Thanks for posting this, it brings back a lot of memories. I may have mentioned this before but in 1952 when I was working as an experimental gas turbine mechanic I sometimes had to work in the "old Boeing Plant 1" That was the original Boeing factory on the Duwamish River. Now called The Red Barn, it sits at the Museum Of Flight in Seattle.
I watched the entire thing and had a thought provoking trip back in time to the 367-80 and then all the way up to the 777. I saw many faces with whom I worked or remember seeing some of those in the film when I was at work. I stood in the rain to see the first take off of the 707 instead of the warm sun when the -80 took off, and the KC-135. I witnessed the 707-300, 720,727,737,747,767, and the 777. The only one that I missed was the 757 because I was in Everett working on the 767. The technical expertise in engineering and manufacturing was unequaled then. Corporate management was also excellent then. My head is still full of too many events that took place on the factory floor and in the air that will never be published. Just part of the process then.
Bob, I wondered if you were in any of the pics as I watched it. Loved it... I wasn't aware how early Bill Boeing left the company... when it was 'broken up', and United was split off. It's also a good documentation of the huge mistakes with the Dreamliner outsourcing.
You owe me about 2 hours of sleep! I wasn't having the best of days so I sparked a cigar, opened a beer, and listened to music to unwind. Remembered this thread and figured what better way than to watch something aviation related. Now that I have finished all of them I feel amazing. If it's not evident, in some of my other posts, at this moment I am a "road warrior" as they say. I'm also a younger individual (in my eyes of course) being 27 years old and having over 100 flights this year. I'll have a final count shortly with about 7 left for 2016. Episode 1-3 had me in awe of the sheer balls really that some of the individuals pioneering air travel. It also brought me back many times to the book by Mr. Parks. Great video and some amazing stories. Got goosebumps many times when I think of how much occurred prior to my time in aviation. Now that can be said about many industries but this one is always one I had a passion for as my dad would bring me the airport so we could stare at planes for hours. It also reminded me how I take for granted how easy travel is for me right now. My process now is simple...I pack (which has been worked to a science), check in online/on a phone, present a virtual boarding pass, put on my Bose headphones and stare in amazement as I travel hundreds/thousands of km at +30,000ft for a couple of hours. Clueless enough I saw a Dreamlifter and had NO idea at all it was built for the sole purpose of transporting parts for the airplane. I was well aware of the difficulties they had with the plane but did not put the two together. I've flown the dreamliner once and had an amazing experience. The company I work for is heavy in automotive and the relation of "technology" "breakthroughs" and "ground braking" being only good at the right times does seem very appropriate. Really enjoyed this series but I wish I would have started at 7pm not 10pm. It also pairs very very well with the book Mr. Parks!
If you think air travel is easy now you should have done it in the 80's. Someone dropped you at the door and 5 minutes later you were strapped in a seat. As it is now when I was still in California we quit flying from SF Bay area to LA because we cold drive the near 400 miles faster.
Yeah, I often think back when you got your ticket, walked out to the airplane, got into your seat, and got served a nice hot full meal en route. people dressed in nice clothes AND HAD BATHED IN THE LAST FOUR DAYS. I cannot stand air travel now. My fondest memories of travel are those on a train, and not AMTRAK.
And the stews were polite. It has been reduced to riding a Greyhound but a lot less convenient. It is amazing how many places you can drive cheaper, easier and faster. Austin is a pretty good airport but Oakland sucked.
Oakland is a scary place. Inter-twined freeways that shoot you through places that you didn't want to go to. And a city center that looks like it can't make up its mind whether to be bad our worser. Hate driving around there.
I was born there Bob. It's not the freeways that most consider scary. Next time leave the airport and drive east on Hegenberger then turn north around Foothill and cruise through the neighborhoods. Not too much further North is the headquarters for the Hells Angles and even they don't drive around there.
The $85/5 years for the TSA Pre-Check rating is a pretty good investment. Never takes longer than 5 minutes to get through TSA, wherever I have gone. No removing shoes, coats, belts, etc. Makes it a bit more civilized.
No question but that does not make Oakland any better. TSA agents in Oakland cannot ever be mistaken for civilized no matter what.
"Last year, we delivered 495 737s from our factory in Renton, Wash., to customers around the world. One in every 3 of those 737s were bound for China. And about a quarter of all our airplane deliveries were bound for Chinese customers. This phenomenon would have been unimaginable when I started at the company in 1985," said Muilenburg, who began his Boeing career as an aerospace engineer. [Chicago Tribune]. --Carter
