Latest News
back to main news
MIU VLJ conference chairman, Oscar Garcia, rides the A380 inaugural flight
14 November 2007
Airbus A380Singapore Airlines Inaugural FlightOctober 25th, 2007 ….Flying in the World’s largest Very Heavy Jet (VHJ)…. October of 2007 held two historical aviation events. On October 3rd, DayJet, Inc in Florida inaugurated the world’s first on demand “per seat” commercial air service using the world’s smallest commercial jet, the 4 passenger Eclipse 500. Then, on October 25th, Singapore Airlines flew the world’s first commercial flight on the largest passenger jet ever built, the 555 passenger Airbus A380 from Singapore to Sydney, flight SQ 380. DayJet’s historical first is geared to allow individuals to fly where and when they want, to destinations too far to drive in their cars and too close to efficiently use conventional airline hub and spoke systems. The A380 first flight from Singapore to Sydney is the answer to luxury mass travel between megalopolis in an airplane which is really two Jumbo jets one of top of the other. Luckily, I was invited to attend both events, experience the aircraft, and spend time with employees, customers and media. I was very privileged as well to share some thoughts with the CEO’s of both companies, Ed Iacobucci of DayJet and Chew Choon Seng of Singapore Airlines, about their unique historical first in “opposite ends” of the air transport industry spectrum. For all of us involved in the Very Light jet and Air Taxi Industries, here are some interesting facts. The A380 Very Heavy Jet (VHJ) weighs 100 times more than the Eclipse 500 Very Light Jet (VLJ). It transports 150 times more passengers than a DayJet plane and also costs 200 times more than its diminutive sibling. Here are some highlights of my experience on the A380 first commercial flight. The check-in atmosphere at the Singapore Airlines specially decorated ticket counters was jovial, the crowd was talkative and the media and paparazzi frenzy made the scene look like the world’s first commercial flight ever. Beautiful Singapore Airline flight attendants welcomed and ushered us to a light breakfast buffet in the boarding lounge, where we enjoyed delicacies such as exotic fruits, dim sum, champagnes all the while accompanied by a classical string quartet playing from an A380 themed stage. The Singapore Airlines CEO was happy to inform everyone that almost US$2.0Million had been raised and that all proceeds would be donated to three charities in Singapore and Sydney, he enthusiastically let us know that he would be on the flight as well. The charities’ chairmen were delighted with the donations and made touching speeches. Chevron Fuel’s CEO spoke in the name of all sponsors (including eBay and Google amongst many others) and donated the fuel for SQ380 inaugural return flight. As I was on the upper deck, boarding the plane meant I climbed “up” the jet way, which was a first for me. Entering the plane, I inhaled a breath of that “new airplane” smell and it really felt no different from entering a wide body Airbus A340, except that underneath, there was another wide body jet the size of a Boeing 747-400. I went down the spiraling staircase on the rear to take a look downstairs and there it was, a huge deck, wider than a 747 and almost the size of a ferry boat. The plane rolled out on time at 8:00AM and the engines were so quiet, it felt like we were being towed. A few minutes later we were whispering down the runway with almost no acceleration and after almost a minute, looking out from the window it felt impossibly slow, the airplane lifted off and climbed. The wings are twice as wide as the 747’s and they indeed look like massive up-curved horizontal sails. Cruising, TV and print media reporters had a blast talking to excited passengers and found out why they were there, where they came from and how many thousands of dollars each paid for their seats on the most “complex” eBay auction in history. Everyone had paid a lot of money to be on board and there was a collective commitment to party, have fun and make this flight truly memorable. The seven and a half hour flight was a cocktail party from nose to tail, everybody was standing and the fine weather and smooth flight made this, by far, the most relaxed and social commercial flight I have ever seen. Flight attendants gave tours of the enormous business class seats, the widest in the world, and demonstrated how the beds unfold and turn into the largest flat beds in any business class in history. The first class suites, 12 of them, are true enclosed bedrooms, 8 individuals and 4 double beds for traveling couples. The seat belt buckles have sensors so flight attendants can confirm that passengers are buckled without having to come in the suite and disturb the guests. Both business and first class seats carry a 25% premium over the same seats in other Singapore airlines aircraft. The entertainment systems are out of this world, even in economy, with internet access, Microsoft office built in software, emails, USB ports, MP3 ports and a never ending selection of movies, music, travel guides, TV and every conceivable audio visual entertainment access. Throughout the flight, amused and at times bewildered flight attendants served unlimited glasses of fine wines, champagnes and food delicacies courtesy of two renowned chefs from Singapore and Sydney (both onboard as well). A twenty two year old students birthday was celebrated with cake and “dry ice” smoke in lieu of candles; the oldest passenger, a 91 year old man, enjoyed his first class suite whilst the youngest, a 10-month old baby, slept as the A380 cruised the skies over the South Pacific perfect blue skies. Singapore Airlines’ Captain Robert Ting and CEO Chew Choon Seng roamed the cabins giving interviews, sharing personal views about the airline and the airplane to the delight of all passengers who at times surrounded them and would not let them go without questions, handshakes and well wishes. We all wanted the flight to last twice as long but before we knew it, the plane started its long smooth descent into Sydney’s airport. Following a smooth and impossibly quiet approach, the runway became visible and a swarm of vehicles, cameras, photographers and helicopters lined up the taxiways to welcome the new ‘Queen of the Skies’. Within seconds of a textbook smooth touchdown (people clapped and cheered), the footage was aired all over the world possibly making it the most watched commercial airliner landing in history. I stayed until the last passengers deplaned and was awarded with a courtesy tour of the cockpit, which was very wide indeed but unusually short for a plane this size, fitting two pilots in the front and two observers in back. Two pilot bedrooms for long flights were lodged in the ceiling directly above and behind the cockpit door. As the three Captains finished their post flight paperwork and ordered fuel for the return flight to Sydney, I noticed a fourth Captain watching every move, form filled and switch turned in the cockpit carefully. I found out later that he was Airbus’s most senior Chief Test Pilot and that he was in command of the first test Airbus 380 to ever fly. It was an honor to shake his hand and he gracefully signed an A380 book for my friend and travel companion on this trip, Chris Sloan, aviation TV producer and owner of one of the world’s largest airline private collections (www.airchive.com ) I deplaned the aircraft behind the pilots and followed them all the way to the arrival hall where a mob of press, flashes, cameras and frantic media reporters took them by storm as if they were the first men to return from the moon or better……….Mars. All in all, I think this was the most interesting commercial flight experience since, 47 years before, the first commercial Boeing 747 took to the skies from New York to London in Pan American Airline’s colors (one of the passengers on that flight was onboard SQ380 as well). The party continued at a wrap-up gathering held in the Hilton Hotel’s penthouse bar where we collectivity shared our experiences and viewpoints, exchanged cards and decided to stay bonded forever through this once in a lifetime experience. We all now share the wonderful experience of being the first to fly in what probably will be the world’s largest commercial airliner, as in the future size will most likely be traded for speed and altitude, I suppose! My return flights to Miami were on what seemed much “smaller” Boeing 777 and 747 -400 aircraft. Of course, this is all relatively speaking because as I was sipping champagne in the A380, for a second, I thought about DayJet’s Eclipses flying back and forth from their Florida Day Ports giving their 3 passengers total freedom to choose when and where to go and most importantly, allowing them to be home for dinner and on time for a good night kiss to their kids.
back to main news
