PILOTSEYE LUFTHANSA CARGO 777

Publisher: PILOTSEYE

Description:  LUFTHANSA CARGO 777 “BIRTH OF A PLANE”

Format:
Download

Reviewed by: Marlon Carter

PREVIEW VIDEO

Lufthansa B777F Seattle.

One of the thrills of buying a new car is enjoying the smooth ride and the unmistakable new car smell. But have you ever wondered what it’s like to pick up a brand new aircraft? In this video documentary, we will be joining Captain Claus Richter, Captain Manfred Schridde and Senior First Officer Marcus Fritze as they complete the purchase and delivery of a brand new B777 Freighter to Lufthansa Cargo.

This program begins with an introduction that includes comments by Captain Richter along with clips from the Boeing factory showcasing the production and testing of the B777. Following this introduction, we join our pilots as they journey on a commercial flight to Seattle to complete the purchase and delivery flight back to Germany. After flying to Seattle onboard a commercial flight, we join the excited crew onboard a brand new Boeing 777-200 Freighter as they make final preparations for departure. With numerous camera views, you will be able to see the pushback, startup and takeoff from various perspectives.

Shortly after departure, the pilots comment on the new aircraft’s handling as they hand fly the aircraft to 25,000ft. What was most impressive from the crew’s view point was the remarkable performance of the aircraft as it climbed to 39,000ft in just 13 minutes! After most of the excitement has settled, Captain Richter and Captain Schridde discuss the process of purchasing the aircraft from the bank transfer phase to the inspection and final delivery of the aircraft. These steps are some of the details that have never been seen before by the wider public, but thanks to Pilotseye, viewer now have an opportunity to see what it is like to purchase an aircraft. Reflecting on the process, we take a break from the cockpit to view the events leading up to the final delivery of the aircraft. In the segments that follow, viewers will be able to witness the process of final contract signing and payment for the aircraft in addition to the inspection by Chief Technical Pilot, Capt. Schridde and the well trained mechanics at Lufthansa. As you would imagine, this process is very tense and serious since any issues missed during the inspection may pose a bigger problem later on. The segments that center on the activities at the Boeing Factory were very insightful and I am sure that many viewers will find it fascinating to say the least.

As we return to the cockpit of our delivery flight, for the remainder of this segment, the Captain discusses a few interesting details on Lufthansa’s new iPad EFB which is able to communicate with the computers of the aircraft to exchange data. This new feature allows greater flexibility in the long run and it is a feature that is most welcome among the pilots. While discussions on the B777 itself and cockpit presentations are kept to a minimum, viewers can still learn a great deal about the aircraft from the view point of manufacturing and testing which is a refreshing perspective from the typical cockpit based video documentaries.

After a lovely approach and smooth landing at Frankfurt, Captain Richter taxi’s the aircraft to the ramp where a number of Lufthansa’s staff is eagerly awaiting the arrival of their newest aircraft. With the engines shutdown and the flight officially completed, our pilots reflect on the unique privileged they’ve had in being the first pilots to log time in their new aircraft. This is a privilege many pilots dream of and it was nice of Lufthansa to offer this privilege to the world through this unique video documentary.

As for my final thoughts on this program, Pilotseye has always had a reputation or producing some of the most amazing aviation documentaries today. In this case, they certain did an outstanding job by including numerous camera angles which obviously require coordination with airport and airline officials. The quality of the video production that has gone into this program is on par with what we would expect from a major film production and it is a video that can be enjoyed time and time again. While this video is primarily in German, the English subtitles are very easy to follow and subtitles are also available in other languages. Ultimately, this is a documentary that every aviation enthusiast will enjoy!

If you would like to obtain a copy of this video, Pilotseye has provided Blu-Ray, DVD and Video On Demand services via Vimeo. The price of the Blu-Ray and DVD options are approximately 25GBP / 29 EU.