W8USR - Special Events

Boeing 787 Dreamliner Rollout Celebration

The Special Event

Starting on July 8, 2007, the Boeing Employees Amateur Radio Society (BEARONS) ran a special ham radio event to celebrate the global debut of the 787 Dreamliner. The event was actually sponsored by 3 different chapters of the Boeing Employees' Amateur Radio Society: W7FLY (Everett, Washington), K7NWS (Seattle, Washington), and W0MA (St. Louis, Missouri). While operating under the call sign W7FLY, operators worked the 20, 40, and 80 meter bands over two days, July 8 and 9.

The amateur radio event was coordinated to coincide with the massive rollout ceremony at Boeing's Everett, Washington factory. The highly hyped premiere was viewed by tens of thousands on-site and over 100 million people via webcast and satellite. Like most Amateur Radio Relay League (ARRL) special events, operators at W7FLY issued a special-edition QSL card to confirm contacts and commemorate the historical aviation milestone.

History of the Dreamliner

Prior to announcing the effort to design and build what would become the Dreamliner, Boeing scrapped plans to build a radical new high-speed (near-sonic) jetliner called the Sonic Cruiser. The concepts for the Sonic Cruiser were made public in March 2001. But due to the 9/11 terror attacks and ensuing economic downturn in the airline industry, the aircraft did not catch on with the airlines or the public. This Seattle Sonic left town on December 19, 2002, but fortunately, the effects were much less drastic than when the original Supersonic Transport or "SST" program was cancelled in 1970.

When the initiative to build what would become the 787 Dreamliner was announced on Jan. 30, 2003, the aircraft was known as the 7E7 (with "E" standing for "efficiency," because the plane would be built with lighter weight carbon fiber and with fuel-efficient engines). During that year, Boeing held an online ballot to allow the public to choose a nickname for the company's new jet. When the voting was all over, "Dreamliner" beat out Stratoclimber, eLiner and Global Cruiser. It was officially announced by Boeing at the Paris Air Show on June 15, 2003 and the 7E7 officially became the 787 on Jan. 28, 2005.

In a competition not unlike how some cities scramble to lure professional sports teams, elected officials in Washington put together a $3 billion package of financial incentives that helped convince Boeing to build the Dreamliner at Boeing's existing factory at Paine Field in Everett. The big news that Washington had beat out more than 20 other states was announced on December 16, 2003.

The giant Boeing factory at Paine Field was the place where thousands gathered for the official "roll out" of the 787 on July 8, 2007. The date for the roll out was actually intentionally chosen to match the 787 aircraft (7/8/07). The emcee for the event was Tom Brokaw and the star of the show was what appeared to be a complete 787. At the appointed moment, the hangar doors opened, and the jet came around the corner and into very dramatic view. It was later revealed that the aircraft that had been featured in the big show was something of a theatrical prop.

Station Log: Contact History

Date / Year	Special Event Call	My Callsign Used	Time (UTC)	Band	Mode
July 8, 2007	W0MA	W8USR	19:48 UTC	40 Meters	SSB