Randy's Journal: Archives

19 July 2006

Flying circus

FARNBOROUGH, England - And now for something completely different. A little change of pace. Some flavor of what's happening on the ground at the air show while the airplanes are soaring overhead in the searing heat this week.

I mentioned the other day the gee-whiz stuff packed into the 787 mockup at this year's Boeing exhibit - what we call the DreamSpace. For instance, while you're sitting inside the mockup, digitally-created images of a landscape and sky appear to flow by outside the big windows - simulating the feeling of flight.

But the most fascinating thing about these windows is there's no physical window shade. Just a single passenger button that electronically controls window dimming. Kind of like sunglasses that dim depending on how bright the sun is. These new kind of window shades can be adjusted up or down at the passenger's touch. We've never demonstrated this in our mockup before.

Another buzz-generator at the show is the presence of an 85-year old Boeing legend. Joe Sutter, the "father of the 747," is here.

He's got a new book out about his adventures in commercial aviation. And he's been quite the hit at the Boeing Chalet and out and about at various events.

Order announcements always seem to generate quite a bit of media interest at air shows. No different this time around.

Two such events led to standing-room-only conditions in the Boeing media chalet briefing room. It's not because reporters wanted to share in the celebration for the companies involved. I think it's mostly because the media gets a chance to ask questions of top Boeing and airline executives.

Today, International Lease Finance Corp. (ILFC) chairman and CEO, Steven Udvar-Hazy, joined Boeing's Alan Mulally to announce an order for 10 airplanes - a mix of 787 Dreamliners, 737-800s, and 777-300ERs. And the questions ran to their thoughts about the competition between Boeing and Airbus products.

On Tuesday there was a great deal of interest in one of the biggest commercial airplanes deals of the show when Emirates and Boeing signed an agreement for 10 747-8 Freighters. It's a big deal on many layers, signaling yet another endorsement from a major carrier, for the excellent capabilities of the -8F.

You can catch up on all the orders news from Farnborough on our Web site.

Keep in mind that - as I've said before - Boeing doesn't "save up" orders for air shows. But when our customers choose to announce an agreement to purchase airplanes we're pleased to celebrate the event with them here.

Not including this week's announcements, we have about 500 firm orders on our books. That wouldn't be the case if we were holding orders for air show time.

There's been lots of good coverage of Farnborough out there on media web sites and discussion groups. There's also some good reporting on the XWB story here.

Oh, and have I mentioned that it's hot? Set a record today for the hottest July day on record in London.

And finally today, after Day 3, I find myself settling down for traditional fish and chips with mushy peas at one of my favorite pubs - and of course, a pint of good British ale - and reflecting on what great opportunities these air shows are. Where else can an airplane marketeer like me get the opportunity to talk to so many different industry people - customers and media, investors and investor-analysts, and people who finance airplanes - all in one place.

It almost makes up for the two-hour bus ride each way between Farnborough and central London. It's definitely point-to-point, but not exactly nonstop. Nonstop on London roads? Now THAT would be something completely different.