TomFoolery From Austria, joined Jan 2004, 493 posts, RR: 2 Posted (9 years 4 months 1 week 4 days 12 hours ago) and read 2707 times:
I am going to SEA, and I am interested in seeing the Boeing plant while I am there. Does anybody know of any tours there? I'll take an airliner over Starbucks any day!
Cadet93 From United States of America, joined Oct 2003, 133 posts, RR: 0 Reply 1, posted (9 years 4 months 1 week 4 days 12 hours ago) and read 2667 times:
Get there early. I have done the tour 2 times and they tend to fill up fast, depending on the season. They show a movie in the theatre and then bus you over to the plant. You walk around in the tunnels under the plant, then they take you up to the assembly floor area and you walk around the raised platforms over the assembly lines. Very interesting and informative. You see the painting area also, and the final delivery area. Definitely worth the short drive north.
Iflyatldl From United States of America, joined Nov 2003, 1936 posts, RR: 4 Reply 3, posted (9 years 4 months 1 week 4 days 10 hours ago) and read 2569 times:
I did the Renton tour right after 9-11. It was pretty cool, got to see the museum, the cut-away US 737 and the original Air Force One tour. I'd avoid taking a backpack( they gave my friend a choice: put it back in the car or leave it with Security), unless they have changed security procedures which is entirely possible. The tour is given by ex-Boeing employee-volunteers. I'd do it again next time I'm in SEA!
Ah, Summer, Fenway Park, Boston Red Sox and Beer.....
B2707SST From United States of America, joined Apr 2003, 1350 posts, RR: 60 Reply 4, posted (9 years 4 months 1 week 4 days 10 hours ago) and read 2525 times:
No film, cameras, purses, umbrellas, etc. are allowed on the Everett tour. Part of the tour takes you to a balcony high above the 747 line, and the risk of people dropping things on a $200 million airplane is too high.
Other than that, it's a great tour. The Boeing Store is also a very dangerous place for aviation fans.
Accidentally From United States of America, joined Dec 2000, 636 posts, RR: 0 Reply 6, posted (9 years 4 months 1 week 4 days 7 hours ago) and read 2430 times:
"'nuff said"
lol...How do you figure? Those photos are fifteen years old...I know in the mid eighties you could bring cameras, but they changed the rules I beleive within the last decade.
B2707SST From United States of America, joined Apr 2003, 1350 posts, RR: 60 Reply 7, posted (9 years 4 months 1 week 4 days 6 hours ago) and read 2400 times:
Visitors don't get to take photos in front of the factory bay doors, so an employee or Boeing guest took the first photo. The shot of 767s is also not taken from the tour route; the "island" the tour balcony is located on sits between a component assembly bay for the 747 and a 747 final assembly line. The 767 and 777 lines are not visible. The tour route is carefully controlled and visitors are repeatedly warned not to bring "droppables." The rules may have been different in the past, but Boeing's policy is very clear now.
I've been on a floor tour for the Everett plant (not typically available to the public) as part of a university project and brought a notebook along, so there are exceptions. They just don't want tourists leaning over the rail to take a photo and destroying a wing assembly below when they drop their cameras.
DC-10 Levo From United Kingdom, joined Nov 2001, 3432 posts, RR: 5 Reply 8, posted (9 years 4 months 1 week 4 days 6 hours ago) and read 2388 times:
I'm from the UK and would love to take a tour round the Boeing factory. I've applied through another website and this guy replied saying he will send me a few more details in a couple of days time. How much does it cost to take the tour?
Cha747 From United States of America, joined Dec 2003, 763 posts, RR: 7 Reply 10, posted (9 years 4 months 1 week 4 days 6 hours ago) and read 2291 times:
Go to Boeing's website http://www.boeing.com, there is a plant tour section there on the site - When my wife and I went to Seattle in Sep 03, we stopped at the Everett plant on our way to Vancouver. You can reserve tickets the day before over the phone by credit card...which was totally worth it because when we got there at 9am, they were turning-away walk-ups until later in the afternoon. No cameras anywhere on Boeing grounds, so they said. Also, it's not wheelchair friendly (you have to walk down about 25 steps to the basement of the "worlds largest building," and then take a freight elevator to the floor above the production floor).
I was glad to see the 747 line but disappointed that we could not see the 767 or 777 lines. Also, unless you're really an aviation buff, there's not much to see so don't be too disappointed...you'll probably see two or three nearly completed airframes and there's not much going on while you're there (considering you're above the 747 line for 20 minutes in a production that takes, if I remember correctly seven months!!) Interestingly, I didn't see a/c being manufactured, painted, or tested for ANY European carrier...it was all Thai, Vietnam, Korean, and Singapore.
I haven't been able to find-out if Renton still gives tours...I think only Everett offers tours, but it'd be nice to see the single aisle a/c production also. Don't forget, there's also the Museum of Flight and Boeing Field (in Seattle, separate from Everett/Renton plants which this non-Seattlite did not know before he got there).
All in all, a good trip. The Boeing Store is a dangerous place...be careful b/c they have many DVD's there in formats other than the one you may want (one DVD I wanted was sold-out in NTSC but they had lots of PAL and SECAM versions). Have a good trip!
You land a million planes safely, then you have one little mid-air and you never hear the end of it - Pushing Tin
Cha747 From United States of America, joined Dec 2003, 763 posts, RR: 7 Reply 11, posted (9 years 4 months 1 week 4 days 6 hours ago) and read 2277 times:
ElPelon From Mexico, joined Jul 2003, 127 posts, RR: 0 Reply 12, posted (9 years 4 months 1 week 4 days 6 hours ago) and read 2237 times:
I already took the Boeing tour.. You can get there early, and most of the hotels have the service of do the booking for you, then someone picks you up at your hotel, and drop you of again in your hotel after the tour, so you shouldn´t have any problem...
It´s true that no cameras are available inside the plant, however you should take your camera with you, because you can take pics outside the plant, and you can take pics of the new planes in the delivey area.. I actually have good pictures of a new 747 for KLM before it was delivery..
UTA_flyinghigh From Tunisia, joined Oct 2001, 6495 posts, RR: 52 Reply 13, posted (9 years 4 months 1 week 3 days 19 hours ago) and read 2098 times:
Visitors don't get to take photos in front of the factory bay doors, so an employee or Boeing guest took the first photo. The shot of 767s is also not taken from the tour route; the "island" the tour balcony is located on sits between a component assembly bay for the 747 and a 747 final assembly line. The 767 and 777 lines are not visible
Hmmm. Now I would rather be working at Boeing than at Get Away...but I'm afraid not. Now, did I just jump over the fence
UTA
Fly to live, live to fly - Air France/KLM Flying Blue Platinum, BMI Diamond Club Gold, Emirates Skywards
Dtw757 From United States of America, joined Oct 2003, 1416 posts, RR: 2 Reply 14, posted (9 years 4 months 1 week 3 days 5 hours ago) and read 1989 times:
It was discussed here before that there are different levels of tours. Private and public. I think most of us have to take the public tour. I've taken it and it's exactly as described.
However, I tried once and failed to take it because the tickets were all gone for the day. So the next time I was heading to Seattle, I bought tickets for the tour. They were $10 from Boeing and they insure that you have a time slot on a particular day. I believe you can get info about it if interested at the Boeing website.
The Renton plant, the assembly point for the 737 and 757, do not offer public tours. However the museum of flight is located on the field.
PH-BFA From Netherlands, joined Apr 2002, 559 posts, RR: 1 Reply 15, posted (9 years 4 months 1 week 3 days 4 hours ago) and read 1949 times:
I was at the Everett plant and the plant in Renton in 2000 and got a private guided tour through the factory(also on the ground). First I was told I was not allowed to take photos, but when we asked politely again a guy from Boeing said he would arrange something and someone from the public relations(I think it was) walked with us so that we would be allowed to take photos, of almost everything, which was very nice!
707437 From United States of America, joined Nov 2003, 152 posts, RR: 1 Reply 16, posted (9 years 4 months 1 week 2 days 17 hours ago) and read 1801 times:
Here's what you all need to know!
The highlights of Aviation in the Seattle Area (from a local's perspective):
#1 KPAE Paine Field the Boeing widebody plant tours & gift shop. 747s, 767s and 777s being built. As of 1/16/04 the tour is only $5.00/person.
Also at KPAE at the other end of the airfield is the Seattle Museum of Flight Workshop where some unofficial tours are available if you call ahead. The have the first 727 a Comet 4 and a bunch of other aircraft that are being restored. Don't hang around too long or they will put you to work cleaning old aircraft parts. . . Lots of opportunities for volunteers to work on museum projects.
#2 KBFI known as "Boeing Field" the museum of flight with the Blackbird, Air Force One (707), Concorde, Stratojet, and too many other great ones to list here. The gift shop here is excellent bring plastic! (This is the best one relative to the one at KPAE.)
Also the Flightline at the north end of the field is the Pre-delivery area for the single aisle planes and near the museum is the "spook" shop with all of the AWACS and ECM test aircraft.
Plus intro helicopter lessons are available here in a Robinson R22 as well.
#3 Kenmore Air on Lake Union and the Main base at the North End of Lake Washington. Go for a Seaplane ride to Victoria BC just for the day VFR at 3000' is the most fun of all. And Where else can you get airline service with a Radial Piston Aircraft these days?
Kenmore Air and Chrylser Air have introductory Seaplane Lessons too.
Seattle is famous for Jet Airliners but my preference is for the tiny props w/ floats airliners that are ubiquitous to Seattle.
#4 KRNT Renton Plant 737 and 757 Assembly no tours but a slow drive around the perimeter fence is somewhat interesting.
KPAE is about 20 miles North of Seattle KBFI is just south of Downtown Seattle note that KPAE is in the next county and not in Seattle proper so get a map and don't get lost!
My recommendation take the floatplane to Victoria BC Harbor in the morning go to the Empress hotel for tea (Just across the street from the seaplane dock). And fly back to Lake Union for dinner.
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