Boeing/PMDG NG(X) - Delivery procedure

[737freak 42]

Dear fellow Simmers and PMDG Staff,When the NGX is finally released, I want to do the following after I bought & installed it: I want to simulate a real ' Boeing 737NG delivery process', because KLM (my favorite airline) will be picking up quite a few new NG's this year. So, I thought it would be fun to shuttle a 'brand new' 737NG (X) back to Amsterdam Schiphol (EHAM, my home airport). But I have a few questions regarding this 'Delivery procedure'.The NG's are build at Renton (KRNT), each month there are 30 NG's rolling out of the hangar. They still have their metal protective coating, so they have to be painted. Does this happen at KRNT, at KBFI or at KPAE? If the painting process take places at Renton, what it the next step of delivery? Are the painted (in airline livery) NG's tested at KRNT? Do they take them for a test ride there? Or are they flown to another airport (KBFI or KPAE)?Where does the actual delivery take place? At KRNT itself or at KBFI or KPAE? Are there any more tests or test flights before Delivery can take place? Okay, let's assume the following things. This is my plan, tell me if this is correct:- Brand new, fully painted 737-800 is flown from KRNT to KBFI.- There will be a few testflights at KBFI.- After that Delivery can take place.- A few lucky KLM pilots are here to shuttle her back to EHAM- There is some more testing. Complete system check, walk around, etc.- The bird will be fully fueled for the trip to EHAM.- After an 8 hour flight the new 737-800 arrives at EHAMPlease, tell me if this scenario is realistic. Also, correct the mistakes I made.And if you had any problems understanding my English, please say so. I will try to answer your questions.@PMDG: take your time, I'm still preparing myself for the NGX. Man, I will have to learn a lot! PMDG, you are my hero's.The NGX is like Jezus and PMDG is like God.Thanks in advance!

[yyzflier 11]

Hi Henk . . . I'm more familiar with 777 deliveries out of Paine Field but I think you are close to the mark. 737s are built in Renton but the delivery centre is Boeing Field. I believe that's where their 737 flight test is located too. Typically, Boeing pilots will fly a number of test flights out of BFI, often using Moses Lake (KMWH) as a destination. Just before the actual handover, they'll fly an exhuastive test flight with airline pilots at the controls. They'll test alarm systems, single-engine flight, shutdowns and relights, etc. Once the bugs found on this flight are fixed, the aircraft financing is finalized and the plane handed over.I'm not sure how much work is needed after the aircraft arrives at the airlines' base. Likely cosmetic involving customer touches, likely signage perhaps. Certainly the big stuff has already been done by Boeing and its suppliers.Perhaps after release, the PMDG folks might be able to tell us more, given their working relationship with Boeing. Some early pictures from them indicated the aircraft could even be fitted out with drag probes and test gear for those test flights. Pretty cool.

[blackheart2502 0]

Henk if you look on airliners.net you'll notice some of the NG's are painted at Renton and some after they leave there. Some are painted at BFI and I think some might even get painted at Portland. I know they take 777's to Portland all the time since they started building 787's and 747-8's at full rate. You might also notice that some NG's get their winglets at the factory and some get them when they arrive at the airline after delivery. I read an article on this a long time ago and it was because of contractual details. None of the winglets come from Boeing. They come from a Seattle company called Aviation Partners that designed the 737 winglets. They are considered BFE(Buyer Furnished Equipment) Some airlines buy them and they are delivered to the Renton factory and Boeing installs them on the production line and other airlines buy them and install them at their own facility after delivery. I'm sure you can search around the web and find out which way KLM does it so in case they install them in Amsterdam you can simulate the flight witout the winglets to get the most realism. A great way to find a delivery flight plan for a KLM NG from BFI to EHAM would be to look on flightaware.com. You should be able to type in the city pair and look back in the history to find the route they flew on previous deliveries. You might also look at flights between PAE and EHAM for the 777 delivery routes. They might be the same. As far as the test flights go the initial flight is called a B1, I guess for Boeing 1. Then subsequent tests are called B2, B3, etc. And then I believe the first customer test flight is the C1. If they don't find any squawks on the jet then they take delivery but if there are things that need to be fixed or adjusted to the customers satisfaction there will be a C2, etc. I know the B1 flight is a standardized flight that covers all the major systems and airworthiness items. You should be able to find the B1 flight profile online somewhere. There has been a massive amount written about Boeing test flying since the 787 started testing. There should be a bunch of great stuff on Jon Ostrower's blog, flightblogger on flightglobal.com. If you e-mail him and ask him he might know the profile or have a copy of it, and if he doesn't I'm sure he can point you to the right person to e-mail. He's got tons of contacts at Boeing and he is also an FSX simmer like us. I know his twitter feed said how much he was looking forward to NGX just like us. There are two TV programs on youtube that i think will help you also. The first was a PBS TV show from the late nineties called 21st Century Jet that covers the development, testing and delivery of the 777. On the fifth episode I think, they actually film the C1 flight with the United Airlines test pilot flying the first 777 Unied took delivery of. You also get to see the whole delivery process including how they transfer the money and when the customer actually get the ceremonial keys to the jet. The second program was a TV show about Lufthansa taking delivery of a new 747-430 in the nineties. The TV crew was there to film the process all the way from the beginning of production through the delivery flight to Germany. It was very interesting. They also filmed the test flights at Boeing in that program.Hiram Hunt

[mikea76 184]

I am interested in doing a simulated delivery too. Except mine won't be going as far since I plan on simulating a WN delivery

[4116705510 4]

Mine goes to Atlanta.

[RossThomson 1]

Edinburgh for me.

[phoenixphire 50]

A note of interest for some. After recently passing by CYXX Abbotsford I noticed a very shiny new 737-800 with colors I had never seen. Cascade Aerospace does work on 737's but mostly for WestJet and Alaska. On closer examination the air craft was a Fly Dubai. I was very surprised to see that aircraft so I did a bit of research and based on information on the internet the pilots from Fly Dubai take delivery of the aircraft in Abbotsford from Boeing. They then return to Renton or wherever and resume testing. According to the information on the internet taking delivery of the aircraft in Canada allows the company to avoid paying Washington State tax. I don't know if this information is correct but I have since seen other aircraft from different airlines departing CYXX. FYI.

[Robinnn 13]

What I do know is that KLM does not fly direct with the 737ng from Boeing field to Amsterdam. They should make a fuel stop at Keflavik. (BIKF)The route is to long for the B737/B738 to fly direct to Amsterdam.Indeed, the Boeing 777 KLM (last PH-BVF flew direct to Amsterdam, duhh :( )

[jordanal 70]

After further negotiations with PMDG and Boeing for a special delivery, I plan to take a taxi over to our new 787 Dreamliner Delivery Center to pickup my copy. I haven't quite figured out how to simulate the taxi ride in FSX yet though... http://forum.avsim.net/topic/325917-pmdg-ngx-delivery/page__view__findpost__p__1921969

[sijenks5 0]

Ryanair delivery for me lads KBFI - EIDW

[Tatave 57]

Hmmm... I wouldn't mind flying a new Virgin Blue 737 to Australia, but how am I going to cross the pacific with a 737?

[Guest sssspecialista]

I know that Ryanair makes its delivery flights from KBFI to EIDW. In the plane two pilots, full of fuel and no seats inside. The plane flies empty. Seats arrive to Dublin by boat and they are adjusted to the plane in the maintenance hangars in DUB.

[G7USL 117]

Dear fellow Simmers and PMDG Staff,When the NGX is finally released, I want to do the following after I bought & installed it: I want to simulate a real ' Boeing 737NG delivery process', because KLM (my favorite airline) will be picking up quite a few new NG's this year. So, I thought it would be fun to shuttle a 'brand new' 737NG (X) back to Amsterdam Schiphol (EHAM, my home airport). But I have a few questions regarding this 'Delivery procedure'.The NG's are build at Renton (KRNT), each month there are 30 NG's rolling out of the hangar. They still have their metal protective coating, so they have to be painted. Does this happen at KRNT, at KBFI or at KPAE? If the painting process take places at Renton, what it the next step of delivery? Are the painted (in airline livery) NG's tested at KRNT? Do they take them for a test ride there? Or are they flown to another airport (KBFI or KPAE)?Where does the actual delivery take place? At KRNT itself or at KBFI or KPAE? Are there any more tests or test flights before Delivery can take place? Okay, let's assume the following things. This is my plan, tell me if this is correct:- Brand new, fully painted 737-800 is flown from KRNT to KBFI.- There will be a few testflights at KBFI.- After that Delivery can take place.- A few lucky KLM pilots are here to shuttle her back to EHAM- There is some more testing. Complete system check, walk around, etc.- The bird will be fully fueled for the trip to EHAM.- After an 8 hour flight the new 737-800 arrives at EHAMPlease, tell me if this scenario is realistic. Also, correct the mistakes I made.And if you had any problems understanding my English, please say so. I will try to answer your questions.@PMDG: take your time, I'm still preparing myself for the NGX. Man, I will have to learn a lot! PMDG, you are my hero's.The NGX is like Jezus and PMDG is like God.Thanks in advance!

I think the delay is because they are 'throwing in' the scenery for delivery reception area's LOL

[Renzo 0]

Hmmm... I wouldn't mind flying a new Virgin Blue 737 to Australia, but how am I going to cross the pacific with a 737?

Probably via Ancorage, and then via Asia down to Australia.

[737freak 42]

Thank you guys, for all the information!I really appreciate it!