Are you comfortable flying the 787?
 

Lots of safety issues with the 787 in the past few weeks. Is this something we should worry about? I was hoping to experience the new aircraft soon, but for now I am avoiding it, in favour of the older models for which the problems have been worked out...

What do you all think?

Actually, no. I want to see how it handles lightening strikes.

It's been hit by lightening in flight IIRC, and survived just fine.

The only thing I'd be uncomfortable with is knowing that there is a higher chance of plane substitution (+ possible delays).

Having said that the A380 remains the best thing out there, though of course it is not the same type of aircraft as the much smaller 787.

These are just teething issues that every new aircraft goes through. I've flown the 787 before and I would again, but I wouldn't go out of my way to do so like I did before (I took an indirect routing specifically to get on the 787).

From what I can recall when the A380 was newer there was some safety equipment (the inflatable slide or something like that) that had to be replaced really often (something like every 3 flights) because it wasn't designed correctly.

I would love to fly on the 787 & wouldn't think twice.

Yes, Im completely comfortable flying on a 787 if given the chance. I don't believe there has ever been a new airplane manufactured that didn't have problems in the beginning. This airplane was under a lot of scrutiny before it even went into service. Id bet if one, non essential bolt came off a wheel hub, the media would hop all over it. No need to panic.

Yes, I was on the first UA flight IAH-ORD, great ride.

I flew the UA 787 shortly after they had a diversion to MSY. Feel just as comfortable flying that plane as any other jet.

I'd feel perfectly comfortable on the 787 - in fact, if the recent problems causes prices to drop on 787 routes, I'd probably try to book a flight to take advantage of the price break.

Downside, as another poster mentioned, is that a different aircraft might get subbed for the 787 and I'd end up in a cr*p seat.

Are you comfortable flying the 787?
 

It depends. Am I in First or Coach? ;)

My only concern is based around the idea that Boeing are putting too much tech in combination that they aren't familiar with, as in the parts are proven, but not in combination when manufactured by Boeing specifically. I have this vague feeling it's going to "do a Comet" and start falling apart in the sky when airframes start hitting the ~5-10 year mark.

But then, I have no practical experience of airframe design and irrational & unfounded fear is like that. :) I fully intend to grab a flight on one at some stage this year. :)

+1

I seem to remember some rather widely noted (but now almost forgotten) problems with the A380.

And I was surprised to read somewhere that the first 747's were plagued with a serious of problems.

Let me ask you, do you feel unsafe flying the 777 as well?
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/art...-upkeep-11562/

Between its introduction in 1995 and now, only 2 airplanes were written off, the BA at LHR and an MS (Egyptair) at CAI, but no fatalities. The problem with the 787 is the fact that media has more ways to get information about such events, because everyone is able to make pictures, share stories on facebook/twitter/instagram etc. Remember the Qantas-period after a serious incident, the media started reporting on all precautionary landings.

As mentioned above, these are teething problems and are nothing to worry about. I would fly it without hesitation.

With today's emergency landing and subsequent ground of all NH's 787s, I don't feel comfortable flying one.

JAL is also grounding it's 787 following ANA's incident at least for Wednesday

I'd likely be comfortable flying it as well. I'll fly anything

I would avoid them for the moment. If your in Y the back of a 787 isn't that much more attractive than the back of a 747 or 777. The larger windows and humidity might be nice, but if your flight was delayed/cancelled/diverted/crashed than it would hardly make up for the inconvenience. I'll let other people do the beta testing :)

With this move almost half of all Dreamliners currently in use will be grounded.

I'd certainly feel safe flying in one. The systems are highly redundant and the crews are well trained. I think at this point I'm willing to fly any major international carrier. Air disasters are, thankfully, very very rare. That is why the media feels the need to publish anything tenotley resembling an air incident. The incidents with the 787 are more incomvience than dangerous.

Kind of ironic that Japanese airlines have decided to ground the 787 because of battery issues.

The batteries are manufactured by a Japanese company, GS Yuasa Corp.

And this is ironic because . . . ?

I'm thinking of booking the UA flight 33 NRT-LAX in March just so I can fly the 787.

I don't think my training is adequate to fly the 787....

I wonder if its really the battery due to the faulty electrical power panel which caught on fire in the test flight and wiring issues, that can cause irregular voltage to the batteries. Originally, I was hesitant to fly this bird then booked an award NH flight SEA-NRT in June but these incidents are making me nervous.

All in all, the most recent incident yesterday shows that the crew alert system works well. I'm still convinced its a safe airplane. I do think Boeing should have kept all the manufacturing in Seattle. I imagine what ever cash they felt they were saving by outsourcing the airplane is now adding up pretty quickly.

Is there any evidence whatsoever that all the planes having problems were built in SC?

In any case, the answer is yes, I would fly one without hesitation. Boeing knows what they're doing and these are minor teething issues in redundant systems with warning indicators that clearly work.

No evidence at all. The batteries apparently were made in Japan. Im a believer that without proper quality control, your going to have issues. Thats my opinion.

Ah, OK, so you meant outsourcing in general--as in the components of the plane. I thought that by saying that they should've kept all manufacturing in Seattle that you were saying opening a new plant in SC was to blame. Apologies.

Good point, the problem may be faulty electrical that trashes the batteries. I still wouldn't hesitate to fly the plane.

Increased chances for an upgrade?
 

Wife is nervous and wants me to re-book, but I am ok. Hoping for light booking on UA 58 on 3/17 so I will get an upgrade to BF - on the waiting list (as usual...). Last few times, the upgrade has not cleared.

I can never keep track of the new versions of an existing model, but Boeing did make a decision a while back to reverse course.

The 787 was deliberately planned as a distributed, global effort - part of a larger move to reduce the US Boeing footprint to engineers and assembly plants (large component assembly - fuselage, wings, etc.) This was expected to result in significant savings (qualified, experience machinists, for example, are expensive, and Boeing hoped to get out of manufacturing entirely and focus on design and final assembly).

A lot more work is being brought back to the US/in house for the new models of existing planes as a result of the problems with the 787 that caused so many of the delays and rework.

http://www.thestand.org/wp-content/u...-outsource.jpg

Heres what went where. I have no idea where they outsourced the electronic components.

I think it is funny that the Japanese air carriers are reporting most of the issues and had the most incidents while United only had about 2 diversions.
But taking with a grain of salt, most of the United 787s are domestic routes as well as United's distance from Boeing headquarters, which moved to Chicago and not too far from manufacturing in Washington State. So issues can be easily fixed because of proximity.
I would fly domestically on a 787, but since when do I even fly domestically? I haven't been on a domestic flight since my sophomore year of high school (and I am currently a junior in college!), but not so much international. I do only fly to Sydney, AU and currently no 787 is operated on any Sydney routes in the United States.
NFeldburg- great diagram, now I don't have to get my operations management textbook to talk about the components! :D (Saw it in there while reading my book.)
I forgot the engine issues in the Rolls Royce during the A380 hoo-ha. And yes, every plane will have major issues that will be ironed out.

I flew a JAL 787 a couple months ago and was terribly uncomfortable. They could make the plane out of solid gold, but a seat with 31" pitch is still a seat with 31" pitch.

Safety concerns? No. None of these minors issues bothers me. As someone else upthread suggests, I might have a minor concern about swaps or delays on any new airframe.

One of these days, I'd love to fly the plane in J and be comfortable enough to actually enjoy the larger windows, newest IFE offerings, probably better food, etc.

I flew it in J (NRT-BOS), and it still wasn't all that comfortable (angled seats).

FAA grounded all 787s this evening.

Domestic carriers (UA). They don't have authority elsewhere.

I thought they also have jurisdiction over foreign carriers flying routes that touch the US ...? Or am I thinking of other aviation regulatory bodies?