My Boeing Days – First Day at Work
Blog 3 of 10
Photo: Boeing's
widebody factory in Everett, Washington, shot from the air on October 15, 2011
My First
Day at Boeing
It was April 8th, 1981, my first
day at Boeing. I was nervous. I had no idea that I was selected to work for the
legendary 747 in its Autopilot design group. Control systems and R&D work
were my favorites. It was like a dream come true. However, I was a raw
engineer. I was very eager to learn; knowing well that I was at ground zero and
had to have a very fast learning curve.
The
Office Layout: A Glimpse into Boeing's Past
Those days, the seating
arrangement was quite different than today. When I entered the building, there
was a very long hallway. There was an opening after every 150 to 200 feet. This
opening was to a very large open hall. In the hall were 100 green-colored steel
desks and a chair with a swiveling back. These desks were arranged in 10 rows
with 10 desks each. The desks, as well as the layout of the building, were the
legacy of old times when all drawings were hand-drawn using the set-square,
T-square, and a table lamp with a magnifying glass. By the time I joined
Boeing, drawings were on blueprints, and another group used to draw them. Thus,
our desks did not have the drafting equipment. The whole area had very few
windows. Only some engineers in the last rows used to get a window seat. The
window was 3 feet tall and 1 foot wide. Then there was a brick wall for a few
desks, and then there was another small opening called a 'window'.
Adjusting
to Professional Life
As luck would have it, I was
assigned a desk in the last row, and it had a window! While at the University,
we were used to sitting in a classroom for a maximum of 50 minutes. We used to
run outside to attend another lecture on another floor or another building.
That was, in a way, good. We could get some fresh air and enjoy nice weather,
if there was any, and watch Mount Rainier in the background of a rose garden
and a large fountain that was the landmark of the University of Washington. We
were not confined to one seat for 8 hours. During the first week or so at
Boeing, we were not assigned any work. We used to attend some orientation
programs, some general informational talks, etc. Having nothing to do and just
having to sit for 8 hours was the hardest part of getting used to being a
working professional. We felt restless. My new friends from Boeing, who were
all fresh out of college, used to hang around my desk. We used to watch through
the window. It was the only solace for us, an assurance that there was life
after 8 hours!
Understanding
the Corporate Hierarchy
Apart from the technical
matters, I was just beginning to understand the organizational structure. I
reported to a lead engineer, Pete. He reported to the first-level manager, Don
Taylor. Jack Shaw was my manager's manager. The terminology used was ‘second-level
manager’. Jim was the unit chief with about 4 to 5 thousand engineers and
managers reporting to him. Overall, all these people loved their work, were
extremely talented individuals, and best professionals.
Jack Shaw: The
Dedicated, High-Level Manager
Jack Shaw was the second-level
manager. He had about 300 to 400 engineers in his organization. Jack was known
to be very strict and disciplined. He was a workaholic. Jack used to come to
work even when he was on leave. The way to tell whether Jack was on leave or
not was to look at his shoes. If he was wearing dress shoes, he was not on
leave. When he was wearing casual shoes, Jack was on leave!
Engineering
Culture at the Heart of Leadership
All of my managers, right from
the group lead to the CEO came from the engineering ranks at Boeing. Their
going through the ranks made them fully aware of what the challenges, issues,
and cautionary tales were. Boeing pilots were not just pilots. They were
engineers first. They had worked in engineering design groups. They understood
engineering systems very well. That’s how the engineering company
was built.
Boeing
and FAA Working Together
Then there was a very unique
designation, Designated Engineering Representative or DER for short. The DERs
were employed by Boeing yet their reporting was dual. They reported to Boeing
as well as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). They were supposed to
report every potential safety issue to the FAA at the earliest. Any possible
wrong turns in the upcoming design were reported to the FAA almost immediately.
Both Boeing and the FAA would try to mitigate the risk and find a better way to
design. Being a DER was a very high honor, and it was well respected throughout
the organization.
The
Rigorous Path from Design to Certification
From design to certification was
a very long, tedious, and strict process. Modifications to an existing system
were not easily certifiable. It involved understanding the current control
systems, understanding the shortcomings, doing the necessary design modifications,
and testing it on various platforms including the software simulator, hybrid
simulator, and the motion cabs. Once the system was properly functioning, the
next steps involved a series of flight tests where the Boeing pilots would test
the system and approve. After all this, then came the major step of getting it
tested by the FAA with their pilots, system experts, and engineers. If the
system passed the rigorous testing by the FAA, then Boeing would get the system
certification. Finally, Boeing was allowed to put the new system on commercial
airplanes.
Safety
First: Jim's Perpetual Message
Every two weeks, Jim, our unit
chief, used to have a meeting with us. He used to tell us how many 747s rolled
out of the factory, how many were already sold, and how Airbus, the competitor,
was doing. Airbus used to have many white-tailed airplanes. "Do you know
what the white-tailed airplanes are?" Jim would ask before going on.
"These are the planes still to be sold. They do not have a customer. We do
not want to get into that situation." Then came his favorite topic. Jim
used to say, "When you design an airplane, remember your spouse, your
children, your parents, your family, your friends, and many others, all over
the world, are going to fly on that airplane. Their safety is in your
hands." Jim used to repeat the same safety message in every single
meeting. Many of us had joined Boeing from school. We did not have any prior
experience. Thus, for us, that was the only way to run the business--safety
first. Jim's words made a long-lasting mark on our minds. Safety is of utmost
importance.
Cultivating
a Culture of Safety and Excellence
Our indoctrination training at Boeing was
indeed an integral part of assimilating us into the culture of meticulous
engineering, and unwavering commitment to safety. Working hand-in-hand with the
FAA provided the necessary checks and balances. Both organizations performed at
their best in their respective lines of duty to design, develop, build,
test, certify, and manufacture the best and safest airplanes. This
collaborative approach ensured a comprehensive process that prioritized safety
and quality throughout the aircraft development lifecycle.
Photo Credit: Jeremy Elson
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