Outside the Boeing 737 factory in Renton, WA. The air frames of the 737 arrive via train. Photo: David Parker Brown
This summer I was excited to take a tour of Boeing’s 737 factory, located in Renton, Washington, with my colleague Chris Sloan over at Airchive.com. Over the past few months we have shared some pretty amazing stories and now I want to give you a photo tour of the facility and walk you through our adventure.
One of my favorite aspects of the facility is the parking lot – yes, that is right. Well, not the lot itself, but the fact that the Boeing 737 actually starts at Spirit AeroSystems in Wichita, KS and the fuselage is transported by train to Renton.
If you like planes and trains (which I do), nothing beats catching a glimpse of one of the 737 fuselages riding on a train to the Renton 737 factory before it is dropped off in the parking lot [this photos shows a bit better how close the plane is to cars].
My latest trip into the factory was my third visit, but the first where I was allowed to bring a camera. Unlike Paine Field, which offers public tours, the 737 factory is closed to the public. For last year’s Aviation Geek Fest, we were very lucky to bring our entire group through the factory – something that will not soon be forgotten.
This is the Boeing 737-500 (VQ-BBN) involved in the flight 363 crash. Image: Osdu / Flickr
Earlier today, a Tatarstan Airlines’ Boeing 737-500 (reg VQ-BBN) crashed in the city of Kazan, killing all on-board. Flight 363, which took off from Moscow’s Domodedovo International Airport (DME) and was heading to Kazan International Airport (KZN), had 44 passengers and six flight crew.
A Russia’s Investigative Committee said in a release that the plane, “hit the runway and burst into flames.” The aircraft aborted one landing attempt and then crashed during the second. At this time, it is unknown what caused the crash and why the first landing attempt was aborted.
Just-launched Boeing 777-8X & 777-9X, ordered in record numbers at the Dubai Airshow – Image: Boeing
The first day of the 2013 Dubai Airshow kicked off with a bang. As we slept, Boeing racked up 225 new orders for their newly-launched 777X program. With the existing 34 orders from Lufthansa, the official launch of the plane comes with huge order support from customers. “We are proud to partner with each of these esteemed airlines to launch the 777X ’“ the largest and most-efficient twin-engine jetliner in the world,” said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Ray Conner. “Its ground-breaking engine technologies and all-new composite wing will deliver unsurpassed value and growth potential to our customers.”
Night-time rendering of Boeing 777-9X – Image: Boeing
The 777X program wasn’t the only Day One winner for Boeing, however. Etihad also booked orders for 30 787-10s, which brings their total Dreamliner orders up to 71 – making them the largest airline customer for the 787 and pushing the program over 1,000 orders. Mideast short-haul carrier flydubai also made an order for 100 Boeing 737 MAX8 birds.
Air New Zealand flight crew aboard a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner mock-up – Photo: Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand has been very patient, waiting for delivery of the very first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, the stretched version of the currently-flying 787-8. We have been watching closely as the first 787-9 rolled out of paint and then took its maiden flight. The airline still has a while until they take delivery sometime in the middle of 2014, but they are starting to get excited and want to share it with the world.
As of now, Air New Zealand is rolling out some of the details of their Dreamliner interior, as well as what routes the new aircraft will fly.
Qantas’s newest Flying Art livery ’œMendoowoorrji’ – Photo: Qantas
Qantas Airways recently took delivery of the fourth, and latest, aircraft in it’s Aboriginal ’œFlying Art’ livery after an unveiling in Seattle.
Qantas has long had a tradition of special liveries depicting numerous special events, but the ’œFlying Art’ series is iconic and unique to Qantas. Starting in 1993, to celebrate the International Year of Indigenous People, the first Qantas aircraft to get the special treatment was a 747-400 entitled ’œWunala Dreaming’.
