Originally Posted by
172driver
Here's a video of the first flight of the new 747-8. Note the 'little guys' at the holding points. Can you imagine Airbus doing a 'first flight' with a couple of Cessnas in the foreground?
Good on Boeing
I've crewed 10 first flights on new-build aeroplanes, several of them new variants (I've not had the privilege of first flight on a new type, maybe one day), 6 of those as captain. None as big as a 747, but big enough.
If I was managing first flight of a new big jet, I'd have the whole place sterile for some time. You need to absolutely minimise the pressure on the flight crew to do anything other than bring the aeroplane back in one piece. If the flight test instrumentation falls over just after lining up, the crew need the time and space to just sort it out, re-brief, then carry on. If that takes half an hour, fine.
If those Cessnas were using another runway, fine. If they were likely to want the same runway as the 747, then frankly somebody's not doing their job properly.
Airbus don't do everything right - I've got quite cross with them on occasion, but in this regard, I think that they are utterly sensible.
G