Now that the latest installment of the 747 has been delivered to UPS:
(L/N 1549 - 747-8F, RC537, UPS# 9, N612UP MSN 64258):
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/UPS9105 :
Its worthwhile to note that one more frame has been removed from the backlog and is now part of the active fleet and as the first manifestations of the 779 have appeared at PAE, one is left with this surreal feeling of missed opportunities and vacuous disappointment.
There are many things about being a sales person, firstly its about the customers and the product and making the two meet eye to eye. A successful salespersons knows their customers, their habits, their tendencies but mostly a customer, any customer is a person with a problem and you are the person with the solution.
Even if there is not a deal signed on your desk at days closure, you still need to focus on the task of being that person and on or off the bat, even deals in the trashcan need close scrutiny as the the reasons for failure. Its just part of the job, and helps in focusing in more on what the customer really wants.
I'm sure that BCA did its homework when it came to thhe 748 and to critique them for trying to make a goose lay Golden eggs isn't constructive in the slightest. Its easy to point the finger and say wisecracks in hindsight and I've done it many a time. Of course, that still isn't the level of scrutiny necessary to finish the task, just putting the commercial package out to pasture is only one step in building a better relationship with the customer.
Many a time I've asked, using my salespersons glasses, what if there was a better baseline spec of the 747-8i available? What if there was an engine choice? How come there isn't more range, or better avionics, or improved cabin designs, etc etc.
The thing is, is that the ship has sailed, and all those failed offers to those customers need to be picked apart. So it failed, but by how much. Where did the customer get left behind, why, so on so forth. In the many books I've read about The Boeing Company, I read that they only pick America's Best and Brightest and the search for a better system and better solution to a problem was always their unwavering commitment
The incredible things they built with this commitment include of course, this 747 program, which unlike the SST, the TFX or even the Moon Landings or anything else from that era, has stood the test of time.
Perhaps of course, their greatest achievement is to continue with it, for all intents and purposes even when the last person to leave is switching the lights off.
(L/N 1549 - 747-8F, RC537, UPS# 9, N612UP MSN 64258):
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/UPS9105 :
Its worthwhile to note that one more frame has been removed from the backlog and is now part of the active fleet and as the first manifestations of the 779 have appeared at PAE, one is left with this surreal feeling of missed opportunities and vacuous disappointment.
There are many things about being a sales person, firstly its about the customers and the product and making the two meet eye to eye. A successful salespersons knows their customers, their habits, their tendencies but mostly a customer, any customer is a person with a problem and you are the person with the solution.
Even if there is not a deal signed on your desk at days closure, you still need to focus on the task of being that person and on or off the bat, even deals in the trashcan need close scrutiny as the the reasons for failure. Its just part of the job, and helps in focusing in more on what the customer really wants.
I'm sure that BCA did its homework when it came to thhe 748 and to critique them for trying to make a goose lay Golden eggs isn't constructive in the slightest. Its easy to point the finger and say wisecracks in hindsight and I've done it many a time. Of course, that still isn't the level of scrutiny necessary to finish the task, just putting the commercial package out to pasture is only one step in building a better relationship with the customer.
Many a time I've asked, using my salespersons glasses, what if there was a better baseline spec of the 747-8i available? What if there was an engine choice? How come there isn't more range, or better avionics, or improved cabin designs, etc etc.
The thing is, is that the ship has sailed, and all those failed offers to those customers need to be picked apart. So it failed, but by how much. Where did the customer get left behind, why, so on so forth. In the many books I've read about The Boeing Company, I read that they only pick America's Best and Brightest and the search for a better system and better solution to a problem was always their unwavering commitment
The incredible things they built with this commitment include of course, this 747 program, which unlike the SST, the TFX or even the Moon Landings or anything else from that era, has stood the test of time.
Perhaps of course, their greatest achievement is to continue with it, for all intents and purposes even when the last person to leave is switching the lights off.
Great to see activity here. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI still stand by my opinion that the freight folks will (eventually) start gobbling up the 748F as their 744s get more expensive to keep flying. For some of them (UPS), reliability is a huge factor so they won't run them until the wheels fall off. The carriers that need nose loading are going to empty out their pockets and find a way to get at least a few more frames if not plenty. If (and I know this is a big if) they can stretch it another 12 years, USAF will pick up one more to get a better fleet rotation for AF1. I also wouldn't be surprised if the last 1-2 frames built are for USAF to carry AF1 as far into the future as possible.
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing wrong with trying to extend the program for 12 years. If they are going to do it, they need to pump in money into the program. By this I mean a sincere approach at looking at the entire program and the product from top to bottom, including the basic specs of the current models now in production.
ReplyDeleteThere are several reasons for this, one is to counter the notion that this product is an end of life, dead end model and the other is to look at the possibilities of new models with capabilities only this plane can deliver. Other reasons include the introduction of new technologies to bolster and allow for the creation of such models. Certainly it will be an expensive exercise, but the market must be offered newer versions or else trying to justify 12 year MORE production seems like an impossibility. Like it or not the other alternative is program closure.
Now the current model has not done as well in the sales, except by the continued existence of the freighter which is actually unmatched by anything on the market. This raises the possibility of a model that I call the '-9f'. A stretched freighter with a payload much bigger than anything else for sale. Its probably going to be a small niche, but if they can sell approximately 40 such frames to freight companies it might make sense. What would be the developments costs? It should be budgeted to be cheaper than any 77x based solution and made to be available in 5 years if there is even a shot at making it.
Only by proposing and looking at, researching and offering such a plane is there the remote possibility of reaching 12 years additional production on top of what has already been achieved thus far.
I agree that the freighter fleet age is a concern, but the market wants more (otherwise they would have ordered more) and BCA should at least put an offer on the table. IAI eat your heart out.