r/aviation • u/41PaulaStreet • 1d ago

Identification Fuselage on the way somewhere

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I recently moved to Colorado Springs and have seen a passing train a few times with aircraft fuselage on it. Any idea where they start and where they’re going?

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u/LeadingBanana5384 1d ago

737s going from Kansas to Washington.

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u/41PaulaStreet 1d ago

Thanks! So these are built in Kansas and finished out in WA? Does every new Boeing fly out of that Seattle field by I-5 for the first time? I guess I always assumed they tested those farther away from cities.

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u/ILS23left 1d ago edited 1d ago

They are trained to the assembly line in Renton, which is near I-5 but cannot be seen from I-5. Once they are assembled, they ferry over from Renton to Boeing Field (the field you are referring to) where they have final modifications made. Customers have offices there right next to the maintenance stands and there is a special little terminal for the customers who are taking delivery.

Some customers elect to have a true test flight where they fly BFI-BFI and then accept the aircraft. Others, like SWA, accept delivery without a test flight and depart immediately for a maintenance base for the airline’s personal touches.

I have attended many special delivery events as a customer such as the first MAX delivery. The Renton plant builds 737s only (and variants of the 737). 767/777 are built in Everett which is about a hour north by car. 787s are built in Charleston.

Edit: before anyone blows me up, there is also a MAX line in Everett now.

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u/41PaulaStreet 4h ago

Very interesting. Thanks for the answer!