Three busloads of aviation enthusiasts descended on the Boeing Factory in Everett, Washington in the 
US on Friday September 17 to catch an exclusive behind the scenes, factory floor tour of the world's most famous aircraft manufacturing facility. This was very different to the public tours, which are not allowed on the factory floor itself.
The tours are part of this year's World Route Development Forum hosted by Vancouver International Airport.
"Overwhelming" was the word used by British Airways' lead network executive, Sabine Reim, to describe the experience. "It was amazing to see the aircraft being assembled in the factory. They looked so small compared to the building and it was a really interesting experience," she said.
It's no wonder the aircraft looked small in comparison to the Boeing facility. At just under 100 acres, it is the largest building in the world by volume and is home to all the production lines for Boeing's twin-aisle aircraft. The building itself has been expanded a number of times since the first B747 aircraft was delivered to PanAm in 1970. To put this size in perspective - imagine this: each sliding door on the factor floor is the size of an American football field.
It was also quite an experience to see some of the facility's 29,000 employees - mainly engineers and mechanics - hard at work. In particular, the Dreamliner's engineers now have their desks on the production line - a move aimed at speeding up the aircraft's delayed delivery schedule.
Lucy Siebert
Vancouver, Canada
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