If it's not Boeing, I'm not going

I'm still kind of bummed how Boeing gobbled up Douglas Aircraft here in Long Beach, then shut down the civil production line. Once the C-17 production is over, it is likely the whole plant will go away as there are no more facilities left beyond those.

Great video!  Thanks for sharing. 

If only that plane could talk!  "Ouch, enough already!  Oh man that hurts! Oh, the humanity!!"

Great video!  Thanks for sharing. 

If only that plane could talk!  "Ouch, enough already!  Oh man that hurts! Oh, the humanity!!"

Just to clear up one thing, my original title was in no way a statement of my preference for builders of aircraft. It's just a quaint old saying that seemed to fit the subject....

stikpusher

I'm still kind of bummed how Boeing gobbled up Douglas Aircraft here in Long Beach, then shut down the civil production line. Once the C-17 production is over, it is likely the whole plant will go away as there are no more facilities left beyond those.

As an old Mac employee, I often feel that way, but then remember that MDD did the same thing to companies it acquired.  Remember Hughes Helicopter?  Mac said the name would remain- it did so for a few months.

Yeah...it's a shame what a big company "new direction" can do.

I work for Boeing in Melbourne, Australia.  Quite some time ago, they had a "re-assessment" of they manufacturing direction - and went forward with carbon fiber manufacture for the 787...amazing work is done there.

But...they shut an incredibly comprehensive sheet alloy manufacturing center - fabrication, welding, forming, heat treat, surface coatings...holy crap - they could build ANYTHING...now....it's all gone.  So much aerospace capability is just.....gone.

Regrettably, there's nowhere in Australia that is now Boeing approved for heat treat of alloy, and very few places are Boeing approved for things like Alodine or paint and prime (things like BMS 10-11)...it's so sad...hell, when I was a planner in an aerospace manufacturer right next door to Boeing, we had to send stuff all the way to America to get them Alodined and painted...have them sent back...attach anchor nuts...and then deliver them right next door...my brain hurts....

Don Stauffer

stikpusher:

I'm still kind of bummed how Boeing gobbled up Douglas Aircraft here in Long Beach, then shut down the civil production line. Once the C-17 production is over, it is likely the whole plant will go away as there are no more facilities left beyond those.

 

As an old Mac employee, I often feel that way, but then remember that MDD did the same thing to companies it acquired.  Remember Hughes Helicopter?  Mac said the name would remain- it did so for a few months.

I do... Went to their El Segundo plant a few years back. A that point in time it was being used as a soundstage for filming movies and TV shows. Not sure what its function is these days. So much rich avaition heritage and history around here is gone or but a shadow of its former self... North American, Douglas, Rockwell, Northrop, Hughes... Very sad to see.

stikpusher

 

Don Stauffer:

 

 

stikpusher:

I'm still kind of bummed how Boeing gobbled up Douglas Aircraft here in Long Beach, then shut down the civil production line. Once the C-17 production is over, it is likely the whole plant will go away as there are no more facilities left beyond those.

 

 

As an old Mac employee, I often feel that way, but then remember that MDD did the same thing to companies it acquired.  Remember Hughes Helicopter?  Mac said the name would remain- it did so for a few months.

 

 

I do... Went to their El Segundo plant a few years back. A that point in time it was being used as a soundstage for filming movies and TV shows. Not sure what its function is these days. So much rich avaition heritage and history around here is gone or but a shadow of its former self... North American, Douglas, Rockwell, Northrop, Hughes... Very sad to see.

Interesting how some treat their history.  At least Boeing has a reasonable history department.  Some just periodically through away all their heritage into dumpsters.

Thats what Boeing did with DAC Long Beach. I know a few guys who went thru the dumpsters after the takeover and came home with some great photos, prints, etc. Of course I did not find out till after the fact...