panda is that local or GMT?

I have to admit it... one of the most moving moments in my life. After one hous waiting under the warm Toulouse morning sun, surrounded by part of the now estimated 60000 spectators (not including the 17000 Airbus employees in Toulouse), when I heard her engines come into action and right in front of my eyes saw her left off as the thousands of people broke out in a simultaneous and moving round of applause (and me snapping some 28 photos in a about a minute)... I admit a tear came to my eye.

As I'm sure you heard, take off (from time when brakes were released) took 25 seconds (which appears to have suprised both experts and Airbus itself, who had expected it to be a little longer). Flew north west, then headed along the northern ridge of the Pyrenees. Now probably over the Atlantic. Undercarriage retracted after about 25 minutes. Crew reported all as normal and admitted to be feeling quite happy. ETA of arrival back at Toulouse Blagnac currently 14:30 local time (GMT+2).

And, I also admit, while I kept it rather silent, I have had my doubts about weather I liked the 380 for her looks, but as she lifted off and entered her true environment (the blue sky), she looked quite impressive, I may even dare to say graceful, yet that may just be becuase how extatic I felt.

Good luck A380...

To Flyboy - that's local (I'm one of the lucky ones to be seeing it in front of me - thank-you Airbus!). Crew due to disembark at 14.30.

Pilot speaking live on Sky News......says take-off was perfect!

How come almost the entire flighttest crew is French? There must surely be british and german flighttest pilots able to do the job.. or is it due to the french regarding Airbus as being a french concept/company and therefore must have only french pilots for the first flight?

"Pilot speaking live on Sky News......says take-off was perfect!"

Has there ever been an instance where I first flight test pilot has been quoted as saying anything else!?

Not trying to 'dis' the mighty beast but these sort of quotes are about as insightful as sex education in a convent school!

Jetavia,

I'm really sure Airbus didn't think... "Oh wee are ze Franch companiee zo wee must ony use zee Franch test pilots".

I suppose they just they just who picked who they considered best for the first test flight. I know there is definitely a Spaniard on board, and possible a German and British person. Test pilot and co pilot are French though.

Jetavia I think that a British pilot is due to take the baby up for its second flight

According to the airbus-website there are 4 flight engineers on board, two from france, one from spain (vice president flight test division) and one from germany.

Saw take-off on the evening news, bit like a larger 747.

For me too slow and too big, not a bar on the Concorde.

Incidentally, 2 pilots to fly it but for goodness sake how many cabin crew will it need for safety and customer service? Especially with 800 pax !!?

Right. The flight test engineer in charge of today's flight, and actually on board the aircraft, is from Spain. His name is Fernando Alonso (like the, also spaniard, F1 driver winner of the last GPs) and in addition, he is the Vice President of the Flight Test Department in Airbus.

Well, when it comes to the subsidies Airbus has several nationalities Then it's French

Undercarriage of te A380 will be produced in the US.

Guess where u/c of BOEING'S Dreamliner 787 is produced?












In France.......

Regards

Boeing have spent years dissing this a/c.

Its now up, its bigger and better. I wonder if the same will be said of the A350. They are dissing that already, lets see what happens.

Anything with Welsh wings on it IS A WINNER!!!

Great technology accomplishment --- but I still can't get excited about flying in an airplane with 800 people --- the screening line, the baggage stowage, the check-in. Not for me.

It will be like queing for an FA cup final!

Not if you support Chelsea......

I know it may not be as spectacular as Concorde, but in terms of an engineering endeavour I was very impressed. I always visualised a lumbering, clumsy takeoff, but in reality it was pretty spritely, completely different to how I imagined.

The British test pilot (not on the first flight crew) was given a vox interview on Sky and I actually felt sorry for him that he was watching rather than doing this morning.

Looks like air to air imagtes coming up on the airbus live stream link.

I always visualised a lumbering, clumsy takeoff, but in reality it was pretty spritely, completely different to how I imagined.


4-5 hours worth of fuel, no pax and only 20 tons of test gear.