Lot Polish Airlines Rolls out Boeing Dreamliner-787

By Raymond Rolak
Special for POLAND U.S.

Everett, WA - It was easy to notice that fresh new fragrance. The cabin looked bright and futuristic. Everything was eye-catching and pleasing. It was just like the feeling one gets when getting into a brand new automobile for the first time. New airplanes smell great just like a brand new car does.

It was such a historic day, when watching the aviation partnership of LOT Polish Airlines and the Boeing Corporation come together for the rollout of the new Dreamliner-787. Guests and enthusiastic employees applauded as Boeing International showcased the first LOT Dreamliner-787 for European service.

This is the future for global air travel and LOT Polish Airlines is front and center. The associated events and employee enthusiasm added such a bright and fresh sense to the occasion.

As an aviation professional and global traveler, I have seen and observed the wonderment of man’s engineering successes. This airplane is an international showpiece. Randy Tinseth, vice-president of Boeing Commercial Airplanes in Seattle gave a behind the scenes perspective regarding the Dreamliner.

When the giant LOT Polish Airlines Boeing 787 started its taxi one can feel the power of the twin Rolls Royce engines. This was near the intersection of runway 16R-34L at Paine Field. Paine Field and the Boeing aprons and taxiways are part of Snohomish County Airport. It has a 9,000 foot runway, perfect for the jumbo jets.

The advanced avionics in the Dreamliner cockpit was a marvel. It has a 17 hour flying range. This wide-body was being documented as it taxied effortlessly around. When you watch the smoothness of the big airplane, one can only smile. From the frontend, one notices that the crew is 30-feet high-up from the tarmac. This airplane is big.

LOT plans to use the new plane primarily on the Warsaw-Chicago-Warsaw and Warsaw-Beijing-Warsaw routes. There are future plans for Warsaw-Toronto-Warsaw and Warsaw-JFK-Warsaw flights. The inaugural flight from Warsaw to Chicago will be on Jan. 16, 2013, followed closely by Toronto on Feb. 1 and New York\'s JFK on Feb 3. Beijing will begin one month later on Mar. 3, 2013.

The LOT Dreamliner is configured with 252 seats and has three classes of seating in the cabin. Luxurious business-class, premium economy-class and economy-class will be offered. There is also an overhead crew rest compartment. The plane has a custom design for inflight services and amenities, including personal entertainment systems.

At another earlier occasion, LOT Polish Airlines CEO Marcin Pirog said, “I can say with confidence this is a breakthrough moment for LOT. I am sure our offer of Dreamliner flights is currently the best on the market because it is an ideal combination of an advantageous price with the highest standards of service on the most modern passenger plane in the world.”

The Boeing-787 Dreamliner is the first commercial jetliner made primarily of advanced composite materials. It offers improved passenger features including cleaner cabin air, higher humidity and bigger windows that dim electronically. There is also much more overhead storage space.

LOT Polish Airlines First in Europe

LOT’s planes will be the initial Dreamliner in Europe. This month marks the one year anniversary of the first delivery of the first Boeing-787 Dreamliner to Japan\'s ANA (All Nippon Airways). Since then, Boeing has delivered 25 Dreamliner\'s to six different customers.

“One year ago today we reached a significant milestone in Boeing and ANA\'s partnership," said Ray Conner, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "We are grateful for the support and confidence that ANA has placed in Boeing as the launch customer of the 787 Dreamliner.”

Airlines that acquire the Dreamliner will appreciate its fuel efficiency. According to Boeing engineers, this fuel efficiency also results in 20 percent lower carbon emissions, helping to achieve environmental objectives.

LOT Polish Airlines currently has crew in training to fly the Dreamliner-787. Pilots and check-airmen have been preparing and using the 787 full-flight simulator here and will be checked out on ZA001, the first 787 flight test airplane.

LOT has signed on with Monarch Aircraft Engineering Limited (MAEL) to maintain its Boeing 787-Dreamliners. Under the terms of the agreement, MAEL will build a line maintenance base in Warsaw, as well as technically support the new aircraft while flying abroad.

The employees of LOT Polish Airlines will be flying into the future in a big way. The airplane’s livery sure looked great with that new paint job. LOT is scheduled to take delivery of their first airplane next month. They are scheduled to get eight in total. And as the LOT crew said in Polish, “Bardzo Dobrze.”

Editor’s Note: Raymond Rolak is a well-traveled sports broadcaster who consults for charter and team air travel. Join his cameo in the All-Hawaii full length comedy, “Get A Job”. www.getajobmovie.com

http://dreamliner.lot.com/
http://www.futureofflight.org/
http://youtu.be/UPGTdXuGsTY

LOT Polish AIRLINES DREAMLINER taxi video:

DREAMLINERS ALL OVER THE USA

DETROIT - United took delivery of the first Dreamliner in the United States this past September. United will initially use the 787 on international routes to Africa, Asia and Europe. The airline will conduct temporary domestic flights before transitioning its 787 fleet to international service in late 2012.

This delivery marks the first of 50 Dreamliners that United has on order.

The aircraft will be based in Houston to begin a month-long training and certification program including non-commercial flights to each of United’s domestic hubs.

Before the Delta Airlines and Northwest Airlines merger in 2008, the first Dreamliner-787 in American was slated to be put in operation with NWA for the Detroit-Japan market. Delta currently has 18 Dreamliner’s on order.