[HD video below] Ethiopian Airlines, the first African airline to
operate the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, has trained eight pilots on the
aircraft at the Boeing Flight Services campus located at Gatwick,
London.
Additional batches of trainees are conducting 787 training
in the same facility.
Boeing has been granted approval by the U.S.
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to provide flight training
for pilots preparing to operate the new Boeing 787. With 787
training, pilots can transition to the new airplane in five to
twenty
days, depending on previous pilot experience. Boeing 777 pilots
can qualify to fly the 787 in as little as five days, given the
high level of commonality between the two airplane types.
“This is an important milestone in the history
of Ethiopian Airlines,” said Captain Desta Zeru, Senior Vice
President of Flight Operations for Ethiopian Airlines. “Our pilots
are now qualified as the first African pilots to fly the 787. “We
are proud to support Ethiopian Airlines as they grow their
business with the 787 Dreamliner," said Roei Ganzarski, chief
customer officer, Boeing Flight Services. "World class training
for a world class airplane is part of the Boeing Edge we work hard
to provide to our customers.”
The Boeing 787 flight training program uses an
innovative suite of training devices including a full-flight
simulator, flight training device and desktop simulation station
to ensure that pilots are ready to fly the Dreamliner.
Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner
ZA003 Interior and Exterior Tour @ Singapore Airshow 2012
