Really cool photo

On Saturday night, Boeing had all of the 787 airline representatives at an event at the Museum of Flight. At 7:07 PM, an Omega Air Refueling Services 707 landed in front of the crowd (after taking off from Paine Field in Everett). At 7:17, an AirTran 717 landed. This continued until 8:17 when an Air France 777-300ER landed. In the end, the 717, 727, 737, 747, 757, 767, and 777 were lined up nose-to-tail on the taxiway. It is the first time Boeing has had every 7-series airplane in the same place (not counting the 787, which couldn't make the flight, of course).

As a bonus, just above the 777 in the photo you can see the 747 Large Cargo Freighter, used to ferry sections of the 787 around.

Have any other bloggers out there been unable to put anything in the title fields of their posts lately? I'm not sure if this is Google screwing up, Boeing blocking useful things again, or me being stupid.

Today I took a class called "Manufacturing 101", which is a chance for engineers to make a simple demonstration panel using the same equipment and techniques the shop uses to make our panels. I love this kind of training and really think it should be mandatory for engineers - too many in my profession design things without any thought about how easy or hard it will be to make them.

For those who don't know but do care, most aircraft interior structure we build here is made of honeycomb-core Nomex panels with fiberglass or graphite sheets on top of them. This makes a very strong, very light structure that has the useful property of being basically fireproof. It is also completely unlike building things out of wood products or metals, still the two most common base materials taught in engineering classes (at least at Carnegie Mellon).

Anyway, I got to wear latex gloves for the first time in years (I carry nitrile gloves for medical use, as latex tends to make my hands sweaty, red, and uncomfortable), got strange glue residues all over my apron, and got to play with an air-powered rotary sander and glue gun. Air-powered glue guns can be tricky beasts, BTW. They tend to keep pushing out glue well after you've released the trigger.

And why on earth would anyone come to work at an industrial site like Boeing's Everett plant wearing open-toed shoes?

Numbers

Yesterday, Boeing formally introduced the 787 Dreamliner.

That is, it introduced it on 07/08/07.

Yesterday, I rode Delta Flight 787 home.

Today, Boeing has 787,401,000 shares of stock outstanding according to end-of-day information. Also, the closing price for July 9th was $99.90. http://stockprice.whq.boeing.com/stock.htm

I'm going to go be afraid now.

1776

A belated happy 4th of July to everyone!

As is my tradition, I watched "1776" last night. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it - it is a musical historical drama about the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

I've practically got the show memorized by now. Every time I go through it, I wish I could get a chance to play a different part in a stage production of it. In addition to the obvious draw of being John Adams, I've wanted to be John Dickinson, James Wilson, John Hancock, the Courier, Stephen Hopkins, Charles Thomson (the Secretary), Dr. Lyman Hall, and Lewis Morris. In most cases there's a particular scene or moment that I think it absolutely brilliant and that I'm capable of pulling off (if I thought I could pull off "Molasses to Rum to Slaves" I'd LOVE to play Rutledge; but that scene is, IMO, the reason that when casting the show you should give the best actor available the part of Rutledge).

The moment/scene/song I'd like to do for each:
John Adams signing "Is anybody there?" and the scenes with Abigail.
John Dickinson walking out of congress to join the army.
James Wilson explaining why he's going to vote yea on the Virginia Resolution (after carefully hiding in the background for the entire show).
John Hancock explaining his vote for unanimity on independence.
The Courier signing "Momma, hey momma." Plus, how can you resist a part where every time you come on stage you look worse than the last time, and in only one scene do you say a single word despite half a dozen appearances?
Stephen Hopkins meeting Hall.
Charles Thomson reading Washington's dispatches, particularly "Is anybody there?"
Dr. Lyman Hall for two moments: "The people are against it and I'm for it," and "Yes, Mr. Adams. I do."
Lewis Morris: "To hell with New York, I'll sign it anyway."

Halfway mark

So I've reached the halfway mark of this year.

Zarth, am I tired. I'm pretty sure I've been overdoing it.

In the whole of 2006 I worked 360 hours of overtime, including 6 weekend/holiday days (most of it was just longer weekday days). I took four days of sick leave.

In the first HALF of 2007 I have already worked 285 hours of overtime, including 13 weekend/holiday days... and I've taken six days of sick leave. I wonder if the two are connected?

The amount of overtime I've worked has gone up each quarter since I was hired - that's eight consecutive quarters of increasing overtime.

On the plus side, of course, I have the money to buy a house. :-}