Why Do We Call Ourselves "Bluebills?"

Bluebill was the original name of the first airplane Bill Boeing built in 1915. There are many retiree organizations working throughout The Boeing Company's vast domain. The Bluebills are those who are grouped in Western Washington. We are part of the Boeing Volunteer Retiree Program.

Bob Lambert, one of our founding members, has written a history of the Bluebills name, and a fascinating story of the Bluebill painting and the almost mystical chain of circumstances that allowed it to be painted. The story involves the artist, Phil Janney, and the WWII Boeing B-17 'Flying Fortress' bomber called the 'Patsy Ann III' in which he was a crew member. To read the story in it's full length click here to download the Word document. We will be placing a shorter version soon on this web site.