Do Boeing do tours?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/artic ... attle.html

Yes they do, but unlike the article you linked, you will not be permitted to bring any electronic devices - cameras, phones, pagers, etc. with you, so you will not be able to take photographs.

https://www.futureofflight.org/boeing-tour-seattle

Yep. I think the tour is somewhere around $20, could be wrong though. I did it a few years ago. No cameras allowed (Supposedly at one point in time someone dropped a camera, landed on an aircraft on the line and caused some damage, though it could also be because they don't want people being able to take photos of certain assembly practices, who knows)

Pretty neat tour. We got to take a look at the 777/748/787 FAL, and IIRC a quick glance at the 767 FAL. Got to see the first AC 789 just before it rolled out. Definitely worth checking out, but bring a comfy pair of shoes. There's a decent amount of walking. And try and keep yourself restrained from going wild at the Boeing gift shop. I had to get creative trying to fit models into my carry on.

And if you're lucky you'll catch a Dreamlifter arriving or departing.

diverted wrote:

No cameras allowed (Supposedly at one point in time someone dropped a camera, landed on an aircraft on the line and caused some damage, though it could also be because they don't want people being able to take photos of certain assembly practices, who knows)

Its an industry practice. I work at a Tier 1 aerostructure supplier and we have the same policy. You have to have a "permit" to take photos (for internal use only) on the production floor.

gatechae wrote:

diverted wrote:

No cameras allowed (Supposedly at one point in time someone dropped a camera, landed on an aircraft on the line and caused some damage, though it could also be because they don't want people being able to take photos of certain assembly practices, who knows)

Its an industry practice. I work at a Tier 1 aerostructure supplier and we have the same policy. You have to have a "permit" to take photos (for internal use only) on the production floor.

I had a meeting at an engine manufacturing company in central Pennsylvania that shares the same name as the county it is in but will otherwise remain unnamed, and they took a look at my iPhone before deciding to put one of those small, square Bandaids over the camera lens. Top notch security. Let's just say I forgot it was on there until I was at the bar later that night in Harrisburg and someone started making fun of me for it.

sw733 wrote:

gatechae wrote:

diverted wrote:

No cameras allowed (Supposedly at one point in time someone dropped a camera, landed on an aircraft on the line and caused some damage, though it could also be because they don't want people being able to take photos of certain assembly practices, who knows)

Its an industry practice. I work at a Tier 1 aerostructure supplier and we have the same policy. You have to have a "permit" to take photos (for internal use only) on the production floor.

I had a meeting at an engine manufacturing company in central Pennsylvania that shares the same name as the county it is in but will otherwise remain unnamed, and they took a look at my iPhone before deciding to put one of those small, square Bandaids over the camera lens. Top notch security. Let's just say I forgot it was on there until I was at the bar later that night in Harrisburg and someone started making fun of me for it.

Oh, Lycoming? Very subtle

masgniw wrote:

sw733 wrote:

gatechae wrote:

Its an industry practice. I work at a Tier 1 aerostructure supplier and we have the same policy. You have to have a "permit" to take photos (for internal use only) on the production floor.

I had a meeting at an engine manufacturing company in central Pennsylvania that shares the same name as the county it is in but will otherwise remain unnamed, and they took a look at my iPhone before deciding to put one of those small, square Bandaids over the camera lens. Top notch security. Let's just say I forgot it was on there until I was at the bar later that night in Harrisburg and someone started making fun of me for it.

Oh, Lycoming? Very subtle

It's like I was trying to make a joke or something...

I have tickets to take the tour in a couple weeks. I'm really looking forward to it.

It's an amazing tour. I hope you enjoy It.

Back in the 70s/80s when I did some tours there were no restrictions on cameras during the Everett tour. I have a 110-film image of the Air India 747 lost in 1985 that I took from the bus on during the ramp tour in June 1978. I have photos taken inside 747 final assembly during a tour in 1984. It really is a shame the policy is as it is today...but it must be there for a reason.

Don't forget the other reason for restricting cameras, the tour needs to be kept on schedule. People clowning around taking photos only slows the process, and adds to the distraction factor. A giant factory is not a place to be distracted. The visitor center/tour departure parking lot next to the runway, so chances are you'll see plenty of green 777 and 787 aircraft taking test flights.

The no camera policy is first and foremost Boeing's way to deal with industrial espionage. They are very cautious about people stealing their assembly processes.
You are able to take as many pics as you want from the roof of the visitor's center, which is next to the runway. You can observe test flights and delivery flights from there. Otherwise, before you depart, you are given a locker in which to put your cell phone and valuables. You then are put on a bus that drives across the ramp to the assembly buildings. There is lots of walking and stairs, so be prepared for that. A great tour though, highly recommend if you are in the area. I believe you reserve spots online.

My dad and I did the tour this year in April. We bought the tickets on the spot. We thought it was a great experience. Almost unbelievable to see what the workforce of 30,000 people accomplish on a daily basis. If they only would schedule more time on the viewing galleries inside the factory. The minutes up there went much too fast for me.

The Future of Flight Aviation Center however was a disappointment to me. I expected more to be seen here. The Boeing shop offers a big array of souvenirs though. I bought a book, a cap and some other stuff. All in all for a civil aviation enthusiast I consider this tour a must do. I am very happy that we went there after years of dreaming. It was our main reason to fly 5,000 miles and back. A lifetime experience!

Hey guys,
A Boeing factory tour is #1 on my bucket list ...
... and I hope to do it next year ... Sydney-LAX on Virgin Australia, LAX-SEA on Alaska Airlines (737-900 please), Seattle area for a few days including the Boeing factory tour, Space Needle, Starbucks (coffee addict here), Seahawks game etc etc, SEA-LAX on ??? (not Alaska, any suggestions?) or SEA-Denver-LAX (on ???) for the sake of one of my sons who is as obsessed with visiting Denver as I am with visiting Seattle, LAX-SYD on Virgin Australia (or maybe Delta 777-200LR to log another plane type)...
The only other optional part is a sidetrip to Las Vegas and/or Phoenix, again aviation-inspired!
Well, that's the plan. Any suggestions or advice would be much appreciated.
Cheers
Bunumuring

I done the tour many years ago. Its very interesting and well worth a visit. As mentioned above, strictly no photos. There was a China Airlines 744F ready to be rolled out and to this day every time I see one I wonder if it was the one I saw.

Did the tour a few years ago. Our tour guide was a retired Boeing worker, born and raised in the area. His thespian tour persona was a hearty booming lower(!) class English accent - I have a hearing impairment, but did not miss a word of what he said - loved it.

I wonder why Boeing or the Future of Flight Museum wouldn't capitalize on the no-photograph policy by having a special photo area where a picture of you can be taken & then you can buy it for $5-$10 a la Disneyland? At least they can satisfy visitor demand for pictures while ensuring that the more sensitive areas aren't part of the picture.

I'm headed to Seattle this week to take the tour. Is taking uber/lyft feasible from downtown Seattle?

I can thoroughly recommend the tour too

CaliAtenza wrote:

I'm headed to Seattle this week to take the tour. Is taking uber/lyft feasible from downtown Seattle?

Unless you're flush with cash, I wouldn't. It's going to be at least $50 each way.

While it's slower, you might want to look into the 417 Community Transit bus. It gets you within 10-15 min walk to the factory tour and will cost $5 round trip. More here: https://www.communitytransit.org/busser ... /route/417

masgniw wrote:

CaliAtenza wrote:

I'm headed to Seattle this week to take the tour. Is taking uber/lyft feasible from downtown Seattle?

Unless you're flush with cash, I wouldn't. It's going to be at least $50 each way.

While it's slower, you might want to look into the 417 Community Transit bus. It gets you within 10-15 min walk to the factory tour and will cost $5 round trip. More here: https://www.communitytransit.org/busser ... /route/417

I ended up renting a car . Price was actually pretty reasonable for 2 days.

CaliAtenza wrote:

masgniw wrote:

CaliAtenza wrote:

I'm headed to Seattle this week to take the tour. Is taking uber/lyft feasible from downtown Seattle?

Unless you're flush with cash, I wouldn't. It's going to be at least $50 each way.

While it's slower, you might want to look into the 417 Community Transit bus. It gets you within 10-15 min walk to the factory tour and will cost $5 round trip. More here: https://www.communitytransit.org/busser ... /route/417

I ended up renting a car . Price was actually pretty reasonable for 2 days.

Great! Have fun.

The tour was better when it was free.

When I did it a couple of years ago, we took the bus out to south Everett, then got a taxi from there to the factory. On the way back, we just got the taxi all the way back to Seattle. I think the return trip was about $60, but there were 4 of us to split the cost, so it was worth the reduced hassle.

It was a great tour, if not just to see the immensity of the building. While you can't take photos inside the assembly building, you can in the tour centre and over Paine Field from the viewing platform they have - well you could when I did it.