January 2nd Today, our 28th wedding anniversary, we set off for Sydney via Guangzhou the hub for China Southern airlines - a first with this airline and a first experience of the Boeing 787 ‘Dreamliner’. For those of you who like flying, the Boeing 787 is worth the experience: http://www.boeing.com/commercial/787/.
The design and construction of the 787 is very innovative and its special features explain the quiet comfort of the passenger experience.I was truly impressed with it, helped I think by absolutely no prior knowledge about its history since it was rolled out in July 2007. I discovered once off the flight at Guangzhou in China that there had been a couple of failures in the lithium ion batteries in the early models that started fires in the kitchen and scared the life out of the passengers and crew. All solved now we are given to believe.
This is my attempt at a poetic musing on the experience.
I seem to have been affected by this aircraft in an unexpected way.
Dreamliner Dreaming...
Through the hot night flight out of London bound for Guangzhou
Spaced out under a vaulted dome above.
Portside purple and indigo ovals punctuate the darkened cabin.
To starboard the azure blue light deepens into artful lapis lazuli
and sleep moves in and out of reach.
Soft background hum gives way to low grumbling
From the chevron decked engine nacelles
As the captive cargo is borne aloft into the clouded sky,
until with a sudden roaring and scraping, we are delivered into a summer smog.
Then all changed... Hello to the Airbus A380 and all that it means for the weary traveller!
On boarding the Airbus A380 www.airbus.com at Guangzhou for the 8 hours to Sydney, the transformation in sheer size of cabin space and air quality was immense. Several years ago I can remember watching this aircraft from the Sydney harbour north shore as it came in on its inaugural flight and being struck by the shadow it cast. At that time I could not imagine flying in it but from the first flight for me it has always been the very best long haul flying experience. And that view is shared by many other people if the airline information is to be believed. If you have not flown on this aircraft make sure you do next time you have a chance to fly. It transformed my attitude to flying long haul.