Week Two In Everett: A Heat Wave and Designing Inside Your Airplane

As my first full work week in Everett comes to a close, I'd like to share a few thoughts with you about the past two weeks.


Is It Really Hot In Here or Are You Just A Pansy?

To my great pleasure and amazement, the weather while I've been here has been phenomenal. I know from past experience the Pacific Northwest is a gorgeous place when the sun is shining, but that same experience has shown me those days are few and far between. It's only rained one day since I've been here, and that was brief at best. There have been some days that started out overcast and dreary, but every one has ended with the sun shining and barely a cloud in the sky.

Since I have been basking in the glory of the recent weather, I've been highly amused at how the locals have responded to it. South Texas this year has been unseasonably warm. We normally get only a handful of days with triple digit temperatures and they typically occur in late summer. This year we started pretty close to Memorial Day and have already tied our record for the most triple digit days in a year. Factor in the humidity and it's been damn hot. I was thus highly amused during my first week here when, on the evening news, a live news van was beaming pictures of people at a park diving into fountains, dousing themselves with hoses, and ranting about how it was finally cool enough to come outside and escape the oppressive 80 degree temperatures.

Seriously people? My thermostat at home is set at 80 degrees.

I know most people here do not have air conditioning, and that's why I was sympathetic last week when Seattle did register a record-setting triple digit temperature. At work, we had to relocate a going away party for a coworker from a brewery with no air conditioning to a restaurant with air conditioning. Really? You can't even brave the heat to drink a cold beer? Pacific Northwest, I don't know if we can be friends anymore.

The Boeing Dreamliner Gallery

Wednesday, before the air-conditioned going away party, I had an opportunity to visit the Dreamliner Gallery. This is the place airline customers go to configure their new airplane once they've made the decision to purchase a shiny new 787. If you've ever bought a newly constructed house, the process is very much like going to the builder's design center.

The building is located a couple miles away from the main factory in Everett. From the outside, you can't really tell what's inside. The building is in the midst of a business complex and has a very sleek, modern look with the Boeing logo displayed on the front. Once inside, you walk into a spacious lobby with a round desk below a flat screen television looping footage of recently-accomplished milestones on the production line. Just inside the door and to the left is a beautiful, six foot tall model of the new airplane with working lights. On the opposite side of the door is a giant touch screen monitor displaying facts and statistics about the new aircraft, current customers, and comparisons with other aircraft in its class. The place wreaks of modern sophistication.

Although we were all Boeing employees on the tour, we had to be escorted by a gallery employee who walked us through the modern facility as if we were customers. The first stop was the home suite. On either side of the giant lobby are single doors protected by electronic card key locks like what you might find in a hotel. Outside each door is an illuminated sign about a feet wide with a house on it. All of the signage within the gallery is iconic and color coded; there are no written words anywhere. This is obviously to accommodate the dozens of cultural and language differences of our customers. One of the home suite doors was closed, the house sign next to it illuminated red. Our guide led us through the door on the opposite side which was open and featured a house illuminated greeen.

The door leads down a short narrow hallway that opens up to a spacious common area. The room looks like the living room of a luxury model home. A large flat screen television is mounted on the wall and surrounded by couches and comfy chairs. The scene is reminiscent of what you might find at an airline's own first class lounge. Of course there is audio-visual equipment galore and Wi-Fi throughout the building. There are two doorways at either end of the room. One leads to a small executive office with a desk and chair, in case an airline executive accompanies the design team and needs to work. The other doorway leads to a large, fully-equipped conference room. This is where customers can come to consult with their sales representative or each other about design decisions, prices, etc. I immediately wanted to buy an airplane just so I could come and experience this room.

From the home suite, the gallery is designed in the shape of a horseshoe. Walking back out into the lobby, we proceeded down the hall and began our trip around the shoe. The first thing we pass is a self-service kitchen with a fleet of coffee and cappuccino machines. Again a flat screen television hangs on the wall as well as various framed news articles bragging about 787 features and milestones. Here customers can come to take a break and relax while decisions are mulled over or information is brought from subject matter experts at the factory a few minutes away. Continuing down the hall, we arrived at a door with a picture of a movie screen illuminated green next to it--the universal sign that this room is available. Inside the theater, we watched a brief film about the features of the 787 and the types of customization decisions we were about to make. The room is also equipped with a rounded projection screen where 3D models of the airplane can be viewed as well as "fly-throughs" of a particular interior configuration. It's the type of thing you would expect to see at NASA or in a Star Trek movie.

Proceeding around the horseshoe, we were taken to rooms where we would select our seats and in flight entertainment options, sit in a mock up of the cockpit, choose fabrics and color patterns, and even climb into the three configuration options for crew rest compartments. Every room is configured and designed to allow the customer to experience hands-on the spatial relationships and true look, touch, and feel of the interior design of their airplane. The element of surprise is clearly not an option when purchasing a $150 million airplane.

The two largest rooms are where seats and galleys are selected. Perhaps the most impressive of these for me was the latter. Here customers can view galley cabinets galore and decide whether they want spaces for two coffee makers or one microwave; one trash compactor, or three beverage carts. I had no idea there were so many options in configuring a galley--and the 787 is a "standard configuration" airplane compared to other models like a 747 or 777. The are about two dozen different options for galley equipment, and all are on display. They are also functional, and each piece of equipment can be taken to a working galley area where customers can cook food from their catering vendor to see how it will taste in a particular piece of equipment.

Throughout the entire Dreamliner Gallery experience, I get the impression that over ninety years of lessons learned while helping customers design the inside of their airplane has been incorporated into this one modern, streamlined facility. I have obviously never bought an airplane, so I really have nothing to compare the Gallery to in terms of airplane manufacturers. I have bought a house and a few cars though, and this was like going to a luxury dealership where customer comfort and convenience are the highest priority.

At work, people often see me scratch my head in confusion and utter the phrase "we've been making [insert our product here] for how many years?" in response to some things we do that don't always seem to make sense. I think this is one thing we definitely got right. Check it out for yourself by clicking here or searching Google for "Dreamliner Gallery".

Breweries, Wineries, Sailing, Oh My!

For the first fifteen or so years of my life, I lived in relatively close proximity to most of my extended family. Considering I have eight aunts and uncles and sixteen cousins, I think that's a pretty considerable statistic. Most of the family still lives within a couple hundred miles of Southern California. While some of them have tried other places at various points in time, the most notable current exception to the Southern California rule is me. Prior to that, my dad's youngest brother and his family of six held the record with their move to Oregon fourteen years ago. I figured after fourteen years it was probably time to pay them a visit. Plus, I wanted to make sure my four cousins know there's more to cousin Sean than weddings and funerals.

Before I began my trek to Eugene, Oregon, I finally got an opportunity to visit the main assembly building where 787 final assembly is taking place. It was great to finally see the airplane in person and up close. As a lean practitioner and Industrial Engineer, I saw a lot. Unfortunately I can't share any of it with you, but I did manage to snap a few photos from across the street of one of the airplanes sitting on the flight line as well as the Large Cargo Freighter, or Dreamlifter. The Dreamlifter is a modified 747 built specifically for the 787. It is used to ferry oversized pieces of the new aircraft from our partners around the world to the final assembly line here in Everett. Airbus has a similar aircraft dubbed the "Beluga".

After my somewhat eventful morning I departed for a fun-filled Oregonian weekend. The drive mapped out to about 300 miles and Vicki was estimating five hours. Puget Sound is notorious in my experience for perpetual traffic, so I left the factory about 12:30 PM hoping to keep the drive in the five to six hour range and be in Eugene in time for dinner. 7:30 PM I arrived. SEVEN THIRTY. Have I got a few things to say about that.

First, NEVER EVER rent a Dodge Avenger, or as I call it, a Dodge POS. Last time I was up here I rented a Dodge Magnum. Argue if you will over its aesthetic value, it had a Hemi, and it was cool. My red Avenger is not that car. I have more zip in my lawn tractor and I've never heard a car with only 4,000 miles on it ping so much. As for comfort, I'd rather be in a center airline seat. The car sucks.

Second, I found out what happened to all those 55 and 60 MPH speed limit signs when the rest of the country raised their highway speeds to 65+. They are strategically located along Interstate 5 in the Pacific Northwest to cause the most traffic congestion possible.

Third, and speaking of traffic, I hit some. On the bright side, it was only for the first 200 miles of the trip. Had I used "7 hours in an uncomfortable Dodge POS" for my cost benefit analysis of airline flights from Seattle to Eugene, I probably would have flown and settled for a middle seat--or just let my cousins think I'm a professional funeral crasher.

Once I finally arrived in Eugene, the trip was fabulous. The family prepared an Italian delicacy for me I haven't had in years. The geography of the area reminds me a lot of California's Central Coast, complete with its own wine country. In fact, Eugene features all kinds of fermented fun. I visited three breweries (Ninkasi, Steelhead, and Hop Valley) and the King Estates Winery. Some bevvies were better than others, but all were accompanied by good times and good company. I also met a second cousin from Northern California who has been living in Eugene and went sailing with my uncle on his yacht. My uncle Brian, his son Nicholas (my first cousin), and Matthew (my second cousin) have actually become quite the sailing team. After I left them Sunday afternoon, they embarked on a road trip adventure of their own to compete with the pro's in San Diego this weekend. Hopefully their Dodge is more comfortable than mine for the 20 hour drive.

In a twist of irony, this same group of cousins (minus Nicholas and Matthew) will be visiting us next month while on a trip to San Antonio. They actually arrive a week before I do. I hope we can show them at least half the good time they showed me. As for the rest of my trip, I made it back to Everett in an expeditious six hours, shaving nearly ten whole miles per hour off my average speed. It's a wonder I didn't get hauled off for speeding. This weekend I hope to visit Olympia and tour the State Capitol, which I passed from a distance on my way to Eugene. It's only about 90 miles away, so I'm afraid the cost benefit has me back in the uncomfortable, underpowered lawn mower. At least it has satellite radio.

Everett: Why I'm Here

Whenever a new commercial airplane is built, before it can be certified by the FAA to carry passengers, it must complete a series of flight tests. During flight test, passenger seats and overhead luggage bins are replaced with sensors and computer racks. Once flight test is complete, the airplanes used for testing must be refurbished for delivery to the customer. As results from the flight tests are collected and airplanes continue to be assembled in the factory, changes to the original airplane design are required. Because the assembly line continues to operate during this time, some of the airplanes already in flow are too far along in the build process to receive the identified changes. In these cases, the changes must be incorporated after final assembly of the aircraft is complete.

The production schedule for the 787 is so tight here in Everett that program leaders decided to outsource the refurbishment of the flight test airplanes and the incorporation of certain changes into the airplanes that need them. Boeing San Antonio won the contract for this work. Depending on how the flight test program proceeds, 787's should begin arriving in San Antonio early next year, hopefully sometime in the first quarter.

With partners and suppliers all over the world, technology plays a huge role in allowing us to communicate requirements and status. There is no true substitute however for hands on experience. So for the next four weeks, I am here in Everett to meet our teammates stationed here, get first hand experience with the various systems I will be using in San Antonio, and hopefully to actually see and touch the airplane.

I will keep you posted if anything exciting happens with respect to my work here with the airplane (don't hold your breath). You can also track progress with the first flight and flight test program on Randy's Journal, a blog written by Randy Tinseth, Vice President of Marketing for Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA).

On The Road Again

In the spring of 1999 I got the travel bug, an unawakened passion for visiting new places and experiencing life "on the road". Before that first trip with Medinet, I had never even flown on an airplane. Now, ten year later, I have frequent flyer accounts with nearly every domestic airline in the United States. As I sit here preparing to share the itinerary for my latest adventure, I realize that in ten years, almost without fail, I have been "on the road" every summer. That's something I never expected or even realized until now. In case you missed it, here's a quick recap:

1999 - Technically by the time summer rolled around I was done with my trips, but from March until June I was busy testing biomedical equipment nationwide for compatibility with the year 2000.

2000 - Certainly the official start of my annual summer travels, and the trip that launched The Road Scholars as we know and love it today, the Year 2000 Road Trip Extravaganza. Maybe I'll be able to afford a reunion tour in 2020.

2001 - I stayed local that summer, but my experience working as an intern at The Disneyland Resort provided experience and memories on par with any trip I've taken.

2002 - A bit late to be considered a summer trip, but I did visit Chicago, and more than just the airport.

2003 - College graduation followed by Sean's European Excursion, finally realizing my dream of visiting Europe.

2004 - I suppose this was the exception to the rule. I started work full time in March and although I was supposed to travel to New Mexico in early Fall, the trip was postponed until February.

2005 - Perhaps the most significant (in terms of life impact) trip of all so far, my relocation to San Antonio.

2006 - Honeymoon in the Mediterranean...

2007 - We'll always have England, and because of it my wife has vowed never to go back.

2008 - Ireland...enough said (because that's all I can remember).

No wonder I have 23 GB of photos on my computer.

That brings us to 2009. It's weird to think how TRS has changed over the years. When I first started, before I even knew what TRS was, there was a short list of email addresses belonging to people who asked me to "keep them informed" of my internship experience. I got in the habit of sending regular email updates to my parents and blind copied these people. The Internet was still relatively new to me and most of the world. The web was just beginning to evolve and I think my ISP was CompuServe. I remember after the first couple of weeks "on the road", we had to settle up our extra expenses with our hotel in New Jersey. WiFi hadn't been invented yet and high speed Internet was a 56k modem. I had about $100 in unexpected local toll charges because the "local" number I picked was not so local. Now I get online almost anywhere I go, and I turn my nose up if I'm asked to pay.

In the beginning the updates were private, at least to the extent they were sent directly to specific people. TRS remained a fairly private email-only list up until a few years ago when I finally gave in to the blogosphere before my trip to England. Now almost all the old updates are "online" and future updates can be read by anyone in the world via email, web, Facebook, Twitter, and RSS. Half of you reading this don't even know what most of those are. The times they are a changin'.

Up until my business trip to New Mexico in 2005, TRS was based on my own personal adventures. I wasn't going to offend anyone with my witty, matter-of-fact musings on life. When I started traveling for business that changed a little. I was no longer a for-hire college student beholden to nobody. I still don't think of my Road Scholars persona as being "beholden", but I do find myself tempering my life musings more than I used to. Par for the course I suppose.

And now there's Kaitlyn, and that introduces an entirely new element into life on the road. The last time I took a trip worthy of being considered a Road Scholars excursion was a year ago when my family reunited in Ireland for my grandmother's funeral. At that time, Kaitlyn's age was still being measured in weeks and I hadn't ventured away overnight from Kaitlyn or Jen since my return from England in the fall. Now, here we are almost exactly a year later and I'm preparing to leave for an entire month. It's amazing how different a year can make you feel; this is going to be hard.

I don't think it's any secret by now that for the past five years I have been employed by The Boeing Company. I am currently assigned to the refurbishment and change incorporation program for the 787 and tomorrow I depart on a four week trip to Everett for training and exposure to the new airplane. I'll explain more of that project in the next few weeks. For now, I'm trying to get a handle on how I'm going to spend an entire four weeks away from the Fuzzy Headed Oracle and not go completely mad. There are a lot of things I would not have expected ten years ago on that first TRS trip to New Jersey. Missing a 17 month old child was certainly one of them.

So as I get ready to finish packing, let me acquaint you with a few things to make sure you are up to speed on the 2009 version of TRS.

First, if you are not aware, there is an entire blog devoted to the adventures of raising our precious princess (and her sibling arriving in January). http://genoveseparents.blogspot.com

Second, for those of you reading this via email, you can now receive TRS updates via RSS if you are so inclined. If you don't know what RSS is, I'll try to write about that on my new, personal blog soon.

Third, I now have a new, personal blog. This is where I'm free to write about things that might not fall into The Road Scholars theme.

Finally, I am now on Facebook and Twitter and have made my Tweets available on the main Road Scholars homepage at http://www.theroadscholars.com. I will update the blog (and this mailing list) as often as I can, but in the meantime you can visit the main TRS page anytime you want to see my most recent two cents in 140 characters or less.

As always, thanks for traveling with me and I'll see you on the road.

State Mug Collection

One day I will post the entire collection (there are international pieces as well) and maybe if I get bored I'll even take a photo of each mug. For now, this will do.

The rules for my State Mug Collection are simple:

1. I must personally visit the state.
2. The mug must display the state's name.

There are currently 29 in the collection, although I am entitled to 30. I once spent 30 minutes on an airplane in Boise but didn't have enough time to buy a mug. Also, among the 30 is Washington, D.C., so my collection will be complete when I acquire 51.