WHY WE’RE HERE 10 BOEING FRONTIERS / JUNE 2013 I enjoy complexity and challenge, so the Blanket Shop is a good place for me to work. We make and repair insulation blankets for every model of Boeing commercial airplane. Everything I do, I do with quality. So much of this job comes from my heart. The blankets are Fiberglas batting within a thin skin. They line the interior of the airplane, like insulation in a house, and are used for soundproofing, fireproofing and temperature control in the cabin. They also direct condensation away from passengers. The blankets are stitched together or joined with fireproof tape to match the shape of the airplane, and everything must fit perfectly. It is like a work of art. During my training, we learned everything, step by step, about how to cut, sew and tape blankets according to the engineers’ drawings. I thought, Wow! This is not easy. This is very specialized. It requires great patience. To begin, I lay out the assigned work and measure, mark, staple and cut to fabricate parts that correspond to the drawing. Every blanket is different because each airplane is different. I use my math skills to establish reference points to check dimensions. Sometimes I get so involved I forget the time. I may not eat. Then I look up and it’s time to go home. To finish the blanket, I sometimes work inside the airplane and join the pieces with tape. Other times I sew them together in the workshop. Sewing was new to me, but I’ve become a professional. I am grateful to work at Boeing and create objects of quality. I have worked at Boeing for more than two years. Previously I had worked at several Northwest companies as a machinist. A Boeing job presents new learning experiences and opportunities for career growth. I often write, and this is what I say about my job: “I love to see people succeed and bring new energy into our workplace … If I walk in the Blanket Shop, a flower will bloom under my feet with every step. In fact, the flowers will smile at me and wish me well in my working day.” n cecelia.c.goodnow@boeing.com From the heart Making airplane insulation blankets is a work of art for this employee By Cecelia Goodnow Photo by Gail Hanusa Precision and attention to detail are essential skills at Boeing Fabrication’s Emergent Operations. But Vincent Pham, a native of Vietnam who immigrated to the United States in 1984, brings something extra—a sense of poetry and artistic appreciation for his work. In this Frontiers series that profiles employees talking about their jobs, Pham describes his pursuit of quality in the Blanket Shop in Everett, Wash.
Frontiers June 2013 Issue
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