Boeing to resume Test Flights

By Michael Mecham and Guy Norris

Boeing plans to use round-the-clock operations on the 787’s test program as it seeks to win type certification for the new jet within nine months, followed by a first delivery to launch customer All Nippon Airways before the end of 2010.

Although the 787’s first flight Dec. 15 marked the start of flight testing, the road to full certification will not begin until the aircraft receives type inspection authorization, the milestone denoting the start of full-time FAA involvement. This is expected in February.

By then, Boeing is likely to have three 787s in flight test. The first flight aircraft, ZA001, is due to return to work this week, and the second, ZA002, is set to join it today. ZA003 should be in the air by the end of February. All are powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines. First flight of a test aircraft with a General Electric GEnx-1B engine is expected about April.

Chief Test Pilot Mike Carriker and Engineering Test Pilot Randy Neville will switch seats for the inaugural ZA002 flight. Thereafter, piloting chores will be dispersed to three other project pilots — Mike Bryan, Heather Ross and Regis Hancock — backed by others from Boeing’s flight-test staff. In all, about two dozen pilots will be involved in 787 testing.

Maintenance At Night

Boeing’s round-the-clock routine will involve 16 hours of maintenance and 8 hours of testing, with daylight hours reserved for the latter. Within these windows, the aircraft will be released for flight testing by 7 a.m. and be back in the hands of the ground crew after 3 p.m. each day. Maintenance will carry on through midnight until the early hours, when aircraft release begins for the next round of flight testing. The cycle begins anew at 6 a.m. when the test crew starts work.

Unlike the 777, where test crews remained with specific aircraft, the test pilots and engineers for the 787, as well as the 747-8 and future programs, will be allocated to whatever aircraft is available to perform tests on a given day.

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