Randy's Journal: Archives

27 April 2005

Big bird aloft

Bien joué. Well done.

Anyone in aviation can tell you that first flights rank way up there on the list of exciting, memorable, and emotional highlights in our industry. You might even add "spine-tingling" to those descriptions.

So, it's got to be a great feeling for the Airbus team, now that the A380 has completed its first test flight early this morning (Seattle time). "Hats off" to them.

I'm sure everyone involved is feeling very proud today. And they should be.

Of course, we have our differences with Airbus on the future of ultra-large airplanes and whether this is really the way passengers want to fly. But that's a topic for further discussion some other day.

Today is the A380's day, and I send my congratulations.