Bringing ideas to life Developing, replicating inventions helps make Boeing stronger and more competitive By Kathrine K. Beck and Candace Barron For any Boeing employee, the progression of inspiration to invention can happen anytime, anywhere. The most important part, most will tell you, is making sure to write it down quick. And that’s how Louis Bailey took a game-changing concept from a paper napkin to market in 20 months. Bailey, a technical lead engineer for Airspace and Operational Efficiency in Boeing Research & Technology, was having lunch with his counterpart from KLM Royal Dutch Airlines at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport when he doodled a concept that would provide airlines with tailored wind and temperature updates to help improve fuel efficiency. “Inventing on a napkin sounds like a classic movie cliché, but an idea hits you when it hits you,” Bailey recounted about his idea, which resulted in a trade secret and seven patents. “It’s improving travel by making arrival times more reliable and helping the environment by reducing fuel burn and emissions.” Within six months of its inception, Bailey and co-inventors Sean Walden, Ryan Hale and Greg Saccone had developed the prototype for dynamic weather updates. Operational development with simulator and flight testing with KLM took another 14 months. This concept led to a change in operational philosophy now being adopted by airlines worldwide. Today, Wind Updates is a paid service offering from Boeing Commercial PHOTOS: (Above) Ryan Hale (clockwise from top left), Greg Saccone, Louis Bailey and Sean Walden invented the Boeing Wind Updates service (inset photo), which helps airlines improve fuel efficiency by sending tailored wind and temperature updates to operations centers, as well as the flight decks of in-transit airplanes. Marian Lockhart /Boeing 44 BOEING FRONTIERS / OCTOBER 2013
Frontiers October 2013 Issue
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