This video has the same music and same concept, but quite a bit different set up. This one takes you inside a Cessna Grand Caravan with Wings of Alaska.
Wings of Alaska operates a small fleet of Cessna Grand Caravans and Cessna 207s in (can you guess it) Alaska.
The imagery is amazing and really makes me want to go flying up in Alaska.
Most people were probably distracted by President Obama, but if you look close, you can see the joint on the 787, meaning it has not been painted. Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren / NYCAviation
Yesterday President Obama made a visit to the Boeing Factory at Paine Fieldand he was able to make a speech in front of United’s first 787 Dreamliner. The aircraft looked to be in standard United livery, making it seem that they might not be planning a special livery, but look a bit closer. You can see the joints of the plane, meaning it is not painted.
The Globe looked pretty good on this 787, but don't get attached. It is coming off -- at least for now.
The opportunity to have Obama stand in front of a 787 is something you do not want to pass up. Problem was that no 787 has been painted in an airline’s livery based in the US. No problem; you can slap some decals on the plane and make it look (on the most part) ready for service — and that is just what Boeing did.
United's "new" livery continues to grow on me and I think it will look good on the Dreamliner. Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren / NYCAviation.
“The unfinished plane wore temporary decals showing United’s standard livery to serve as a backdrop for the event,” Mary Ryan with United communications explained to AirlineReporter.com. So now, the big question still remains: will United be painting their first 787 Dreamliner in a special livery?
President Obama in front of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner inside the Boeing Factory. Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren.
President Barack Obama toured and spoke at the Boeing factory in Everett, Washington mid-day on Friday. An audience of Boeing workers and local politicians waited for President Obama to take the stage with three Dreamliners and a banner with the slogan ’œAn America Built to Last’ as a backdrop.
Air Force One arrived at Boeing Field at around 11am, which was an event in itself for local planespotters. A motorcade brought President Obama, Washington State Governor Christine Gregoire, and Boeing escorts onto the vast 787 factory floor. The President toured two of three Dreamliners before exiting the second 787 (already outfitted in a make-shift United Airlines livery) onto a red carpet down the stairs and to the podium. In his speech, Obama made sure to give ’œprops’ to United since they are based out of his hometown of Chicago.
Boeing employees listen to Obama speak inside the Boeing Factory. United's 787 showed off their livery. Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren.
After thanking Boeing for the ’œsmooth ride’ he has in Air Force One, the 747 which was built at the Boeing Everett plant in 1986, President Obama admired the 787 Dreamliner in front of the Boeing audience,’œThis is the first commercial airplane to be made with 50% composite materials. It’s lighter, it’s faster, it’s more fuel-efficient than any airplane in its class. And it looks cool.’
Later, Obama stated that business was ’œbooming’ for Boeing, citing a 50% increase in orders for commercial aircraft last year, and 13,000 new Boeing employees hired across the country. Obama praised Boeing as a company that keeps jobs in America in a global economy where many manufacturing jobs are moving overseas. Boeing employees cheered as Obama skewered foreign competition, ’œCompanies like Boeing are finding out that even when we can’t make things faster or cheaper than China, we can make them better.’ In what will inevitably be an election year issue, Obama continued by laying out his hopes to change the tax code to favor companies who keep manufacturing jobs in the U.S., and more heavily tax companies who outsource.
Notice how event though this Boeing 787 has the United globe on the tail, it has not actually been painted yet. You can see Obama exiting the aircraft. Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren.
From the 25-year employee and the 787 Quality Inspector who got to introduce Jim Albaugh (President and Chief Executive Officer of the Boeing Commercial Airplanes) and President Obama, respectively, to Obama’s personal acknowledgement of machinist and engineering union leaders in the audience, workers were clearly meant to be at the forefront of the event. ’œIf we have a level playing field, America will always win, because we have the best workers.’
President Obama speaks to Boeing workers and media. Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren.
The praise of America’s workforce was particularly well-timed with the payroll tax bill that passed through Congress with bipartisan support Friday morning. President Obama took a couple of minutes in Everett to celebrate the bill that will delay a payroll tax hike for working Americans and will renew jobless benefits for others. In one of his only mentions of bitterly divided political parties, Obama lauded the bill as ’œwhat happens when Congress focuses on doing the right thing instead of just playing politics.’
Air Force One (well Obama is not on it, so technically, that is not it's name right now) sitting at Paine Field. Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren.
After leaving the Everett facility, President Obama visited elsewhere in the Seattle-area via helicopter, but shortly returned to Paine Field and departed in Air Force One at about 6pm local time.
The fear of flying is rational, but is all the attention given to airline safety rational?
I understand why there are people who might be afraid to fly. I would be a liar if I said that I have never felt un-easy during a turbulent flight or rough landing. But with all the attention always given to airline safety, one would think planes are falling out of the sky constantly. As most of you probably know, flying is extremely safe. So why is so much attention always given when something remotely related to airline safety makes headlines?
Are there that many deaths in the US each year from airlines to cause such attention? Hmm. Not really (see data below), especially when compared to other deaths. So why do airlines get so much coverage and regulation, when other, more easily preventable deaths do not?
Please note that this post is by no means to trivialize anyone who dies from any of these causes in the US each year, but it is to compare how much attention is given to different kind of deaths each year in the US.
Here are statistics for the number of deaths in the US each year for 2009:
All Deaths: 2,436,682
Heart Disease: 598,607
Alzheimer’s: 78,889
Diabetes: 68,705
All Transportation related deaths: 39,057
Auto accident deaths: 36,284
Deaths from falls: 24,834
Homicide: 16,591
Accidental drowning: 3,539
Hernias: 1,821
Tornado: 550
US Troops in Iraq: 149
Lightning: 34
Dog Attack: 32
Malaria: 5
For me, that is amazing. More people died from accidental drowning in 2009 alone versus all the people who have died from airlines in the US since 1982. Now, the big question: why is so much attention given to airline related deaths? What are your thoughts?
The time is getting near. On Sunday February 19, 2012, the Future of Flight, Boeing and AirlineReporter.com will host the third Aviation Geek Fest (#AGF12) at Paine Field. What is Aviation Geek Fest? It is a chance for aviation lovers to come together in Seattle and share their passion and get to do a few cool things. Aviation Geek Fest in 2009 and 2010 were great successes and this one will be better than ever!
Tickets are on sale NOW get yours before they are gone! Check out the full schedule below. Anyone from around the world is welcome to join us. This experience and the memories from it will be well worth a plane ticket and a hotel.
The Aviation Geek Fest 2010 peeps pose in front of a GE90 engine on a Boeing 777. Photo from Boeing.
Tentative (as in 99% chance everything will happen as below) Schedule for Aviation Geek Fest 2012:
8:00am: Free Aviation Photography Class @ the Future of Flight The Pacific Northwest Aviation Photographers abbreviated Basic Aviation Photography Class will cover the essential basics of judging images, selecting equipment, understanding what settings to use and why, and other specialized topics such as RAW versus JPEG and placing yourself for optimal light. The class is designed to bring everyone up to a basic level of understanding about aviation photography.
ELITE TICKETS ($20.00) REQUIRED FOR THESE TWO OPTIONS:
12:30pm: ELITE Meet and Greet
Check in at the Future of Flight and meet the other aviation geeks participating at #AGF12. Share stories, meet people that write on airlines, work for airlines and those who are just fans.
2:00pm: ELITE Adventure Ticket
Guests will pre-register for one of a several aviation adventures:
* Boeing factory floor tour [SOLD OUT]: The Boeing factory is open to the public, but #AGF12 participants will get VIP treatment with a tour on the actual floor. Note: no cameras will be allowed on this event.
* Dreamliner Gallery Tour [SOLD OUT]: Every airline that buys a 787 Dreamliner goes through this gallery to pick and choose what they want inside their aircraft. This facility is not generally open to the public.
* Paine Field Fire Department Tour [TICKETS AVAILABLE]: Getting there will be half the fun. Take a van from the Future of Flight, along the Paine Field flight line (with all the new Boeing aircraft), take photos as you go and then take a tour of the airport’s fire station with Chief Jeff Bohnet.
* Learn How to be an Airline Pilot [TICKETS AVAILABLE]: Just like the Fire Department tour, you will take a ride across the airport and be transported by all the new Boeing planes and after you arrive, you will learn what it would take to become an airline pilot by the professionals at Regal Air.
GENERAL TICKETS ($10.00 – these events are included if you purchase ELITE tickets):
3:30pm: Boeing Moonshine Presentation and Demonstration @ the Future of Flight
Who is the Moonshine Lab? They are a part of Boeing’s Lean Supplier Management Operations. Aviation Geek Fest participants will learn how the Moonshine Lab experts work inside the factory and around the world to streamline processes to save time and money. They are both innovative and scrappy often times making their own tools to get a job done. #AGF12 attendees will have an opportunity to experience a supply chain exercise themselves and even come away with a souvenir.
5:00pm: Aviation Geek Fest Social @ the Future of Flight
Food and drink will be served while you can tour the Future of Flight, get to know folks, take photos in the cockpit of a Boeing 727 and more. Awesome prizes will also be awarded to participants.
There will be a few other surprises added in as well. Stay tuned and make sure to sign up for the Aviation Geek Fest 2012 mailing list for all the latest details.
This was originally posted 2/12/2012 2pm and was last updated 2/15/2012 3:30pm
