Boeing Higher Education Program
![]() |
Boeing Externship Program 2018 Contest on the theme of "New Technologies and Business Proposals f... October 01, 2018 |
![]() |
During the 5 days from September 25 to 29 of 2017, the American aviation tour was held with 17 st... September 30, 2017 |
![]() |
*Visiting Japan Business Association of Seattle* The fifth day was finally the US aviation tour.... September 29, 2017 |
![]() |
*Visiting Grant County International Airport in Moses Lake* This time we visited the site of MRJ... September 28, 2017 |
![]() |
*Visiting Boeing's Everett factory* On September 27th we visited Boeing’s Everette factory which... September 27, 2017 |
![]() |
*Visit to Toray* On the first day of this tour, we visited the Tacoma factory of Toray Composi... September 26, 2017 |
![]() |
*Visit the Consulate-General of Japan in Seattle * On the first day, we visited the Consulate-Ge... September 25, 2017 |
![]() |
We planned and carried out a study tour of various important sites for the Europe aerospace indus... September 15, 2016 |
![]() |
Since 2012, Boeing Japan has held a so-called "externship" program in which university students c... September 09, 2016 |
![]() |
This summer again, we held a summer intensive course “Aviation Technology Innovation” where about... August 04, 2016 |
![]() |
In March 2016, we visited factories of Yamanouchi Seisakusyo Co.,Ltd. located in Niigata, and dis... March 06, 2016 |
![]() |
On December 25th, we held special winter workshop at Hongo campus and invited professionals of av... December 25, 2015 |
![]() |
Since 2012, Boeing Japan has held a so-called "externship" program in which university students ... October 02, 2015 |
![]() |
We planned and carried out a study tour of various important sites for the US aerospace industry... September 17, 2015 |
![]() |
We planned and carried out a study tour of various important sites for the US aerospace industry... September 16, 2015 |
![]() |
We planned and carried out a study tour of various important sites for the US aerospace industry... September 13, 2015 |
![]() |
This summer again, we held a summer intensive course “Aviation Technology Innovation” where about... August 05, 2015 |
![]() |
We Tokyo-U students visited Nippon Cargo Airlines (NCA), with headquarter in Narita Internationa... September 11, 2014 |
![]() |
As an activity of “Aviation System International Project Based Learning” class, we are investigat... August 14, 2014 |
![]() |
The Aeronautics Innovation Course was a summer intensive course opened for the third grade of the... August 04, 2014 |
![]() |
To deepen the understanding of the aviation industry by knowing the field of Japan airline, we v... July 09, 2014 |
![]() |
As an activity of “Aviation System International Project Based Learning” class, we visit compani... July 07, 2014 |
![]() |
Participating to the idea contest of the Boeing seminar, we have a series of discussion about ne... August 02, 2013 |
![]() |
We have a series of discussion about new business models and aircraft technologies for the futur... July 11, 2013 |
![]() |
In 2012, the University of Tokyo received a grant from The Boeing Company for a project to foste... April 26, 2013 |
*Visit to Toray*
On the first day of this tour, we visited the Tacoma factory of Toray Composite Materials America Company in Tacoma City, Washington State. In the morning we received a brief explanation of the company in the conference room and we took a tour of the factory afterwards. Prepregs produced at this factory are shipped to the Boeing Company, which owns factories in Washington State, and are used for Boeing 787 and other aircrafts. Because of the hygiene control in the factory, we entered the factory after covering us with a special suit, shoes and airshower to prevent contamination of dust. While we were visiting the manufacturing processes, production machines and inspection process of prepregs, students were asking questions actively the guidance staff. Especially enthusiastic and advanced questions were given by chemistry students who study carbon nanotubes.
*Presentation*
After the factory tour, a presentation by the students was held surrounding our pizza lunch. The contents of the presentation was the recycling of CFRP. Currently, about 400 aircraft are disassembled in a year, and it is anticipated that the numbers will increase in the future; therefore practical application of recycling is indispensable. On the other hand, CFRP is difficult to recycle as compared to metal materials. In the presentation, commercial issues in practical use of CFRP recycling, Boeing’s efforts to recycle, Toray’s efforts to recycle, and Toray's future efforts were discussed. In response to this presentation, Japanese engineers and local American engineers explained the prospects of recycling from both a technological and commercial perspective. Also, questions were issued from several students about the explanation, and a very hot debate was ensured.
*Museum of Flight*
After we finished a visit to Toray in the afternoon, we dropped by to the museum on our way back to Seattle. This museum owns and displays numerous aircraft and is the largest aviation museum in the West Coast of the USA. A large amount of aircrafts were exhibited in the exhibition room, which took advantage of the wide space of the colonnade at the height corresponding to a total of 4 floors. The exhibition models were diverse. SR-71 was sitting in the center and attracting visitors' attentions. Besides it were fighter planes, airliners, manned airplanes, UAVs and spacecraft which were displayed narrowly. At the exhibition section of the warfare military aircraft, there was a form of the former Imperial Japanese Army's type 1 fighter “Falcon”. The museum also had an exhibition space on the other side across the road. There was a full-size model for Space shuttle training and a number of rocket items were on display. In addition, there were aircraft exhibition corners outdoors, such as the famous passenger aircraft such as Concorde, VC - 137 (presidential special aircraft), B747, B787. Relatively recent jet fighters seuch as F - 14, B-29, which is deeply related to Japanese people, were also exhibited.
While being overwhelmed by the enormous number of exhibits, the students enjoyed their fulfilling exhibitions. The number of exhibition machines exceeded 150, we felt a difference in scale when compared to the Japanese aircraft museum, and a strong respect for all aviation technologies of USA.
*****
After completing the first two days of the tour, we became accustomed to America. The presentation in English was very hard to prepare, but we were able to finish on time. In the second part, we will deliver an overview about our visit to the Boeing’s Everett Factory, Grant County International Airport, and Japan Business Association of Seattle.