787: Taking a trip on the new Dreamliner | Business & Technology | The Seattle Times

 

Sounds like a great plane to fly. Lots of interesting concepts bundled into the 787.

But am I the only one concerned about EMPs or total electric failure on the newer jetliners?

 

A lot of great googoophonics… but at the end of the day… same crappy seats… same crappy food… with the same nav and flight displays found on the newer Cirrus and Cessnas.

Give me back my B727 any day of the week!

 

"Sir, your Model A limo is out front waiting for you. I'd recommend taking a blanket because it's chilly outside."

 

Here's one little part that kind of bothers me, just a little bit:

---From the article---

Neville said the 787 provides the smoothest ride of all Boeing airplanes because its complex flight-control computers constantly work to counter any disturbance to the path set by the pilots.

That's the regular 787 flight-control system. An additional technology designed to damp the effect of wind gusts and smooth the ride further is not yet in place, awaiting a software upgrade sometime in the next year.

But the regular system is still way ahead of the flight controls on previous Boeing jets. Ross demonstrated how by pulling one engine throttle lever all the way back and the other all the way forward, simulating one engine going out and while the other runs with full thrust.

Ross and her co-pilot Mike Bryan deliberately did nothing, keeping their feet off the pedals and their hands off the steering column, yet the airplane did not move perceptibly.

The jet's flight-control systems kept it on the course the pilots had commanded, compensating automatically for the sudden asymmetric thrust.

An engine going out is normally a stressful event for a pilot.

But Neville said the 787's flight-control system turns "a dynamic event into something very benign."

"It won't let it roll, even if your hands aren't on the wheel, because you haven't commanded a roll," he said. "It takes the work away for the pilot."

---now from me---

It takes work away from the Pilot! What's not to like, right? Well, I fly the 777, and I can tell you, it's great, BUT...because it's so great, you, as a pilot, get complacent. And now the 787 is taking it to another level.

I know I'll sound like the old fuddy duddy in the back of the room here but, if we are not 'required' to do anything, when we lose an engine, I feel it will just be a matter of time until we -forget- what it is we are supposed to be doing!

Visions of the AF accident come to mind.

 

That would take a terrorist stealing a nuke and detonating it somewhere with lots of airplanes, like the USA. Fortunately, they have no interest in doing that.

 

I'd be more worried about malicious uploads to your MCDU.

This in itself is worth discussing, have created a thread called STUXNET in hanger talk.

 

And twice on Sundays!

P.S. you didn't say glorious.

 

I saw United's first 787 in LAX last week and i had to do a double check to make sure it was the real thing. The tailpipe gives it away and it looks wonderful. I can't wait to ride in it and one day possible fly it myself.

 

i Agree that it will take away the basic fundamental pilot skills that we knew back in training. I think that it is the way of the future and that the PIC will have a better command of the aircraft in the event of an emergency instead of using all his experience and thought power to keep the airplane from crashing.