First Full Public Viewing In A 'Low Pass' Possible

There was buzz at the Paris Air Show that the A350 XWB, which first flew on Friday, would make an overflight of the airport as its first true public appearance.

The flight, if it occurs, is anticipated to be a pass down the runway at an agreed-to altitude. The flight time from Toulouse and Le Borget is less than an hour, according to a report appearing in Business Travel News, making the sortie a fairly simple thing to accomplish.

Airbus said that the first flight of its entry into the composite-construction market went entirely as expected Friday. During the flight, which took the aircraft around south western France, the crew explored the aircraft’s flight envelope. The aircraft was accompanied by a chase plane to observe and film the various maneuvers. Its progress was monitored by experts on the ground in real-time via a direct telemetry link. Airbus said the maiden flight marked the beginning of a rigorous test flight campaign involving five A350s, and around 2,500 flight hours. Airbus expects that the airplane will achieve certification and entry into airline service in the second half of 2014.

(Image provided by Airbus)

FMI: www.airbus.com