Boeing 787 Dreamliner Visits both Lubbock and Midland Airports

This blogger works for a nationally known rental car company.  The economy in Midland-Odessa is so booming, they have to hire people from out of town to come down to do some work at the Midland International Airport.

So twice aweek, I and others who live in Lubbock, make the two plus hour drive down to Midland, work all day and have a two plus hour drive back to Lubbock before we can call it a day.

And while at the Midland airport, I love to watch the different airplanes that pay a visit to that airport.  Military aircraft, old warbirds from the CAF, and other interesting things. Its something to see a USAF C-5 Galaxy doing Touch and Goes.

So, it was with some surprise that I witness a Boeing 787 Dreamliner (in Boeing colors) land at the Midland Airport.  I got as many photos as I could manage with my cellphone camera.  Biggest disappointment I had was not being able to get any of the aircraft in flight.

The bigger surprise came when we got back home to Lubbock, Texas- just before a big cold front arrived (with ALOT of Blowing Dust!).  Looking towards the old terminal building which now houses the Silent Wings Museum was the VERY SAME Boeing 787 parked on the ramp nearby.

Last year, the 787 was in the news for battery problems although that is supposed to have been fixed by now.  Plus the 787 is the replacement for the older Boeing 767.  Even more amazing, I found a news story about the 787 in Lubbock, but was not able to find something similar in the Midland news.

The accompanying pictures are the ones that I took with my cellphone camera.  The first two are from Midland International Airport.  The last three are from Lubbock International Airport. The closeup of the 787 in the dust storm - I had to take from inside my little pickup truck.

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Ref.
1. Everything Lubbock.com "Lubbock Airport Hosts New, Big Bird" April 4, 2014.  (http://www.everythinglubbock.com/story/d/story/lubbock-airport-hosts-new-big-bird/22461/AkOxfVMAR0SZEvgvsQaw5Q).

Long Delayed, Boeing 787 Dreamliner First Flight

If all goes well, then December 15, 2009, will be the day that the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft takes flight for the first time. If successful, this lead aircraft and six others will go through a six month test program flying around the clock.

That first flight being two and a half years late. And cost Boeing some of orders for their product. But so far, 840 orders are still on the books for the aircraft giant.

Boeing is hoping that it can really make this 80% composite material of carbon and titanium aircraft the most fuel efficient airliner out there on the market today.

Wheels up is expected to be 10 am Pacific time assuming good visibility and decent weather. It will be a four hour flight from the plant north of Seattle and travelling over Puget Sound and over Washington state. The first 787 should be certified and delivered to Japan's All Nippon Airways next year.

Airbus also has a lightweight aircraft in development. Its A350 will also be made of carbon-composite materials.

The other civilian Airbus product, the A380 double decker airliner; is limited by the number of airports in the world that can handle that aircraft. Recently, the A400M military transport finally took flight for the first time as well.

Construction issues for this new building material for a vehicle of this size was partly responsible for the delays. Shortage of parts and the two-month long strike last year didn't help things.

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Ref. BBC, December 15, 2009. "Boeing 787 Dreamliner prepares for first flight" (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8413466.stm).

Reuters, December 15, 2009. "Boeing set for first flight of 787" by Kyle Peterson. (http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5BE20720091215).

This Blog, December 11, 2009. "Airbus A400M Military Transport First Flight" (http://aerospacedreams.blogspot.com/2009/12/airbus-a400m-military-transport-first.html).