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Press Room
Monogram Systems' Thomas Lee Aboard A380's Initial Flight
Thomas Lee became one of the first passengers aboard the world's largest commercial aircraft -- again.
In 1970, at 17, Mr. Lee rode with his family from New York to London aboard Pan Am's Clipper Victor, on the inaugural flight of the Boeing 747 jumbo jet. This week he traveled with his wife and daughter to Singapore to be part of history a second time, joining the maiden flight of the new superjumbo Airbus A380 operated by Singapore Airlines to Sydney.
"The flight was spectacular, just truly awesome," said Mr. Lee, reached by cellphone as the plane pulled into the gate at Sydney Airport. "I'm thrilled beyond words actually. Just extremely excited. On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd put it at 12."
Mr. Lee had plenty of equally enthusiastic company, not least the management of Singapore Airlines. After almost two years of technical problems and delivery delays that crimped capacity at a time of growing demand for air travel, the airline was finally able to savor the hard-won distinction of being the first to fly the double-decker behemoth with paying passengers aboard.
Any rancor about the long wait seemed forgotten Thursday as the chief executive of Singapore Airlines, Chew Choon Seng, stood before passengers to cut the ribbon and open the jetway to Flight 380. "This is indeed a new milestone in the history of aviation," he proclaimed.
It was a milestone not lost on those 455 passengers, who had to buy their seats in a fiercely contested online auction, proceeds from which the airline donated to charity. Hard-core aviation buffs like Mr. Lee flew from all over the world for an experience that to many seemed to revolve not only around the A380's unique stature but also to find out what Singapore Airlines, an airline noted for pampering passengers, would do with it.
By all accounts, the airline did not disappoint. After a breakfast buffet at the departure lounge serenaded by a string quartet, and a punctual 8 a.m. departure, passengers enjoyed a sumptuous in-flight brunch by two chefs. Fueled by their excitement and 1996 Dom Pérignon Rosé, passengers said a festive atmosphere prevailed, and flight attendants had their hands full navigating aisles clogged with regular passengers touring the new plane along with the journalists on board to chronicle the event.
"It was like a rocking party at 40,000 feet," said Julian Hayward, a British entrepreneur who placed the record bid for a seat on the flight -- $100,380 for two first-class seats. "We gave it top marks, and I'll definitely be flying it again."
Mr. Lee said the scene Thursday was in many ways reminiscent of his ride 37 years ago on the first 747: the lavish treatment, the reporters, the thrill among the mingling passengers exploring a brand-new aircraft.
"The most exciting thing then was a staircase to the upper deck -- they had a piano bar up there," he recalled. "That was where I fell in love with aviation." Mr. Lee went on to a career in the field.
The A380 also has a spiral staircase, connecting the upper and lower decks at the rear of the aircraft. As tall as a seven-story building and almost as wide as a football field, the A380 is a jaw-dropping piece of machinery, even on the ground. It can carry up to 853 passengers, with a maximum takeoff load of 560 tons. It can fly from New York to Hong Kong without refueling, yet burns about as much fuel per passenger as an economy-size car and has lower emissions than any other plane in the sky.
Less well-known is that the A380 has 19 toilets all connected by a single vacuum system that sucks waste from the bowls to tanks in the rear of the aircraft at speeds of up to 130 miles per hour, according to Mr. Lee. He should know: it was Mr. Lee's California-based company, Monogram Systems, that designed the A380's toilets. He and other passengers also confirmed the claim by Airbus that the plane is quieter and more maneuverable than the Boeing 747, taking off effortlessly and landing just as smoothly.
What Singapore Airlines' A380 does not have are any of the space-consuming innovations many imagined for the plane -- gyms or bars and the like. Instead, the airline opted for a 471-seat plane divided into three classes, including 399 economy-class seats spread over both decks, 60 business-class seats on the upper deck, and 12 first-class suites tucked into the lower deck.
Published by the NY Times October 25, 2007
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