PART TWO – ROOM WITH A VIEW – BOEING DREAMLINER
First, a quick “thank-you” to the Colorado
Springs 99’s who asked me to join them for lunch
to talk flying and otherwise socialize. The 99’s
are an organization for female pilots. You’ll
find a photo in the “Sky Ladies” album or just
click here:
http://www.fromthecockpit.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=17&pos=0
I’m going to try again and see if I can make it
more than two sentences without getting
sidetracked. If you haven’t read last week’s
Update, you might want to do that before
continuing and then my remark will make sense.
You’ll find Part One on my Blog at
www.fromthecockpit.com/Blogg.
CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK:
A full-size bus drove us the three blocks that
first evening to the Dahlia Lounge where we were
treated to an incredible array of appetizers (the
crab cakes were so good!) followed by a full meal
with choice of steak (that’s what I had), salmon
or chicken and a sampler plate of desserts. This
was our first opportunity to get to know some of
the people from Boeing.
I’m afraid my notion of behaving myself and
eating lightly on this trip went right out the
window within those first few hours. I behaved
very, very badly, I’m afraid. I gave up about
ten minutes after we arrived at the restaurant
and decided to just give it up and enjoy the
wonderful food.
Halfway through my steak, I turned to Tom Cogan,
the Project Engineer for the B-787, and asked if
there was any way he had a doggie at home who
would enjoy part of my steak. “I don’t,” he
answered, “but my secretary does. She has a
Bassett Hound who would love it.” The next day
he sought me out first thing to tell me how happy
my gift had made his secretary and her doggie.
It was just that kind of relaxed, friendly
atmosphere that put us all at ease and made such
an enjoyable as well as informative visit. I’m
not sure I’ve ever had a better steak, but even I
have my limits and had to save room for the
coconut tart, six layer (at least) chocolate
fudge cake and crème brûlée. It wasn’t a choice
of desserts but a sampler platter, absolutely out
of this world.
It was apparent very early on that Boeing’s idea
of a good time is to do a lot of wining and
dining of its guests. They hosted dinner that
first night, breakfast in a hotel conference room
the next morning, an Italian lunch at Cucina!
Cucina! (Our Boeing hosts ordered several
platters of appetizers before the main meal
began) and dinner at The Melting Pot, a fondue
restaurant. We have one in Denver but I’ve never
eaten there. The food just kept coming and
coming and coming and I didn’t want to be rude,
so I just kept shoveling it in. What else could
I do? What could any of us do?
A bus shuttled us around from our hotel to the
Boeing Customer Experience Center to the
restaurants and anywhere else anyone needed to
go. All the information we were given, via Power
Point presentations and a visit to a mockup of
the cabin, were at Boeing’s Customer Experience
Center, not to far from SeaTac Airport. Frankly,
I am quite certain I had an increased, or at
least a different, perspective from the other
journalists. It was quite apparent that, as a
pilot, many of the points had a somewhat
different impact on me.
When they told us, for instance, about the
improvements on the pressurization system, it
made a huge impression on me from a technical
standpoint. For the first time in history, a
plane can be pressurized all the way to sea level
even when the airplane is at 40,000 feet.
Currently, the best an airplane can do is
pressurize to about 7,000 feet. Boeing told us
why 6,000 feet turned out to be the optimum
altitude, but, even though it may not sound like
much difference, there are other ramifications as
well, such as on the humidity factor.
I’ve discussed this more in my “Ask The Captain”
column of Tuesday, June 6th (link at top). The
other journalists were travel-writers, listening
from the perspective of how this plane will be an
improvement for passengers. I can see beyond the
obvious benefits for passengers and appreciate
what huge technological leaps have been made with
the Dreamliner. I was expecting a comfortable
airplane, but I was not expecting such
significant leaps in technology.
And now to this week’s title. “Room With a View”
refers in part to the new look of the cabin. For
the first time in history, the use of new
super-strong materials in the structure have
allowed for windows up to 60% larger than what
you’ll currently find in any given commercial
airliner. Boeing says it wants to reunite
passengers with the joy of flying, and part of
that is with more visual access to what’s going
on outside.
However, what I really had in mind with the title
is the lavatory. That’s right, the lavatory.
Why? Because they even put a window in there and
I thought this was a delightful and innovative
touch. I asked the obvious question, which is
what happens when the plane is on the ground?
It’s not inconceivable someone could be lurking
outside on a ladder. No problem. Sensors in the
landing gear tell the lavatory windows (one in
each lav) to go black when the airplane is on the
ground.
Window shades? A thing of the past. Now
passengers will be able to adjust the amount of
light coming through the window with the touch of
a switch.
Now, if you care to see this new airplane, which
is not yet in production but about to be,
possibly as early as next month, please be sure
to visit the new B-787 Dreamliner Album which
you’ll find at this link.
http://www.fromthecockpit.com/gallery/index.php?cat=0&page=2
There is also a B-777 Album but I wanted to split
up the photos into their own Albums. The first
part of the Dreamliner Album consists of photos I
took myself and the second part is all photos
Boeing provided. Don’t forget to visit the
“Cap’n Meryl & Friends” Album as well as the
“Guest Aviation Photos” Album to see other photos
taken of my friend Courtney and her brother
Cameron as well as my cousin Jeff and his wife.
You’ll find both at the link in the paragraph
above.
“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
Springs 99’s who asked me to join them for lunch
to talk flying and otherwise socialize. The 99’s
are an organization for female pilots. You’ll
find a photo in the “Sky Ladies” album or just
click here:
http://www.fromthecockpit.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=17&pos=0
I’m going to try again and see if I can make it
more than two sentences without getting
sidetracked. If you haven’t read last week’s
Update, you might want to do that before
continuing and then my remark will make sense.
You’ll find Part One on my Blog at
www.fromthecockpit.com/Blogg.
CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK:
A full-size bus drove us the three blocks that
first evening to the Dahlia Lounge where we were
treated to an incredible array of appetizers (the
crab cakes were so good!) followed by a full meal
with choice of steak (that’s what I had), salmon
or chicken and a sampler plate of desserts. This
was our first opportunity to get to know some of
the people from Boeing.
I’m afraid my notion of behaving myself and
eating lightly on this trip went right out the
window within those first few hours. I behaved
very, very badly, I’m afraid. I gave up about
ten minutes after we arrived at the restaurant
and decided to just give it up and enjoy the
wonderful food.
Halfway through my steak, I turned to Tom Cogan,
the Project Engineer for the B-787, and asked if
there was any way he had a doggie at home who
would enjoy part of my steak. “I don’t,” he
answered, “but my secretary does. She has a
Bassett Hound who would love it.” The next day
he sought me out first thing to tell me how happy
my gift had made his secretary and her doggie.
It was just that kind of relaxed, friendly
atmosphere that put us all at ease and made such
an enjoyable as well as informative visit. I’m
not sure I’ve ever had a better steak, but even I
have my limits and had to save room for the
coconut tart, six layer (at least) chocolate
fudge cake and crème brûlée. It wasn’t a choice
of desserts but a sampler platter, absolutely out
of this world.
It was apparent very early on that Boeing’s idea
of a good time is to do a lot of wining and
dining of its guests. They hosted dinner that
first night, breakfast in a hotel conference room
the next morning, an Italian lunch at Cucina!
Cucina! (Our Boeing hosts ordered several
platters of appetizers before the main meal
began) and dinner at The Melting Pot, a fondue
restaurant. We have one in Denver but I’ve never
eaten there. The food just kept coming and
coming and coming and I didn’t want to be rude,
so I just kept shoveling it in. What else could
I do? What could any of us do?
A bus shuttled us around from our hotel to the
Boeing Customer Experience Center to the
restaurants and anywhere else anyone needed to
go. All the information we were given, via Power
Point presentations and a visit to a mockup of
the cabin, were at Boeing’s Customer Experience
Center, not to far from SeaTac Airport. Frankly,
I am quite certain I had an increased, or at
least a different, perspective from the other
journalists. It was quite apparent that, as a
pilot, many of the points had a somewhat
different impact on me.
When they told us, for instance, about the
improvements on the pressurization system, it
made a huge impression on me from a technical
standpoint. For the first time in history, a
plane can be pressurized all the way to sea level
even when the airplane is at 40,000 feet.
Currently, the best an airplane can do is
pressurize to about 7,000 feet. Boeing told us
why 6,000 feet turned out to be the optimum
altitude, but, even though it may not sound like
much difference, there are other ramifications as
well, such as on the humidity factor.
I’ve discussed this more in my “Ask The Captain”
column of Tuesday, June 6th (link at top). The
other journalists were travel-writers, listening
from the perspective of how this plane will be an
improvement for passengers. I can see beyond the
obvious benefits for passengers and appreciate
what huge technological leaps have been made with
the Dreamliner. I was expecting a comfortable
airplane, but I was not expecting such
significant leaps in technology.
And now to this week’s title. “Room With a View”
refers in part to the new look of the cabin. For
the first time in history, the use of new
super-strong materials in the structure have
allowed for windows up to 60% larger than what
you’ll currently find in any given commercial
airliner. Boeing says it wants to reunite
passengers with the joy of flying, and part of
that is with more visual access to what’s going
on outside.
However, what I really had in mind with the title
is the lavatory. That’s right, the lavatory.
Why? Because they even put a window in there and
I thought this was a delightful and innovative
touch. I asked the obvious question, which is
what happens when the plane is on the ground?
It’s not inconceivable someone could be lurking
outside on a ladder. No problem. Sensors in the
landing gear tell the lavatory windows (one in
each lav) to go black when the airplane is on the
ground.
Window shades? A thing of the past. Now
passengers will be able to adjust the amount of
light coming through the window with the touch of
a switch.
Now, if you care to see this new airplane, which
is not yet in production but about to be,
possibly as early as next month, please be sure
to visit the new B-787 Dreamliner Album which
you’ll find at this link.
http://www.fromthecockpit.com/gallery/index.php?cat=0&page=2
There is also a B-777 Album but I wanted to split
up the photos into their own Albums. The first
part of the Dreamliner Album consists of photos I
took myself and the second part is all photos
Boeing provided. Don’t forget to visit the
“Cap’n Meryl & Friends” Album as well as the
“Guest Aviation Photos” Album to see other photos
taken of my friend Courtney and her brother
Cameron as well as my cousin Jeff and his wife.
You’ll find both at the link in the paragraph
above.
“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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