Just part of the real ETOPS story
Dave Hegy, manager, FAA Certification Management Office, also took this opportunity to announce that United Airlines has successfully complied with the requirements of their ETOPS plan and has demonstrated the ability to operate and maintain the 777 in a manner consistent with that required for 180-minute ETOPS operations.
"FAA approval for 180-minute ETOPS at service entry is one of the final milestones for the Boeing 777/Pratt & Whitney flight-test program," said Ron Woodard, president of Boeing Commercial Airplane Group. "This approval signifies that the 777 not only has completed the 1,000-cycle validation program, but that it has finished one of the most thorough laboratory, ground and flight testing efforts in aviation history. The 777 is truly service-ready."
To further ensure that the 777 is service-ready, the later part of the 1,000-cycle validation program consisted of 90 cycles -- totaling about 400 hours -- that were flown in conjunction with United Airlines ground and flight personnel. This also helped prepare United Airlines for ETOPS operations. During flight testing, the 777 performed eight 180-minute single-engine diversions for a total of 24 hours -- that's equivalent to the diversion hours accumulated during the initial five years of 767 ETOPS operations.
Woodard attributes much of the 777's success to the "working together" concept that involved the entire industry in design, development and testing, not only of the 777, but also the products used to support operation of the airplane.
"I believe that during the next half century the 777 will prove itself unparalleled in areas of operational economics and passenger comfort," he said.
"Acceptance by the FAA is extremely gratifying," said Dale Hougardy, Boeing 777 Division vice president and general manager. "In conjunction with regulatory scrutiny, customer and supplier involvement, design enhancement based on past experience, and extensive testing have helped to make this the preferred airplane in its class. Its economy and flexibility will benefit the airlines and the flying public."
"Making this an even more auspicious occasion," Hougardy added, "is the fact that this month marks the 10-year anniversary of ETOPS. Boeing aircraft -- 737, 757, 767 -- now traverse every continent and ocean of the world performing ETOPS flights."
"The impressive safety record established by twin-engine jets over the past decade has set the stage for the 777," Hougardy said. "Over the past 10 years, Boeing and engine manufacturers have gained valuable in-service experience from the 737, 757 and 767 twin-engine aircraft flying ETOPS routes. Currently, airlines fly more than 10,000 ETOPS flights each month on Boeing aircraft."
Hougardy cited the 777 as the first twinjet designed from the beginning to perform ETOPS flights. The No. 4 777 has undergone the equivalent of at least a year's worth of daily airline passenger service, to ensure the airplanes' reliability to fly all intended missions. As of May 22, the 777 test fleet has accumulated a combined total of 1,950 flights and 3,664 hours of flight time.
"With this portion of the flight-test program now complete, we look forward to seeing the 777 enter revenue service next month with United Airlines," Hougardy said.
and another part
The Boeing [NYSE: BA] 777-300ER airplane completed the longest engine-out demonstration flight ever in support of Extended Operations (ETOPS) certification, when it flew more than five hours with one of its two engines shut down.
During the approximately 13-hour Seattle to Taipei, Taiwan test flight, the airplane's crew shut off one of the two General Electric GE90-115B engines and flew the plane for 330 minutes on the other engine.
"The flight went flawlessly. We were very pleased with the way the aircraft and the GE90-115B engine performed," said Frank Santoni, Boeing 777-300ER (Extended Range) chief pilot.
ETOPS is a conservative, evolutionary program that allows airlines to fly twin-engine jetliners on routes that at some point take those planes more than 60 minutes flying time from the nearest airport.
The 777-300ER is the newest Boeing 777. Two are currently undergoing 1,500 hours of flight testing, and both have met or exceeded expectations as the program approaches its ninth month of testing. So far, crews have evaluated takeoff, landing, handling characteristics, fuel consumption, and now ETOPS.
There will be additional 330-minute ETOPS tests in various locations in the months ahead. In total, the airplanes will record approximately 220 hours of ETOPS flying. That will involve additional engine shutdowns for 330-minutes, various system checks and simulated malfunctions to ensure the systems are working in the long-range environment.
ETOPS certification by U.S. and European regulatory authorities is slated for early next year. The first 777-300ER will be delivered in April 2004 to International Lease Finance Corp.'s customer, Air France.
"Everything we've done so far is putting us in position for the ETOPS certification series of flights and final approval by the FAA," said Lars Andersen, program manager for the 777-300ER.
and in 1993 seattle times . .
Fact: The concern is that a twin loses thrust in one engine and, before it can make a safe landing, something else goes wrong with the second engine. It has never happened. In the entire history of twin-engine commercial jetliners, there has not been a single accident resulting from the shutdown of one engine and the subsequent loss of the other. Not one. The record of the Boeing 767 is illustrative: After more than 312,000 flights, only 15 planes have experienced an engine shutdown during the ETOPS portion of a flight. All diverted, turned back or continued - safely, as a result of rigorous ETOPS safety requirements.
The 777 needs to be proven safe for ETOPS on thousands of shorter flights first, but Boeing wants to use just a checklist of precautions.
Fact: When the first 777 takes flight next June, it will begin the most extensive flight-test program ever for any commercial jetliner. Three 777s will each fly 1,000 flights - the equivalent of a full year of airline service. Those 3,000 flights will simulate day-to-day airline operations and maintenance, and 270 flights will be flown by line crews of three of the world's leading airlines.
All new airplanes are plagued with glitches that need to be worked out in passenger service before allowing ETOPS.
Fact: Boeing's philosophy is, and always has been, to resolve safety concerns before passengers board any new airplane, including the 777. Guided by the experience we've gained from other jets, Boeing will use advanced technology to conduct more than 70 new tests for the 777's engines and more than 140 for its systems to prove the airplane's safety and reliability. The new lab we've built for this testing is literally a test plane that "flies" even as the first 777 is being built. With this unprecedented testing, most potential problems can be found and fixed before flight testing and well before passengers fly on the 777.
The FAA is about to grant Boeing's request for 180-minute ETOPS for the 777 at service entry; European authorities, in a setback for the 777, granted a more conservative 120 minutes.
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for example
September 2, 1996
FARNBOROUGH - The GE90-powered Boeing 777 completed all 180-minute ETOPS (Extended Twin OPerationS) Type Design requirements in August after flying a demanding Early ETOPS 1,000-cycle flight test program.
During the flight test program, the GE90 performed flawlessly. One of the engines, #900109, which flew the entire 1,000-cycle test program in an unbalanced state to prove its strength and endurance, was on display at GE's Farnborough Exhibit.
In September, the highest-thrust engine ever certified by the FAA, the 92,000 pound (409 kN) thrust GE90-92B, will begin flight testing on a Boeing 777. This will be followed by flight testing in October on the Boeing 777-200 IGW (Increased Gross Weight) aircraft. The -92B will also be the first engine to enter service on the 777-200 IGW when the aircraft is delivered to launch customer British Airways early next year. The engine will enter service derated to 90,000 pounds (400 kN) thrust.
Since its initial delivery in late 1995, the 85,000 pound (378 kN) thrust GE90-85B has achieved an outstanding in-service record. The engine, in service on four British Airways and two China Southern 777 aircraft, has logged more than 21,000 flight hours while maintaining a 99.95 percent dispatch reliability rate. The engine is also demonstrating excellent performance retention, resulting in longer on-wing life and lower maintenance costs to airline customers.
The GE90 is produced by GE Aircraft Engines and its revenue-sharing participants Snecma of France, IHI of Japan, and FiatAvio of Italy.