It's up and away.

[eno]

It's in the air as I type ........... I've just watched the first takeoff of the A380 Live on the BBC.

[Craig.]

sky news for me but its all good. Landing is the interesting bit:) about 90 minutes from now i believe

[cobzz]

yep, i saw it as well, but only with CCN with me!!!!
id love standing at the end of the runway and watching a a380 fly slow and low comeing into land.About about as low as an airshow but its overfling the croud.

[C]

sky news for me but its all good. Landing is the interesting bit:) about 90 minutes from now i believe

Landing anywhere between 2 and 5 hours away at the crew's discretion. Sky News wins the coverage vote again - they got Peter Chandler, one of the two A380 project pilots (the other one was on the plane) to be their expert on the commentary, whereas the BBC got some chap wrting a book for Airbus, who really wasn't up to speed on what would be going on during the flight...

[Craig.]

Would have been a good show of faith to have him flying rather than commentating, considering the time and money the British have put into it.

[C]

Would have been a good show of faith to have him flying rather than commentating, considering the time and money the British have put into it.

Politics I'm afraid. BAES have only a 20% stake in Airbus don't they, and the CTP and Boss of the flight test division are both French. Sad, as every other nationality involved was aboard. Same with Concorde though all those years back...

[C]

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/825947/L/

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/825948/M/

[Hagar]

That was quick.

This reminds me of the Brabazon. I still remember seeing the first flight on the newsreels. We had no TV or instant coverage in those days. I actually saw the Brabazon flying along the south coast. I would have been about 7 years old.

PS. Let's hope this one is more successful.

[Fly2e]

Did it land yet?

Dave

[eno]

Did it land yet?

Dave

Not yet ...........  :D

[C]

Did it land yet?

Dave

Still over the pyrenees by the looks of it...

[Nexus]

For those who didn't have the luxury of seeing it on TV (myself included), here is a good movie clip, swedish commentary but smooth video without chopping  :)

http://www.aftonbladet.se/atv/index.htm ... clipID=596

[C]

Gear just coming down on live feed... Still over Pyrenees

[Felix/FFDS]

I have mixed feelings - as much as I prefer Boeing (for purely jingoistic commercial reasons) - I have to applaud the European community for finally getting that behemoth in the air.

[VOHY_VO0I]

[quote]For those who didn't have the luxury of seeing it on TV (myself included), here is a good movie clip, swedish commentary but smooth video without chopping