(click on photos to enlarge)
Love that new car smell? Well, just imagine how a brand-spanking new Boeing 737-700 must smell! Seven lucky Employees and their guests from the 2006 Messages to the Field and three of us from Culture Activities visited the Boeing Company in Seattle in August and had the privlege of bringing home one of our newest aircraft N251WN.
We arrived in Seattle on a Tuesday afternoon, and it was a pleasant 74 degrees. Being from Texas, I am used to 100 degree+ days, so the cool temperature was a wonderful relief. There was nothing scheduled on our first afternoon, so our group enjoyed some free time in the beautiful city of Seattle. 
Most of us chose to head to Pike Place Market, where there are endless vendors selling fresh seafood, flowers, vegetables, and a plethora of unique souvenirs. Pike Place Market is also the home of Pike Place Fish where fish are tossed between the workers in a playful, interactive display, and also the home of Rachel, the bronze piggy bank.
That evening, Boeing treated us to a dinner cruise around beautiful Lake Washington. 
The food and scenery were fantastic, but the entertainment was the highlight of the evening! I'm sure you've all taken a stab at karaoke, but out of our entire group, we couldn't find any true talent, so we decided to change the name to "scaraoke."
The next day we were taken by bus to the massive Boeing Factory in Renton for a private tour of the facility. Of course many of the folks on this trip are true "aviation junkies," so this was right up their alleys. There's nothing quite like seeing one of our own airplanes coming down the assembly line! I found it fascinating that the fuselage is actually assembled in Wichita, Kansas, and moved by train to the Renton Factory where the wings, tail, engines, and all interior components are fitted. As we "ooohed and aaahed" our way through the tour, our wonderful guide, Jay, competently explained the steps each Team must take to move the aircraft on to the next level. Although no photos are allowed to be taken in the Factory, we were able to get a shot of the fuselage for you since it was positioned outside in the holding area.
We were then whisked off to the Museum of Flight where we were again taken on a guided tour. This museum houses the largest and most comprehensive collection of aerospace artifacts in the western United States. Their collection holds over 150 full-sized airplanes, helicopters, and spacecraft including the first jet Air Force One which was delivered to President Eisenhower in 1959, and the last British Airways Concorde to ever make a commercial flight!
What's a trip to Seattle without a visit to the Observation Deck of the Space Needle? This icon stands 605 feet tall, and is fastened to its foundation (which runs 30 feet below the ground) by 72 bolts which are each 30 feet in length! 
Over lunch, our winners enjoyed a breathtaking view of the city from the revolving restaurant.
Finally, the big day arrived to take delivery of N251WN! We arrived at the Renton Factory at 8 a.m. ready to board our lovely Canyon Blue bird. As can happen with any scheduled (or in this case, unscheduled!) flight, we encountered a slight delay. As most of you know, being delayed can be a rough experience if you are stuck at an airport for several hours; however, our friends at Boeing made sure that this delay offered more opportunities to explore the city. They treated us to lunch at Chandler's Crabhouse then coordinated two separate tours for the folks in our group. Most of us headed to the Chateau St. Michelle winery , where we had a guided tour; wine tasting; and extra time in the winery shop to buy a few more souvenirs. The rest of the group headed to another Boeing Factory in Everett where the larger aircraft (767, 777, etc.) are assembled.
By the time our plane was ready to leave, we had acquired even more luggage to bring home to our respective cities. 
A new airplane delivery is a completely different experience than your "typical" flight. Because it was an unscheduled flight, we were able to fly nonstop from Seattle to Dallas which is a special treat for anyone who is a foe of the detested Wright Amendment. The festivities onboard truly gave our lucky winners a flight to remember!
We would like to give our heartfelt thanks to Dara, Victor, Brett, Shinko, Monte, Jay, and Jim from Boeing, and to Bill, who works for Southwest Airlines in Everett, WA! 
You certainly outdid yourselves by making this trip one we will never forget! Special thanks to DAL Chief Pilot Mark Montgomery and DAL Captain Randy Smith for getting us home safely!
If you are a Southwest Employee, and this action-packed agenda sounds FUN to you, be sure to put your name in the hat at the 2007 Messages to the Field--who knows--you may find yourself "Sleepless in Seattle" with us next year! 
Comments
Sunny,
What a great post! It is neat for us "aviation junkies", as well as us "Southwest Airlines junkies", to get to vicariously share in the adventure of picking up a new plane! You didn't mention if Boeing is like GM and Ford and all the rest -- when you went to get N251WN, did it have a price sticker on the window with all of the standard and upgrade features, along with destination charges, tax, title and license? :)
Since my wife's family is from Seattle, I've taken many trips to that area over the last thirty years, and I always enjoy that part of the country. Of course, Pike Place Market is often on our agenda, too. FYI -- if you're a "coffee junkie", the original Starbucks location is right next to Pike Place Market. That store still sports the first version of the famous circular logo, and is the only location they have that has not switched to the more politically correct version of the mermaid.
Yes, the Museum of Flight is also a MUST-SEE for us "aviation junkies", and its proximity to Boeing Field makes it a fun place to go just to "plane watch". I have taken some pictures out the windows of Southwest planes (since the merger with Morris Air) of views like the one you showed of Mount St. Helens, although the regularly scheduled flight path doesn't seem to go as close as your Dallas pilots apparently took you guys! I have a shot from one trip where the thick cloud cover looks like a blanket of snow on a very flat field in Texas, and the only thing visible is Mount Rainier sticking up! They have great scenery up there!
Thanks again for giving us a small taste of the excitement that you had in Seattle!
Kim
I'm curious what one of those new planes goes for? (Or did you opt for the 20-year lease and 'spinners' accessory?) ;)
You buy a plane... you get a free boat cruise! :)
The blog has written about paint-schemes in the past... was this plane delivered with the final paint applied...or does that come later?
Seattle is a great town... we were there a couple months ago for Gnomedex. Good Times!
oops... I see the pic of the plane now... it *DID* come painted. My bad... feel free to moderate that part of the post out! :)
Great post, Sunny! I was lucky enough to be one of the Culture Activities Reps who "hosted" this group, and we had such a fun time with everyone on this trip! A note to all SWA Employees: this is the trip of a lifetime! Be sure to put your name in the hat at the 2007 Messages...it's a guaranteed good time!
Sounds like a great trip. I have noticed that most of the delivery flights come to Phoenix. How do you guys pick who gets to go on those flights? I look forward to the blog about what happens to the plane to prepare it for service once it arrives at the delivery airport. How long does "New Plane Smell" last anyway?
Whew... that sounds like an exhausting couple of days. I hope you have some sympathy for those of us that live in Seattle now :-)
I recently boarded a brand spanking new 737 when it arrived here in Dallas for a photo shoot. It definitely had the "new plane smell." I can only imagine how fun it must be for the pilots that get to fly it for the first time.
Kim, Marc, and Scott--thanks for your comments on my blog! I checked with Boeing, and according to them, the "fly-away" sticker price on a new 737-700 is around $60M. Whew! And, Scott--my Team makes this annual trek with the winners of the drawings from the Messages to the Field. There was also an entry form in LUV LINES over the summer to win various prizes in celebration of our 35th Anniversary--one of them being a trip to Boeing for 35 Employees and their guests.
Since I don't work in Maintenance, I'm not really sure what happens once the aircraft is delivered to SWA, but I'm hoping one our bloggers out there can answer that question for you. And, yes--most of our new airplanes are delivered to Phoenix, but every now and then we get a new delivery to DAL.
Sunny,
As I think about your blog, I've gotten an idea that I'm surprised your Marketing folks have not already suggested. (maybe they have...)
Since so many people get so jazzed about "new car smell", and apparently, there is a large contingent of us who likewise are enthused about "new plane smell" (I'm like Angela -- I've been on some of your planes that definitely had that new smell and new pristine look to them, although I didn't peek up front at the odometer), that I think SWA should sell little tree-shaped pieces of stiff cardboard to hang from our automotive rearview mirrors that are saturated with "new plane smell". I'm sure that Boeing could help you develop them by imbedding microscopic bits of carpeting, plastic extrusions, paint and leather seating fabrics inside, and then you could douse them in Jet A to seal in the aroma. This would be a natural best-seller and the revenues generated from such a high-demand item could easily double SWA's profits.
By the way, once these become a runaway hit, I expect to be cut in for a "piece of the action".
Kim :)
P. S. $60M? Wow, I'd LUV to get to see your Titanium Level American Express card, Sunny!
Good job Sunny. Great post and not to "wordy". As John Wayne used to say, "Talk low, talk slow, and don't say too much." Keep on writ'in!
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