Flying in a Boeing 787 Dreamliner: first real-life video

By danwarne, September 14 2011

If you're curious to see what the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner looks like in-flight -- not just in computer renderings of the aircraft -- Boeing has published the first video.

Although the video is actually about how Boeing stress-tested the 787's entertainment system during a flight with 250 employees on board, it's also the first glimpse we've had inside a real 787 flight.

During the video, Boeing shows USB devices being plugged into seats, and the kind of legroom you can expect in 787 economy class (which looks rather tight.)

Boeing staff were stress-testing the touch-screen inflight entertainment system to try to get it to break (they didn't, according to the video.)

The in-seat controllers still have the credit card swiper, so evidently Boeing and Panasonic are leaving the option open for airlines to provide satellite phone calls and pay-to-use internet services.

The controllers also have a QWERTY keyboard on the back which will be handy for seat-back web browsing.

There are some tantalising glimpses of inside the 787 cabin, which on this flight had a 2-4-2 configuration economy class.

This is what it looks like out the window of a 787...

Every passenger on the plane was asked to bring their own USB-powered and A/C powered gadgets (such as iPads and laptops) so the power-delivery system of the plane could be tested with the maximum number of passengers using it at once.

The video also prominently shows the electronically dimmable windows at different darkness levels, with the button to control dimming beneath each window.

It also shows the LED-lit Boeing Sky Interior, which has already made its debut on new-generation 737-800NGs but was first conceived for the long-delayed 787.