United's first Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
It is always a special treat to get inside the Boeing Factory. Even more so, when one is able to bring a camera. During the standard Boeing Factory tour, guests are not allowed to take any photos. Even during special media events where Boeing has allowed cameras, they have not allowed journalists the opportunity to be on the 787 factory floor. During ANA’s delivery event, media was invited to take a tour of the 787 Dreamliner line, on the factory floor and I wanted to share some of the photos.
An Ethiopian Boeing 787 Dreamliner on the factory floor.
United's first Dreamliner from the factory floor.
A completed nose section of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner on the factory floor.
Ethiopian, United and Air India Boeing 787s.
APU on the back of the Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Check out the 777 stairs that have been modified for 787 use.
CHECK OUT MORE BOEING FACTORY PHOTOS
and some from ANA’s 787 delivery ceremony
This Boeing 787 will be celebrated today around the world.
Today is the day of the official Boeing 787 Dreamliner delivery ceremony. Be sure to catch it live via Boeing’s website and Twitter. The ceremony is only supposed to last until about 9:30am PDT, so do not miss it. The aircraft will be leaving Paine Field tomorrow morning at about 7am PDT. There will be no media on board the first flight, just ANA employees, but media will be present at the lift off (including myself).
The 787 delivery will be completed outside Boeing’s factory and let’s hope for good weather. Right now, the forecast is rain (I know, surprising right?), but either way, this event is happening.
As announced yesterday, the aircraft is already officially ANA’s. This event will celebrate this historic delivery and I am told there might be some “pulling” of the heart strings.
All photos from Boeing/United. Click any for larger view
This Monday, many will celebrate the first Boeing 787 delivery to All Nippon Airways (ANA). ANA will become the first airline in the world receive and operate a Boeing 787, and United Airlines will be the first US operator the 787.
Currently, United’s first 787 is making its way through the Boeing factory in Everett. I was able to catch a glimpse of the airframe while taking a factory tour during a recent TweetUp, but was unable to take photos (Boeing does not allow photos on their standard factory tour). Luck for us, Boeing sent photos to United and the airline shared them on their FaceBook.
United is expecting to take delivery of their first 787s sometime in early 2012. United and Continental Airlines both previously had 25 on order and post merger, United will have 50. United plans to fit their 787s with 36 flat-bed seats in BusinessFirst, 63 extra-legroom seats in Economy Plus and 120 seats in standard Economy.
“We are proud to be the first North American airline to receive the 787, which will be a game changer for the new United and the industry,” said United Airlines President and CEO Jeff Smisek via a press release. “The 787 will be a very comfortable, customer pleasing aircraft, and with its range, fuel efficiency and superb operating economics, the 787 will allow us to enter new long-haul markets and also replace older, less-efficient widebody aircraft.”
United has not yet announced any flight schedules for their 787s, but plan to do so later in the year. Continental has previously announced a planned flight from Houston to Auckland non-stop using the 787.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner line inside the Boeing Factory. Here are 787s for Air India, JAL and China Southern.
During the Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental event, invited guests were allowed into factory to not only take a look at the Boeing 747-8I and 747-8F, but also the Boeing 777 Worldliner and Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
This is a huge treat, since Boeing normally doesn’t allow people to take photos inside the factory, but this time, cameras were allowed and I had a hard time cutting over 300 photos down to just 26.
I already posted photos being on the factory floor with the 747-8, but now it is time to share some photos of the 787 and 777. Unfortunately, we still weren’t allowed down on the factory floor with the 787, but we were able to get up close and personal with the 777 line.
VIEW ALL 26 PHOTOS OF THE 777 AND 787 LINES
This is the first Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental that will carry paying passengers. The plane will be going to Lufthansa.
Tomorrow is the big day when Boeing will reveal their first Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental to the world. While we wait, some invited guests got an opportunity to tour the factory floor and the Boeing 747-8I\747-8F production line.
When first walking in, a Boeing 747-8F for Atlas Air was front and center. We were toured around to where the tail and horizontal stabilizers are made and where the wings start their lives. It was interesting going from one stop to the next seeing seeing all the individual parts, then getting to where they are start to put together to form a plane.
One of the biggest treats was getting an inside look at all three levels of the front of a Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental, which is still in pieces (photo of the upper deck). It was impressive seeing how long the inside of the upper deck will be — can’t wait to fly on it.
For now, I am just doing a quick post, since currently at the Boeing Customer Experience Center. More photos to come throughout the weekend.
CHECK OUT ALL 45 PHOTOS FROM TODAY’S BOEING FACTORY TOUR
