Wins "Biggest Experimental On The Ramp" Award

By John Ylinen

Marking its public debut in the U.S., Boeing's 787 Dreamliner, the 21st century's first radically different commercial airliner, landed at the AirVenture air show on Friday at 0910 CDT after departing from Seattle, WA.

The world's first jetliner made largely of carbon fiber is still officially "experimental,' sharing that title with many of the homebuilts and other aircraft on display at the Experimental Aircraft Association's annual week-long show in Oshkosh, Wis. But that similarity will end soon.

The Dreamliner, an ultra-smart plane that Boeing says will achieve a 20 percent improvement in fuel burn compared to planes the same size, is scheduled for delivery to its first customer, Japan's All Nippon Airways, by the end of September, Boeing officials said.  Mr. Dan Mooney, Vice President of Dreamliner Development said that this was the first Dreamliner built ZA001.  ZA001 has completed all of its flight testing according to Mr. Mooney.

The aircraft circled a few times in the area and then made one low pass came around and then Capt. Mike Carriker performed a perfect landing, reversed engines and turned off at the mid-field point in to Conoco Phillips Square, only 6000 feet down the runway.  During the low speed pass; spectators were saying how quite the aircraft was.

Crowds lined up in hot weather for hours to get a unique chance to enter the interior which still had the test and engineering stations rather than the luxurious environment that Boeing and the Airlines have planned.  The aircraft has a great ramp presence.  The airliner was only here for the one day departing at 1800. (Photos Courtesy Ed Booth)

FMI: www.boeing.com