Future of Flight Aviation Center & Boeing Tour
47°55′30″N 122°16′19″W / 47.925°N 122.272°W
The Future of Flight Aviation Center is an aviation museum and education center located at the northwest corner of Paine Field in Mukilteo, Washington. It is the starting point for the Boeing Tour, a tour of a portion of Boeing's Everett, Washington production facility in which the models 747, 767, 777 and 787 are built. It is also home of the Future of Flight Foundation, a non-profit organization that owns the museum's collection and engages in worldwide education outreach.[1][2]
The museum includes a 28,000-square-foot (2,600 m2) gallery containing static and interactive exhibits and displays as well as a 240-seat theater, café and shops.[1]
Future of Flight Aviation Center
Origins
The Future of Flight Aviation Center & Boeing Tour is the result of a partnership between The Boeing Company, Future of Flight Foundation, Snohomish County Public Facilities District and Snohomish County Airport. The $23-million dollar project debuted in December 2005 with the opening of the museum. The Future of Flight Foundation is a 501-3(c) nonprofit organization. The Foundation operates the Center and owns the Center's collection. The Foundation's mission is "to educate, entertain and engage our global community to inspire innovation."
Exhibits
Exhibits at the Future of Flight Aviation Center include:
- A comparison between the Boeing 707 fuselage and the Boeing 787 fuselage.
- Videos, presentations, and mock-ups illustrating the history of the passenger experience in Boeing aircraft from the 707 to the 787.
- A genuine 727 cockpit in which visitors can sit and operate switches and controls.
- Various full-size airplanes suspended from the exhibit area ceiling.
- Displays of jet aircraft components, including engines, landing gear, and sections of tail and fuselage from several manufacturers.
- An X-15 flight simulator (additional charge).
- A learning area covering the inner workings of aircraft.
- Videos and information about flight decks in a variety of Boeing aircraft.
- Displays and videos on the history of jet airplanes and the airlines that have used them.
- An area for visitors to design and print their own airplane image.
- A children's play area.
- A rooftop observation deck, with views of the Boeing factory, Paine Field, and parked aircraft outside.
Boeing Tour
The Boeing Tour covers the Boeing Everett Factory, where guests can view airplanes in all stages of construction and testing. The factory is the location for production of the Boeing 747, 767, 777, and 787. The tour also includes the main assembly building, which holds the record in Guinness World Records for the largest building in the world by volume. It is 472 million cu. ft (13.3 million m³) and covers 98.3 acres (398,000 m²).
The former Boeing Tour Center was located next to the factory and now is abandoned, after closing in December 2005 when the Future of Flight Aviation Center opened.
Retail Outlets
The Boeing Store is located at the front of the tour. It is a store that features items that relate to the Boeing Company. There is a separate Future of Flight store next to it, selling many more traditional Pacific Northwest gift shop items, including foodstuffs. The center also includes a small cafeteria across the lobby.
References
- ^ a b "Future of Flight Aviation Center & Boeing Tour". p. 1. Retrieved 2009-03-19.
- ^ "Future of Flight Foundation". Retrieved 2009-04-13.