Boeing is making test flights from the Caribbean island of Curaçao
Posted by Roelmen@reddit | aviation | View on Reddit | 23 comments
This Boeing 777, N779XX, is performing test flight these days around Curaçao.
scr1mblo@reddit
Wonder if it'll actually be ready next year
masteroffdesaster@reddit
I think if nothing major goes wrong the current timeline is doable
scr1mblo@reddit
Big if
masteroffdesaster@reddit
true
Whipitreelgud@reddit
Curaçao is not tropical. Been there, it’s semi-arid which I found surprising. Went to the Aloe Vera farm.
Roelmen@reddit (OP)
When was your stay? Because we are having rain almost all days since October. And we are happy with this climate.
Whipitreelgud@reddit
April.
Roelmen@reddit (OP)
Yeah, there’s a lot of those bloody stingers. Not only cactus. Also a lot of bougainvillea. From April on its the dry season, until October.
Roelmen@reddit (OP)
Semi arid?
Rencauchao@reddit
Curaçao International Airport’s (CUR) main runway is 3,410 meters long and 60 meters wide. This makes it the longest runway in the Caribbean and one of the longest in the world. The runway can accommodate large commercial aircraft, including jumbo jets.
css555@reddit
>and one of the longest in the world
Not really. It is ranked the 222nd longest at this list:
https://aircyber.weebly.com/airport-runway-lengths.html
cvl37@reddit
That’s useful for all those commercial jumbo jets still left flying!
Rencauchao@reddit
All wide body planes are “Jumbo Jets”, including the 777
Rumpelforeskinn@reddit
It feels strange to call A300/310s and 767s jumbo jets.
I've heard the 777x called mini jumbo, but I thought jumbo jet generally referred to 747s and sometimes A380s - although that's generally super jumbo.
Rencauchao@reddit
747 is the original “Jumbo”… now there are so many. Not a pilot, but I have heard pilots/ATC call them “Heavy” to distinguish from other planes. Maybe a pilot here can confirm.
cvl37@reddit
Google jumbo jet and convince me that it is not synonymous with the 747
privat3crunch@reddit
CUR receives 777, 787 and A350 flights today
pjlaniboys@reddit
And it is a very quiet airport giving the boeing test pilots lots of freedom to perform all sorts of airport and approach/departure maneuvers without delays.
OkYogurt636@reddit
Im actually in Curacao right now. Was driving to one of the beaches on the west side when I saw it coming on final approach. Wasn’t sure what it was at first, but when it flew directly overhead me I saw what it was. Couldn’t have timed it better. Wish I filmed it, but I was driving.
Starman68@reddit
When I first started travelling for work I did a gig in Caracas. To get there from London it was a flight to Schipol then a 747 to I think Aruba, then onto Caracas. You stayed on the plane in Aruba as all the tourists left.
discreetjoe2@reddit
I want to meet the absolute genius that convinced their bosses that they needed to go to a tropical island on the company dime to test a plane.
MxOffcrRtrd@reddit
Prolly like the military. Oh it broke. Guess we are in Spain.
Roelmen@reddit (OP)
Must have been a great, convincing, story.