Boeing 787 - 9 Dreamliner Hot Weather Test
 

From ABC News

Stretched Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner faces program of tests in Red Centre heat before taking on world - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

A new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft arrives in the Red Centre next week for hot weather testing.

The US aircraft manufacturer says it has chosen Alice Springs Airport in the Northern Territory for tests because the location meets specific requirements for both facilities and atmospheric conditions.

Daytime temperatures in the central Australian town have hovered around the 40 degree Celsius mark for the past week but are forecast to return to about 36C next week.

The 787-9 is a stretch version of the 787-8, which is now in service in Australia with Jetstar.

The new aircraft can carry more passengers and fly longer distances between refuelling.

The plane is expected to arrive at Alice Springs on Monday to begin the week-long test program.

It will follow its world launch at Auckland in New Zealand on Sunday.

After nine months of tests at various places around the world, the first commercial flight of a new 787-9 is expected to be made in Air New Zealand livery.

That flight has been scheduled for October 15 on a route from Auckland to Perth in Western Australia.

Qantas and Jetstar are among the airlines expected to add 787-9 Dreamliners to their fleets.

AKL is showing it as arriving at 1800 on Saturday

Well it looks as though they have chosen the right time to be in the Alice with temps into the high 40s'.

Boeing have a track record of sending their stuff there to test for high temps. I remember being there with a 777 sitting on the ramp all shut up and no systems operating. They were testing for temp rise in the baggage compartments I believe.

I remember seeing the 772 in ASP too. Went inside and it was amazing to see the size without interior fit out. Test crew extremely friendly and welcoming, got a full guided cockpit tour. Didn't see one without fit out again until I flew the freighter, had forgotten just how big they are-even the -200. Think the hot/high testing was pretty much the end of the certification process, as that was in 95/96.

Travelled to NZAA as BOE2 landing Saturday afternoon 4 January 2014

At the moment aircraft will be in BNE Mon 6Jan ETA 1000 local and then continue onto ASP about 1200

ANZ just announced their intention is to use the 787-9 for high yield Asian destinations from NZ. They seem to have this bizzare theory that their target market wish to pay full fares to travel on state of the art aircraft with state of the art inflight entertainment etc etc. What are they thinking? Utilizing a legacy airline/ reputation to grow their business. Don't they know/ listen/ follow Alan Joyce...? The Kiwis need to start up a LCC, several of them, donate the new aircraft and cut the "mainline" business to ensure the future for all..









Octane

They could do their Antarctic ice cold tests in Melbourne while they're at it, nother day is summer paradise down here :D

Landed
 

Saw the 787-9 cross over YBAF on its way to YBBN. Nice and quiet. Good looking plane.

What a treat if they could make a little test flight to Longreach for a photo opportunity with Boeing's latest commercial product along side the oldest example in the world of their first model jet commercial airliner, none other than VH-XBA B707-138B at the Qantas Founders Museum.

YBAS Flightware for BOE2 showed a very interesting flight pattern earlier today but that has been scrubbed and a more 'mundane' flight pattern now shows.


Boeing #2 ? FlightAware


Mike

Off to Cairns this afternoon




Boeing #2 ? 13-Jan-2014 ? YBAS / ASP - YBAS / ASP ? FlightAware