No, I am not talking about its time to hit up boeing (although that’s what I have done the last two weekends). What i’m referring to is something that I have to learn to get used to as a spotter up here in Seattle. There is “normal time” then there is “boeing time”. If your spotting at a Normal Airport, its usually Commerical Aircraft running to a schedule and people get angry when they are late. What happens up here at Paine Field though is mainly Test Flights or Delivery flights. Even though they have to file a flight plan. As if they ever follow it. Things around Everett (and Boeing Field as well I am sure) work on “Boeing Time”.

Boeing Time can easily be described as “yep It will happen, once I have triple checked everything and then we are ready to go”. I should probably be frustrated with them but to be honest, how can I be. I spent most of my weekend chasing a delivery flight that never happened, a 777-200LR Freighter that just never took off (till this morning when I couldn’t go see it), and sat around waiting and waiting for a 787 to come back from its test flight (only 4 hours late).

But even though a day like yesterday where I was backwards and forwards to Paine about 3 times, I am not in the least bit frustrated or anything. In fact, I am over the moon at how it all went. Sure it’s annoying having to drive all the way to the field and find out the flight has been cancelled and you changed all your plans for this. But then, I look at the photos.. and I end up with a shot like this:

From Seattle Spotting 2012

This shot just screams at me saying “look at me”. In fact I now happen to think a few things with that shot.

1. I still love the JAL new livery. No matter what people say about it. The clean lines, the simplicity of it, just make it beautiful
2. This is my favourite view of a 787. It shows off the crazy raked wing tips, the absolute beauty of the plane and just how much flex is in those composite wings

All in all, even though I had my first real run in with Boeing Time, I have to think to myself… It is shots like this:

From Seattle Spotting 2012

Where I think to myself… THIS IS WHY I DO IT!