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Another Boeing Dreamliner Mishap

AND MORE “MACK DADDY PROBLEMS” AT COMPANY’S S.C. FACILITY … An Air India flight headed from New Delhi to Melbourne, Australia was forced to land in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia this week after experiencing the loss of all three of its navigational computers. “The cockpit software system went blank,” Indian television…

AND MORE “MACK DADDY PROBLEMS” AT COMPANY’S S.C. FACILITY …

An Air India flight headed from New Delhi to Melbourne, Australia was forced to land in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia this week after experiencing the loss of all three of its navigational computers.

“The cockpit software system went blank,” Indian television station IBN Live reported. “The flight landed without any navigation aid.”

Ruh-roh.

And yes, the plane in question was a Boeing 787 Dreamliner – although it’s not yet clear whether it was one of the planes manufactured at the company’s troubled North Charleston, S.C. facility.

“We are aware of the in-service incident and are working with Air India to provide support,” Boeing said in a statement.

Boeing’s Air India fleet has been “particularly trouble prone,” according to the website Quartz.com.

“The planes has 136 ‘minor technical snags’ between September, 2012 and November, 2013, according to India’s civil aviation minister,” the website reports.

S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley and other status quo-supporting South Carolina politicians have bet big on Boeing and its Dreamliner – which continues to experience all sorts of problems in the wake of its global grounding for three months last year.

South Carolina’s plant has had its share of issues, too – as first reported by FITS back in November.

These problems are now being picked up by the mainstream media.

“Since late last year, Boeing 787 Dreamliner fuselage sections from North Charleston, S.C., have arrived at the Everett final assembly line seriously incomplete with wiring and hydraulics lines missing,” The Seattle Times reported earlier this week. “The poorly done work out of Charleston threatens to undermine the company’s plans to deliver 10 Dreamliners a month and fulfill the much-delayed jet program’s original promise.”

Allegedly, Charleston is shipping incomplete planes to Everett so the plant can claim to have met its production quotas.

According to The (Charleston, S.C.) Post and Courier, Boeing was supposed to respond to those reports today “after two days of no response to multiple requests for an interview.”

Yikes …

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89 comments

Rocky February 7, 2014 at 11:07 am

Boy, seems like SC managers for Boeing are as effective as Nikki’s management of the state (and the legislature). You start seeing this trend – doncha? I wonder if ability had anything to do with Chase pulling out of Florence.

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CNSYD February 7, 2014 at 11:20 am

News flash for Rocky. The Chase pull out is a result of the decrease in refinance applications.

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johnq February 7, 2014 at 11:24 am

That and their employees couldn’t stand living in South Carolina.

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Rocky February 7, 2014 at 12:52 pm

Or couldn’t spell Refinance.

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SCDEW February 8, 2014 at 12:50 pm

Remind us all why you moved here.

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CNSYD February 7, 2014 at 11:10 am

The Seattle Times, to no surprise, implies that had union workers assembled the fuselage sections this would not occurred.They are still pissed that Boeing has opened a non union plant in SC. Such “minor” things seem to escape Sic Willie.

I suppose that Sic Willie will now tell us that Boeing just awarded up to 18 days pay as a bonus to full time workers for their “poor” performance. Just think, according to Sic Willie “logic”, how much they would have received for “good” performance.

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Will Folks aka Sic February 7, 2014 at 11:11 am

Guy … the Boeing production problems in North Charleston we exclusively reported on last November were followed up by CNBC in January. Seattle Times is actually LATE to the party, but hey … whatever makes you feel better.

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CNSYD February 7, 2014 at 11:21 am

What? Sic Willie now hangs his hat on MSM? Wonders will never cease.

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Native Ink February 7, 2014 at 1:23 pm

Stop seeing everything as politics. There are real problems at that plant. “Mystery” holes that appear in bulkheads, for example. I’ve heard from one guy at the plant that some managers hint that they want the union to move in. Then they’d have someone to blame! Maybe that would make you happy too.

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CNSYD February 7, 2014 at 2:27 pm

OK, its not politics. Ever since Haley closed her legs to Sic Willie he has opposed everything she does. She supports the Boeing deal so he doesn’t. Happy now?

I am sure your “credible” inside info is accurate. Bet you could find a malcontent at any other SC manufacturing plant who would complain.

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Jackie Chiles February 7, 2014 at 11:13 am

HUZZAH! A plane almost crashed that was built in South Carolina! So happy to trash stuff people in SC do to prove how much I love SC.

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johnq February 7, 2014 at 11:22 am

More to trash Boeing for hiring the bottom of the labor heap to build their planes. Rather than have experienced union labor build their aircraft they chose to go cheap and now they are paying for it. You get what you pay for and hiring unskilled, uneducated workers to build complex aircraft is going to end up getting lots of people killed and could bankrupt Boeing.

But hey the fat cats get their bonuses and that is what matters in the short run!

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CNSYD February 7, 2014 at 11:30 am

Please list exactly what training the workers did NOT receive? OK, times up.

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johnq February 7, 2014 at 11:32 am

An apprenticeship with skilled workers before being line qualified.

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CNSYD February 7, 2014 at 2:29 pm

and how does that compare to the training program at Everett? What FAA inspections are performed and how did all the alleged errors pass by them?

Tool Talk by John February 8, 2014 at 12:48 pm

Ignore him, he’s the village idiot who can’t even find a job- talking about what makes a “skilled worker”. That should tell you everything.

CNSYD February 8, 2014 at 3:58 pm

Weird. I get paychecks from an employer but don’t have a job. Please don’t tell them.

and your jobs in manufacturing are/were?

Tool Talk by John February 8, 2014 at 5:33 pm

Did you mean to respond to johnq?

If not, I have no idea what you mean, I never accused you of not having a job. Johnq is the one without a job.

CNSYD February 8, 2014 at 7:27 pm

Please accept my apologies.

Tool Talk by John February 9, 2014 at 12:36 pm

None needed, it was simply a misunderstanding.

I Hate Tea February 7, 2014 at 11:30 am

Union Labor? Lazy, sit under the tree waiting for a paycheck workers over motivated, happy to have a good job work force?

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Native Ink February 7, 2014 at 1:29 pm

Motivation only lasts so long when your paycheck sucks. Boeing has some techs on the flight line who are truly great at what they do. They fix the problems coming off the other two lines. Unfortunately these good workers are paid about the same as the bad ones. Wait, non-union plants are supposed to let the best workers excel and earn far more than their lazy counterparts! Sure… When a company is concerned with cheap labor, they ain’t gonna reward anyone who’s blue collar.

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CNSYD February 7, 2014 at 2:31 pm

So the Boeing bonuses did not happen?

euwe max February 7, 2014 at 11:25 pm

Motivation only lasts so long when your paycheck sucks

——–
It flags when you’re making 3 million dollars a year and your taxes increase by 10% to return to previous tax rates, too, apparently… and just to spite the government for even *contemplating* such a thing, they refuse to create jobs, or produce a quality product.

I'm an economic idiot February 8, 2014 at 12:27 am

That why we need government to take over Boeing and fix it.

euwe max February 8, 2014 at 2:00 am

That why we need government to take over Boeing and fix it.

——
Good luck with that, genius!

I'm an economic idiot February 8, 2014 at 12:49 pm

So how do we fix Boeing?

euwe max February 8, 2014 at 3:01 pm

vote for Sarah Palin – she’ll lay hands on it.

I'm an economic idiot February 9, 2014 at 12:37 pm

Can’t Obama fix it?

euwe max February 9, 2014 at 12:48 pm

We need RINOs and teapartiers to fix it… like Bush did.

William February 7, 2014 at 2:18 pm

I bet you have never worked in a unionized manufacturing facility in your life. Let me guess you mourned the loss of mill villages, company stores, and one room school houses where they taught 6 year olds to work second shift.

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johnq February 7, 2014 at 11:26 am

See what happens when you have government run incentive plans to get high tech jobs for low tech workers.

#FAIL

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Babelfish February 7, 2014 at 11:39 am

Remind us why you aren’t employed again.

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RogueElephant February 7, 2014 at 1:28 pm

Having worked half my life for a large multinational corp. I will put SC workers up against any others anywhere with the same training and experience. That is the key. Training and experience. It takes time to gain the experience that turns a good job into a great job. The techs who quality check the line workers undoubtly need further training . Along the same line I have worked union and nonunion. Most of the time union workers are more interested in the off times than in work. I was an assistant shop steward for a while and spent most of my time “protecting” sorry workers from their just firings. As time passes things will even out.

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CNSYD February 7, 2014 at 2:32 pm

Don’t you yet understand that real life work experiences are not welcome here?

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RogueElephant February 7, 2014 at 3:44 pm

I guess that is a result of the 58% employment number. 42% sit around and do this.

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jimlewisowb February 7, 2014 at 12:59 pm

“…..plane has….minor technical snags”

I don’t fly but if I did, issues such as battery fires, loss of navigation, fuselage panel falling off, a cracked windshield, transponder failure causing a communications problem, etc. would give me cause to drive, walk, swim, stay home – anything to stay off one of these planes

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CNSYD February 7, 2014 at 1:07 pm

Then you will never fly in any plane. They ALL have issues that periodically occur. It is the frequency that counts. What is the “ready to fly” rate for a 787? >97%.

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Native Ink February 7, 2014 at 1:40 pm

97% is a terrible figure. That means 3 out of 100 planes cannot take off because they are deemed unsafe to fly. Nice.

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CNSYD February 7, 2014 at 2:35 pm

So what the rate for other planes?

Unsafe? Is that what it means? Apparently you have never flown and seen what chicken shit reasons that airlines come up with not to fly when they have underloaded aircraft.

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Native Ink February 7, 2014 at 2:57 pm

Boeing says it wants the rate to be over 99%. It admits that the 787 isn’t reliable enough. Maybe one day it will be. It’s not yet.

CNSYD February 7, 2014 at 3:03 pm

Agreed, but per Sic Willie, he expects them to be falling out of the sky left and right. Isn’t that his message? It’s those damn incentives. The state of Washington gives incentives to Boeing and he doesn’t worry about their union assembled planes. Its also those damn non unionized, government-run school educated SC workers.

shifty henry February 7, 2014 at 3:30 pm

Ink, Shifty is more concerned with the 3 out 100 that may not be able to LAND………..

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Yep! February 7, 2014 at 3:44 pm

Last I read, industry standard for non-critical failure was around around 1/3 of 1%…..

If 97% was the current industry rate, planes would be dropping out of the sky every day. lol

Good comment!

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CNSYD February 7, 2014 at 3:46 pm

Reading comprehension. ready TO FLY.

Patrick Ssenyonjo February 7, 2014 at 10:05 pm

No new plane achieves 99% in one year of operation. So this will take time as airlines around the world adjust to the 787 operations.

jimlewisowb February 7, 2014 at 2:42 pm

Topping the hill with the needle kissing seventy. Haven’t flown and don’t see any reason to start now.

True, there may be other planes with similar “minor” flaws but given the publicity that this plane has received I would walk away from it rather than get on it

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Patrick Ssenyonjo February 7, 2014 at 10:08 pm

At 70 I understand your worries. At only 23, I know the difference between the advances of the 787 and previous aircraft, you’re most likely to die in older planes than new ones.
So i’ll take a 787 anytime.

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Patrick Ssenyonjo February 7, 2014 at 10:04 pm

Which plane model do you know that hasn’t faced those same problems???

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Patrick Ssenyonjo February 7, 2014 at 10:04 pm

Which plane model do you know that hasn’t faced those same problems???

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Filo February 8, 2014 at 1:53 pm

They don’t let drunk old farts on flights, so it a moot issue Jimmy boy.

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jimlewisowb February 8, 2014 at 8:22 pm

Too bad but then they allow POS’s to post comments

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venomachine February 7, 2014 at 1:04 pm

Sounds a little like the union boys and girls in Everett are trash talking the right to workers in SC.

Sounds baseless to me, until they provide documentation, which should be easy to do, if their allegations are true.

The IBN story sounds a little on the fishy side, too.

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CNSYD February 7, 2014 at 1:08 pm

Bingo!

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Native Ink February 7, 2014 at 1:19 pm

You obviously don’t know anybody who works at Boeing S.C. The mishaps and problems at that plant are common knowledge to the people who work there. It has nothing to do with union trash-talk. It has more to do with the local media refusing to investigate anything that makes Boeing look even slightly bad,

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venomachine February 7, 2014 at 1:32 pm

Provide the evidence, my friend. Aircraft assembly is documented out the ying-yang.

Put up or shut up, in the vernacular of the street.

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Native Ink February 7, 2014 at 1:38 pm

Why do you think there’s no evidence? There was plenty of evidence offered in that Seattle Times story.

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CNSYD February 7, 2014 at 2:36 pm

The Seattle Times, which of course has no ulterior motive.

venomachine February 7, 2014 at 3:03 pm

So there was no evidence, but plenty of evidence?

euwe max February 7, 2014 at 5:58 pm

I’d trust private business over unions any day. There’s just something about a million dollar salary and stock options that say “trustworthy.”

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Trust February 7, 2014 at 11:24 pm

“A man with a family just barely able to put food on his table, pay the mortgage and send his kids to college seems shifty to me.”

I say let him design the planes!

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M355 February 8, 2014 at 3:19 am

Boeing has not flatly denied the charges of incomplete work in Charleston and has admitted that they will have to rehire contract labor to correct manufacturing problems.

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CNSYD February 8, 2014 at 4:06 pm

They have not denied kidnapping the Lindbergh baby either. Go back and read why the contract workers will be rehired. It does not say what you allege.

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M355 February 8, 2014 at 4:46 pm Reply
CNSYD February 8, 2014 at 7:32 pm

I don’t have an on line subscription so the link would not let me read more than a couple of sentences. Sorry. The hiring of temp workers is to help get the assembly line running better not to correct shoddy work. Once performance improves guess what happens to the temp workers.

Halfvast Conspirator February 7, 2014 at 2:58 pm

Tank you berry mooch for to be calling the 787 support hotline, we looking very forward to be helping you with your problem. To begin push 1 for technical supporting, push 2 for warranty issueing, push 3 for product to be registering for technical supporting and warranty issuing, push 4 for all other considerations.

Tinking you berry mooch, all of our experiencing service providers are experience unusually calling volumes, please be holding for the next technically supporting person on the calling.

In the meantime while waiting, have you been turning off your navigating system and turning it backing on? Have you installed the latest updating to the navigating system? Please try these simple steps while we are holding to provide your servicing.

This is Pradeep, I am to be helping you today. Can you please tell me the serial number of your navigating system while I am working to solve you. If you do not have the serial numbering please provide your registration acknowledging number which can be found in the emailings we sent to you when you registered your navigating system. If you do not have these numberings, please find them and be calling again when we can be helping you. Tank you berry mooch, it is a great day for to being in Mumbai!

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Native Ink February 7, 2014 at 3:02 pm

One thing FITSNews didn’t mention is that the FAA is launching an audit of Boeing’s factories, including Charleston. You can read more about it at All Things 787 at http://nyc787.blogspot.com/ .

Quoting from that blog, “Sources described the production of the mid body fuselage section built
in building 88-20 as “a complete disaster, a cluster fuck.” This is a
very worrying development to Charleston workers as some of them feel
that the FAA may shut them down because of issues the audit may uncover.”

By the way, All Things 787 is a very pro-Boeing blog. It is far from being a pro-union or Charleston-bashing place.

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CNSYD February 7, 2014 at 3:09 pm

“Sources” Those mysterious voices that have all the “facts” but are never identified nor are they going to be required to produce evidence. I presume “cluster fuck” is a FAA term that they use in their reports.

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Native Ink February 7, 2014 at 3:10 pm

Good luck finding current employees who will go public with their inside information. Boeing refuses to share any information about problems at the plant.

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CNSYD February 7, 2014 at 3:54 pm

Refuses to share with who? You mean a private, free enterprise entity won’t give away information on the inter-workings of its company to just anyone who walks in off the street? Shocking!

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euwe max February 7, 2014 at 5:57 pm

That’s just one more reason to trust private business with our infrastructure!

Native Ink February 7, 2014 at 7:28 pm

So you want facts but you’re okay that Boeing doesn’t supply any? This FAA audit is the first one Charleston has ever undergone. Hopefully the FAA is a trustworthy enough source for you.

CNSYD February 7, 2014 at 3:11 pm

OH NO! The blog has updates! Seems the audit is NOT Charleston ALONE nor was it recently scheduled.

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Rocky February 7, 2014 at 4:29 pm

Had to run out and check inside the door of my BMW. Whew!! Fortunately it was made in Germany, not SC.

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SC WORKS February 7, 2014 at 5:09 pm

Here’s some reality: bonuses are paid company wide, for delivery for instance. Charleston just falls in one of ?the categories. They only delivered 3 a/c in ?the last 5 months of ?the year. They are supposed to do 3 a month. Everett had to step up and do extra work to deliver ?the Charleston obligation since they couldn’t. Now Boeing has increased delivery to 10 a month and Charleston is not ready, so again Everett has to make ?the obligation. All planes are not inspected by ?the FAA, Boeing operates under a production certificate so they don’t have to inspect every A/C. Lose that certificate and ?the FAA has to inspect EVERYTHING. they would be able to deliver about one plane every 2 months or so if that happens. It looks at this point that charlestons cert is in suspension, which explains why everything is being sent to Everett to be fixed or finished. This is a bad thing. Which is why I assume Boeing has been mute. And they’re not a private company they’re a publicly traded company. Let’s hope those Everett men and women can save this situation again….task tsk

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CNSYD February 7, 2014 at 6:26 pm

Are you a shop steward in Everett? You sound like it.

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Karadion February 8, 2014 at 1:36 pm

“everything in being sent to Everett to be fixed or finished.” What exactly is “everything”?

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euwe max February 7, 2014 at 5:56 pm

I thought South Carolina was the solution, not the problem.

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M355 February 8, 2014 at 3:16 am

Theoretically yes. But, when you have an unskilled workforce in South Carolina and have to bring in contract labor and mechanics and engineers from Everett, Washington to fix the mistakes the SC workers make then the alleged solution becomes the problem in a big way.

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CNSYD February 8, 2014 at 7:34 pm

Is this the same unskilled work force that currently assembles BMWs and in years past assembled nuclear missiles and refueled submarine reactors?

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Deo Vindice SC February 9, 2014 at 6:47 pm

Ever lived outside SC ?

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Deo Vindice SC February 8, 2014 at 8:23 pm

Too much trust in a 150 year old tradition. See other states that have it going on. Clue; Not SC.

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euwe max February 8, 2014 at 8:56 pm

They drink mint juleps in the shade all day?

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GarryGR February 7, 2014 at 6:18 pm

WOW! BA stock probably crashed today; ah, let me check that. HMmmm, up $4.35 (4.55%). I’d say “The Market” didn’t find this story to be significant, unless you think this was a positive Boeing story! ;-)

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dwb619 February 7, 2014 at 8:40 pm

Given a choice, I will opt for my bud’s 1946 Luskim, only 65 hp, but it flutters to the ground in a very shallow glide.

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Thomas February 9, 2014 at 2:20 am

Now that we have Boeing here, the trick is to pair a skilled, efficient, non-union workforce that actually manufactures components instead of assembling out of state manufactured components. Takes a Governor that can think forward in the big picture in lieu of a Governor that thinks what she is told to think by Captain Wonderful. You were elected, honey, not him. Get some people around you that can give you valid info/facts then ram your vetted/proven ideas through the GA using politics.

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mountbaten99 February 9, 2014 at 8:58 am

Looks like Boeing Company deliberately and intentionally built this state of the art Aircraft called Dreamliner 787. The Aircraft has become a pain for the Airlines who have inducted it in their Airlines .One problem after another and that gives extra revenue to boeing company in terms of spare parts and service.This should be taught a lesson provided all airlines switch over to Airbus aircraft.

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Native Ink February 12, 2014 at 12:39 pm

Good article about Boeing’s issues from Reuters: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/11/us-boeing-dreamliner-idUSBREA1A06T20140211
Workers in Charleston are being told to put down their tools and send uncompleted the parts down the line so Boeing can say the production rate is being met.

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