UNITED'S 787 first delivered to a domestic airline

[sitarro]

In Houston today.......

 

[daveman]

That's a pretty airplane.

 

[Mr. H.]

De-icing... in the summer?

 

[sitarro]

De-icing... in the summer?

Cooling it down....... I was watching it on Flight Aware when it was coming in from Washington......41,000 feet and 545 miles per hour while burning 20 - 25% less fuel.
We are told it will be used on the Houston to Lagos daily flight and will save 30,000 dollars in fuel over the 777 now being used. An amazingly popular flight. Not unusual to have 600 bags plus a 100 gate checks along with full cargo on the Lagos flight.

 

[Mad Scientist]

De-icing... in the summer?

I think it's a sort of a Welcoming Ceremony. I thought it was only done when Pilots retire but you learn something new every day right?

 

[sitarro]

De-icing... in the summer?

I think it's a sort of a Welcoming Ceremony. I thought it was only done when Pilots retire but you learn something new every day right?

Here in Houston, it's done in honor of a fallen Military Hero, Fireman, Police Officer and retiring Captains. This being the first flight of the 78 into Houston, it got the honor too. Lufthansa's A380 got the water canon salute on it's first flight here also.

This was a friend of my brother's retirement flight, coming to the gate. My brother asked me to shoot it for him......one of the last in the Continental livery....737-900.

 

[sitarro]

This gorgeous aircraft, 787, is being used as a training platform for the rest of the month. Everyone that might do anything inside or outside to her are coming in from all the bases it will fly to. First official flight will be November 4th to Chicago. It will fly domestic routes to show it off for the first month and then either Lagos or Amsterdam. I might do a round trip to Amsterdam, spend a day and check out some Rembrandts and come home...... free flight in First Class with a vacation pass.

The tractor in front is a Super Tug, very maneuverable and ridiculously strong vehicle. It cradles the nose gear and lifts the front of the plane......it has 4 wheel steering that gets it into tight spots. The driver has a seat that revolves around so he is facing the aircraft while pushing and turns it around to pull it....capable of pulling a 777 at 35 miles an hour! I did that for awhile until the merger..... people with much more seniority got my position. Now I work on a computer analyzing mishandled bag files......word of advice, don't put anything in a checked bag that is worth anything, TSA has been caught and a guy was just interviewed claiming to have ripped off 800 thousand dollars worth of stuff.

 

[sitarro]

I shot a few more of parts of the 787 the other night, parts that are literally a thing of beauty which also aids in making this aircraft one that uses 20-25% less fuel than anything else in it's class.