Boeing 787 pilots last week conducted the program’s first stall tests–in which pilots intentionally reduce power to both engines and then recover normal flight speeds–as part of the initial airworthiness program for the airplane. Additional stall tests will take place throughout the flight test period.

The testing went “very well and there were no surprises,” said 787 chief pilot Mike Carriker. The testing demonstrates the reaction of the airplane to an aerodynamic stall. During stall maneuvers pilots use a disciplined process to slow the airplane
at precise increments to the point where it shakes dramatically, resulting in forces of 1.5 times the force of gravity.

Video highlights and an interview with Carriker are featured in a three-minute video on a new 787 flight test Web site Boeing launched last Friday, accessible via www.boeing.com or www.newairplane.com.