Korean Air Takes Their First 747-8I

Today, Boeing and Korean Air celebrated the delivery of their first 747-8I, line 1506 RC051 HL7630. This marks the first of ten Intercontinentals for Korean Air. Unfortunately for us, these ten will probably be the last ten 747-8Is to deliver in passenger configuration.

Korean Air in the Air

Line 1506 RC051 HL7630, Korean Air's first 747-8I, had her first flight today. She's been sitting around in storage for eleven months, so it's about time. Korean Air should take their first 748I next month, with nine more to follow.

Great shot by Royal S King

747-8 Flutter Fix Gonna Cost Boeing

The FAA has decided the 747-8 flutter issue is real and needs fixing. Note that it only can happen in very limited circumstances, but Boeing will have to foot the bill at $400,000 per plane to fix it. That's about 30 million dollars to cover all of the currently delivered frames.

Pakistan International Airlines Rumored to be Buying Five 747-8Is

There's a credible rumor going around that PIA is looking at five 747-8Is, but this could actually be a sign of bad news for the 747-8I. One version of the rumor is that Korean Airlines has delayed or cancelled five of their ten ordered 747-8Is, which turns a potential PIA order into more of a scramble to place unwanted 747-8Is. Korean Air already has seven of their ten frames in various stages of construction (one is painted and looks complete, one is getting seats installed and should be painted soon, two are in final assembly, and three are in early stages of assembly).

Developing...

747-8I Trip Report

Back in late February I had to fly to Barcelona, so I seized the opportunity to fly on the 747-8I with Lufthansa. I've flown in a number of 747s before but this was my first trip in the 8I.

The route of the flight was Carlsbad (KCRQ) - Los Angeles (KLAX) - Frankfurt (EDDF) - Barcelona (LEBL). The equipment was:

• KCRQ-KLAX: Skywest/United Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia (N584SW there, N221SW back)
• KLAX-EDDF: Lufthansa Boeing 747-8I  (D-ABYI there, D-ABYL back)
• EDDF-LEBL: Lufthansa Airbus A321-200 (D-AISP there, D-AIDL back)

The Embraer, by the way, was a fun little twenty minute flight. The greatest part of this was the service from a quiet airport ten minutes from my house, with all the perks of connecting. Although, actually connecting at LAX from terminal 8 to the Tom Brady International terminal is extremely inconvenient. It's a looooooooong walk and there's no transportation (other than a $20 taxi around the loop). At least I didn't have to worry about my luggage.

The 747-8I is a 747 through and through. I sat in premium economy, which is nice. It's really what all standard economy seating should be; enough room to be comfortable and retain a little dignity. Lufthansa's interiors are immaculate and modern. The plane itself vibrated a bit on takeoff both times, but other than that was a smooth ride. Very 747 like. Feels like a flying tank. Nothing feels 'widebody' to me like a 747. You can feel the inertia absorb turbulence, turning it into more of a comfortable rumble rather than a disconcerting rattle. The engines are amazingly quiet. I almost missed the racket you usually hear on takeoff. Now it's more of just a calm, firm push back into your seat.

I've talked about it before, but I went into the cabin and talked to the pilot and copilot. You can read about his comments here.

Some pictures, and then full videos of takeoff and descent below:

Brasilia at Carlsbad

Flight to Germany. They must have known I was coming.

Entertainment

Frankfurt is still a 747 haven.

D-ABYH had an issue, so they wheeled her off. She flew a different route later in the day.

D-ABYL rolls in to save the day.

747-8I cockpit

Here is video I took of the departure and the landing coming back from Frankfurt: 

I also captured a bit of the return trip departure and arrival on the Brasilia coming home from Los Angeles: