Boeing Factory Tour, Everett Washington

the explorer

I am an aviation enthusiast and will be in Vancouver in a couple of weeks. I am considering making a day trip/ overnighter to visit the Boeing factory and do the tour. I was wondering if anyone here has has done it and what they thought of it?

I understand that you cannot take pictures one the factory floor, obviously this is for commercial secrecy erasons. Trip advisor seemed to have mixed reviews, but some of these could be from people with no real interest in aviation and found it boring.

Any advice and opinion would be much appreciated.

phonypony

the explorer wrote: »

I am an aviation enthusiast and will be in Vancouver in a couple of weeks. I am considering making a day trip/ overnighter to visit the Boeing factory and do the tour. I was wondering if anyone here has has done it and what they thought of it?

I understand that you cannot take pictures one the factory floor, obviously this is for commercial secrecy erasons. Trip advisor seemed to have mixed reviews, but some of these could be from people with no real interest in aviation and found it boring.

Any advice and opinion would be much appreciated.

Can't speak of the Paine field tour as I never got round to it, but if you're heading down to WA I would recommend the Museum of Flight at Boeing field, the 737 was originally built here and the original plant is still there. They have plenty of aircraft on display, including many prototypes. You could easily spend 2 full days there.

Run_to_da_hills

If you are considering an Everett guided tour make sure you book well in advance,

Gerard93

Not much help but I did the Airbus A380 tour in Toulouse, very intersting.

Board Walker

Has Anyone been since? I am hoping to go to Vancouver for a few days in April and do a day trip from Vancouver.

Captain_Crash

I done it years back when I lived in Vancouver. Its most definitely worth it. The 747-400 was still being produced and I made note of the line number of the one nearly finished when I was there, and only a couple of years ago it flew over head and I looked up and was like... yeahhhhhh I saw you be built haha. It was one of the last 400's assembled!

But yeah back on topic, its worth the trip for sure. Maybe mix it in with a weekend in Seattle.

Locker10a

Captain_Crash wrote: »

I done it years back when I lived in Vancouver. Its most definitely worth it. The 747-400 was still being produced and I made note of the line number of the one nearly finished when I was there, and only a couple of years ago it flew over head and I looked up and was like... yeahhhhhh I saw you be built haha. It was one of the last 400's assembled!

But yeah back on topic, its worth the trip for sure. Maybe mix it in with a weekend in Seattle.

I was there last year, I saw the 747-8 being assembled, mostly freighters but you can also see the 777 and 787 from what I recall.

Captain_Crash

Locker10a wrote: »

I was there last year, I saw the 747-8 being assembled, mostly freighters but you can also see the 777 and 787 from what I recall.

The 777 and 767 were being assembled there at the time but the tour only focused on the 747. Other than the built 76's and trips on the apron awaiting delivery, we never got to see anything else.

L1011

Did it in 2014. They were very Billy Big Nuts about how great their kit was despite the Terrible Teens 787s still sitting parked there - but once you ignore that and are either in the area or otherwise not going to be caught in I-5 traffic it's worth going.

I had headed up to the Museum of Flight restoration centre which nobody in the main museum who gave me directions had bothered to tell me was closed that day! Pre the days of affordable data roaming so couldn't check myself.

Board Walker

I think Ill just rent a car from Avis!

Tenger

I was in Seattle last month and spent a few hours in the Museum of Flight. Would well recommend, but it is just south of Seattle so adds a bit to your journey.
They have dozens of aircraft Super Connie, 1st B737, 1st B747, B727, Air Force 1 B707, Concorde, DC-2,
WW2/Cold War; P51, P40, Yak 3, Corsair, Thunderbolt, Lightening, B17, B29, WB-47, F4, A6, Harriet, A4, b52, SR71, A8, F76, Mig 15, Mig 17, F4, Mig21.

circular flexing

Future of Flight was good when I was there 2 years ago. Got to see 767, 777 and 747-8. Interesting to see how the different assembly lines operate. It's sometimes worth just going to the field but not doing the tour as they run test flights.

But given the choice, I'd go to Museum of Flight. Much more to see and do.

godtabh

Gerard93 wrote: »

Not much help but I did the Airbus A380 tour in Toulouse, very intersting.

Do the offer one in Nantes? Or is that just a regional hub

duskyjoe

The Boeing factory may itself end up as a museum if they don’t get their sh/t together.......billions in losses re the max plus the 777x is still not ready. I think Boeing are in serious doo doo and if the Max is not flying by next March.....who knows as EASA will get their mitts stuck in after FAA re approval.

I did the Paine field factory tour last year......well worth it just to see the the last of the 747 freighters being made for UPS. Fascinated to see the nose jig of the 747 and how it all comes together.....the size of the factory is just awesome as the locals would say.

Wanderer78

duskyjoe wrote:

The Boeing factory may itself end up as a museum if they don’t get their sh/t together.......billions in losses re the max plus the 777x is still not ready. I think Boeing are in serious doo doo and if the Max is not flying by next March.....who knows as EASA will get their mitts stuck in after FAA re approval.

Too big to fail I'd say, they ll be bailed out, with a few jobs lost here and there

Outkast_IRE

Wanderer78 wrote: »

Too big to fail I'd say, they ll be bailed out, with a few jobs lost here and there

Would be a good punt to buy a few shares if you can recognise when they bottom out.

Pat Dunne

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

Would be a good punt to buy a few shares if you can recognise when they bottom out.

You’ve missed that boat, the share price bounced back up this week.

Outkast_IRE

Pat Dunne wrote: »

You’ve missed that boat, the share price bounced back up this week.

I would be thinking its temporary , I think we are far from the end of the MAX scandal as Boeing have shown to date they have not been 100% truthful, and we may soon see airlines that have traditionally been boeing only reach massive compensation deals with them in order to keep their business.

When the size of these compensation deals is made public, I think we may see the bottom then.

Hotblack Desiato

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

When the size of these compensation deals is made public, I think we may see the bottom then.

Usually shares go up when an unknown liability turns into a known liability - even a big one.

If you can keep driving past Seattle, try to get to the aero museum in McMinville, Oregon, just beyond Portland. The Hughes H-1 Hercules is there, well worth a visit!