A330 Magnificence Unwrapped

Watching ‘Ultimate Airport Dubai’ on National Geographic Channel was interesting and an adrenaline fix. Dubai is the hub of the Emirates A330 fleet. The episode I watched had a segment that was interesting. They are doing an engine overhaul of the engine and installing a new engine.

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For a start some fast facts…

  • Wingspan
197 ft 10 in / 60.3 m
  • Length
188 ft 8 in / 58.8 m
  • Height
57 ft 1 in / 17.4 m
  • Cabin width
17 ft 4 in / 5.28 m
  • Engines
RR Trent 772B
  • Engine weight
5 tonnes
  • Engine cost
6 million dollars
  • Thrust
71,100 lbs
  • Maximum range
6,750 nautical miles / 12,200 km
  • Cruising speed (Mach)
0.82
  • Cruising altitude
41,100 ft

Take a moment and grasp the above figures. This aircraft is huge. If you have seen the 747 and think it is big imagine the A330 is much larger than that. I doubt this plane would be able to fit at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi. Then imagine that the Dubai airport is home to more than 20 of these.

The show got even more amazing. Watching the test pilots put the plan through its paces left me totally dazed. The sequence of testing is something like this:

  • Push the plane to the max on the ground
  • Take off at full throttle – please note that no plane does that even when fully loaded
  • Rise to 20,000 feet
  • Test each engine…the test….push engine to idle then slam to full throttle and back to idle…then back to normal
  • Return to base

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Now take a walk with me on another lane…this is a man-made object yet we can see the hand of Papa so clearly. Let me explain. This plane is indeed an impressive work of art created by:

  • Harnessing the genius given by Papa to man.
  • Improving on previous successes
  • Constantly pushing the boundaries or pushing the envelope

If this is the work of man’s hand imagine how amazing and profound each of us. Remember we are the creative work of the hand of Papa. He designed each of us to be unique and unbelievably precious to Himself. In understanding this I realise that nothing in this world can ever fully define who I am and what I can do or become other than a true and lasting connection with Papa. There lies the amazing nature of Papa.

When we look at Gen 1:26-28 & 31 there are some simple truths we see…

 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all[b] the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of Papa He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and Papa said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”31 Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Right here I learn a few simple things:

  1. I am created in the image and likeness of Papa. This in and of itself is of no value if I am not able to connect with and stay connected with Him.
  2. I am only truly fruitful in Him and here is where I will multiply, fill the earth and have dominion. To multiply isn’t just about having children…it is to increase the impact of every aspect of our lives and have maximum impact on those we come into contact with
  3. I am a magnificent being, the personal creation of Papa. The thing that gets me over and over is the reality that if man can create something as magnificent as an A330 how much more magnificent am I because I am the creation of Papa Himself? Vs 31 says that Papa saw all that He had created was good and He was happy with it.

Stop and take a moment to marvel at the goodness of Papa and the magnificence of His creation…YOU. As you begin to grasp this truth, live a life in and on purpose to the honour and glory of Papa’s name. Walk in the clear knowledge that your are blessed and highly favoured and you are destined for greatness. One caution here, each of us is different and meant to achieve different things so remember not to aspire to be like someone rather aspire to be like Papa Himself.

Walk in the love and grace of Papa.

A330 picture from feedio.net; Mountain picture from Judy Neimeyer

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