The Orlando Sentinel from Orlando, Florida • 157

The Orlando Sentinel, Sunday, July 2, 2000 L-7 World's largest building earns its wings s3 Thousands of visitors tour the Boeing plant in Washington state a 1 building that could hold 74 NFL football fields. By Shana McNally ASSOCIATED PRESS CI nj? Seattle BrerrartOriA Betaue rt 1 THE ORLANDO SENTINEL The Boeing Plant Tour is at 3003 W. Casino Road, Everett. Tours are given at 9, 10, and 11 a.m., and 1, 2 and 3 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.

Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for seniors and $3 for children. Visitors must be at least 4 feet 2 inches tall. For more information, call 1-800-464-1476. On the Web, check www.boeing.com 11 vv imlmmmE.msmi n. 1m III ASSOCIATED PRESS EVERETT, Wash.

The world's largest building is not in New York, Chicago or even Kuala Lumpur. It's right here, 30 miles north of Seattle, where many of the world's planes are built. Boeing Everett manufacturing plant, which encloses 472 million cubic feet of space and covers more than 98 acres, dwarfs the famous tall buildings of the world in volume and has become one of the most popular tourist spots in the state of Washington. Every year, 140,000 visitors walk the building's many catwalks, looking down on the wide-body jets being assembled below. About 66 percent of the annual visitors come from the United States; 13 percent from Europe.

The plant wasn't initially meant for visitors. Construction began in 1966, when Boeing announced it would make the 747, a jetliner capable of carrying nearly twice as many passengers as previous models. But before the first 747 rolled out the door, 13,000 people had come to the plant to see the planes being made. Company officials decided to create a tour, which began in 1968. In 1984, a tour center was added for visitors.

Part of the appeal of the tour lies in Boeing's name recognition. Boeing jetliners take off once every 3.5 seconds or 24,600 times a day, flying more than 3 million people about 17.1 million miles every 24 hours. And there's the factory's size. The facility, which is 11 stories tall, is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's largest building by volume. To get some perspective on the size, consider that 911 basketball courts or 74 NFL football fields would fit into the building.

So would Disneyland along with 12 acres of covered parking. It takes more than 1 million fixtures to light the building, which has an annual electricity bill of $18 million. The facility was expanded by 45 percent in 1979 for production of the 767, and an additional 50 percent in 1990 so the 777 could be produced. Today, 24,000 people on three shifts work at the Everett site. The plant has five cafeterias, two cafes, 12 food plazas, a medical clinic, a fire department and a day-care center.

CT xr -KT' Wide-open spaces. From a metal catwalk at the Boeing Co. factory in Everett, visitors can watch workers as they assemble the forward portion i -III "aeo 3 and a fuselage (left). -Z ss kj i fill 0 they work the assembly line, pedal around on bicycles and get around in golf carts. Though only a part of the production line is in view because of the building's size, visitors get some insight into the skill and organization it takes to fit millions of parts together and make a plane fly.

The 747 has 6 million parts, and the 767 and 777 each have more than 3 million. "It was neat, very interesting to see everything close up and you can't conceive of the build- ing's size until you're in the midst of it," says Krissa Ross, 29, a Dallas resident who visited the plant recently. In plane sight Visitors also get an idea of the stages of manufacturing as tour guides point out the seven stations planes are moved through: the installation of wing systems, the joining of the wings and body, the cleaning and sealing of the wing and center fuel tanks, the final body joining, and, in the final stages, installation and testing. Another impressive part of the plant is the overhead crane system used to move wings and fuselages. The 26 cranes cruise on 31 miles of tracks.

Eighteen 747 and 767 cranes can lift 34 tons; eight 777 cranes can each lift 40 tons. The tour ends with a drive through the flight line where planes are tested. Planes in the line are painted, weighed and taken on two test flights that total eight hours. After all these steps, the plane is turned over to the customer. Price tags are hefty: The 747 starts at $167 million, the 767 at $89 million, and the 777 at $137 million.

cf j-, I ior Aj The building encloses 472 million cubic feet of space. Workers use bicycles and golf carts to get around. About 24,000 people work three shifts at the factory, which has five cafeterias, two cafes, 12 food plazas, a clinic a fire department and a day-care center. fin flu II II mi- Flight of fancy The movie takes visitors in After the movie, visitors take After a short walk through the fast motion through the 11- a short bus ride to the factory, tunnel, an elevator takes visitors The 70-minute tour starts with month production of an airplane, then walk down a set of steep 35 feet above the factory floor, a seven-minute film in the 100- from small parts fabrication to stairs to the utility access tunnel From a metal catwalk, visitors seat theater. first flight.

under the factory floor. can look down on the workers as Travelers' snapshots rrv. NONSTOP) SAVE UP TO 40 ON AIR AND HOTEL PACKAGES Las Vegas AAR PALA. ts tc At PLUS a PARK PLACE, coupon book for dining and ENTERTAINMENT DISCOUNTS SUCH AS: ENTERTAINMENT CAESARS NUCE: 10 discount it ThsSoo PARIS LUKUS: Complimontary dossorl with (ho purchoto of dinnor Ls Rotissorio dot Artiiitil RJUUMOUSKUS: $5 off Showroom Cocktail Show US ffittS HUM: $5 off admission to StorTnk Tht Eiporionco MUrSUSM RESORT: S5otfbcktt Jubiln Show it Billy's Half Dome, with its snowy top and sheer walls, makes a captivating photo subject. Anne Locke of Orlando took' this shot when she and her family visited California's Yosemite National Park in March.

AIRPORT BAGGAGE CHECK AVAILABLE! NO LU6GAGE HASSLE! Booh with ony of tho hotols ind chock your sirport luggago ot Paris or Baity for small 'Ai packages include ROUNDTRP AIR and 2 NIGHTS HOTEL (unless otherwise inolcated). Other hotels, dates and destinations available, prices may vary Vatd for Monday or Tuesday departures in August 2000. Package price and offers available on 672200 are capacity controled and subject to change at any time. Prices shown are par person, based on double occupancy and may not apply to group travel. or during hatrjayconvenrjon dates, as specified by indMdual hotels.

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