SUPER BUS I can still look at photographs of the all new Airbus A380 which is, undeniably the world's largest passenger plane, and have some serious doubts about the existence of such a sky-crunching flying objects.
It is big in ever sense of the word and it weighed in about 308-tons out of the ultra-high-tech bathtub that got it clear, clear and ready for public showing as being flyable.
The maiden flights were made around the Armagnac area of southwestern France. It was done at 10:30 in the morning when thousands of people gathered to see the giant aircraft would actually fly. There must surely have been a score or so of individuals in that crowd who has some secret doubt that the event might not go as planned. They would not admit it, of course, not even to themselves, but there are some such doubters in all such crowds at first-trip starting points. The ”Titanic”, for instance, in 1912 went un-photographed more or less when launched. The photographs of the vessel you see in news releases of the events are those made of her sister ship built later. Photographic chores were very lax during the maiden voyage planning. The emphasis was on the impressive list of important people who were making the maiden trip. In the present case we have plenty of good photographs showing how large every area of this magnificent flying machine. We are impressed with he spaciousness of seating areas. They can get five hundred or more of us in there depending on the seating arrangements they consider to be comfortable.
Now, add all of that army of riders to a six member crew and perhaps twenty tons or so of luggage and cargo. It all has to be lifted up off of that tarmac pavement; lofted into the clouds and sailed about gracefully and artistically. We all hope it will go as planned,but there are some among us who wonder - even worry deep down – about mishaps. The line of fire trucks parked at intervals along the runway, don't exactly improve a confident feeling.
The engines take over. Your consciousness is motorized and measures the movement down the runway carefully and you start breathing normally as you witness the giant craft take to the air. Some of us remember the Concorde supersonic marvels of 1969, already set aside for reasons of economy. The new Airbus A380 is catalog pri
