Boeing 787 designed for passenger comfort

EVERETT, Wash. - We’re cruising over Puget Sound at 30,000 feet in Boeing’s new 787 when we hit choppy air. The airplane suddenly drops about 6 feet, taking my white knuckles and stomach with it. The rest of the "flight" is a series of big dips and jolts leaving me a bit queasy upon landing.

I unstrap my seatbelt and am ready to bolt when Boeing’s 787 Systems Director Mike Sinnett says we’re going to do it again. This time, he promises the “flight” will be smoother. We take off and quickly head into the same strong vertical gusts. It’s still bumpy but this time, the trip feels more like driving over a cobblestone street as opposed to an E-ticket ride at Disneyland. The previous 6-foot drop is reduced to 2 feet and my nerves — and stomach — remain calm.

The three-minute before-and-after flights — which took place in a full-motion simulator at Boeing’s systems laboratories in Seattle, Wa. — were a demonstration of the company’s newest technology on its 787 Dreamliner commercial jet.

By activating the so-called “vertical gust suppression” system on the second flight,  turbulence was dramatically reduced. Boeing officials are tight-lipped about their technology but it basically works like this: sensors on the airplane feed data to flight control software which automatically activates the plane’s movable surfaces to compensate for the sometimes violent up-and-down movement caused by turbulence. The technology relieves the symptoms of 88 percent of passengers who are subject to motion sickness, according to Boeing.

The system — Boeing’s most closely guarded 787 intellectual property — is just one of the many new features on the Dreamliner designed to save airlines money while giving passengers more comfort and pilots more convenience.

When it comes to designing and building airplanes, passenger comfort traditionally has ranked low on Boeing’s priority list. But for the 787, the company took a “holistic approach’’ and included features that would appeal to the flying public. “We wiped the slate clean and started from the beginning to see how we could make this airplane more efficient,’’ Sinnett told reporters recently during a tour of Boeing’s labs in Seattle.

That’s a welcomed, long overdue relief for passengers who are often stressed out by tougher security measures, longer lines and delays even before boarding the plane. Not to mention the crammed flights and lost luggage that usually follows.

“The Dreamliner is a revolutionary aircraft and will go a long way in addressing some passenger comfort issues,’’ says Nancy McKinley, director of consumer affairs for the International Airline Passengers Association.

From the outside, the twin-engine 787 doesn’t look much different than other Boeing jets, except for a sleeker nose. But step inside and you see arched ceilings that allow you to store your luggage without bumping your head. There are larger luggage bins and more spacious lavatories. Responding to studies that have shown passengers feel more comfortable with a clear view of the horizon, Boeing designed the 787 with bigger windows and replaced the shades with dimming switches that can darken the windows.

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