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Dreamliner’s First Flight Sets the Internet atwitter

Yet, for a few hours just after 10pm (UAE time) on the December 15, the maiden flight of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, not only beat Tiger on the Internet popularity charts but made it to number four on the list of Trending Topics on Twitter. Needless to say the aviation forums were abuzz with 787 chatter.

DREAM COME TRUE... Dreamliner lifts off at Paine Field in Everett, Washington. — AFP

For plane spotters and other keen followers of the aerospace industry, the first flight of the 787 was a unique experience in the sense that it was the first major new airplane launch in the era of social media. The last aircraft that attracted as much attention was the Airbus A380, which first flew in 2005, well before the advent of Twitter and mass citizen journalism as we know it.

In keeping with the trend, Boeing set up a special microsite which offered viewers a chance to watch the first flight live on streaming video. And watch they did! From Dubai to Seattle and everywhere in between, close to a million people from 204 countries logged in to watch the Dreamliner take off, according to data available on the 787 microsite. While Boeing didn’t set up its own Twitter feed, and surprisingly so, the community stepped in with running commentary and opinions.

For example, aviation journalist Jon Ostrower who runs ‘FlightBlogger’, had a ringside view of the first flight and tweeted live from the press enclave throughout the event to nearly 4,000 followers, in addition to posting a video on YouTube and photographs 
on Twitpic.

Other users chipped in with congratulatory messages, praise and awe. Twitter @nlitenmebabe said, “Two days before 106^th anniversary of Wright Brothers first flight, congratulations to Boeing on 787 first takeoff, ” while @anclag tweeted: “Just been rewatching the videos of the #787FF takeoff and landing. What a beautiful looking machine...hope I get my hands on one some day.”

Dubai based Komal Korla stayed up to watch the airplane take off and land and tweeted, “Aaaand TOUCHDOWN!!! What a landing! Just poetic. Perfect landing, if there ever was one.”

There’s something about airplanes that fascinates Komal. “I’m a huge fan of planes and this was just amazing,” she told Khaleej Times.

The 787 test flight took three-and-half hours and Komal barely blinked, tweeting the progress all the time. She’s followed the dreamliner from the tables to the tarmac.

The beauty of the plane itself was quickly overshadowed by the way it flew. The giant exuded such grace & majesty, that when it took off it was almost like it lifted it’s nose more with pride than due to actual necessity. This is probably the closest any man-made marvel has gotten to mimicking nature (and preserving it); the Boeing 787 is not just another plane, it’s a whole new species!” said an excited Komal.

On a sidebar, the 787 moved off the top 10 list of Trending Topics a few hours later, while Tiger made a brief appearance this morning before making way for Copenhagen, Christmas and Snow. At least Tiger has something to be glad about these days.

patrick@khaleejtimes.com

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