Perseverance: Airbus A400M First Flight
Friday, December 11, 2009 at 10:33AM 
Screenshot pic from the Airbus live webcast of the A400M first flight
On Friday morning at San Pablo airport just outside of Seville, Spain a major milestone was reached in the much-troubled Airbus Military A400m program: a beautifully successful first flight! This particular achievement (and hopefully another successful one very soon with the Boeing 787) mean even more to me than usual.
Sure, it's always great to see a brand new aircraft verify all the complex design, engineering and fabrication work by proving itself in the sky, but with the massive time delays and cost overruns in this project (and the 787), I feel a special connection to these efforts. The last 18 months of my life have been the most difficult ever from a financial and perseverance standpoint. Even a relatively simple project like AirPigz.com has been beaten up by the difficulties and setbacks that have stood in my way.
That's what makes it so special to see the A400M finally get into the air. It's a great example of perseverance in the face of huge obstacles. We sometimes follow projects like the A400M and the 787 and get frustrated when they can't meet their deadlines and goals. But for just a minute, imagine what it's like for the people directly involved in such massive, and at times, seemingly hopeless projects. Their will to continue to push ahead is greatly tested.
In my own tiny little way, the re-launch of AirPigz.com just a few days ago helps me to have a lot more appreciation for work of those involved in getting this airplane off the ground. So I celebrate with Airbus Military's successful accomplishment this day of getting the A400M into the air. Never give up!
Reader Comments (1)
Congratulations on the Grand Re-Opening of Airpigz.com! It's going to be bigger and even better than it was before!<-b>
And regarding the A400M, those propellers are amazing. Take a look at this video of the TP400-D6 engine being tested...it's amazingly quiet for a turboprop!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-V5jzSslZo