Where Dreamliners are born

From the deck of the Future of Flight Center; Boeing's Everett factory is the structure to the left.

Did a version of this story for the October issue of National Geographic Traveller India.

Spread out far below me is a fascinating and intricate puzzle, one I’m glad I won’t have to solve. For these pieces of metal, rubber and a hundred other things will soon come together to become a brand new Boeing 747-8 passenger jet.

I’m no aviation geek, but I often find that something aviation-related worms its way on to my itinerary whenever I travel. Sometimes, it can even be a little intense — like spending one day of a two-day trip to Washington DC at the SmithsonianNational Air and Space Museum in the city and the Udvar-Hazy Center, its companion facility in Virginia.

So while planning a long weekend in Seattle, I almost found myself saying, “If there’s no Boeing, I’m not going.” For Seattle is Boeing territory. The company, which celebrates its centenary next year, was founded in the city by William E. Boeing. And its factory in Everett, about 40 km north of Seattle, was built in 1967 to produce the iconic 747 or Jumbo Jet, which for almost 40 years was the world’s biggest airliner. Today, the factory hosts the company’s 747, 767, 777 and 787 Dreamliner production lines.

More exciting, particularly for an aviation buff, is that Boeing offers public tours of its Everett factory. The 90-minute, guided tour gives visitors a behind-the-scenes glimpse of how some of the company’s airliners are made. The tour’s hub is the Future of Flight Aviation Center, an aviation museum and education facility located in the neighbouring town of Mukilteo. Theory, process and product in one package: I was sold.

My Boeing experience begins with a bonus. From the Future of Flight Center’s observation deck I spot a Dreamlifter. This converted 747-400, which looks like a lumbering humpback whale, is one of four freighters that ferry chunks of the Dreamliner from factories around the world for final assembly in the US.

I’m tempted to linger, gawking at the Dreamlifter and at the aircraft parked across from the factory, visible in the distance, but it’s almost time for the tour to begin. As the queue for the tour forms, Boeing personnel circulate, reminding us that no personal belongings are allowed — not even a pencil and a notebook.

A Dreamlifter on the tarmac at Paine Field.

The tour begins with 10,071 hours: How Everett Changed the World, a short film about the company and its aircraft. What stays with me is the segment on the 787 Dreamliner and how most of those who will use this plane probably aren’t even born yet.

Film done, we board buses and drive across Paine Field/Snohomish County Airport towards the factory. As we pass scores of parked aircraft awaiting final touches or delivery, Simon, our guide, starts rattling off some overwhelming statistics. At 13.3 million cubic meters or 98.3 acres, Boeing’s Everett factory is the world’s largest building by volume. Translation: Disneyland and 12 acres of parking can fit inside it, with a bit of space to spare. So could 911 basketball courts.

Another Everett story is that when built, the facility was so large that it had its own weather system inside till a ventilation system was installed. “So did it actually rain inside the factory,” someone jokes.

Since it’s a Saturday, there’s a hush, with little activity on the floor except for the occasional worker pedalling by on a tricycle; one of 1,000-plus bicycles and tricycles that employees can use to get around the factory. On weekdays, there can be a bit more visible activity on the floor, Simon says. What’s really noticeable though is that the factory gets very noisy because of all the machines being used, he adds.

We’re not on the factory floor though, but several floors up on balconies that overlook the floor. At each production line, Simon explains how it works — how the various pieces come together to make an entire aircraft. The galleries also have aircraft models, videos, posters and aeroplane parts.

Our first stop is a balcony overlooking the 747 production line where several 747-8s, the latest variant, are in various stages of completion. At one end I spot sections of a wing, while right in front of me are almost complete fuselages and in the distance, several complete aircraft, all covered in a metallic-green temporary protective coating. 

I’ve always known that a 747 is enormous, but I realise just how large it is only when I stand before the cross-section of an early Jumbo, which presides over the balcony. As I run my fingers across its cool, smooth metal — you’re encouraged to touch some of the stuff — I marvel that the outer skin is only about as thick as a five-rupee coin!

A little later, at the 777 line there are a few employees around, working on a green-coated fuselage. More fascinating though is the U-shaped moving production line used to make these planes. Aircraft sections come on to large crawlers at one end and finished planes come off at the other.

In a bit, we move on to the last part of the tour, the 787 Dreamliner line. Unlike Boeing’s other production lines, the Dreamliner’s is more of an assembly line; sections of the aircraft are flown in from suppliers around the world and put together in Everett. 

The Dreamliner is beautiful, with its sweeping, seagull-like wings and clean lines. Meanwhile, Simon talks with visible pride about how the plane is changing air travel. For one, it’s made mostly of carbon fibre-reinforced plastic and other composites, which means it’s lighter than aircraft of a similar size. It’s also been designed to consume less fuel, produce fewer emissions and create less noise.

Inside the Future of Flight Center.

As a traveller, I’m most captivated by the physical changes in the cabin: Wider aisles, higher ceilings and an air circulation system that removes odours, bacteria and viruses, and is supposed to reduce jet lag. Equally fascinating are its large, shutter-less windows that use electrochromism-based smart glass to offer several settings to adjust visibility and lighting. Which means you can dim the windows and still see what’s happening outside. I can’t wait to fly on one.

On the bus back to the Future of Flight Center, I reflect on the tour. It was a great way to dip my toes in the ocean that is Boeing, though it felt a trifle rushed at times.

Back at the Center though, it’s time to explore various aspects of aviation, from aircraft engines and landing gear to simulators, mock-ups and experiments. It’s a bit like entering an aviation-themed candy store — everyone seems to be having a great time.

Wandering through the ‘family zone’, I spot adults and children clustering around activity carts, building aircraft models and designing jets. There are a bunch of experiments on nanotechnology, and I watch a girl build a giant carbon nanotube using blocks. Across from the nanotube, some boys are enjoying themselves at the Bernoulli Table, an interactive game that illustrates the relationship between the velocity of air and the pressure it exerts, thus explaining how aircraft are able to fly.

In the ‘flight systems zone’, I play pilot in the cockpit of a Boeing 727, yanking levers and flipping switches. A few minutes later, I actually try to fly a plane in a simulator; I keep it in the air, but spend most of my time trying to pull out of a dive!

I could easily spend another hour or two exploring the Center, but I head back to the observation deck. As I gaze at the factory in the distance, I’m content. For it’s been an illuminating morning at a company that has transformed transportation and through it changed the world. 

Vitals 

The Future of Flight Aviation Center & Boeing Tour is in Mukilteo, 40km north of Seattle. Hours: 8:30am-5:30pm daily, with factory tours on the hour 9am-3pm, except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Timings could change, so confirm before visiting. Tickets, including factory tour, start at $16 for adults and $9 for 15 and under, but prices vary depending on season and whether the ticket has been reserved ahead. Limited public transportation to the Center is available from Seattle and surrounding communities. I chose a package from Viator that included to-and-fro transportation from my hotel in downtown Seattle. Tour involves some amount of walking and climbing stairs. Children must be at least 122 cm tall to take the tour. Personal items including cameras, cell phones, purses and so on are not allowed on the factory tour and can be stowed in lockers in the Future of Flight Aviation Center, though demand can often exceed supply. Restrooms are not accessible during the tour, so visitors are encouraged to use the facilities in the Center before the tour. There is a café and store with Boeing memorabilia in the Center. For more: http://www.futureofflight.org