Boeing completed high-speed taxi tests on the first 787 Dreamliner on 12 December, 2009. This was the last in a series of functional tests planned in preparation for first flight.
"Our pilots told me the airplane performed beautifully," said Mike Delaney, vice president and chief project engineer for the 787. "We're going through and analyzing the data to ensure we're ready for first flight. From evaluations we've done so far, everything looks good."
During the testing, the airplane reached a top speed of approximately 130 knots (150 mph, 240 kph), and the pilots lifted the nose gear from the pavement.
Below a 3d reconstruction of US Airways flight 1549, the flight that landed in the Hudson River piloted by Captain Sully Sullenberger and first officer Jeffrey B. Skiles.
Just over a week after a Caspian Airlines Tupolev Tu-154 aircraft crashed in Northern Iran, another crash has occurred. This time it involved an Ilyushin Il-96 carrying 150 passengers for a domestic flight. While the crew was in preparation of landing the aircraft at Mashhad they experienced technical difficulties resulting in a crash landing at its destination airport. According to sources, the aircraft overshot the runway, crashing into a concrete barrier, caught fire and finally came to rest. 'Only' 19 people on-board the aircraft were injured. See video below.
Aircraft manufacturer Boeing has completed its first 787 taxi tests on July 7. According to sources around the airline the tests included regular taxiing procedures and some low speed brake testing. See the footage below!
Two Americans capturing a DeHavilland DHC-2 Beaver on camera were almost hit by the aircraft as it crashed right in front of them. The father and his son saw how the aircraft commenced its take-off on Lake-Hood and gradually turned into their direction. The DHC-2 became airborne, nearly hitting both men, and crashed again after a few seconds.Luckily all occupants of the plane stayed unharmed. According to the flight crew the crash was caused by an unexpected squall hitting the aircraft from the left during the take-off run. See the spectacular footage below!
