painter on the 737 program. “We’re also using a brand-new technique to create the brush strokes.” The team taped three varnish brushes together to create a footwide brush that they drew across the painted surface to get the effect the airline wanted. On day five the painting was done. Mendoowoorrji was ready for its unveiling. The airplane, for use on domestic routes, was delivered from Seattle in November, with Bedford’s daughter and Aboriginal elders in attendance. “They did an amazing job,” said Twist, the senior projects engineer for Qantas. “It’s a challenge to do a livery like this,” Hoye said, speaking for the entire 24-person Boeing team that worked on Mendoowoorrji. “We’re proud to have done it right.” n dawsalee.griffin@boeing.com Fish tale PHOTO: Alaska Airlines’ “Salmon-Thirty-Salmon II,” painted by Associated Painters, transformed a Boeing 737-800 into a glimmering salmon. ALASKA AIRLINES Alaska Airlines, widely known for its creative paint jobs, partnered with the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute in 2005, and again in 2012, to produce one of the most ambitious liveries in memory. 44 Frontiers February 2014 Unveiled in October 2012, the livery, known as Salmon-Thirty- Salmon II, transformed a 737-800 into a glimmering Alaska king salmon, airbrushed in 21 colors and sporting nearly 3,500 iridescent fish scales. Designed by wildlife artist Mark Boyle and painted by Associated Painters of Oklahoma City, the livery was intended to highlight the state’s role as a leading provider of fresh seafood—and the airline’s role in zipping the catch to North American markets. “Our Salmon-Thirty-Salmon is one of the most intricately painted aircraft in the world, and it beautifully spotlights the important partnership between our airline and the seafood industry in the state of Alaska,” said Marilyn Romano, Alaska Airlines’ vice president for the state of Alaska. n PHOTOS: (From top) A Southwest Airlines 737 in basketball-themed livery by Boeing. BOEING An Air China 777-300ER (Extended Range), painted last July. PATRICK RODWELL/ BOEING An Air Canada 777-300 in Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics livery. TIMOTHY STAKE/BOEING
Frontiers February 2014 Issue
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