Yesterday, Dennis and I (along with Ilana and Naomi) took Melina on the Boeing tour. I went on it years ago; the highlight is actually going on a balcony looking over the production line at the 747/787 and 767 sites. Boeing touts the building as the largest building by volune in the world. And it is huge.
You have to be 4 feet tall to go on the tour. We wanted to go in the summer but Melina had her grandfather measured her. 3 ft 9 inches. So we went to the beach instead. Or maybe to the Pacific Science Center. This time Melina (8 years old) declared that she WAS 4 ft tall. She really wanted to be 4 ft tall. So I asked Sapphoey to have her wear her shoes with the highest heels and a high pony tail. Actually the hood on the jacket would get her over.
And we all got in. And we found out why they have that restriction. Because the walls in the front of the balcony are nearly 4 feet tall. If you are not tall enough, you can't see over. Oh, THAT's why they have that rule. Melina really couldn't see over most of the balcony unless she had a boost from Dennis.
Actually, Melina wasn't all that interested in the huge factory floor with half assembled airplanes. I was fascinated mainly at the complexity of the endeavor. The huge size, all the many many tasks involved, everything so specialized and aviationish. We were there on a Saturday so a lot of the place was empty of people. Except the 787 line. People very busy on the first 787 plane. Going this way and that, busy doing something. The tour guide says they build the first six planes just to wreck them on testing. The seventh plane is slater for delivery.
Picture cadged from the web somewhere. They won't let you take pictures.
1 comment:
Tour guide is incorrect. The test airplanes are refurbished at the end of testing and sold to the airlines. Those six airplanes represent about a $1 billion of inventory. That's serious money to be throwing away.
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