SEATTLE, Nov. 8, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Boeing (NYSE:
BA) and its employees joined the Puget Sound community today in
celebrating the donation of one of the original 787-8 Dreamliner
flight test airplanes to the Museum of Flight in Seattle.
"Boeing is committed to supporting and giving back to the
communities where our employees work and live," said Boeing
Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Ray
Conner. "By placing this airplane in the Puget Sound area,
members of the Boeing team and their families will see it displayed
locally, and it will hopefully inspire a new generation of aviation
enthusiasts here in Washington
state."
The Dreamliner Boeing donated to the museum is known as ZA003,
the third 787-8 produced. The airplane has a unique past, first as
part of the 787 flight test and certification program and later
circumnavigating the globe several times in 2011 and 2012 during
the Dream Tour, which introduced the 787 to more than 68,000
visitors in 23 countries.
"This revolutionary airplane caps the museum's collection of
historic commercial airplanes, beginning with our 1932 Boeing 247,
which was the first all-metal, modern airliner," said Doug King, president and CEO, Museum of Flight.
"It was followed by our 1969 prototype 747, the first jumbo jet,
and now with the first composite airliner, the 787. It's an
incredible addition to our comprehensive display."
The celebration at the Museum of Flight included several Boeing
employees whose work over the years played a role in the design,
build and test of the 787 Dreamliner. Each person disembarked the
airplane and presented a special artifact tied to the history of
the airplane to museum docents and students from local high
schools.
The artifacts given by employees ranged from a commemorative
cachet carried aboard the 787's first flight, to early artist
renderings of the 7E7. Those artifacts will now be housed at the
Museum of Flight.
ZA003 is the first of three flight test 787-8s Boeing plans to
share with museums around the world, the aviation community and
future generations of employees and airplane enthusiasts.
About The Museum of Flight
The independent, non-profit Museum of Flight is one of the
largest air and space museums in the world, attracting more than
500,000 visitors annually. The Museum's collection includes more
than 160 historically significant air- and spacecraft, the original
manufacturing facility of The Boeing Company, and the world's only
full-scale NASA Space Shuttle Trainer. The Museum's aviation and
space library and archives are the largest on the West Coast. More
than 130,000 individuals are served annually by the Museum's
on-site and outreach educational programs. The Museum of Flight is
accredited by the American Association of Museums, and is an
Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution.
The Museum of Flight is located at 9404 E. Marginal Way S.,
Seattle, Exit 158 off Interstate 5
on Boeing Field halfway between downtown Seattle and Sea-Tac Airport. The Museum is
open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Contacts:
Deborah Feldman
Boeing Commercial Airplanes Communications
+1 425-314-8631
deborah.s.feldman@boeing.com
Wilson Chow
Boeing Commercial Airplanes Communications
+1 425-306-5921
wilson.chow@boeing.com
SOURCE Boeing