My Awesome Week with Work and Japan

Look out - Steve is making a blog entry on the family blog - this does not happen often and usually when I do, it ends up being long with lots of pictures. The good news and the bad news is that this will be no exception. I have some awesome fun to share and so hang on and enjoy.

ANA, the airline that I have worked with since 2004 flew their first 787 passenger flight from Tokyo to Seattle last Monday, October 1st.  There was an event to commemorate the occasion at the Seattle-Tacoma airport. I joined the event. The airplane and its passengers were greeted by a water cannon salute as they pulled up to the gate. 

The airplane they flew over on is in their international configuration - I worked with the airline in developing this over the past few years and delivered this very airplane to them in late August.  The day was exciting and yet due to a mechanical issue with the airplane that they were not able to get resolved in time, they had to delay the return flight until the next day.  It was sure disappointing to have the delay happen on what was supposed to be a day of celebration.  

I hustled back from the event and went over to Paine Field in Everett to see an airplane I/we had delivered on Sunday depart for Japan. The cool thing this time though was that I would see the departure from the inside of the airplane - not the outside - I along with the pilots and a few representatives from ANA flew on the "delivery" flight back to Japan.  

 Here's  a few pictures of the interior of this airplane that I took a few days earlier in daylight. This is ANA's regional configuration.

 Business Class.

 The bar unit located in the door 2 dome area.

Economy Class

Economy Class area looking forward.

 Here's the map displaying our planned flight. We departed around 9:30 p.m. and landed in Tokyo around midnight.  I had a few days of meetings with the airline.

As I arrived late and had early meetings I stayed at a hotel near at the airport. They had this eclair in their restaurant - and I just had to try it. It was filled with vanilla cream, whipped cream, strawberries, blueberries and kiwi. For 787 yen - it was quite the treat. 

 I finished with my work meetings late Thursday afternoon and rather than stay that night in Tokyo I flew to Hiroshima airport on a 787 flight - there were some things I wanted to see on the airplane and it was a great excuse to be able to visit some wonderful friends in the city of Mihara, about 30 minutes from Hiroshima airport.  These are friends that I had made while serving as a missionary in Japan some 31 years ago.

The airplane I flew down on was one that my friend Rebekah at work was responsible for, but there were a number of 787s at the gate (we have delivered 15 to ANA) and the one behind me was the second airplane, one of two in this special paint scheme. 

 Here's the inside of this airplane - in their domestic short range configuration.

 Here's the view out the window of the sunset with the wing in view. I was so excited to see my friends - friends I had not seen in about 10 years.

 Here I am with Brother Nonaka, Sister Nonaka and Sister Kagawa - it was so awesome to be there with them.

 They cooked up some yakisoba (fried noodles) and we had a great time talking up until around midnight.

 Yummmm

 Brother Nonaka joined the church while I was serving in Mihara - he is now the Bishop of the Mihara Ward. What a wonderful man.

 The next morning we got up around 5:30 a.m., did a quick FaceTime (Skype) with Cynthia and then went to early morning seminary. There I met the nice young man who teaches seminary, the two missionaries currently serving in Mihara (one is from Finland and one is from southern Utah). I also met Sister Morita and her son. They joined the church about 10 months ago. It was an awesome experience. As there was no school that day we stayed and talked and laughed for an hour and a half after seminary was over.

 We then went to visit a good friend, Chie. She is now 83 year olds - imagine her surprise when I knocked on her door and heard my voice reply when she asked "who is there?" It was sooo wonderful that I was able to see her - a dear friend.

 Here's a few pictures of the area around Nonaka's home - see the rice all harvested and drying.

 A few more pictures

 Beautiful day, beautiful scenery, awesome memories.

 I had a late breakfast made my Sister Nonaka and then it was time to heard to the airport.

 I flew to Haneda airport in Tokyo and then took a bus to Narita airport about 1 hour away and then boarded one of "my" :) 787s back to Seattle.

 It is a great seat. Even more fun when you have been involved in the development...

 Ginger ale and some cool appetizers..

 A great samara movie in Japanese...

 Great dinner...

 Great dessert...

 A view of the islands off the coast of Canada as we were coming in.

 A view of my favorite wings...  What an awesome trip and experience. I feel so blessed to have a great job I enjoy and to be able to see some friends I dearly love. It is great to be home with my family.  For those that have read all this to the end - I hope you enjoyed the journey. :)