A sight I would have loved to see close up…. a Boeing 787 landed recently at Washington DC National Airport (known as Reagan National since 1998).  This airport (Code = DCA) is the nearest to the capitol.

On May 7,  as part of its world dream tour, the third Boeing 787 ever manufactured  (Serial number ZA003) made a very short flight from Washington’s other main airport: Dulles International to DCA. The 787 uses composite materials and  its main features include larger windows than on any other plane, a four-panel windshield, better air circulation, improved lighting and humidity and much larger overhead bins. It is designed to use 30% less fuel than a 767.

Five reasons why it is significant:

1. First landing of the 787 at DCA
2. Second biggest plane ever to land at DCA after a United DC-10 emergency touchdown in 1998
3. The third widebody aircraft type to land at DCA after the DC10 and 767
4. At 2,094 metres (7,169 ft), Runway 19 is probably the shortest runway, the 787 has landed on
5. The 787 will almost certainly never  fly into and out of this airport because of size constraints