[Note: This post was triggered by another recent post, here, with a set of beautiful 787 pictures...please read on if you're interested about ANA and its 787s or you may jump to the 787 images below...]

ANA was the launch customer for the 787...a distinction, always considered prestigious (and by nature, also problematic) in the aviation circle for an airline whenever a new a/c type is introduced. I checked today that ANA, the largest operator, by far, of the 787 in the world, currently has, in its fleet, 36 "-8s" (see images below), 39 "-9s", and 2 "-10s" (see the 2nd image below). The 787 program was launched with 50 orders from ANA. The (first variant) 787-8 had entered service with ANA in October 2011. That same year, I'd happened to visit the Boeing Everett Factory and seen an ANA 787-8 roll out of the assembly building. And in one of those moments of aviation ecstasy...🙂...I had also conjured up my username tying me up with this plane...so the 787 "-8" is kind of close to my heart...

Only the very first two 787-8s operated by ANA (and delivered to the airline in 2011) wore the special “mackerel” livery (the same ANA color I've selected below for the "-8" variant of my subject flight, here). I learned today that the first one of those (JA801A) was later repainted into the "regular" ANA livery in February 2017 (see this regular livery in the image of the "787-10" in the 2nd shot, below), while the second one (JA802A, the exact same Registration, as seen, in my 787-8, here) was also converted into the regular livery in October of 2017. As such, no more 787-8s wore the livery that the aircraft type first entered into airline service with. So, the livery of the -8 you see below, in flight, is indeed rare and special. QW 787 repaint listing provides 3 variations of the ANA livery (I've shown all three, here), and this special (“mackerel”) paint is titled by QW as "All Nippon Airways 787 Special Livery".

Airline liveries are fascinating...at least to the livery enthusiasts...and, of course, to the SIM repainters... (ANA's simple but elegant livery features white and two shades of blue) ....

Here are the 4 primary ANA 787 livery variations, since its launch to the recent times:

1. Boeing’s prototype (# 2) 787 (N787EX) in the ANA color (it's similar to the regular ANA livery but without the label "Inspiration of Japan" on the fuselage; this prototype livery not shown in this post)
2. The special “mackerel” livery (from 3rd shot onwards, and the subject livery of the flight for this post, where the blue strips are confined to the rear half of the fuselage, plus it sports the large "787" label on front fuselage)
3. There were 22 ANA 787-8s (after the first two) painted in the regular livery but also with the large label "787" (instead of the label "Inspiration of Japan"). I've shown one image of this livery in my 1st shot below, shown on a -8 variant.
4. Finally, the (most commonly used) regular ANA livery is the one with the dual blue strips extending from the tail and tapering and ending near the nose of the a/c, plus the label "Inspiration of Japan" in mid-fuselage. See the 2nd image below, with this (regular) livery shown on a -10. I've interjected the 787-10, here, also for comparison with the 787-8 (e.g., you may compare the 1st and 2nd (lengthwise) images, below). The 787-10 is the longest variant 787, 38 feet longer than the 787-8. It is in the same (market) niche as the Airbus 350-900 (btw, you may like to see an excellent recent (MSFS) post, here, on A350-900), and the 787-10 is (practically) encroaching into the (revered and forbidden) territory of another Boeing, the B777...!

So, please find below, 3rd shot onwards, the special “mackerel” livery "787-8", only the 2nd 787 to enter service, flying here on a short but complete (test) flight, from takeoff to touchdown, between NZAA (Auckland) and NZCH (Christchurch). For prep, I've followed a Cold & Dark engine start-up procedure at Auckland. The flight is fully automated and LNAV/VNAV controlled, flown under the guidance of the FMC with a FLTPLN pre-loaded into the FMC. It's also aided by the excellent HUD system available in this SIM. I've shown an image from within the [VC] approaching the T/D point of the route (see ND shot), where the a/c FMC faithfully (and automatically) initiated my descent and, also, (dutifully) auto-tuned the ILS frequency for ILS 20 Rwy of NZCH...seemingly trivial but wonderful amenities in our make-believe world of virtual aviation...especially for someone who has been flying the CS (steam-gauge based) Classic 727s, 737s a lot lately...🙂...Of course, those legacy Boeing a/c certainly also have their unique place in aviation...as we remember that the modern B787 cockpit and avionics, though so advanced, has its roots and genes in those classic cockpits...and, in fact, has evolved from that foundation....

It's always a great pleasure to revisit this (QW) 787... (a SIM a/c which has the right degree of complexity for this simmer) ...so, it was good fun...flying my namesake...🙂...in my virtual sky...

Thanks for your interest...!!

[QW (B787, Orbx(NZ)]

Super shots mate! 😉 

Nice photo set! 

Dreamy shots for sure !! .

Great set of shots, from first to last pic 👍🏽

cheers 😉

Thanks much, folks, for the comments and responses...!!

Glad you liked.... I wish I could fly this plane more often...for more than one reason...🙂.... Cheers...!!