Inside Seattle's Boeing factory

Inside the massive Boeing factory in Seattle. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Megan Singleton looks inside the giant building where Boeings take shape.

I was one of the media group invited by Air New Zealand to visit Seattle and fly back on the delivery flight of the world's first Dreamliner 787-9 straight out of the Boeing factory.

A tour of Boeing's massive factory should be on the bucket list of all plane nerds.

Size matters

The original part of the factory was built in 1966 to construct the ambitious 747. Today its footprint is a wingspan short of 40 hectares (100 acres in old-fashioned speak) and the building is recognised by Guinness World Records as the largest building in the world by volume, now home to the 747, 767, 777 and the new 787s.

Pimp my ride

Three climate-controlled hangars are dedicated to painting once these big birds come off the production line. It takes between four and seven days to paint an aircraft, with over 450 litres slapped on a 747 and 415 litres on a 777. The paint alone adds between 250-550kg.

Working conditions

Around 35,000 employees buzz around under one million light bulbs. Even in winter the plant doesn't require heating as the machinery, body heat and all those lights keep it warm. In summer the 35m high doors are flung open and tech operators work at desks right under the nose of each plane. Each hangar has its own restaurant and drycleaning service.

Getting around

Nearly four kilometres of underground tunnels wind around the site for pedestrians (read employees, not you or me). There are 26 cranes cruising on 72 km of tracks, each capable of lifting about 40 tonnes.

Up to 15 rail cars make daily deliveries, chugging up the steepest gradient in the northern hemisphere at 5.6 per cent grade.

Quirky facts

Over three billion Coke cans could fit inside the building, or 2124 average-sized houses. They recycle around 70,000kg of material each month - enough junk to fill eleven 747s.

Storm water is collected in a system of engineered wetlands and holding ponds, the largest of which could hold a ship.

See Megan's photo blog documenting her visit to the Boeing factory here.