This year promises to be hectic for Commercial Airplanes' Flight Operations, Test & Validation organization. The big challenge: Conducting engineering flight test activities for more than 12 new airplane models—a number far bigger than in any previous year. In addition, it has to undertake production test flights, to ensure that airplanes are ready to be delivered to customers. Here's what the organization has done to prepare for the increased workload.
Steve Earl, an overhead crane operator at the Boeing factory in Renton, Wash., recently earned the award of being the world champion crane operator for 2007. Earl beat out more than 50 representatives from different companies, with his toughest competitors being other Boeing employees.