To facilitate the global effort behind the Boeing 787, Boeing has a fleet of 4 heavily modified 747 aircraft that are used to transport large structural components from Japan & Italy to assembly plants in Everett Washington & Charleston, South Carolina. The fleet is based at the recently completed Dreamlifter Operations Center at Paine Field and is operated under contract by Atlas Air.
Normally, it would take upwards of 30 days for wing structures to travel from Tokyo to Everett by ship but with the Dreamlifter the time is reduced to only 8-12 hours. This allows Boeing to maintain an aggressive 787 manufacturing calendar.
In addition to its signature bulged fuselage design, a unique feature of the Dreamlifter is its swing-tail design that has the tail section of the aircraft swing open like a door on hinges to provide maximum access for loading and unloading of the aircraft.
While I was in Everett last week I was fortunate to witness several Dreamlifter departures and arrivals as well as the bonus of watching a Dreamlifter being loaded with Wing Jigs ahead of a flight to Japan to pick up and return with pairs of 787 wings. During my visit to Everett I had the opportunity to capture the loading process on video which you’ll find below along with a few photos of the Dreamlifter.
I also had the chance to see the Dreamlifter in Anchorage last year so if you would like to see those photos with fantastic mountain backdrops, please visit my Dreamlifter gallery on Aero-Shots.com. You’ll see the Dreamlifter in Anchorage occasionally because it makes a technical stop there when flying between Japan and Charleston.
I’ve been in Paine for a couple of days and have been dealt a hand of bad weather weather for plane spotting. Rain, fog, and mist have all gotten into the way so far but I did catch a break tonight. With most of the rain and mist ending, it became easier to frame a few decent shots.
Several 787s are parked around the field as they wait completion and delivery. Below, you’ll find a few from Virgin, Scoot, United, American, and JAL among others.
As luck would have it I’m in the right place at the right time….
I am spending a few days in Everett, Washington to take in Plane Spotting at Paine Field. This morning, I parked my car a bit before sunrise and within an hour I would be surprised with what came out from behind the ‘curtain’.
So without further rambling, I introduce you (and the world) to the newly completed D-ABYR fresh from the paint booth, including a 2 minute video showing the Push Back. Most of the photos are shot at 600mm with Sigma’s new 150-600. I can’t say I’m disappointed with the sharpness. My love affair with the lens continues!
BTW, pardon the soundtrack on the video. I needed to cover up ‘someone’s’ constant breathing into the microphone! 🙂
Hello World! The very first images of D-ABYR as she is pushed out of the Boeing Paint Booth. Taken at 600mm, cropped 75%, but acceptable…
A bit more of D-ABYR as the push back continues.
Preparing for tow to parking.
Pardon the United 787-9
Now she awaits her inaugural flight in the coming days…..
I arrived in Seattle late on the afternoon of June 19 and after dealing with Seattle’s miserable traffic, I finally got to Paine Field in the early evening so there was not much to see as far as traffic coming and going. However, the flight line was full of aircraft destined for a wide variety of airlines. One thing that struck me was the number of 787s that were present. The 787s easily made up 70-80% of the aircraft sitting on the various ramps. The 747-8i and -8F made up most of the difference aside from 1 or 2 777s. Seeing this reminded me a bit of Henry Ford’s attitude: “You can have any color on your car, as long as it’s black”. Boeing’s version would be “You can buy any airplane you want as long as it’s a 787”. It is nice to see the 787 continue to gain acceptance despite some of her early growing pains.
The highlight from yesterday’s abridged plane spotting was ironically a non-Boeing moment. At 9:00p, an Antonov AN-124 arrived from Columbus, Ohio’s Rickenbacker Air Force Base. Interestingly, the aircraft did not go to a ramp for parking, but rather was parked on a taxiway, surrounded by boeing vehicles. I speculate, but perhaps there were some pieces and parts aboard not designed for public viewing. I say this because Boeing has a VERY SECURE area within its assembly building where access is limited to the military and their contractors. Basically, it is the area where the 767s are being built to military specs to be used as tankers, so some secrecy is warranted.
Below are a few shots from the 2 hours or so that I had at Paine. Today (and tommorow!), I plan on spending virtually the entire day along side the runway hoping to catch a few great shots. If it works out, I’ll be back with some great shots…. 🙂
This 747-8F was previously decorated in a special Seattle Seahawks livery.
United’s First 787-900 (a bit blurry due to how far away she was parked!)
Right before sunset, the sun broke out behind a dark cloud cover to create some great light effects.
Lufthansa’s next 747-8i, D-ABYP, is also Boeing’s 1500th 747 to roll off the line. ‘YP’ will fly home on June 28 after Boeing commemorates the occasion on June 27.
British Airways’ next 787 receives her finishing touches.
This AN124 was the highlight of day 1. About 30-40 people turned out watch the arrival at 9:00p.
It is unusual to see an uncovered/unpainted aircraft in the open. Typically they have a green coating to protect the surface. My best guess is that this 747-8i belongs to Air China (Vertical Stabilizer provides a hint). Please correct me if I am wrong.
This 787, sporting Boeing’s newest ‘Incognito’ livery, belongs to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Finance Ministry.