Telstar Logistics Gets Intimate with an Airbus A380

Not only is October 4th the 50th Anniversary of the Sputnik launch, but history was made today in San Francisco as an Airbus A380 Superjumbo arrived at SFO for the first time ever.

Telstar Logistics was on hand for the event, and we went hog-wild with the camera as we were afforded a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to explore all the nooks and crannies of this massive aircraft. The A380 is BIG -- so big that it can carry as many as 800 souls if you pack 'em in like sardines (though most airlines have configured the plane to carry around 550).

The aircraft we visited is MSN 009 -- the ninth A380 airframe to roll off the assembly line in Toulouse, France -- and it was configured for test flights, not passenger service.  In other words, it lacked amenities like carpets and wall-coverings. Inside, the plane was hollow but for a few seats, plenty of electronic equipment, and several dozen water jugs installed to simulate the weight of a passenger load. So, while the aircraft looked different than it will when we first fly aboard an A380 -- Singapore Airlines will take delivery of its first A380 later this month -- we may again never have the opportunity to see an A380 buck-naked.

San Francisco International Airport is the first airport in the United States that's 100 percent ready to begin A380 service. The taxiways have been widened, and special boarding ramps have already been installed in the International Terminal.  Singapore Airlines, Qantas, Virgin Atlantic, Air France, and Lufthansa are expected to fly the giant aircraft in and out of SFO, and officials project that by 2015, six to eight A380s will come and go from here each day.

But enough of our yapping.  We've posted a few A380 photos here, with plenty more available via the Flickr link below.  Enjoy your flight!

 

 

LINK:
Getting Cozy with an A380 (Flickr photoset by Telstar Logistics)

UPDATE, 05 October:
Our Strategic Associate Jason DeFillippo got some great shots of the A380 as it flew over downtown San Francisco this afternoon. Check out his pictures at MetrobloggingSF!

PREVIOUSLY:
How to Evacuate 873 People from an Airbus A380

The Airbus A380 Invades America

Psssst! Who Wants to Buy a Used Boeing 747, CHEAP?

The Unveiling of the First Boeing 787

Dissecting a Boeing 747

The First Boeing 747 (Definitely Not the Last)

 

Comments

[Plug1]

I want to work for TelStar.

I dont know exactly what you guys do, but you get the inside angles and access to all the foto taking you want ie: bridge closed, rincon tower, this big ass plane.

[Telstar Logistics]

You already work for Telstar Logistics... you just don't realize it yet.

All your base are belong to us!

[Tom]

Did anyone catch the SF flyover? I really wanted to but I didn't get to, my south facing Mission Bay office window has a great view of the Dogpatch (http://www.flickr.com/photos/dollar_bin/388885662/) but not apparently ridiculously ginormous eurojets, at least when I was looking.

[Coifmo66]

It's big, it's naked, but it's still butt-ugly.

[Edward]

I checked webcams for most of that time period and didn't see it....did it happen?

[Telstar Logistics]

It did happen! Photos to follow momentarily.

[Dav]

I saw it flying low over Potrero Hill. It was quite a surprise. Also, see my comment on the BB article.

[Simon]

Quantos, lol you idiots. It's Qantas, which stands for Queensland And Northern Territory Air Service.

[Sam]

Actually, whilst it is QANTAS not QUANTAS, Simon it no longer stands for Queensland and Northern Territory Air Service - they dropped the acronym a couple of years back beacuse it was confusing to americans and europeans who couldn't make the link between it and Australia. Aparently it made them 'more easily recognisable' That and they stylised the kangaroo a bit...

[Telstar Logistics]

Queensland? Is that sort of near The Castro?

Thanks for the heads-up, and the spelling is fixed above.

[Bob]

umm...no

[Vidiot]

How on EARTH did you get access?