Sites not represented in 'A Day in the Life'

Nice pictorial, but imagine my disappointement that not one picture from Huntington Beach was included.

—Richard Lagrand, Huntington Beach, Calif.

I just wanted to express my regret that there was not one photo included in your article that depicted one of the most basic elements of the aircraft industry: the wing skins and spars that are manufactured at the Frederickson site in Washington. Let us not forget that without the wings and tail, we are selling just another bus.

—William Ellis, Freddies, Wash.

I really enjoyed the double issue on Boeing sites around the world. However, I am very disappointed that there is not one picture from our site in Heath, Ohio, better known as Boeing Guidance Repair Center. Our government customer has recognized us as a premier facility with award fees in the high 99 percent range. And as part of Integrated Defense Systems, we have been recognized as a center of excellence. I do understand that space is limited in the magazine, but our omission was very disappointing.

—Scott Christian, Heath, Ohio

Editor's note: Compiling a snapshot of a typical day in the life of the largest aerospace company in the world is, to put it mildly, a Promethean task. The Frontiers staff did its best to provide the widest selection of photos possible to capture the essence of the company and its people. In all, about 1,500 photos were submitted. Due to space constraints, we were able to use only 120. We wish we coul have run a photo for every site.

Photo subjects misidentified

I must call your attention to a misspelling in the December/ January issue of Boeing Frontiers. The employees should be William Been (outside cockpit) and Kevin Sheehan (inside cockpit). Thanks for a fine publication.

—John Sheehan, St. Louis, Mo.

Tooling Center deserves recognition

I have seen several articles in the past about the rebuilding of the Stratoliner. These articles are glowing kudos for those working on the project. However, there is one group that has been left out. They are a group of tool engineers, numerical control programmers and tool makers in the Auburn, Wash., Emergent Tooling Center, which are doing reverse engineering (creating the engineering models of the damaged parts), designing temporary/ expendable tools to make the parts and programming the machines to mill the tools and make the parts. I feel that they deserve significant recognition for their efforts. After all, they are the individuals actually doing the work to re-create the damaged parts.

—Scott Taylor, Auburn, Wash.

Disputing China-and-Boeing date

The article by Maureen Jenkins in the December/January issue of Boeing Frontiers celebrates Boeing's 30-year business relationship with China. In fact, Boeing business relations with China began much earlier than 30 years ago.

Boeing started doing business in China more than 65 years ago. In the mid-1930s, Boeing sent Wellwood Beall to the Far East to sell airplanes. He succeeded in a big way, for those times, by selling eleven P-26 pursuit planes to China. He also set up an ongoing field service office in China to help with pilot and ground crew training. That was the dawn of Boeing business with China.

—Robert Smith, Bainbridge Island, Wash.

Editor's note: Although Boeing did, indeed, periodically conduct some business in China prior to the celebrated date, the 30th anniversary refers to the date when Boeing established a permanent office in that country.

No mention of MD82

I saw no mention of the Boeing MD82 program in Shanghai in your recent article on Boeing's long relationship with China. It was the first overseas factory to be awarded an FAA Production Certificate. It melded the people of Boeing with the people of China in a way that has never been replicated. It showed that people with diverse backgrounds and languages can work together and achieve great goals, and achieve them on schedule.

—Joseph Benko, Glyn Ivy, Calif.

Wrong photographer credited

The photo at right, which ran in the December/January issue of Frontiers as part of the 'A Day in the Life of Boeing' section, was credited to the wrong photographer. Melanie Gurnavage was the photographer who beautifully captured this sunrise behind the Space Shuttle Endeavour the morning of Oct. 30, 2002. Countless photographers, both professional and amateur, helped to capture a sampling of The Boeing Company on that day, and Frontiers commends all of them for their success.

Communications site down under

It was a pleasure to see a project on which I was a design engineer in the mid-'60s still operating today (December/ January Boeing Frontiers). Specifically, the communications site at Northwest Cape, Australia, now operated by Boeing, brings back many memories.

—Chuck Elledge St. Louis, Mo.

Very-Low, not Ultra-Low

It was great to see a photograph of part of the Boeing site at Naval Communication Station, Harold E. Holt, at Exmouth, Western Australia, in the latest copy of Frontiers. Unfortunately, it is a VLF site (Very-Low Frequency) and not ULF (Ultra-Low), as mentioned. Nevertheless, it was great to feel part of the greater Boeing.

—Eileen Matten Exmouth, Wash.

777 can't be beat

I would just like to advise you that I have just converted to the B777 as captain with Emirates Airlines in the United Arab Emirates. Having spent six years on fly-by-wire Airbus, including the A330, A320 and A321, I would just like to say I would never fly an Airbus again by choice. I am very impressed with the 777. It is a real pleasure to fly, and I look forward to a long and enjoyable career on the 777. I plan to make the pilgrimage to Boeing Seattle, Wash., sometime this year to visit your factory. I look forward to seeing you.

—Capt. Rick Manley, Emirates Airlines, United Arab Emirates

Sharing thoughts on share value

Many automatically think of the stockholder as one who invests capital and expects a return of their investment. Rightly so, those who do invest should expect a return on what they are investing. Some think the tide shifted with overemphasis on share value. However, share value is more than just investors, who are part of the overall picture; it's our employees and it's our contribution to the community we live in. By working together we can excel in leadership, customer loyalty and commitment to our products and services. What share value really means is each individual personalizing what they can contribute towards the success of our company. It's being the best company that creates a benchmark of excellence to all of our customers. Share value = People working together as a global enterprise for aerospace leadership.

—Jarl Cantley Everett, Wash.

10-trillion-to-one shot?

The November Frontiers "By The Numbers" section said the odds against a person being struck by a meteorite were 10 trillion to 1. There should be some time frame to that. Presumably, it would be in a person's lifetime. With the population of the earth approaching 10 billion, there is one chance in 1000 that someone somewhere on earth will be struck by a meteorite at some time. If my math is correct and the worldwide average life span is 60 years, that one strike should occur about once in 60,000 years. Yet there was a report about three months ago of a teenage girl in England being struck on the toe by a hot fragment of a meteorite. So much for statistics, or will the odds be reevaluated?

—K. Harold Hummel Des Moines, Wash.

Correction

An incorrect caption was included with the picture at right (December/January Boeing Frontiers). It should have been identified as the Heidelberg Castle in Germany.

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Boeing Frontiers Boeing Frontiers provides the letters page for readers to state their opinions. The page is intended to encourage an exchange of ideas and information that stimulates dialogue on issues or events in the company or the aerospace industry. The opinions may not necessarily reflect those of The Boeing Company. Letters must include name, organization and a telephone number for verification purposes. Frontiers may edit letters for grammar, syntax and size.