1 Bottle," you press that light....and the other "Armed" light comes on. (If I am making minor mistakes in verbage here, forgive me...it's been 7 years).

The "Soft cruise" technique (the autopilot uses small climbs/descents to control speed instead of constantly changing throttles; supposed to be less noticable to passengers, and less likely to cause an engine failure) is novel and works well...unless you get into an overspeed in mountain wave at FL390. A quirk, but I think a good tradeoff.

I went to the Bus also wondering what I would think. I came away from it thinking "Why doesn't Boeing build them this logically?" My biggest disappointment of the 787? It still has a wheel in a fly-by-wire airplane.

After my mil-leave is over, I expect to go back to the Bus, and probably spend the rest of my career there. While others are worried about the Seniority intregation, I worry that UniCal will try to get rid of the Bus in favor of CAL's 737 fleet. Hope not.