DC_World's Biggest Airliner The Airbus A380_3of3_Getting off the Ground
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00:00Hi, I'm John Travolta, about to take you on a journey into the future, the future of aviation.
00:09It's the exclusive inside story of the new king of the skies, the Airbus A380.
00:14Now you may already know I'm pretty crazy about planes.
00:21In fact, this isn't just a costume.
00:24I'm very proud to have been trained as a first officer for the Australian airline Qantas.
00:29So this is a real treat for me, too.
00:32In previous shows, we've witnessed the struggle to develop and build this new machine.
00:36And now comes the ultimate test, the first ever flight of the world's largest commercial
00:41airplane.
00:42It's a calculated risk, and it requires nerves of titanium.
00:46So sit back, don't forget to fasten your seatbelt, you may be expecting some turbulence.
01:09April 27, 2005, Toulouse, southwestern France.
01:17Inside this massive plane, six men are about to make aviation history.
01:27Spread around the airport are an estimated 50,000 spectators, each hoping to catch a
01:32glimpse of the giant new machine.
01:36This is what it's all about.
01:37Whether you're an aviation or an engineering enthusiast or not, this is still a very significant
01:42day.
01:44Today is the big day for us.
01:46Now everything will pay off in terms of sweat, in terms of time, in terms of problems we
01:52had in the past.
01:53And now today, everything is reset to zero, and we look forward to see this baby fly.
01:59Getting to this moment has taken over $10 billion and more than 10 years of effort.
02:09Building this aircraft has been an extraordinary achievement, and this is the exclusive inside
02:14story of how it was done.
02:21The major parts were made in Spain, France, Britain, and Germany.
02:27In an amazing feat of logistics, they've been carried by barge, ship, air, and road,
02:34thousands of miles to the massive assembly line in Toulouse, southwestern France.
02:41High-tech laser-guided machinery has been used to join the prototype together.
02:47The engines, landing gear, and cockpit have been designed and built.
02:52And in a glitzy ceremony, the aircraft revealed to the world.
02:58This is the latest chapter of the tale, as pilot and passenger safety systems are tested,
03:04and engineers battle to get the A380 airworthy.
03:11One hundred and fifty-four planes are already sold, so if the prototype fails to fly as
03:17well as hoped, the consequences could be catastrophic.
03:23Of course the airplane will fly, there's no question about that.
03:27The real question is, does it meet its performance goals?
03:31Everybody around the world is going to be watching.
03:33Is the airplane doing what Airbus said it would do?
03:37Is it performing the way Airbus said it would perform?
03:42The stakes are high.
03:44If the A380 is a failure, it could bring down the company.
03:48If it's a success, it will supersede the Boeing 747 and allow Airbus to make a simply enormous
03:55amount of money.
03:58Is this about money?
03:59Of course it is.
04:01Think about the revenue potential.
04:03Each airplane sells in today's dollars at a catalog price of about three hundred million
04:08dollars.
04:09Now over twenty years, our global market forecast is about sixteen hundred aircraft.
04:15That would be four hundred and eighty billion U.S. dollars.
04:22Suppose you only get half of it.
04:24Two hundred and forty billion U.S. dollars at catalog price.
04:29That is an awful lot of money.
04:33With so much riding on the performance of this machine, there is intense pressure on
04:38the men and women of Airbus to deliver.
04:43It's like the final climb to the peak of Everest, let's say.
04:47The last ten, twenty feet when the oxygen levels are so small is often the most difficult
04:54part of the journey.
04:57And that's essentially where we are at the moment in terms of this aircraft.
05:02Simon Sanders is in charge of testing the landing gear, one of the most safety-critical
05:07systems.
05:08In just fifty-six days' time, the pilots' lives will depend on these twenty-two wheels
05:15retracting and extending, come what may.
05:26All together, the gear weighs the same as twenty family cars and must be lifted into
05:32the belly of the plane in just thirteen seconds.
05:37Making the system operational has taken months of hard work, but now it looks as if they're
05:42finally making progress.
05:44The last few months have been very frustrating because we've had, obviously, a lot of technical
05:55difficulties with systems on the aircraft.
05:58We've had a lot of problems during testing, so we've all been working very, very, very
06:03hard in order to have all of our systems all working for first flight.
06:10So that's system one, looking good.
06:18This is why we're here.
06:19Days like today is why you do this job, because it's very exciting to see the gears moving
06:25and you spend an awful lot of time making sure that the right parts are where they should
06:29be.
06:30I've been waiting for this for months.
06:37The last step is to simulate a worst-case scenario.
06:41Even if all power was lost during flight, the pilots must still be able to lower the
06:46wheels to land.
06:49To do this, there's a backup system that simply lets the gear fall down under its own weight.
06:55The test is risky because the wheels will collide with the doors as they drop, and
07:01damaging anything at this stage could delay the project.
07:06So this is the big test, yeah.
07:16The outer doors begin to open under their own weight.
07:19Any second now, the locks that hold the gear up will release.
07:31Immediately it's clear that something has gone wrong.
07:37Next, the massive six-wheeled main gears deploy.
07:45And after a delay of 16 seconds, the jammed outer wheels slip free.
07:54It's not a good result.
08:00We've worked as hard.
08:01We've done the best we possibly can, and we are where we are at the moment.
08:04For me, it's something to get stuck into, something to understand, something to find
08:09a solution.
08:12Without delay, the team try an experiment to find out where the wheels are snagging.
08:17A dab of grease on a guide ramp, where the wheel is supposed to push the door open, should
08:23prove if this is quite literally the sticking point.
08:32The ramp is the problem.
08:34The team need to find a more permanent solution, and fast.
08:40So the first giant plane is nearly ready.
08:43Billions of dollars have been spent, millions of hours of work have been done, but there's
08:47a long way to go.
08:48We'll be back very soon.
08:56The Airbus A380 is a global project, and here in Phoenix, Arizona, another set of engineers
09:03are developing another essential safety system.
09:08The A380 needs 16 escape slides, each one custom built to meet stringent regulations,
09:15and that means a lot of work.
09:21Each slide is designed on computer, and this is one of the most complex on the whole plane,
09:28the overwing slide.
09:30Today it will be tested for real, a critical time for the engineers.
09:36This is a brand new slide, it's fresh out of our prototype department, and it's never
09:41been deployed, it's never been slid on, and the pressure is on.
09:46The slide fits in a small pack, which is mounted to a full-size mock-up of the plane.
09:52It allows passengers to get from a door here, across the wing to the ground, deploying almost
09:59as if by magic, from here.
10:12The regulations say that 850 passengers must be able to get out of an A380 in just 90 seconds,
10:20and the only way to prove the slide is up to the job is to use real human beings.
10:27Forty people will take part in the test, and the first step is to get everybody warmed up.
10:37Ted Oney, who will be running the test, is wearing a rather special shirt.
10:43This is my lucky Hawaiian shirt, of course.
10:46Every time I want to run an evac, I wear this shirt, so when people in the plant see me
10:51in this shirt, they know we're running an evacuation test.
10:55The aim of the test is to show the slide can hold up to the weight of the evacuees
11:00and allow a safe but speedy exit in an emergency.
11:05Our slide will have to have 40 people traverse down the slide in less than 17 seconds.
11:11That meets a rate, that meets our specified rate, so in the grand scheme of things, we'll
11:15be able to say that we could evacuate the entire airplane within 90 seconds.
11:21Evacuating can be dangerous, and part of Ted's job is to make sure nobody gets hurt.
11:27You're evacuating an aircraft, you need to do it quickly, but I want you to do it safely
11:33because your safety is high on my concern list, okay?
11:37Remember, getting out of that aircraft, it's in a hurry.
11:39All right, we're going to start in a minute, so put on your helmets, strap them down, let's
11:43rock and roll.
11:44Stop shaking these stairs.
11:50We've gone through literally a year and a half worth of development tests to get to
11:54this point.
11:55If it doesn't work today, then we've got to go back and redesign the slide.
12:01This is what it's all about today.
12:04Okay, countdown.
12:05Three, two, one, go.
12:06Come on, guys.
12:07Out the door.
12:08Come on, come on, come on, come on.
12:09Go.
12:10Go.
12:11Go.
12:12Go.
12:13Go.
12:14Go.
12:15Go.
12:16Go.
12:17Go.
12:18Go.
12:19While some of the volunteers stumble, nobody gets hurt.
12:22Excellent.
12:23Wow.
12:2417 seconds.
12:25That was great.
12:26It's always good to get the first one.
12:28It was pretty good.
12:31You know, somebody fell right in front of me.
12:35I had to jump over him, they were just too close.
12:39In these tests, the passengers weight is the main consideration, so the engineers are allowed
12:44to use able-bodied volunteers.
12:47It's a good thing, because two hours of solid sliding are needed to prove the design.
13:02At the very end comes the most dangerous test of all.
13:06To simulate an evacuation in a rainstorm, the slide is sprayed with water.
13:12It's risky, because now everything is much more slippery than before.
13:16As the water bubbles on the floor of the toe-end of the slide here, it means the landing surface
13:23is slick.
13:24People are used to landing normally, and suddenly it's much more slippery, and if we don't do
13:30our job right, we get a pile of bodies at the bottom.
13:33Go!
13:34Go!
13:35Go!
13:36Go!
13:37Go!
13:38Go!
13:39Go!
13:40Go!
13:41Get out!
13:42Get out!
13:43Go!
13:44Go!
13:45Go!
13:46Go!
13:47Go!
13:48Go!
13:49Go!
13:50Go!
13:51Go!
13:52Go!
13:53Go!
13:54Go!
13:55Go!
13:56Go!
13:57Go!
13:58Go!
13:59Yeah!
14:00All right!
14:01All right!
14:02Yeah!
14:03All right!
14:04Have a seat!
14:05Have a seat!
14:06Great job, everybody!
14:07Great job!
14:08Whoo!
14:09I'm not doing that no more.
14:10No way!
14:11Yes, I'm happy with that.
14:13There wasn't a lot of bumping.
14:16The slide did well.
14:18So that's one down.
14:20Just 15 more slides to go.
14:24Hi, I'm John Travolta.
14:26You're watching the world's biggest airliner,
14:28the A380, on TLC.
14:30Don't go away.
14:34Research and development are crucial
14:36to the success of any new aircraft.
14:39And in Hamburg, Germany,
14:41Airbus have been tackling a sticky problem
14:44on a plane the size of the A380.
14:47Laid out here is a full-size test rig
14:50of the waste system for the plane.
14:53With up to 20 toilets and around 3,000 feet of piping,
14:57it's a big job.
15:00Zenul Mertal and Dennis Kaiser
15:02have been hard at work for the last two years.
15:06We will give you a short demonstration
15:09of a toilet flush on the A380.
15:11So at first, we have to evacuate the toilet system.
15:15I can start this. It will get a little bit loud.
15:20The toilets work by pumping air
15:22out of waste tanks in the rear of the plane,
15:25causing a partial vacuum.
15:27When a toilet is flushed,
15:29air is sucked in to fill the vacuum,
15:32and the waste is drawn down the pipes into the tanks.
15:35In the finished aircraft,
15:37these parts are made of titanium to save weight,
15:41but here Perspex is used for clarity.
15:49This is race car technology for toilets.
15:55And the result is some seriously speedy sewage.
16:00The speed of the piping is around 60 meters per second.
16:0960 meters a second is 130 miles an hour.
16:13Such high-performance plumbing is needed
16:16because of the size of the plane.
16:18At 240 feet long,
16:20the toilets at the front are a long way
16:23from the tanks at the rear.
16:25This is the most forward toilet in the A380,
16:28the one what the pilots normally would use.
16:31It is quite difficult because you have a pressure loss
16:35from the waste tanks to this toilet because of the length.
16:39It's a challenge not to be sniffed at,
16:42but undeterred, the guys give it a go.
16:46Ah! Oh, look!
16:56Just seconds later, the waste arrives at the tank,
16:59and flushed with success,
17:01the engineers bring the A380 another step closer to reality.
17:10March 14, 2005,
17:13and the prototype is parked outside the factory here in France.
17:18Technically, the customers for this plane are the test pilots
17:22who'll fly it for the first time,
17:24but there's still a lot of work to be done before they'll accept it.
17:29This is Charles Champion,
17:31the 48-year-old head of the entire $11 billion project.
17:36He's come to check on progress,
17:39something he tries to do at least once a week.
17:43Just by going around the plane and by discussing with the people,
17:46you actually, first of all, have a feeling of what remains to do,
17:49but also you have, I would say, a good feeling of where they are
17:52and what needs to be done and what are the critical areas.
17:56At least it's not all bad news.
17:59That's the most important part,
18:01the coffee machine for the flight test crew.
18:03If this doesn't work, they will never take the aircraft.
18:07Joking aside, it's clear that the plane is far from ready.
18:12The landing gear is just one of the things that need to be finished.
18:17We still have a lot to do.
18:19There is a lot of activity, so some of it is related to troubleshooting
18:23and other related to closing the area,
18:26but we do have a lot of people still working on the aircraft.
18:33The next day, the first customers turn up for a photo shoot.
18:37These are the six men who will fly the A380 for the first time.
18:43Between them, they have 176 years of test flight experience,
18:49and within minutes of the last shot being taken,
18:54they're in the plane, checking out the new machine.
19:00For Flight Test Director Fernando Alonso,
19:04it's important to feel comfortable in his post.
19:08This is the place where I will be sitting for the first flight,
19:11and it will be almost my home for the next months ahead.
19:17Using a bank of screens and readouts,
19:20Fernando will be able to monitor everything happening to the plane in real time.
19:26This screen, for example, it's what we call the flight list plane,
19:30and it shows us the aircraft pitch altitude and bank angle.
19:33It shows us the speed, angle of attack, the altitude, the heading.
19:37Then it gives us some information about the engines,
19:40of the configuration, flaps and slats,
19:42of the fuel quantities, of the autopilot engagement mode.
19:46So just by having a glass of that screen,
19:49we have a very good overall picture of the airplane.
19:55The aircraft is equipped with sophisticated flight instrumentation.
19:59Thousands of sensors that record every aspect of the plane's performance.
20:04Gathering this precious data is the primary purpose of the test flight program.
20:11If on the day of the first flight,
20:13the flight instrumentation does not work, we will not fly.
20:17So it's... I think that sums it up, you know.
20:23But despite the seriousness of the task ahead,
20:26there's no doubt the A380 is beginning to generate a real buzz.
20:32It's really great to be here.
20:35We've been waiting for it so long, and now it's... we're almost there.
20:42You know, people often wonder, what's the thrill in flying a commercial airliner?
20:45Well, surely it's just the same as driving a bus, right?
20:48Yeah, well, a bus that weighs the same as a small house,
20:51with enough power to light a small city,
20:53and years of training to master.
20:55Believe me, flying the A380 will give a huge rush to anyone with blood in their veins.
21:02March 30th, 2005,
21:04and the prototype of the world's biggest airliner is in the hangar again,
21:09as engineers perform final checks.
21:12The moving surfaces are working,
21:14but one safety-critical system still remains unproven.
21:19The last set of landing gear tests, almost a month ago, didn't go well.
21:24The wing gear snagged on the door, and needed some grease to make it work.
21:30Now Simon Sanders is back,
21:32for a last-ditch attempt to prove that the landing gear will deploy smoothly.
21:38His team have been working round the clock to solve the problem.
21:43This is the ramp on the wing gear door where we put the grease last time.
21:46Now, for a more robust solution,
21:49we've applied a layer of Teflon paint,
21:52which is similar to the Teflon coating that you have on non-stick frying pans.
21:58So this will reduce the friction when we do the free-fall.
22:02We're going to now perform the test
22:04to demonstrate that with this low-friction Teflon coating,
22:07that we've solved the problem.
22:11Gérard Debois will be on the first flight,
22:14and he's here to represent the flight test department.
22:17If Gérard is not happy, the first flight will be delayed.
22:22This is make-or-break time.
22:25I want to be sure on this aircraft,
22:27before taking the aircraft in the flight test department,
22:30that the landing gear is working perfectly well.
22:34If it doesn't work, I will refuse the aircraft,
22:36until the system is completely safe.
22:39As the gear is retracted for the test,
22:42everyone is aware that they cannot afford to fail.
22:48In the cockpit, the system is primed.
22:51C'est parti, je lance.
23:10Despite the Teflon coating on the ramp,
23:13the left wing gear still catches on the door,
23:16but at least it slips free faster this time.
23:23If the plane were flying,
23:25the airstream would probably shake the gear free sooner still,
23:29but it's up to Gérard to decide
23:31whether he's happy to accept the plane as it is.
23:35The team will continue to refine the system,
23:38but at least it's safe to assume
23:40that the system is working perfectly well.
23:44It's not marvelous, but it is working,
23:48and at least even if the left landing gear is not extended
23:53at the same time as the right one,
23:56yes, I think I will accept it.
24:00The team will continue to refine the system,
24:03but at least the plane can now be handed over
24:06to the test pilot's department.
24:09Flight test director Fernando Alonso
24:12is taking the chance to look round the plane
24:15to check that nothing has been missed in the final push.
24:19Like always, at the end there's a big rush.
24:21We'll get very excited,
24:23but at some point in time you need to make a decision,
24:25OK, now stop, it's over, and we take it over,
24:28because otherwise it will just go on forever and ever.
24:31The plane is equipped with everything needed
24:33for the testing to come,
24:35including these water tanks
24:37to simulate the weight of hundreds of passengers.
24:40But in the rush to get the plane ready,
24:43something's been overlooked.
24:45The cabin lights are not working.
24:49Cabin illumination is switched off,
24:52so we have no possibility to switch the cabin illumination.
24:57I need the lights.
25:00We have been having handover meetings
25:03for the past two weeks.
25:05Nobody ever said that the cabin lighting was not working.
25:08Nobody ever mentioned the limitation.
25:10Nothing was said about lighting.
25:12So now we put on the breakers,
25:15if something burns, it will burn.
25:18With Fernando's words ringing in their ears,
25:21the engineers get to work,
25:23and in no time the lights are on.
25:29Are you happy now?
25:34Immediately the mood changes,
25:36and the plane can officially be handed over.
25:44For Girard, it's just like taking delivery of a new car.
25:54We have a tradition here in France.
25:56If you buy a new car, for example,
25:59the dealer throws in a bunch of flowers for your wife.
26:03Here you can see we have a beautiful bunch of flowers,
26:07hand-picked by the engineers from the side of the runway.
26:10So we've kept up a marvelous French tradition.
26:15At last the A380 is towed across the airfield,
26:19leaving behind the factory where it was assembled.
26:23It's a journey of only a couple of miles,
26:26but it signifies the beginning of its new life
26:29at the flight test department, where the pilots are based.
26:33Quite a crowd has turned out,
26:35and the question on everyone's lips
26:37is how long will it be till the plane flies.
26:41Previous aircraft have taken about two weeks from this stage,
26:45but Fernando Alonso won't be pinned down
26:48to a specific date just yet.
26:51I really do not want to be under the pressure
26:53of saying it's ten days or two weeks.
26:55I don't know. It'll be when it'll be.
26:58And nobody's keener and more eager to fly than we are.
27:02So I think you just have to rely
27:06that as soon as we feel that the airplane's ready, we will fly.
27:10Hi, I'm John Travolta.
27:12Stay tuned for the next chapter in this incredible story.
27:17These are the men who'll fly the Airbus A380.
27:22Flying any new plane is a calculated risk,
27:25but with an average of 18 years at Airbus,
27:28they have the experience needed.
27:33On previous programs, they've performed takeoffs
27:36with runways flooded with tons of water.
27:40They've deliberately scraped the fuselage
27:42along the ground during takeoff,
27:45and they've flown aircraft to Siberia
27:47to test them at 50 degrees below zero.
27:51Plus, of course, they've thrown passenger planes around
27:54in the most extreme maneuvers.
27:57For Airbus chief test pilot Jacques Rosé,
28:00it's a challenging but satisfying job.
28:04It's something which is rather demanding.
28:07It asks you to be at your best level permanently
28:11because you cannot cheat.
28:15You are really flying in real conditions,
28:19and it's something which is stimulating, I would say.
28:26Within the next 12 months, Jacques and his team
28:29will be pulling maneuvers like this in an A380,
28:33but all that depends on getting the plane working
28:35and into the air for the very first time.
28:39Step one is to troubleshoot the aircraft
28:42to make sure they're familiar with the plane
28:44and that everything is working properly.
29:10By April 8th, the team are ready to test the engines.
29:16To start the engines, there's one ignition,
29:19which is that one for the APU.
29:22That'll start engine number one.
29:24That'll start engine number two.
29:26That will start engine number three.
29:28And that'll start engine number four.
29:32With emergency crews on standby,
29:36the A380 can at last start to come to life.
29:48The smoke is caused by a protective layer of oil
29:51burning off as the engines are run one by one.
30:06Testing and monitoring the engines takes two long days,
30:11but at last the aircraft can move
30:13under its own power for the first time.
30:18The next 10 days are spent on further detailed checks
30:21on the ground, and the A380 becomes a familiar sight
30:25at Toulouse International Airport,
30:27tasked with monitoring the A380's performance.
30:31The A380 is ready for takeoff.
30:34The A380 is ready for takeoff.
30:37The A380 is ready for takeoff.
30:40The A380 is ready for takeoff.
30:43The A380 is ready for takeoff.
30:46Toulouse Airport, taxiing up and down.
30:55Gradually, the speed is increased,
30:58and most importantly, the brakes are tested.
31:07By the look of the tires after the tests,
31:10the brakes are well up to the job.
31:14Confidence in the aircraft is growing every day.
31:18There's still some little things to be fixed,
31:21but we're getting closer.
31:23Every day we're closer.
31:30Each of the flight test team has a very specific job,
31:34and flight test engineer Jackie Joie's role
31:37is to monitor the engines.
31:41On the way back from one of the ground runs,
31:44Jackie thinks he may have spotted a serious problem.
32:01He suspects something has gone into the engine.
32:04Whatever caused these white marks
32:07could have damaged the $15 million power plant.
32:11Replacing the engine would almost certainly delay the first flight,
32:15and Gérard Desbois arrives to give his expert opinion.
32:27It is a bird s***!
32:30Stop it!
32:33He's right.
32:35It's bird s***!
32:37If that's the bird s***, where did the bird go?
32:40He was scared. He was really scared.
32:46Two days later comes a stark reminder
32:49of the dangers facing the team.
32:51Jim Fawcett has to make sure that they're familiar
32:54with all the safety kit on board,
32:56including an emergency escape chute,
32:59should the unthinkable happen.
33:02We have an emergency evacuation system.
33:06This is fired by pyrotechnic handles
33:09in the cockpit and in the flight test engineer's station.
33:13They drive a firing door,
33:15which is down the bottom of this tube here,
33:18in the main cargo door.
33:20The crew can come and jump safely out through this door
33:23and with the aid of a parachute get down safely to the ground.
33:29After two weeks of hard work, there's one final test.
33:33The engines are brought to full power for the first time.
33:37Accelerating hard, the plane reaches 130 knots,
33:41almost 150 miles an hour.
33:45And the brakes are applied.
33:52With that, the world's biggest airliner is ready to go.
34:15Pas d'alarme en ****.
34:17Bon.
34:22So this is it.
34:23After the break, it's crunch time.
34:25The mother of all first flights,
34:27the maiden voyage of the new Airbus A380.
34:30Cool.
34:34The day of the first flight has arrived at last.
34:45The first flight of the new Airbus A380.
35:03I just hope the day goes by very, very, very slowly.
35:07I want to profit every single second of it.
35:10So I just want things to happen very, very slowly.
35:15Now you think of what you're going to have to do.
35:18So it keeps your mind busy.
35:21It's difficult to sleep properly.
35:24But it's a special day.
35:26Without the extra hours of sleep,
35:29I will catch up tonight.
35:35Over 50,000 people have come to watch.
35:40It's the largest airplane in the world.
35:43And it's going to stay the largest
35:45for a couple of years, I guess.
35:47It's amazing what they have achieved with this aircraft.
35:50You have to imagine that there are nearly 600 people
35:53on board of that kind of aircraft.
35:56It's really amazing.
35:58I can be proud of it.
36:01This is what it's all about.
36:03Whether you're an aviation or an engineering enthusiast or not,
36:06this is still a very significant day.
36:31Today is really the day for the H-380
36:34and all of us who have worked on it.
36:36So we're all having our fingers crossed
36:38to be sure everything goes well.
36:40But afterwards, I think there's going to be
36:43quite a few fiestas tonight.
36:45I tell you.
36:49The first flight will last about four hours.
36:52It's a long flight.
36:54It's a long flight.
36:56It's a long flight.
36:58The first flight will last about four hours.
37:01And as the pilots make their way to the plane,
37:04all around the airport, preparations are being made.
37:12In a building 500 yards away,
37:15dozens of engineers are gathered in the control room
37:18where they'll be able to analyze live data
37:20sent from the aircraft.
37:24A light jet will act as a chase plane,
37:27able to watch the A-380 from the air
37:29and report on any problems.
37:33Hundreds of journalists are waiting
37:35to relay the story to the world.
37:40The crew must wear full safety equipment
37:43for the first flights, life jackets,
37:45parachutes and helmets.
37:48And they're strapped in tight.
37:50The engines are started
37:52and the aircraft pushed back.
38:21On the far side of the runway,
38:23Christian Polite,
38:25whose team fitted the tail fin,
38:27is just one of the thousands
38:29who have worked so hard to get to this point.
38:33In the last seconds before takeoff,
38:35I mean, I don't think that I will think anything about it.
38:38Just cross the fingers and get it off the ground, yeah?
38:43At exactly 10.18,
38:45the A-380 will take off.
38:47At exactly 10.18,
38:49the A-380 is lined up on the runway
38:52and final preparations are made.
38:55Inside the plane,
38:56the only problem seems to be
38:58the strap on Fernando's helmet.
39:17I'll give you a punch.
39:18Yeah.
39:19You have nothing to lose.
39:20And if I get there?
39:21You'll get a punch?
39:22Yeah.
39:23It's getting serious.
39:24It's getting serious.
39:27I'll give you another punch.
39:28Be careful.
39:30Did it hurt?
39:31No, no.
39:35There it is.
39:36That's good.
39:37I survived.
39:39Well, gentlemen,
39:40the point 3 is over.
39:41The skipchute is armed at my place.
39:43At our place.
39:44Let's go.
39:47At 10.29 and 32 seconds,
39:50the throttles are open.
40:10Here we go.
40:12Push.
40:15100% everywhere.
40:16That's good.
40:41100% everywhere.
40:42That's good.
41:11100% everywhere.
41:12That's good.
41:34That was effortless.
41:36It was hard.
41:39Excellent demonstration altogether.
41:41And it was really like a diamond in the sky,
41:44stable and moving away.
41:46Really nice.
41:47Really nice.
42:00The next four hours will be spent
42:02gently probing the aircraft's abilities.
42:07Let's go.
42:09Come on.
42:12That's where the...
42:14Come on, go.
42:153, 2, 1.
42:17Go!
42:19The ports are opened.
42:21Everything's normal.
42:23I see the Bodies are entering,
42:25the Wings are entering.
42:26The Bodies are still open.
42:28The ports...
42:30Go.
42:31The Bodies are closing.
42:33The aircraft is entering.
42:36The flight is a remarkable demonstration of modern aviation technology.
42:43It was a real pleasure, as always.
42:54After years of effort, and at no small risk to the company,
42:59the men and women of Airbus and their hundreds of partners and suppliers
43:04can at last say that they have built and flown
43:08the largest airliner the world has ever seen.
43:34We love you, Airbus.