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200ER and the larger 300ER. It’s what we
call the “bonus” section. Until two years ago,
we drilled this area by hand, but nowwe use
automated equipment. Our quality is un-
matched, andwedrill perfect holes sowe can
install the fasteners while maintaining great
skinquality.
Being a part of a delivery event and being
invited to fly to DFW on a 777-300ERwas
more than just anhonor— itwas recognition
from people I didn’t even knowwere paying
attention tomeormywork.
The entire trip was a whirlwind. It’s hard
to believe what we packed into an overnight
stay.Thedeliveryflight,myfirstona777,was
amazing. I had a Business Class seat, which
I’mconvincedwouldbeaFirstClass seatany-
where else. I had no idea flying could be so
comfortable.Now I understandwhy they call
the777 the “CadillacofBoeing.”
Once we landed at DFW, we were treated
like celebrities. Kent Powell andAndreaHu-
guely, our hosts fromAmerican, were amaz-
ing.They tookus tosee thebehind-the-scenes
operationsof thisgreatairline.We saw the fa-
cilitywhere Flight Attendants are trained, as
well aswhere thePilots complete their train-
ing.We even got tofly the 777-300ER simu-
lators, probably somethingvery fewpeople in
the general public—besides the pilots— get
todo. Itwas something I’ll never forget.
This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience
andreallyshowedmewhat takingpride in the
work I domeans to others. I hope you enjoy
flyingon the777-300ERasmuchasIenjoyed
building it.
YourGuide toAmericanAirlines
Itwouldn’thavebeen thefirst time Iwas sent
an email bymistake. When I got the second
email with the “congratulations,” I realized
that Iwasoneof the six luckyBoeingemploy-
eeswhohadbeen chosen toparticipate in the
delivery.Becauseof our commitment toqual-
ity and attention to detail, we were selected
When I foundout Iwasgoing tobepartof a777-300ER
(ExtendedRange)delivery toAmericanAirlines,myfirst
thoughtwas, “Do theyhave the rightperson?”
to fly to Dallas/Fort Worth on a brand-new
777-300ER.
I’ve been with Boeing for almost three
years, working mostly on the area the me-
chanics call the “bonus butt-splice.” It is the
circumferential joining of two sections that
make thedifferencebetween the smaller 777-
I had aBusiness Class seat, which
I’m convincedwouldbe a First
Class seat anywhereelse ... Now I
understandwhy they call the 777
the “Cadillac of Boeing.”
Special delivery
New777-300ER landswith special guests
StructuresMechanic SteveBlanchett takes pride inbuildingBoeing 777s.
Steve Blanchett is a Structures Mechanic at
Boeing Commercial Airplanes who works on
the forward fuselage of the Boeing 777. Prior
to theAmericanAirlines delivery event, Steve
had never flown on the 777, an airplane he
helps assembleevery day.
68
JUNE 1, 2013
AA.COM/NAVIGATE
