Giant Turkey: First Flight.

Yesterday was First Flight for the Airbus A-380,

also known as the Giant Turkey. Prelude to a year or more of test flights. It's big enough, but probably not ugly enough, to qualify for legendary status. As I remarked a while ago ( ), I don't think there's any airport in the world that can get 800-plus people, all wanting to go to the same place, through security in less than forty eight hours. With the turkey forced to wait at the gate for that long, profits are likely to be a lot less fat than the aircraft.


Its competition, the Boeing 787

(Boeing is almost out of X's for their 7X7 series; what will they do then?) Dreamliner, is much prettier, but is it big enough? It appears that the tag "fuel efficient" will be a pretty good thing for the plane.
I have to confess a personal preference for large planes, but with few passengers. Also, nonstop flights. The idea of flying from hub to hub to hub, because it's more convenient for the airline and who-gives-a-rat-about-the-convenience-of-the-passengers, upsets me deeply. I vote for the nonstop flight aboard a quiet uncrowded plane.
Here's hoping!