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| American Airlines’ John Dudley, the first FAA certified A350 XWB pilot. Photo: Airbus |
[Avionics Today 11-03-2015] John Dudley, an American Airlines pilot, has become the first airline pilot certified by the U.S. FAA to fly Airbus’ new A350 XWB jetliner. Dudley has had a long and close connection with the wide-body aircraft based on his role in the A350 XWB Airline Office since 2007. Dudley said Airbus engineers consulted the A350 XWB Airline Office for many aspects of the jetliner, including the crew rest area design and accessibility, dimensions of the cabin storage areas and seat cushions, and the ergonomics of flight deck displays and systems logistics.
“Being an A350 XWB captain is a dream come true, and being the first airline captain to receive FAA Type Rating for the aircraft is a special honor,” said Dudley.
U.S.-based American Airlines is the A350 XWB’s cornerstone member and will acquire 22 A350-900 aircraft.