Singapore Airlines first A380 flies
by Derek Yeo - SINGAPORE - 16 May 2006

SINGAPORE Airline’s first A380 flew successfully on its maiden and test flight, Sunday 7 May.

This production aircraft will fly the airline’s inaugural A380 Sydney-Singapore-London ‘Kangaroo’ route by December 2006. Singapore Airlines (SIA) is Airbus A380’s launch carrier.

The aircraft lifted off from Toulouse-Blagnac Airport’s runway 32 at 10.30 local time, flew two hours and 15 minutes over south-western France before landing back at Toulouse. The flight tests proved successful.

Cockpit technical crew comprised:

• Pilots Harry Nelson and Armand Jacob
• Lead Flight Test Engineer Andrew Daws
• Flight Test Engineer Christophe Bertrand
• Test Flight Engineer Pascal Verneau
• Cabin Engineers Joel Rembert and Olivier Abric

Several system tests and functional checks were done on the flight. These included those for flight controls, autopilot, fuel and undercarriages. Every item on the checklist was tested and functionally verified successfully.

Some stringent tests were done in the period before the test flight. These included a full power engine ground run to check the four power-plants for proper operation; and, an emergency stopping of the aircraft before lift-off (R2) to test effectiveness of the brakes and undercarriages.

Its test flight over, the A380 - its tail-fin emblazoned in SIA's famed blue and gold bird livery – will next fly to Hamburg for complete paintwork and cabin installation.

Currently, five other SIA A380s are at various stations in Airbus Final Assembly Line (Toulouse) awaiting completion. Ten A380s and 15 more are on firm and optional orders respectively from the airline.

SOURCE: Airbus SAS and Singapore Airlines A380 Newsletter