PART ONE - ROOM WITH A VIEW – BOEING DREAMLINER
There’s simply no help for it. This Update is going to have to be a two-parter. There’s just too much to tell and rather than try to keep it to a minimum and leave out stuff I want to include, I’ve decided to split it out. Part Two will come out next week so be sure to watch for it. The name of this Update refers to something very specific to the Dreamliner, so you’ll be sure to want to read Part Two next week to see what it means.
I also found it necessary to write my Ask The Captain column in two parts, the first of which should come out on June 6th. Part two will run a week later.
This was a very exciting and eventful week for me. Boeing invited me to come to Seattle to participate in their Media Summit for their new airplane, the B-787 Dreamliner, due to go into production within the next couple of months. I had no preconceived notions about the airplane and was wowed by several things, not only by the airplane but by the people of Boeing who made me and the other journalists feel welcome and well-cared for.
The in-depth knowledge of the Boeing people responsible for this tour was incredible. I didn’t ask a single question that wasn’t answered immediately and in detail right on the spot, and, if you must know, I asked far more questions than anyone else there. It’s not terribly surprising that a pilot would have some questions that wouldn’t occur to non-pilots, about such things as improvements in fuel burn, air conditioning and pressurization systems, new cockpit technology, etc. Besides which, I always ask a lot of questions. It’s just my nature. Like a kid who never quite made it out of that stage. I don’t consider it a bad thing, and the folks at Boeing certainly seemed to welcome my questions.
My first day in Seattle for this event was Monday, May 22nd. All the invited journalists were to meet in the lobby of the W Hotel, where Boeing put us up, around 6:00 PM, but I arranged to meet with one of my readers, Courtney Riecan, beforehand as she lives in Seattle. Courtney now has 4.8 hours under her belt since she decided to follow a career path similar to mine and is on her way to becoming a pilot. Getting flight time in Seattle is always a challenge due to the frequent overcast and rain, and she has already faced a few disappointments with canceled lessons, but she’s incredibly excited and so very much like me it’s a little scary, like watching a much younger version of me. (Heavy sigh.)
At the very beginning of “The World At My Feet” I wrote about my first flight when I was eleven. It was only several minutes long from San Diego to Long Beach where we had some relatives. One member of that family, my cousin Jeff, who was nine at the time that story took place, now works for Boeing, as it turns out, although it’s just a coincidence and nothing to do with my invitation. When I told him I was coming up, he and I agreed we should meet.
So Jeff arranged to come over to my hotel as well. He was a very cute kid but as an adult he is one very handsome guy. You can see what I mean as I posted his photo in the new Dreamliner Album. I added a second photo of Jeff and his beautiful wife Kristy later to the Cap’n Meryl & Friends Album. More about the new photo additions in a little bit.
I’d been with Courtney about an hour when Jeff arrived, and just after that Courtney’s brother Cameron arrived to pick her up. He was visiting her from New York and of course went along on one of her flight lessons. You’ll find his photo in the Cap’n Meryl & Friends Album.
Now, back to this whole Boeing media thing. I had no idea whether to expect a large or small group. Boeing decided to keep it quite small and manageable, and there were just nine journalists from eight countries. It surprised me that I was the only American there. Journalists from the both NY Times and Wall St. Journal were invited but couldn’t make it. The countries represented besides the United States were Japan, Australia, China, Morocco, Mexico, Korea (journalist plus interpreter) and Germany. Quite the international gathering.
I am frequently in touch with Boeing’s 777 PR man Chuck Cadena, and when, at his suggestion, I was invited by the 787 group to come up, I jumped at the chance. You’ll find Chuck on the B-787 Album cover with me and another photo of him inside the Album. He and I had never met face-to-face so he arranged to come to my hotel the second day of the tour during the free hour or two after the tour ended and before dinner began. He later joined us for dinner at The Melting Pot for fondue.
Chuck showed up at the hotel laden with souvenirs from the record-breaking long distance flight of the B-777 LR (Longer Range) which he insists I would have been invited to join except we didn’t know each other in time. To try and make up for it somewhat, he brought me a number of items, some of which had been available only to people aboard that plane, including a beautiful commemorative blanket which Al The Web Guy will hang as soon as he gets the parts he ordered to do it right. Chuck also brought me a souvenir cap, key chain, post-card, calendar, just all sorts of stuff. He’s been an invaluable resource for me and my link to others at Boeing when I’ve asked for technical information when writing some of my “Ask The Captain” columns for usatoday.com.
Well, here we are at about a thousand words and I didn’t even get started yet. I don’t like it when my Updates get too lengthy, so I’m going to stop right here and pick up the actual Tour part next week. In the meantime, you’ll want to go to Dream Liner Album and see the new B-787 Dreamliner Album. Remember, the name of the Update, “Room With a View,” will be explained next week.
The following link will take you directly to the Last Uploads in the Cap’n Meryl & Friends Album, where I’ve added seven new photos including Courtney, her brother Cameron and my cousin Jeff and his wife Kristy: Last Uploads
“The World At My Feet” and “Flights of Whimsy”
marketing test was a success and is now a
permanent offer in our Gift Ideas area at
fromthecockpit.com. Just $25 for both books,
shipped anywhere in the world for free for a
savings of $12.85.
Click here:
Gift Ideas
And with that,
Until Next Time,
Maintain Airspeed!
Cap'n Meryl
http://www.flyingfearless.com
http://www.fromthecockpit.com
I also found it necessary to write my Ask The Captain column in two parts, the first of which should come out on June 6th. Part two will run a week later.
This was a very exciting and eventful week for me. Boeing invited me to come to Seattle to participate in their Media Summit for their new airplane, the B-787 Dreamliner, due to go into production within the next couple of months. I had no preconceived notions about the airplane and was wowed by several things, not only by the airplane but by the people of Boeing who made me and the other journalists feel welcome and well-cared for.
The in-depth knowledge of the Boeing people responsible for this tour was incredible. I didn’t ask a single question that wasn’t answered immediately and in detail right on the spot, and, if you must know, I asked far more questions than anyone else there. It’s not terribly surprising that a pilot would have some questions that wouldn’t occur to non-pilots, about such things as improvements in fuel burn, air conditioning and pressurization systems, new cockpit technology, etc. Besides which, I always ask a lot of questions. It’s just my nature. Like a kid who never quite made it out of that stage. I don’t consider it a bad thing, and the folks at Boeing certainly seemed to welcome my questions.
My first day in Seattle for this event was Monday, May 22nd. All the invited journalists were to meet in the lobby of the W Hotel, where Boeing put us up, around 6:00 PM, but I arranged to meet with one of my readers, Courtney Riecan, beforehand as she lives in Seattle. Courtney now has 4.8 hours under her belt since she decided to follow a career path similar to mine and is on her way to becoming a pilot. Getting flight time in Seattle is always a challenge due to the frequent overcast and rain, and she has already faced a few disappointments with canceled lessons, but she’s incredibly excited and so very much like me it’s a little scary, like watching a much younger version of me. (Heavy sigh.)
At the very beginning of “The World At My Feet” I wrote about my first flight when I was eleven. It was only several minutes long from San Diego to Long Beach where we had some relatives. One member of that family, my cousin Jeff, who was nine at the time that story took place, now works for Boeing, as it turns out, although it’s just a coincidence and nothing to do with my invitation. When I told him I was coming up, he and I agreed we should meet.
So Jeff arranged to come over to my hotel as well. He was a very cute kid but as an adult he is one very handsome guy. You can see what I mean as I posted his photo in the new Dreamliner Album. I added a second photo of Jeff and his beautiful wife Kristy later to the Cap’n Meryl & Friends Album. More about the new photo additions in a little bit.
I’d been with Courtney about an hour when Jeff arrived, and just after that Courtney’s brother Cameron arrived to pick her up. He was visiting her from New York and of course went along on one of her flight lessons. You’ll find his photo in the Cap’n Meryl & Friends Album.
Now, back to this whole Boeing media thing. I had no idea whether to expect a large or small group. Boeing decided to keep it quite small and manageable, and there were just nine journalists from eight countries. It surprised me that I was the only American there. Journalists from the both NY Times and Wall St. Journal were invited but couldn’t make it. The countries represented besides the United States were Japan, Australia, China, Morocco, Mexico, Korea (journalist plus interpreter) and Germany. Quite the international gathering.
I am frequently in touch with Boeing’s 777 PR man Chuck Cadena, and when, at his suggestion, I was invited by the 787 group to come up, I jumped at the chance. You’ll find Chuck on the B-787 Album cover with me and another photo of him inside the Album. He and I had never met face-to-face so he arranged to come to my hotel the second day of the tour during the free hour or two after the tour ended and before dinner began. He later joined us for dinner at The Melting Pot for fondue.
Chuck showed up at the hotel laden with souvenirs from the record-breaking long distance flight of the B-777 LR (Longer Range) which he insists I would have been invited to join except we didn’t know each other in time. To try and make up for it somewhat, he brought me a number of items, some of which had been available only to people aboard that plane, including a beautiful commemorative blanket which Al The Web Guy will hang as soon as he gets the parts he ordered to do it right. Chuck also brought me a souvenir cap, key chain, post-card, calendar, just all sorts of stuff. He’s been an invaluable resource for me and my link to others at Boeing when I’ve asked for technical information when writing some of my “Ask The Captain” columns for usatoday.com.
Well, here we are at about a thousand words and I didn’t even get started yet. I don’t like it when my Updates get too lengthy, so I’m going to stop right here and pick up the actual Tour part next week. In the meantime, you’ll want to go to Dream Liner Album and see the new B-787 Dreamliner Album. Remember, the name of the Update, “Room With a View,” will be explained next week.
The following link will take you directly to the Last Uploads in the Cap’n Meryl & Friends Album, where I’ve added seven new photos including Courtney, her brother Cameron and my cousin Jeff and his wife Kristy: Last Uploads
“The World At My Feet” and “Flights of Whimsy”
marketing test was a success and is now a
permanent offer in our Gift Ideas area at
fromthecockpit.com. Just $25 for both books,
shipped anywhere in the world for free for a
savings of $12.85.
Click here:
Gift Ideas
And with that,
Until Next Time,
Maintain Airspeed!
Cap'n Meryl
http://www.flyingfearless.com
http://www.fromthecockpit.com
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