Originally Posted by
Bobster
It caught my attention because of the non-standard wording. Normally the regulations say that test flights should be over sparsely populated areas and/or avoid densely populated areas.
I'm afraid that to say "specific airspace over unpopulated areas" and have that odd phrase repeated in hundreds of news stories around the world will make it just that much harder for people to have confidence not only in he 787 but in the FAA who certified it.
(The only other references I could find about requiring tests over unpopulated areas were for unmanned drones and space vehicles.)
A part of me hopes that people do lose confidence in the 787 resulting in light loading when it returns to service, thus resulting in carriers offering GREAT fares to far flung places. I would more than gladly take up offers to fly to Asia, Africa and South America for irrational fear induced low fares.
But just as people returned to flying after every major incident/series of incidents so too will the traveling public and businesses return to flying with nary a thought with respect to confidence in the certification of the plane or the FAA as certifier.