Bombardier’s CSeries aircraft completes historic first flight

Under perfect weather conditions, Bombardier Aerospace celebrated the successful first flight of its CSeries aircraft on September 16th, a major milestone in the company’s highly anticipated development program that will provide operators with an all-new family of aircraft specifically designed for the 100- to 149-seat market segment. The maiden flight marks the start of the CSeries aircraft’s flight test program leading up to the first customer delivery, and was also the first flight for Pratt & Whitney’s new Geared Turbofan PurePower engine as part of an aircraft certification program. The flight departed from Montréal–Mirabel International Airport at approximately 9:55 EDT and returned at approximately 12:25 EDT. “The performance of the CSeries aircraft was very impressive! We couldn’t have wished for a better maiden flight,” said Charles (Chuck) Ellis, Chief Flight Test PiloCapt. “FTV1’s state-of-the-art flight deck was responsive and comfortable, and the aircraft handled exactly as expected. Overall, we had a very productive first flight and an excellent start to the flight test program.”