MANILA, Philippines – We developed a further appreciation for the 777-300ER when we saw where it was built, at the Boeing factory in Everett, Washington. The factory is the biggest building in the world by volume: its doors are 500 meters high, and it’s 3.5 kilometers end to end, with the entire complex encompassing 500 hectares. Disneyland could fit inside it, as well as the Tokyo Dome or the Egyptian pyramids.
The building is so secure even dogs are required to wear Boeing badges. Work starts at 5 a.m. and proceeds in three shifts. All of Boeing’s 7 Series aircraft are built here, from the 737 all the way up to the 787.
According to our guide Mike, the 777 is Boeing’s top-selling airplane, with over 9,000 delivered since it started production 22 years ago. It was the first plane designed completely on computer, with three million parts that took about three months to build. Today, China, Asia and the Middle East are currently buying the bulk of Boeing’s aircraft.
Boeing’s factory in Everett, Washington, is big enough to house 30 planes on the floor…or Disneyland.
We saw planes in various stages of assembly painted with a protective green vinyl coating. With no heating or cooling system but only lights to heat and ventilation, the temperature is kept at a steady 20 degrees Celsius. Overhead, cranes run on 60 kilometers of track, assembling plane parts that come from all over the world, from countries like Japan. Once the plane is done, the green is washed off and painted with the airline’s colors, or livery.
The factory also houses offices, a café, employee service center, convenience store, T-shirt store, workout and childcare facilities. It’s a small city, really. Employees hired must have a high-school education and are trained for 12 weeks before going on the floor. To promote a healthier work environment, Boeing plans to use more robotics in the future, aiming at total robotic build.
Next year they will start building the 777Xs, merging with the production of the 777. Aircraft are typically built upside down and belly up. When the roof is put in, it’s rolled over right side up. The first part to be assembled is the wings; last are the engines.
With over 30 aircraft on the floor, the Boeing factory has become a very popular tourist attraction, with 330,000 visitors a year.
Once an airplane is ready “it’s towed over the only privately owned bridge in Seattle at night so drivers below won’t freak out,” says Boeing’s communications director Joanna Pickup. It’s towed all the way to the Delivery Center, to await the arrival of its new owners.