Big bird

Some people geek out over video games.  Others over comic books.  I geek out over big things that fly painted in pretty colors.  More to the point - airliners.

Today  Emirates brought the biggest bird in passenger aviation ever built - the Airbus A380 - to SFO as part of a cross country demonstration of how badass they are. And I, being an obedient geek, went down and snapped some pics of this incredible machine taxi away from gate A9 and take-off for a 'round-the-Bay observation flight.  

The picture above doesn't do it justice - this is one big ass plane.  Emirates has outfitted theirs to hold 489 passengers but it can carry much more.  First class even has showers.  Emirates has a slew of these on order as they continue their Borg-like domination of global travel.  Based in Dubai, that United Arab Emirate which is on the fast track to out-Las Vegas Las Vegas, Emirates is expanding aggressively connecting dots all around the world with their unimatrix zero at Dubai International Airport.  Emirates launches non-stops from Dubai to SFO  - a 16 hour flight - this autumn with a much smaller 777 and next year will be bringing the A380 to the route.  

It was an awesome sight today.  I was giddy.

To see more pics, click here.