OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2024
Exclusive News From Boeing
The U . S . Navy Blue Angels perform over Seattle during Seafair 2024 . ( Boeing photo )
Soaring Through 75 Years :
Boeing ' s Enduring Partnership with SeaFair
By Lance Ball , director of Manufacturing and Safety for Boeing Commercial Airplanes . Seafair board member .
Lance Ball Director of Manufacturing and Safety for Boeing Commercial Airplanes , Seafair board member
Watch U . S . Fly www . watchusfly . com
https :// www . seafair . org
Each summer in Seattle , the Seafair tradition takes flight . For me , and countless others , Seafair is a summer highlight . I remember growing up , my friends and I would pack a cooler with cold drinks and sandwiches , hop on a city bus , and head toward Seafair . The roar of the hydroplanes and the mind-boggling maneuvers of the U . S . Navy Blue Angels would leave us with our jaws dropped . The sight of those jets , seemingly fused together as they streaked across the sky , is etched in my memory . That experience helped ignite my passion for aviation , leading me on a path to Boeing .
Boeing ' s unwavering support for Seafair dates back to the festival ' s inception in 1950 . Many people may not realize that Boeing ’ s connection to Seafair is not only through the Boeing Seafair Airshow but also the iconic hydroplane races . It was 1950 when Boeing supervisor Ted Jones designed a hydroplane that proved faster than the others , winning the Gold Cup in Detroit .
18 NORTHWEST AEROSPACE NEWS