As a resident of the Seattle area, there are two big business influences on us: Microsoft — where I used to work, and Boeing — on whose planes I’ve flown the most.

This past Wednesday, the first 787 Dreamliner rolled out of the hangar in Everett, Washington (about 30 miles north of my home) in a special celebration with the CEOs of All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Boeing, along with the workers who produced the airplane. I watched a summary video of the celebration on the Boeing website, and I have to admit I felt a certain pride in being a resident here. When there’s a downturn in the airline business, we all feel it. Now that Boeing was able to finally deliver this plane, everyone who lives here is breathing a sigh of relief! I’m especially proud because they pulled it off despite the current economy.

I am looking forward to the days when the first 787s are delivered domestically, because I want to ride in one! When I travel internationally I look for flights with the Boeing 777 because I love how that plane is put together. I can only imagine how wonderful the 787s are going to be when we here in Seattle get to ride in one.

Improvements in the Airplane

The first thing I noticed on the Boeing videos is the in-seat entertainment. For Economy class, there are individual video screens in the headrest of the seat in front of you. I also noted ample storage bins, roomy lavatories, and tinted windows! No more having to sit in the dark just to be able to see the video screens. The windows are 30% larger, for those who want to look outside, and there are improvements to the Rolls Royce airplane engines that offer a smoother ride.

The new plane uses LED lighting instead of fluorescent lighting, which gives it a softer glow and lower electrical consumption. Personally, I’m looking forward to that — fluorescent lighting makes you look even worse than you already do after flying all night on an airplane.

Here is the micro-site for the airplane on ANA’s website. It will detect your language and display English, if that’s your default.

Http://www.ana.co.jp/787/

We Get Around

Among the destinations listed for this plane are cities within Japan, as well as Hong Kong and Frankfurt. According to the CEO of ANA, “The B787 is considered a medium-size aircraft but it can travel more than 52 per cent further than a similarly sized B767, while using 20 per cent less fuel. This brand new aircraft presents a new business opportunity for us to open new routes that would not have been viable before and gives us the chance to expand our network.”

That’s a really critical issue these days. The cost of fuel is already high, so a plane that can travel further and save 20% on fuel costs is a welcome addition to the skies. One can only hope that it might ultimately mean cost savings passed on to the passengers. (Hey, I’m an optimist!)

I am pleased to report that one of the 787s currently in production is scheduled for United, so I look forward to getting on that plane in due course.

This month’s newsletter is going to be uncharacteristically short for an appropriate reason: I have only 1 hour before boarding time. I’m in Chicago O’Hare Airport, on my way home from my father’s memorial service. Dad passed away January 8th, and we waited to schedule a service when the greatest number of relatives could join us for the celebration of Dad’s life.

Travel Then and Travel Now

The first time I remember meeting my father’s mother was when I was about 5 years old. My youngest brother was just a baby, and Grandma Frida was pretty old by then. It was a seemingly unending trip in the car; first navigating our way from Rockford IL through Chicago, then across Indiana where our toll card was punched at each end of the state. Next was the trip across Ohio and my version of “are we there yet?” Followed by the twists and turns on the road to Ashtabula. The trip was 10 hours by car, and we made it all in one long stretch because we couldn’t afford to stay overnight in motels.

The trip to see Grandma Victoria and Grandpa Anton was similar, though not as long. We took old Route 20 across Illinois and most of the way across Iowa. It only took 7 hours, but again, we made it all in one day.

All of our family trips were made by car; I didn’t get on an airplane for the first time until I was 19 years old. It was spring, and the Wheaton College Choir was going on a bus tour of the mid-Atlantic states, but first we had to fly to Washington DC to get to the bus. I remember being both nervous and excited on that first trip. I didn’t want to confess that I was such a travel-late-bloomer, but I also didn’t know the correct protocols, and was afraid I might embarrass myself.

I didn’t travel very much until I started working for Microsoft. Then within any 10 hour period in the air, I could reach most destinations in Europe or Asia. Tack on another 3 hours and I could reach Australia or New Zealand. Not only did my travel horizons increase, so did my world view. Going to Wheaton College gave me the opportunity to meet people from all over the world; traveling for business gave me the opportunity to see where they lived.

What does this have to do with my father’s passing? What I am contemplating in this newsletter is how quickly the world moves now compared to when I was a kid. It’s neither all bad or all good; it’s just fast. Things have changed a lot in my lifetime; they have changed even more during Dad’s lifetime.

Technology Overcoming Obstacles

Despite being almost 94, Dad had been busy and active right up until the last week of his life. When illness overtook him, he slipped away in just 6 days. He never wanted to linger, so despite our sorrow, we were OK with that. My sister who lived nearby was there, and my youngest brother was able to break away and join her as they kept vigil. My other brother and I connected with my sister and brother via Skype’s video conferencing service, so even though we couldn’t be together, we had regular updates.

After Dad had gone, my siblings and I met every few days for an hour or two to handle preparations for this past weekend. We got a room block for the relatives, organized the service, arranged for a family dinner afterwards, and even began sorting through the precious heirlooms handed down from previous generations. Using webcams, we could see the photographs we wanted to put into the slide show of Dad’s life, and we laughed and cried together in a way that wasn’t affordable or even barely possible 10 years ago.

Keeping Families Together via Technology

It’s hard enough to stay close to your immediate family when you’re a business traveler; staying in touch with your own siblings and parents can be even more challenging. I’m glad that my family is tech-enabled enough to stay in touch via email, Skype, and now on Facebook. I hope you’ll encourage your siblings to stay in touch as well. Life is precious, and time flies. Make the most of the opportunities you have to reach out to those closest to your heart.

Vancouver, BC, Canada is just 3 hours from my home. If you’re thinking of attending the Olympics, this information may be helpful to you.

Vancouver Between Medals
During an Olympics visit, here’s where to find the city’s slightly gritty, diverse soul, whether it’s biking along the sea wall or sampling neighborhood cafes.

This article was pretty interesting. It combined two of my favorite activities: travel and the movies.

Where Hollywood Takes Flight
Two companies provide dummy aircraft and airline-related sets for filmmakers around the world. Scott McCartney checks out the fuselages.