Exploring Everett - Tygart Media

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Category: Exploring Everett

Everett, Washington is in the middle of something big. A $1 billion waterfront transformation. A Boeing workforce that built the world’s largest commercial jets. A port city with a downtown that’s finally catching up to its potential. A Navy presence at Naval Station Everett. A comedy and arts scene punching above its weight. And neighborhoods — Riverside, Silver Lake, Downtown, Bayside — each with their own identity and story.

Exploring Everett is Tygart Media’s hyperlocal coverage vertical for Snohomish County’s largest city. We cover the waterfront redevelopment, Boeing and Paine Field, city hall, the food and arts scene, real estate, neighborhoods, and everything in between — written for people who live here, work here, or are paying attention to what’s coming.

Coverage categories include: Everett News, Waterfront Development, Boeing & Aerospace, Business, Arts & Culture, Food & Drink, Real Estate, Neighborhoods, Government, Schools, Public Safety, Events, and Outdoors.

Exploring Everett content is also published at exploringeverett.com.

  • Everett Public Schools 2026 Graduation: Ceremony Dates, Venues, and Everything Families Need to Know

    Q: When and where are the Everett Public Schools 2026 graduation ceremonies?
    A: Everett Public Schools holds four separate graduation ceremonies in June 2026. Transition programs (Project Search, GOAL, STRIVE) graduate June 10. Sequoia High School graduates June 11. Cascade High, Henry M. Jackson High, and Everett High all hold commencements June 13. All ceremonies are at Angel of the Winds Arena, 2000 Hewitt Ave, Everett.

    If you have a senior at home, the countdown is real. Yearbooks are arriving, prom is getting close, and at the center of it all is graduation day — the moment the Class of 2026 officially closes one chapter and opens the next.

    Here’s everything Everett families need to know about the 2026 commencement ceremonies — dates, venues, what’s happening in the weeks before, and practical logistics for the big day at the arena.

    The 2026 EPS Graduation Schedule

    All ceremonies are held at Angel of the Winds Arena, 2000 Hewitt Ave, Everett, WA 98201 — the same venue that has hosted EPS graduations for years and holds up to 10,000 for events, giving each school’s graduating class room to fill the floor with their families.

    June 10 — Transition Programs Graduation

    The Class of 2026 for Project Search, GOAL, and STRIVE — three of EPS’s transition programs for students with disabilities — will be honored in a dedicated ceremony on June 10. This separate event recognizes the distinct journey these students and their families have made through the district. Families should confirm specifics through their student’s program coordinator.

    June 11 — Sequoia High School

    Sequoia High School‘s Class of 2026 walks on June 11. Sequoia serves students who take a non-traditional path to a diploma, and the ceremony carries the same pride and accomplishment as any other in the district. Watch for school communications on ceremony time and ticket distribution.

    June 13 — Cascade High, Henry M. Jackson High, and Everett High

    Three of EPS’s four comprehensive high schools graduate on June 13, each with its own ceremony at a staggered time. Specific times will be communicated by each school in May — watch your email and your school’s website for the schedule.

    Cascade High School serves students from some of Everett’s most diverse neighborhoods, including students from the Pinehurst-Beverly Park and Cascade View corridors. Cascade’s most recent graduation rate stood at 96.6%, one of the highest in the district.

    Henry M. Jackson High School draws from Silver Firs, Tambark Creek, and the eastern edges of the EPS boundary. Jackson’s senior class is typically one of the largest in the district.

    Everett High School, the district’s downtown flagship, draws from Bayside, Northwest Everett, Port Gardner, and the broader urban core. Everett High’s ceremony tends to fill the most seats of any single EPS graduation event.

    June 14 — Everett Community College Commencement

    Not an EPS ceremony, but worth noting: Everett Community College is holding its 2026 commencement at Angel of the Winds Arena on June 14 — the day after EPS’s main ceremonies. Many EvCC students started at Everett, Cascade, or Jackson high schools. The RSVP deadline for EvCC graduates participating in the ceremony is May 11, 2026.

    The Senior Season Already Underway

    Graduation ceremonies cap off a full month of senior milestones. The district calendar shows several events between now and commencement day:

    • Senior Awards Night — each school honors academic achievement, scholarships, and community recognition. Dates vary; watch for school communications.
    • Senior Recognition Assembly — a school-wide event where the graduating class is celebrated by the broader student body.
    • Senior Prom — held by each school in May or early June, dates and venues vary.
    • Senior Tea — a tradition at some EPS schools, offering a quieter, more personal recognition moment before the big ceremony.
    • Senior vs. Staff Basketball Game — reliably the most fun anyone has in the building during the final stretch.
    • Yearbooks on Sale May 29 – June 12 — if your senior hasn’t ordered yet, the window is still open.
    • Kindergarten Graduation — elementary schools also hold kindergarten ceremonies in late May and early June. For families celebrating at both ends of the K–12 span, it’s a full season.

    Practical Logistics: Angel of the Winds Arena

    The arena has hosted enough EPS graduations that families know the drill — but here’s what first-timers need to know.

    Arrive early. Graduation fills the arena. Parking around the venue moves fast. The Everett Transit Hub sits directly next to the arena, making transit a genuinely convenient option if you’re coming from within the city.

    Budget 90 minutes to two hours. Ceremony length varies by school size. Everett High and Jackson tend to run longest; Sequoia’s ceremony is typically more compact.

    Tickets. EPS distributes a set number of tickets per graduate for lower-bowl seating. Schools will communicate ticket allocation in May. If your family needs additional tickets, reach out to your school’s main office early — some schools have a waitlist or release process.

    Accessibility. Angel of the Winds Arena has designated accessible seating and accessible parking near the main entrance. Families with specific needs should contact the school or arena in advance.

    Photography. The arena lighting for graduation is much better than most people expect. Bring a real camera if you have one, or plan to position yourself at the aisle for the processional and diploma walk. Many families hire a photographer to capture the ceremony exit.

    This Is the Class of 96.3%

    The Class of 2026 graduates into a record. EPS’s overall graduation rate reached 96.3% in 2025 — with Cascade High at 96.6%. That reflects years of investment in early intervention, pathways like Summer Academy and Career Link, and a district that treats graduation not as a default outcome but as an intentional one.

    Dr. Ian Saltzman, who has led EPS since 2019, has consistently named graduation rate as a primary district metric. The Class of 2026 represents the full run of his leadership — seven years of building a system where walking across that stage is expected, not exceptional.

    For seniors heading to college, the next step often starts locally. The SchooLinks platform replacing Naviance this September will continue supporting post-secondary planning for students and recent graduates through the transition.

    After the Ceremony: Making an Evening of It

    Angel of the Winds Arena sits in the middle of downtown Everett. Post-graduation, the city is right outside. Hewitt Avenue, the Port of Everett waterfront, and downtown’s restaurant scene are all within a few minutes’ walk or drive. If you’re planning a graduation dinner, book ahead — downtown fills up on graduation weekends, particularly June 13 when three separate ceremonies are finishing at different times through the afternoon and evening.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Where are Everett Public Schools graduation ceremonies held?

    All EPS high school graduation ceremonies are held at Angel of the Winds Arena, 2000 Hewitt Ave, Everett, WA 98201.

    When does Everett High School graduate in 2026?

    Everett High School’s 2026 graduation ceremony is June 13, 2026, at Angel of the Winds Arena.

    When does Cascade High School graduate in 2026?

    Cascade High School’s commencement is June 13, 2026, at Angel of the Winds Arena.

    When does Sequoia High School graduate?

    Sequoia High School’s graduation is June 11, 2026, at Angel of the Winds Arena.

    When is EvCC commencement in 2026?

    Everett Community College’s 2026 commencement is June 14, 2026, at Angel of the Winds Arena. Graduate RSVP deadline is May 11, 2026.

    Is there a graduation for EPS transition programs?

    Yes — students in Project Search, GOAL, and STRIVE have a dedicated transition graduation ceremony on June 10, 2026.

  • Boeing’s First Production 777-9 Just Flew From Paine Field — With Lufthansa’s Full Cabin Already Inside

    Q: What happened on May 7, 2026, at Paine Field?
    A: Boeing flew the first production-standard 777-9 — registration N20080, serial 1781 — from Paine Field for 3 hours and 27 minutes over Washington and Oregon. For the first time, a 777-9 flew with Lufthansa’s full Allegris passenger cabin installed. It is a critical milestone on the path to Lufthansa’s Q1 2027 delivery.

    For more than a decade, the Boeing 777X has carried the weight of expectation and the cost of delay. Certification postponements, COVID disruptions, structural modifications, and a rework queue of 30-plus aircraft sitting in the Paine Field storage yard — the story has been more about patience than progress.

    Thursday, May 7, 2026, moved the needle.

    At approximately 1:40 p.m. local time, the first production-standard Boeing 777-9 — registration N20080, serial number 1781, Boeing test designation WH128 — lifted off from Paine Field in Everett, Washington. It returned 3 hours and 27 minutes later, having flown a standard test profile over Washington state and Oregon, climbed to 39,000 feet, and reached a top speed of 492 knots. Boeing test pilots Ted Grady and Jake Miller were at the controls.

    What made this flight different from everything that came before it: the cabin was fully dressed. Not instrumented for flight testing, not filled with ballast or avionics rigs — Lufthansa’s Allegris premium cabin, complete with upgraded First Class suites, Business Class seating, Premium Economy, Economy, and a fully installed in-flight entertainment system, was aboard. That’s the interior real passengers will board when the jet enters Lufthansa service next year.

    What “Production-Standard” Actually Means

    Boeing has been flying 777X aircraft out of Paine Field since January 2020. The dedicated test fleet — six aircraft built specifically for the certification program — carried flight-test instrumentation, temporary interiors, and equipment configurations that differed significantly from a passenger-ready jet. Those aircraft exist to gather data, not to mimic what an airline will receive.

    N20080 is built to the same specification Boeing will use for every subsequent Lufthansa delivery. That includes the composite wing with folding wingtips, GE9X engines, a fuselage configured to maintain a 6,000-foot cabin altitude (versus the conventional 8,000 feet on older jets — a detail that meaningfully reduces passenger fatigue on 12-hour flights), and all the interior systems Lufthansa will actually operate.

    When a production-standard aircraft completes its maiden flight without anomalies, it provides the FAA and Boeing with a fundamentally different data set than test-aircraft flights. It’s evidence that the manufacturing process works end-to-end — that the factory at Paine Field is building planes that fly, not just designs that flew once in prototype form.

    That confirmation matters enormously for the 777X certification timeline and for the workers who’ve been building these jets.

    The Flight Profile and the Hot Brake Test

    Pilots Grady and Miller flew N20080 on a standard first-flight profile — climbs, level cruising, turns, and system checks across the Washington and Oregon airspace. Flight tracking data confirmed the altitude and speed figures Boeing provided.

    The flight also included a high-speed rejected takeoff — a test where pilots accelerate the aircraft to approximately 190 knots before applying full braking. The goal is to heat the wheel brakes to their design limits. During this event, the brake temperature rose high enough that small metal fuse plugs embedded in the wheel rims — designed to melt at a specific threshold and release tire air pressure before a tire can burst — did exactly what they were engineered to do.

    They melted. Boeing confirmed the result was expected. It sounds alarming when described out of context, but it’s evidence of a correctly engineered safety system working under its design conditions.

    Everett’s 777-9 Workforce and the Rework Backlog

    Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg, speaking during the company’s Q1 2026 earnings call on April 22, acknowledged that change incorporation on the stored 777-9 and 777-8F aircraft at Paine Field will take “years.” A May 3 Leeham News analysis quoted Ortberg directly on the timeline, framing the roughly 30-35 production jets parked in the storage yard as a “pretty massive activity” that needs systematic scheduling before deliveries can accelerate.

    That backlog is a financial headache for Boeing’s balance sheet. But for the Everett workforce, it has a different meaning: sustained work.

    Mechanics, quality inspectors, systems integrators, and engineers working on the 777X program at Paine Field aren’t facing a cliff. The combination of new-build production — continuing to produce 777-9s and 777-8F freighters for the global order book — and the multi-year change incorporation effort on stored jets means the widebody floor at Everett has a work runway that extends well into the late 2020s.

    The program’s current delivery target has Lufthansa receiving its first 777-9 in Q1 2027. After Lufthansa, the delivery queue runs to airlines including Emirates, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, and Cathay Pacific — a backlog of hundreds of aircraft that will take the better part of a decade to fulfill.

    What This Means for Paine Field

    Paine Field is Boeing’s widebody campus. The 40.3 million-square-foot Everett complex builds the 777X family, the 767 commercial freighter (through 2027), and the KC-46 military tanker on adjacent production floors. The workforce is organized around high-precision, long-cycle assembly work that has no real equivalent elsewhere in American manufacturing.

    For that workforce, the May 7 flight carries a specific significance: it’s the first time Boeing showed that Paine Field’s assembly process produces complete, airline-configured 777-9s that actually fly. The 777-9 simulator qualification earlier this year proved that pilot training infrastructure is ready. The Phase 4A Type Inspection Authorization earlier in 2026 proved the design cleared a critical regulatory gate. The May 7 flight proved the jets coming off the Everett floor work.

    N20080 now enters Boeing’s standard production flight-test sequence — additional sorties over the coming weeks to complete the data package required before the aircraft receives its Lufthansa livery and enters the final documentation process for type certification. If the Q1 2027 delivery holds, this aircraft will be carrying passengers within the next year.

    For Everett, the longer arc of that story runs through thousands of workers, billions of dollars of local economic activity, and a production program that defines what this city builds. Thursday’s flight was one data point. But it was a good one.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How is the May 7 production flight different from earlier 777X flights?

    Earlier 777X flights used dedicated test aircraft without full passenger cabins. N20080 is a production-standard aircraft built to Lufthansa’s delivery specification — with the full Allegris interior installed. It’s the first 777-9 built exactly as it will be delivered to an airline.

    When is Lufthansa’s first 777-9 delivery scheduled?

    Boeing and Lufthansa are targeting Q1 2027 for the first 777-9 delivery. Lufthansa has 20 777-9 orders in its fleet plan.

    What is the fuse plug test?

    During a high-speed rejected takeoff, brakes heat the wheels to design-limit temperatures. Fuse plugs are small metal inserts engineered to melt at that threshold, releasing tire air before a blowout occurs. The test proved the system worked correctly.

    How many 777-9s are stored at Paine Field?

    Boeing has approximately 30-35 production 777-9 and 777-8F aircraft stored at Paine Field, each requiring change incorporation work before delivery. CEO Ortberg has confirmed this process will take years.

    Who are the pilots who flew N20080?

    Boeing test pilots Ted Grady and Jake Miller piloted the aircraft on its May 7 maiden flight.

    What is the 6,000-foot cabin altitude and why does it matter?

    Conventional airliners maintain cabin pressure equivalent to 8,000 feet altitude. The 777-9’s composite fuselage allows Boeing to maintain a 6,000-foot equivalent — meaning less ear-popping, better hydration retention, and reduced fatigue for passengers on long-haul flights.

  • Dana Gould Is Coming to the Historic Everett Theatre on May 16 — Here’s Why You Should Be There

    Dana Gould Is Coming to the Historic Everett Theatre on May 16 — Here’s Why You Should Be There

    What time does Dana Gould perform at the Historic Everett Theatre on May 16?
    Dana Gould performs Saturday, May 16, 2026 at the Historic Everett Theatre (2911 Colby Ave, Everett, WA). Doors open at 7:00 PM, show starts at 8:00 PM. Tickets are $23 and available at the door. The show is presented by Everett Comedy Night.

    Verdict: GO. The headliner is unique to this market, the room is the right size, and $23 is a fair price for what you’re getting. All three boxes checked.

    The Short Version

    Dana Gould wrote and produced for The Simpsons for seven years. He’s been doing stand-up since he was seventeen. On Saturday, May 16, he’s performing at the Historic Everett Theatre as part of Everett Comedy Night’s Premier Stand-Up Comedy series. Doors at 7:00 PM. Show at 8:00 PM. Twenty-three dollars at the door. This is a real headliner playing a real room, and it doesn’t come around often in a market this size.

    Who Is Dana Gould

    Dana Gould was born in 1964 in Hopedale, Massachusetts and started doing stand-up comedy onstage at age seventeen. After studying briefly, he relocated to San Francisco to work full-time in the craft — years of sets, years of developing the perspective that eventually landed him a seat in the most competitive television writers’ room in the country.

    His run on The Simpsons lasted from 2001 through 2007. He worked as a writer and served as co-executive producer on seasons 14 through 18 — meaning he was in the room during one of the most widely distributed television eras in American history. In a 2005 episode he provided voice work as Don Knotts playing Barney Fife, an impression he’d been doing in his live act for years before it reached the show. If you’ve watched The Simpsons in the 2000s — and you have — some of those episodes have Gould’s fingerprints on them.

    The Simpsons credit is the one that puts his name in front of a general audience, but the rest of his career runs a different direction. In 2016 he created, wrote, executive produced, and starred in IFC’s Stan Against Evil — a horror-comedy series about a former small-town New Hampshire sheriff (played by John C. McGinley) who discovers the town is overrun by demonic entities tied to a seventeenth-century witch-burning event. Gould appeared as Kevin, a gravedigger and recurring presence throughout the show. Stan Against Evil ran for three seasons and 24 episodes across 2016–2018 before IFC cancelled it in January 2019. It’s exactly the kind of show that gets a cult following, and it has one.

    Since 2012, Gould has hosted The Dana Gould Hour podcast, which covers classic horror, pop culture, and comedy history with guests drawn from the community of people who care about the same strange corners of American entertainment that he does. Since 2021 he’s also hosted Hanging with Doctor Z on YouTube — a talk show recorded entirely with Gould in full Dr. Zaius makeup from Planet of the Apes, interviewing comedian and musician friends. It’s exactly what it sounds like.

    The thread running through all of it — the Simpsons years, the IFC series, the podcast, the Planet of the Apes talk show — is a very specific kind of intelligence about American popular culture. Fond, precise, and a little dark at the edges. That’s what you’re seeing on Saturday.

    Everett Comedy Night: The Series

    The show’s promoter is Everett Comedy Night, which runs the Premier Stand-Up Comedy series at the Historic Everett Theatre. Saturday is the 14th/4th Anniversary show — marking the series’ longevity and the established relationship between the promoter and the venue that makes events like this possible in a market this size.

    Getting a headliner of Gould’s caliber to play Everett requires the kind of track record that only comes from doing it consistently and not messing it up. Everett Comedy Night has that track record. When a real national touring comedian agrees to play a mid-sized Pacific Northwest city, it’s not by accident — it’s because someone has put in the work to make it worth doing.

    The Room

    The Historic Everett Theatre opened on November 4, 1901, as the Everett Opera House. A fire in 1923 required a full rebuild; the new building reopened in 1924. A restoration effort from 2000 through 2004 brought it back to working condition, and it operates today at approximately 800-seat capacity. Early performers in the building’s history include Lillian Russell, Al Jolson, and George M. Cohan — names that tell you what kind of room this was built to be.

    That capacity matters for comedy in a specific way. Stand-up at arena scale tends to lose something — the pauses, the timing, the audience relationship that makes the form work. At around 800 seats, a comedian of Gould’s caliber can do actual stand-up, not a version of it scaled up to fill a space too large for the act. The room fits the performer.

    Walking into a 125-year-old opera house to watch a comedian talk about writing for a cartoon and making a demon-hunting show is a particular kind of experience that doesn’t exist everywhere. The building adds something that a casino ballroom or a club with a low ceiling doesn’t.

    Three Reasons to Go

    The headliner doesn’t play Everett often. Dana Gould has credits that most touring comedians don’t — seven years on The Simpsons, a three-season IFC series, a podcast with a real following. When someone with that resume agrees to play Everett’s premier comedy series, you go.

    The price is right. Twenty-three dollars at the door for a comedian with this resume is a genuine deal. Compare what you’d pay for a comparable show at a Seattle venue, add parking and driving time, and the math isn’t close.

    The Historic Everett Theatre in May is worth your time. The building has had a strong spring — multiple well-produced shows, a room that feels alive. Saturday, May 16 is a good night to be in it.

    What You Need to Know

    Date: Saturday, May 16, 2026
    Doors: 7:00 PM
    Show: 8:00 PM
    Venue: Historic Everett Theatre, 2911 Colby Ave, Everett WA 98201
    Tickets: $23 — available at the door. Also via Eventbrite: Dana Gould in Everett! Premier Stand-Up Comedy! 14th/4th Anniversary!
    Note: This show is presented by Everett Comedy Night, not the Historic Everett Theatre. House gift certificates and theatre coupons are not valid for this event.

    May 16 Has Two Everett Options

    Saturday, May 16 is becoming a real night for downtown Everett events. On the same evening, All City Fight Night: Worlds Collide is running its six-hour amateur kickboxing card at Kings Hall at APEX Everett on 1611 Everett Ave. If you’re choosing: comedy at HET and kickboxing at APEX serve completely different audiences, and neither is a bad call for a Saturday night in May.

    If you’re already planning to be out that weekend, the rest of May at the HET is strong too. Canned Heat and Big Brother and the Holding Company — two of the original Woodstock bands — play the 29th, and Grupo Niche, the Latin Grammy-winning Colombian salsa orchestra, closes out May on the 31st. The building is having a moment this spring. May 16 is a good night to start.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What time does Dana Gould perform at the Historic Everett Theatre on May 16?

    Doors open at 7:00 PM. The show starts at 8:00 PM on Saturday, May 16, 2026. The venue is at 2911 Colby Ave, Everett WA 98201.

    How much are tickets for Dana Gould at the Historic Everett Theatre?

    Tickets are $23 and available at the door. They are also available in advance via Eventbrite. This show is presented by Everett Comedy Night — house gift certificates and theatre coupons are not valid for this event.

    Is the Dana Gould show all ages?

    Age policy was not listed in the official event materials from the Historic Everett Theatre or Eventbrite listing. Check with the venue at events.theatreconcertconsulting.com or the Eventbrite listing before attending if age policy matters to your plans.

    What is Dana Gould famous for?

    Dana Gould is best known as a writer and co-executive producer on The Simpsons, where he worked from 2001 to 2007 across seasons 14 through 18. He also created, wrote, and starred in IFC’s horror-comedy series Stan Against Evil (2016–2018), which ran for three seasons and 24 episodes. He hosts The Dana Gould Hour podcast and has been a touring stand-up comedian since age seventeen.

    What is Everett Comedy Night?

    Everett Comedy Night is the promoter behind the Premier Stand-Up Comedy series at the Historic Everett Theatre. Saturday’s event is the series’ 14th/4th Anniversary show, reflecting the series’ history at the venue.

    Where is the Historic Everett Theatre?

    The Historic Everett Theatre is at 2911 Colby Ave, Everett WA 98201. The building opened on November 4, 1901 as the Everett Opera House. It operates today at approximately 800-seat capacity and has been hosting performances continuously since its restoration in the early 2000s.

    Are there other shows at the Historic Everett Theatre in May?

    Yes. Canned Heat and Big Brother and the Holding Company — two of the original Woodstock bands — perform May 29. Grupo Niche, a Latin Grammy-winning Colombian salsa orchestra, performs May 31. Both shows are ticketed through the HET box office at events.theatreconcertconsulting.com.

  • What Needs to Change: Silvertips Must Fix the Second Period and Make Orsulak Work Harder in Game 2

    What Needs to Change: Silvertips Must Fix the Second Period and Make Orsulak Work Harder in Game 2

    The Everett Silvertips know exactly what happened Thursday night. They outshot the Prince Albert Raiders 41-26, got 39 saves from a starting goalie who held his nerve all night, and still walked off Angel of the Winds Arena ice with a 4-2 loss in Game 1 of the 2026 WHL Championship Final. The series is 1-0 Raiders. Game 2 is Saturday at 6 PM, same building, same ice.

    The margin of error from here is zero. Here is what must change.

    Fix the Second Period — It Cannot Happen Again

    Everett controlled most of Game 1. They scored first. They were the better team for long stretches. Then the second period happened, and three goals in 20 minutes turned a close game into a two-goal deficit the Silvertips could never fully close.

    Cale Sivertson tied it on an even-strength goal. Dylan Cootes scored on the power play to give Prince Albert the lead for good. Denton Christensen added the game-winner. Three different Raiders. Three different scenarios — even strength, man advantage, and opportunistic. It was not a flukey second period; it was Prince Albert executing in every situation the game presented.

    The Silvertips cannot allow that sequence to repeat. Penalty discipline is paramount — Cootes’ power-play goal changed the game. Everett will need to be cleaner in the neutral zone, faster to close lanes in the defensive zone, and more willing to make the simple play instead of the creative one when defending their own end in the middle frame.

    Make Orsulak Earn Every Save

    Raiders goaltender Kolby Orsulak stopped 39 of 41 shots Thursday. That number is both the problem and the story. Everett generated volume — elite volume, in fact — but Orsulak had answers. Too many shots came from the perimeter. Too many were cleanly tracked, set, and stopped.

    Game 2 requires a different approach. More traffic in front. More pucks going to the net from dangerous areas rather than the half-wall. More second-chance opportunities created by winning battles below the circles. The Silvertips have the personnel to do this — they need to commit to it earlier in shifts rather than waiting for the perfect passing lane to open.

    Orsulak is a legitimate Stafford Smythe Trophy candidate through this playoff run. He will make saves. The goal is to make him work harder, make him move more, make him face grade-A looks that accumulate fatigue over three periods. Forty-one perimeter shots will not get it done.

    DuPont and Vanhanen Must Generate More

    The Silvertips’ top lines need to be more present. Connor Hvidston scored Everett’s second goal to pull within one late in the third, but the top of the lineup — including Jaxan DuPont and Ronan Vanhanen — needs to generate more sustained offensive pressure in Game 2.

    This is what the WHL Final is. Every team you face has seen your tendencies. Prince Albert’s structure Thursday was disciplined and well-organized. Everett’s top players need to find ways to be disruptive — not just skilled, but physically present, creating chaos in the offensive zone that can’t be schemed against.

    The Big Picture: Everett Has Been Here

    One loss in a best-of-seven is not a crisis. The Silvertips have the home-ice advantage they earned through the regular season. After Saturday’s Game 2 at Angel of the Winds, the series shifts to Prince Albert for Games 3 and 4 on May 12 and 13 at Art Hauser Centre. If it comes back to Everett for Games 5, 6, and 7 — scheduled for May 15, 17, and 18 — the Silvertips will have played most of this series in front of their home crowd.

    But none of that matters if they lose Game 2 and head to Prince Albert down 2-0. Winning Saturday is not optional. It is the task.

    The Silvertips have the depth, the coaching staff, and the talent to respond. Angel of the Winds will be loud on Saturday night. The question is whether Everett can translate that energy into a complete 60-minute performance — the kind that closed out the Tri-City Americans and the Kamloops Blazers in earlier rounds.

    Game 2. Saturday. 6 PM. Angel of the Winds Arena. The WHL Championship Final is tied at zero in the win column. That changes Saturday night, one way or the other.

    Everett Silvertips WHL Championship Final coverage continues at Tygart Media. Game 3 is Monday, May 12 in Prince Albert. Game 4 is Tuesday, May 13.

  • Colton Shaw Deals, Caron and Jimenez Go Deep: AquaSox Crush Hillsboro 8-1 in Friday Matinée

    Colton Shaw Deals, Caron and Jimenez Go Deep: AquaSox Crush Hillsboro 8-1 in Friday Matinée

    The AquaSox had a noon doubleheader on Friday — and before most Everett fans had even finished lunch, the first game was already a rout. Colton Shaw delivered one of the best starts of his 2026 season, Josh Caron and Carlos Jimenez each homered, and the AquaSox dismantled the Hillsboro Hops 8-1 in the afternoon matinée at Funko Field. The homestand now stands at four straight wins over Hillsboro, and the AquaSox keep proving they are one of the best teams in the Northwest League.

    Colton Shaw: 6 Innings, 1 Hit, 7 Strikeouts

    This is the Colton Shaw the Mariners organization has been waiting to see. The right-hander went six full innings, allowing only one hit, walking one, and striking out seven. He was economical, he was sharp, and he never let Hillsboro breathe. The one hit he gave up was all Hillsboro got in the first six innings — the AquaSox bullpen took it from there, with Gabriel Sosa, Calvin Schapira, and Lucas Kelly handling the final three innings (Sosa allowed the Hops’ lone run).

    Shaw’s performance was the platform for everything that followed. When your starter is throwing that kind of game, the offense plays loose.

    Caron’s Three-RBI Blast and a Five-Run Fifth

    The AquaSox scored twice in the fourth inning, then blew the game open in the fifth with a five-run inning that put Hillsboro starter Caden Grice on the ropes. Grice lasted four innings and allowed three earned runs before the Hops turned to Rocco Reid, who couldn’t stop the bleeding in a brief 0.2-inning appearance.

    Josh Caron was the offensive hero — he went 1-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs. Carlos Jimenez added to the fireworks with a home run of his own, finishing 1-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored. Carter Dorighi was everywhere as usual, going 3-for-5 with a run scored — the kind of contact-first, never-out-of-the-lineup performance he’s made his trademark at Funko Field this season. Luis Suisbel scored twice despite not recording a hit, drawing a walk and finding ways on base. Anthony Donofrio added an RBI and a run scored.

    The final line: AquaSox 8, Hillsboro 1. It wasn’t close after the fifth.

    This Homestand Has Been Dominant

    Let’s put this homestand in context. The AquaSox have now beaten Hillsboro four straight times at Funko Field in this series: 8-6 (Ruben Washington Jr. homer), 10-0 (Bryce Miller rehab start, Stevenson HR, Dorighi HR), 5-4 (Felnin Celesten two-run homer), and now 8-1 (Caron HR, Jimenez HR, Shaw masterpiece). The Hops have lost their last four games at Everett Memorial Stadium and have scored a total of 8 runs in those four losses combined while Everett has plated 31.

    The AquaSox prospect pipeline continues to flash. Jimenez has now driven in runs in multiple games this homestand and his power stroke is developing in real time. Caron has been one of the most consistent offensive producers in the lineup when healthy. And Shaw, who’s been building toward this kind of performance, finally put it all together in a showcase game that Mariners development staff will have bookmarked.

    Prospect Watch

    Felnin Celesten was not in the Friday matinée box score as a run-producer, but the back-to-back NWL Player of the Week continues to set the table for this lineup. Josh Caron‘s home run is his second of 2026, and his ability to do damage against right-handed pitching has been a consistent theme. Colton Shaw is making the case for a rotation spot higher up the Mariners’ minor league ladder — six clean innings against an NWL opponent is a tick in the “ready for more” column. Carlos Jimenez‘s home run continues a strong stretch since returning to the lineup, with his two-RBI night adding to a growing power profile for the young infielder.

    What’s Next: Star Wars Night Tomorrow

    The AquaSox continue the Hillsboro homestand tomorrow with Star Wars Night at Funko Field. Limited Star Wars-themed jerseys go to auction with proceeds benefiting AquaSox community partners, character meet-and-greet opportunities are available before the game, and postgame fireworks round out the evening. First pitch is 7:05 PM.

    The only question tomorrow: can Hillsboro finally beat the AquaSox in this series? At 0-4 and getting outscored 31-8, the Hops need something to go right. The AquaSox, meanwhile, are riding four games of clean baseball into a Saturday night that already has everything going for it.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What was the score of the AquaSox game on May 8, 2026?

    The Everett AquaSox defeated the Hillsboro Hops 8-1 in the Friday afternoon game at Funko Field.

    Who were the top performers for the AquaSox vs Hillsboro on May 8?

    Colton Shaw pitched 6 innings allowing 1 hit and striking out 7. Josh Caron hit a home run with 3 RBIs. Carlos Jimenez added a home run and 2 RBIs. Carter Dorighi went 3-for-5.

    What is the AquaSox record in the Hillsboro homestand?

    4-0 through Friday’s game, with wins of 8-6, 10-0, 5-4, and 8-1. The AquaSox have outscored Hillsboro 31-8 in those four games.

    When is the next AquaSox game at Funko Field?

    Star Wars Night on Saturday, May 9 at 7:05 PM at Funko Field. Limited jerseys, character meet-and-greet, and postgame fireworks.

  • Raiders Take Game 1 in Everett: Cootes and Orsulak Lead PA Past Silvertips 4-2 Before 7,697 Fans

    Raiders Take Game 1 in Everett: Cootes and Orsulak Lead PA Past Silvertips 4-2 Before 7,697 Fans

    At 9:38 PM Friday night, 7,697 fans filed out of Angel of the Winds Arena with a familiar feeling — this is going to be a series. The Prince Albert Raiders came to Everett and beat the Silvertips 4-2 in WHL Championship Final Game 1, taking an early 1-0 series lead. Michal Orsulak was the difference-maker, making 39 saves on 41 shots in one of the best goaltending performances Angel of the Winds Arena has seen all postseason. The Silvertips had the puck, had the zone time, had the shots — and came away with just two goals.

    Game 2 is Saturday night at 6:00 PM at Angel of the Winds Arena. The series is still very much alive. But Friday showed something important: the Raiders are not here to be swept.

    The First Period Belonged to Everett

    Carter Bear opened the scoring at 6:07 of the first period — an even-strength goal assisted by Matias Vanhanen and Julius Miettinen — and for a stretch, Angel of the Winds Arena felt exactly like it had all postseason. The Silvertips were up 1-0, outplaying Prince Albert in their own building, firing 12 shots in the frame versus only 8 for the Raiders. Bear’s fourth playoff goal of the year gave Everett control, and the energy in the building was exactly what you’d expect for the WHL Championship opener.

    It did not last.

    Three Raiders Goals in One Period — and Orsulak Was Already Taking Over

    The second period was a disaster. PA tied it at 5:12 when Jonah Sivertson finished in front, with Braeden Cootes and Connor Howe picking up assists. That was the first warning. Then at 15:07, Cootes — the Vancouver Canucks prospect the Hockey News had flagged as a key threat — converted a power-play goal with Brock Cripps and Alisher Sarkenov assisting to put the Raiders up 2-1. Two minutes and 43 seconds later, Justice Christensen made it 3-1 — a game-winning goal assisted by Daxon Rudolph and Brayden Dube at 17:50.

    Three goals. One period. The Raiders had scored the same amount in roughly the time it takes to watch a sitcom.

    On the other end, Orsulak faced 16 shots in the second and stopped them all. He was not flinching.

    The Third Period: One Moment of Hope, Then an Empty Net

    The Silvertips came out pressing in the third. Everett outshot PA 13-5 in the final frame — the kind of push this team has made a habit of all postseason. At 17:51, Julius Miettinen finally broke through on a power play, converting on a Landon DuPont setup to cut the deficit to 3-2. The arena woke back up. There were 2:09 left. You could see it: the Silvertips had done this before.

    But the comeback didn’t come. With 1:05 left, Everett pulled the goalie. Sixty-four seconds after Miettinen’s goal, Aiden Oiring slid the puck into the empty net at 18:55. Final score: Raiders 4, Silvertips 2.

    The Orsulak Factor: 39 Saves, .951 SV%

    Michal Orsulak is why this game ended the way it did. The Raiders’ goaltender faced 41 shots — the Silvertips fired everything at him — and made 39 saves for a .951 save percentage. He earned the second star and deserved a stronger argument for first. This was a goaltending performance that kept a team in a game it was being out-chanced in for long stretches.

    Braeden Cootes, the Canucks prospect who had been a game-to-watch all series, collected the first star with a 1G+1A night, finishing with four shots and a +2 rating. He set up Sivertson’s tying goal and then scored the power-play go-ahead himself. Justice Christensen’s game-winner — assisted by Daxon Rudolph, who the pre-series previews had flagged as a key threat — was the kind of goal that doesn’t show up in a highlight reel but wins games.

    Carter Bear got the third star for Everett, the goal and the assist showing the two-way effort he’s brought all playoff run. But on a night when the Silvertips put 41 pucks on net, one goal in regulation wasn’t enough.

    What Game 1 Showed

    This Silvertips team has made a habit of doing everything right except the scoreboard and then somehow making it right in the end. They did that through the Kelowna series (blowing a 3-0 lead in Game 4, still winning 4-1). They did it in double overtime in Game 2 against Penticton. But Friday night in the WHL Final opener, a three-goal second period and a brilliant night from Orsulak were too much to overcome.

    The 41 shots tell one story. The 3-1 Raiders third-period lead tells another. Both are real. The Silvertips still have the talent to win this series — Vanhanen, DuPont, Bear, and Miettinen are all capable of taking over a game. But Game 2 on Saturday at 6:00 PM at Angel of the Winds Arena is now a must-win atmosphere game, the kind of environment where this fanbase has shown up before.

    Game 2: Saturday, May 9 at 6:00 PM — Angel of the Winds Arena

    Tickets are available at the Angel of the Winds Arena box office and through Ticketmaster. The series shifts to Prince Albert’s South Okanagan Events Centre for Games 3 and 4 on Tuesday May 12 and Wednesday May 13. Games 5, 6 (if necessary), and 7 come back to Everett on May 15, 17, and 18.

    The Silvertips went 12-1 coming into this Final. They have proven all postseason that one bad night doesn’t end them. Saturday is the response game.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What was the final score of WHL Final Game 1?

    Prince Albert Raiders 4, Everett Silvertips 2. The Raiders lead the series 1-0.

    Who were the three stars of Game 1?

    1st star: Braeden Cootes (PA Raiders, 1G+1A). 2nd star: Michal Orsulak (PA Raiders, 39 saves). 3rd star: Carter Bear (Everett Silvertips, 1G+1A).

    How many shots did the Silvertips take in Game 1?

    41 shots on goal. Prince Albert had 26. Orsulak stopped 39 of 41 for a .951 save percentage.

    When is WHL Final Game 2?

    Game 2 is Saturday, May 9 at 6:00 PM PT at Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett.

    Who scored for the Silvertips in Game 1?

    Carter Bear scored in the first period (assisted by Vanhanen and Miettinen), and Julius Miettinen added a power-play goal late in the third (assisted by DuPont).

  • The Navy’s FY27 Budget Just Set a Real Frigate Clock for Everett: Launch 2028, Delivery 2030

    The Navy’s FY27 Budget Just Set a Real Frigate Clock for Everett: Launch 2028, Delivery 2030

    Quick Answer: The Navy’s FY2027 budget documents target the launch of the first FF(X) frigate in the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2029 — late calendar year 2028 — with delivery to the fleet by the third quarter of FY2030, approximately spring 2030. The program is funded at $1.429 billion for the lead ship plus $212 million for research and development.

    The Navy just submitted its Fiscal Year 2027 budget request, and buried inside it is the clearest timeline the FF(X) frigate program has ever put in writing. For Naval Station Everett — which has been in the homeport conversation since the Constellation-class cancellation in November 2025 — these dates mean the abstract debate about “maybe someday frigates” now has a countdown clock.

    The answer from official budget documents: first launch late 2028, first delivery spring 2030.

    What the FY27 Budget Actually Says

    The FY2027 request allocates $1.429 billion to procure the lead FF(X) hull, alongside $212 million in research and development. According to Naval News, which reviewed the budget submission, the Navy targets launch of the lead ship in the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2029 — which translates to October through December 2028 in calendar terms. Delivery to the fleet is planned by the end of the third quarter of FY2030, meaning April through June 2030.

    This is the first time those specific milestones have appeared in official U.S. government planning documents. Prior to this budget submission, the program had a general “2028 target” — language that appeared in HII’s Q1 2026 earnings call last week — but no published launch or delivery windows attached to it.

    The distinction matters. An investor call acknowledges a timeline. A budget document funds one.

    The Cutter Component Shortcut — And Why It Makes 2028 Credible

    How does the Navy plan to get a new class of warship launched within three years of cutting the first steel? The answer is that it isn’t building from scratch.

    According to Naval News, HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding will use steel and components from the cancelled 11th ship in the Legend-class National Security Cutter program — the same cutter baseline the FF(X) design derives from. This is a genuine shortcut: rather than ordering long-lead materials fresh, Ingalls can pull components from a vessel that was already partway through the production pipeline before the Coast Guard cancelled it.

    The $282.9M lead yard contract awarded to Ingalls in April 2026 covers the pre-construction design work needed to support that schedule. The first FF(X) hulls will have as few modifications from the NSC baseline as possible, with three primary military additions:

    • A Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) launcher for close-in air defense
    • An SPS-77 variant air search radar for surface and air threat detection
    • A repurposed stern boat ramp converted to carry containerized payload modules

    The containerized payload capability is where the Navy’s longer-term thinking comes in. The R&D dollars in the FY27 request — that $212 million — are earmarked substantially for validating combat systems, planning future testing, integrating modular unmanned surface vehicle (USV) operations, and designing studies for a second flight of frigates that may carry more significant modifications.

    In other words: get a capable ship in the water fast. Evolve it later.

    The $65.8 Billion Context

    The FF(X) launch timeline doesn’t exist in isolation. The Pentagon’s FY2027 shipbuilding request of $65.8 billion — reported by USNI News as the largest shipbuilding ask since 1962 — signals that the Navy is in an acceleration posture across the board. FF(X) is one data point in a much larger push to recapitalize the surface fleet quickly, not through perfect design iteration but through fielding capable vessels faster.

    For NAVSTA Everett, the broader posture matters. A Navy investing at record shipbuilding levels isn’t going to let FF(X) slip. The Q1 FY29 launch target is now a planning assumption, not a hope.

    What This Means for Naval Station Everett and Military Families

    The homeport question for FF(X) has not been formally resolved. No Navy press release has designated NAVSTA Everett as the FF(X) homeport, and the Snohomish County Military Affairs Committee — reactivated in February 2026 after a period of dormancy — has been actively making the case at the federal level. With a Q3 FY2030 delivery now on the books, the committee has approximately four years to secure a formal designation before the first hull needs a homeport assignment on paper.

    For Navy families currently at NAVSTA Everett, the practical implications break down like this:

    If you’re here now: The first FF(X) hull won’t affect your unit assignments in the near term. The lead ship delivers to the fleet in spring 2030 and would need months of post-delivery testing and shakedown before a crew receives PCS orders to a homeport. Realistically, the first FF(X) crew PCS cycle to Everett — if Everett gets the designation — would begin in 2030 or 2031.

    If you’re planning a PCS to Everett: The FF(X) program adds long-term demand for the installation. NAVSTA Everett’s position as a homeport for surface combatants is being reinforced, not reduced. The investment case for housing, schools, and support services in Snohomish County only strengthens as more hulls are confirmed.

    For military spouses watching the job market: Fleet & Family Support Center data consistently shows that PCS inflow drives local hiring demand — especially in healthcare, education, and small business. A 2030–2031 crew onboarding timeline gives local employers, the FFSC employment team, and programs like MyCAA and MSEP a planning horizon rather than a vague “eventually.” The full economic picture for Snohomish County is significant — each FF(X) hull adds roughly 300–400 sailors plus families to the local economy.

    The Ship Count Question

    The original Constellation-class program earmarked 12 frigates for NAVSTA Everett homeport. The FF(X) program is currently funded for a lead ship, with follow-on procurement tied to FY28 and FY29 appropriations that haven’t been requested yet. The Navy hasn’t publicly confirmed how many FF(X) hulls are planned for Everett specifically — that designation is part of the homeport process.

    But the program architecture — based on a proven cutter baseline, with a fast-to-production approach — is designed for series production, not a one-off. The R&D investment in second-flight design studies confirms the Navy is thinking beyond one hull. For a fuller background on what the FF(X) program means for Naval Station Everett, the program history and homeport implications have been covered in depth since the Constellation-class cancellation.

    What to Watch Next

    Four milestones now define the FF(X) timeline for Everett followers:

    1. FY27 appropriations passage — Congress needs to approve the $1.429B lead ship funding and $212M R&D request. Until that happens, the budget document is a proposal, not a commitment. Watch the House and Senate Armed Services Committees for markup action this summer.
    2. Homeport designation announcement — The Navy has not set a public timeline for when it will name FF(X) homeports. This is the single most important announcement NAVSTA Everett is waiting for.
    3. Program milestone reviews — The next major public milestone after the lead yard contract is the start of actual steel cutting, which the budget timeline implies must begin no later than 2026–2027 to hit a Q1 FY29 launch.
    4. Second-flight design decisions — The $212M in R&D includes design work on a second flight with heavier modifications. Those decisions will shape what the Navy’s surface combatant fleet looks like for the next 30 years — and whether Everett’s homeport stays relevant to the more capable variants.

    The Navy has stopped talking about the FF(X) in vague terms. The FY27 budget put dates on paper. For Everett, the clock is now running.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    When will the first FF(X) frigate launch?

    According to the Navy’s FY2027 budget documents, the lead FF(X) hull is targeted for launch in the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2029 — meaning October through December 2028 in calendar terms.

    When will the first FF(X) be delivered to the fleet?

    The FY27 budget targets delivery by the end of the third quarter of FY2030, approximately April through June 2030.

    How much is the FY2027 budget requesting for FF(X)?

    The Navy is requesting $1.429 billion to procure the lead FF(X) hull, plus $212 million for research and development focused on combat system validation, USV integration, and second-flight design studies.

    What modifications will the FF(X) have compared to the Coast Guard’s National Security Cutter?

    The lead FF(X) hulls will add a Rolling Airframe Missile launcher for point defense, an SPS-77 variant air search radar, and a repurposed stern ramp for containerized payload modules. The goal is minimal modification from the NSC baseline to compress the production timeline.

    Is Naval Station Everett confirmed as a homeport for FF(X)?

    No. The Navy has not yet made a formal homeport designation for FF(X). Snohomish County’s Military Affairs Committee has been actively advocating for NAVSTA Everett to receive that designation.

    What happened to the Constellation-class frigates?

    The Constellation-class program was cancelled in November 2025 after years of design delays and cost overruns at Fincantieri Marinette Marine. The Navy replaced it with the FF(X) program, which uses the Coast Guard’s proven National Security Cutter design as a faster path to fielding a capable small surface combatant.

    How does the Navy plan to hit a 2028 launch target?

    HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding will use components from the cancelled 11th Legend-class National Security Cutter to accelerate the build, avoiding long-lead material procurement time. The $282.9M lead yard contract awarded in April 2026 covers the pre-construction design and planning work needed to support that timeline.

    What is the Snohomish County Military Affairs Committee doing about the FF(X) homeport?

    The committee, reactivated in February 2026, has been making the case for NAVSTA Everett with the Washington congressional delegation and federal officials in Washington, D.C., including at the EASC DC fly-in in May 2026.

    📡 Exploring Everett — Expanded Coverage

  • The KC-46 Built in Everett Just Flew Its First Flight for Israel — Meet the Tanker Named Gideon

    The KC-46 Built in Everett Just Flew Its First Flight for Israel — Meet the Tanker Named Gideon

    Q: What is Israel’s KC-46 “Gideon” and what does it have to do with Everett?
    A: “Gideon” is the Israeli Air Force’s first KC-46A Pegasus aerial refueling tanker — serial 301, the first of six ordered through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales framework. It completed its maiden flight on May 4, 2026, in the United States before delivery to Israel in early June. It was built at Boeing’s Everett factory, making it the first internationally delivered KC-46 produced at Paine Field.

    The Boeing KC-46 tanker story that most people follow is the domestic one: $8 billion in losses on a fixed-price Air Force contract, persistent technical deficiencies, a Remote Vision System that took years to fix, and a follow-on procurement that the U.S. Air Force paused in early 2026 pending resolution of outstanding problems.

    On May 4, 2026, a quieter chapter of the same story played out at a U.S. military flight facility.

    An Everett-built KC-46A completed its first flight. Serial number 301. Designated “Gideon.” Headed to the Israeli Air Force. The first KC-46 destined for an international customer under a Foreign Military Sales agreement.

    Its expected delivery: early June 2026 — roughly one month from its maiden sortie.

    Why Israel Needs This Jet

    Israel has operated aerial refueling tankers based on the Boeing 707 airframe since the 1970s. Those aircraft — modified extensively over decades by Israeli Aerospace Industries and Rafael — have supported some of the most demanding long-range operations in aviation history. The IAF’s ability to project airpower well beyond Israel’s borders has depended in large part on the endurance those tankers provide.

    The 707-based fleet is reaching the end of its practical service life. The airframes are aging, parts are increasingly scarce, and the aircraft’s systems architecture is decades behind modern standards. The KC-46A represents a generational upgrade: a fly-by-wire platform with modern avionics, significantly higher fuel offload capacity, compatibility with both boom-and-receptacle and probe-and-drogue refueling methods, and a service life designed to run well into the 2040s.

    Israel contracted six KC-46As through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales framework — the government-to-government channel that allows allied nations to procure American defense equipment at U.S. procurement pricing. The Israeli Ministry of Defense announced the Gideon maiden flight on May 4, noting the aircraft would be “equipped with Israeli systems and adapted to the operational requirements of the Israeli Air Force.” Specific modifications have not been detailed publicly.

    The Aircraft Itself

    The KC-46A Pegasus is built on the 767-200ER airframe — the same platform that anchors the 767 commercial freighter line at Everett, scheduled to run through 2027. Boeing builds both in the same Everett complex at Paine Field, on adjacent production floors.

    The tanker variant adds a hydraulic boom system for receiver aircraft that require boom-and-receptacle refueling, wing-mounted drogue pods for probe-equipped aircraft, and a refueling operator station behind the flight deck. The aircraft carries roughly 212,000 pounds of transferable fuel.

    The name “Gideon” follows the Israeli Air Force’s tradition of naming fleet programs after figures from the Hebrew Bible. Gideon — the judge and military leader known for leading a smaller force against a vastly larger adversary — is an apt name for a tanker whose core mission is extending how far and how long aircraft can operate away from their base.

    What It Means for Everett’s Defense Line

    The domestic KC-46 program is navigating a complicated stretch. Boeing has delivered more than 105 KC-46s to the U.S. Air Force and is targeting 19 deliveries in 2026. But Boeing reported a $565 million pre-tax charge on the program in Q4 2025 (announced in January 2026), pushing total program losses past $8 billion on the fixed-price contract. The Air Force paused its 75-tanker follow-on procurement in early 2026, citing unresolved technical deficiencies, and Boeing is in the final year of its baseline production contract with renegotiation expected later this year.

    Against that backdrop, international FMS deliveries matter to the health of the Paine Field production line.

    Six Israeli KC-46s represent six additional production positions on the Everett tanker floor. Japan has also ordered KC-46s — three delivered so far, with more in the pipeline. Other allied nations are evaluating the platform. NATO partners modernizing their aerial refueling fleets are potential customers. The U.S. FMS framework creates a pathway for Boeing to continue generating KC-46 production volume that doesn’t depend solely on a domestic procurement negotiation that remains unresolved.

    For the workforce at Everett’s Paine Field complex, international deliveries extend the KC-46 production run’s visibility. The 767 commercial line runs through 2027. The KC-46 defense line’s horizon depends on both the follow-on domestic contract and international demand — and Gideon’s delivery is a concrete example of that demand being real.

    What Comes Next

    Gideon’s formal delivery ceremony — transferring the aircraft from Boeing to the Israeli Ministry of Defense — is expected around early June 2026. After that, the remaining five Israeli KC-46s will follow in sequence, though Boeing has not released specific delivery dates for the full fleet.

    On the domestic side, KC-46 follow-on contract negotiations are expected to begin later in 2026. Boeing has signaled publicly that the pricing structure for the next production contract will differ fundamentally from the fixed-price arrangement that generated $8 billion in losses. If those negotiations conclude successfully, additional KC-46 production positions — and additional employment on the Everett tanker floor — will follow.

    For now: on May 4, a jet built in Everett flew for the first time, carrying a name from the Hebrew Bible and a mission that’s about keeping aircraft airborne over distances that would otherwise be impossible. It’s headed somewhere that needs it. The workers who built it at Paine Field gave it the capability to do that job.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Where is the KC-46 built?

    Boeing builds the KC-46A Pegasus at its Everett, Washington factory at Paine Field — the same facility that produces the 767 commercial freighter and the 777X widebody family.

    How many KC-46s has Israel ordered?

    Israel ordered six KC-46A Pegasus tankers through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales framework. Serial 301, named “Gideon,” is the first of the six and completed its maiden flight on May 4, 2026.

    Israel ordered six KC-46A Pegasus tankers through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales framework. Serial 301, named “Gideon,” is the first of the six and completed its maiden flight on May 4, 2026.

    What does the KC-46 replace in Israel’s Air Force?

    The KC-46 replaces Israel’s aging fleet of Boeing 707-based tankers, which have been in IAF service since the 1970s and have been modified repeatedly over the decades.

    When will Gideon be delivered to Israel?

    Based on the Israeli Ministry of Defense’s May 4 announcement, delivery is expected approximately one month later — around early June 2026.

    What is the status of the USAF KC-46 follow-on contract?

    The USAF paused a 75-tanker follow-on procurement in early 2026, citing unresolved technical deficiencies. Boeing is in the final year of its baseline production contract. Negotiations on the follow-on, which Boeing has said will use a different pricing structure, are expected later in 2026.

    Why is the jet named “Gideon”?

    “Gideon” is the Israeli Air Force’s designation for its KC-46 fleet, following the IAF’s tradition of naming aircraft programs after figures from the Hebrew Bible.

    ✈️ Exploring Everett — Expanded Coverage

  • Boeing’s First Production 777-9 Just Flew From Paine Field — With Lufthansa’s Full Cabin Already Inside

    Boeing’s First Production 777-9 Just Flew From Paine Field — With Lufthansa’s Full Cabin Already Inside

    Q: What happened on May 7, 2026, at Paine Field?
    A: Boeing flew the first production-standard 777-9 — registration N20080, serial 1781 — from Paine Field for 3 hours and 27 minutes over Washington and Oregon. For the first time, a 777-9 flew with Lufthansa’s full Allegris passenger cabin installed. It is a critical milestone on the path to Lufthansa’s Q1 2027 delivery.

    For more than a decade, the Boeing 777X has carried the weight of expectation and the cost of delay. Certification postponements, COVID disruptions, structural modifications, and a rework queue of 30-plus aircraft sitting in the Paine Field storage yard — the story has been more about patience than progress.

    Thursday, May 7, 2026, moved the needle.

    At approximately 1:40 p.m. local time, the first production-standard Boeing 777-9 — registration N20080, serial number 1781, Boeing test designation WH128 — lifted off from Paine Field in Everett, Washington. It returned 3 hours and 27 minutes later, having flown a standard test profile over Washington state and Oregon, climbed to 39,000 feet, and reached a top speed of 492 knots. Boeing test pilots Ted Grady and Jake Miller were at the controls.

    What made this flight different from everything that came before it: the cabin was fully dressed. Not instrumented for flight testing, not filled with ballast or avionics rigs — Lufthansa’s Allegris premium cabin, complete with upgraded First Class suites, Business Class seating, Premium Economy, Economy, and a fully installed in-flight entertainment system, was aboard. That’s the interior real passengers will board when the jet enters Lufthansa service next year.

    What “Production-Standard” Actually Means

    Boeing has been flying 777X aircraft out of Paine Field since January 2020. The dedicated test fleet — six aircraft built specifically for the certification program — carried flight-test instrumentation, temporary interiors, and equipment configurations that differed significantly from a passenger-ready jet. Those aircraft exist to gather data, not to mimic what an airline will receive.

    N20080 is built to the same specification Boeing will use for every subsequent Lufthansa delivery. That includes the composite wing with folding wingtips, GE9X engines, a fuselage configured to maintain a 6,000-foot cabin altitude (versus the conventional 8,000 feet on older jets — a detail that meaningfully reduces passenger fatigue on 12-hour flights), and all the interior systems Lufthansa will actually operate.

    When a production-standard aircraft completes its maiden flight without anomalies, it provides the FAA and Boeing with a fundamentally different data set than test-aircraft flights. It’s evidence that the manufacturing process works end-to-end — that the factory at Paine Field is building planes that fly, not just designs that flew once in prototype form.

    That confirmation matters enormously for the 777X certification timeline and for the workers who’ve been building these jets.

    The Flight Profile and the Hot Brake Test

    Pilots Grady and Miller flew N20080 on a standard first-flight profile — climbs, level cruising, turns, and system checks across the Washington and Oregon airspace. Flight tracking data confirmed the altitude and speed figures Boeing provided.

    The flight also included a high-speed rejected takeoff — a test where pilots accelerate the aircraft to approximately 190 knots before applying full braking. The goal is to heat the wheel brakes to their design limits. During this event, the brake temperature rose high enough that small metal fuse plugs embedded in the wheel rims — designed to melt at a specific threshold and release tire air pressure before a tire can burst — did exactly what they were engineered to do.

    They melted. Boeing confirmed the result was expected. It sounds alarming when described out of context, but it’s evidence of a correctly engineered safety system working under its design conditions.

    Everett’s 777-9 Workforce and the Rework Backlog

    Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg, speaking during the company’s Q1 2026 earnings call on April 22, acknowledged that change incorporation on the stored 777-9 and 777-8F aircraft at Paine Field will take “years.” A May 3 Leeham News analysis quoted Ortberg directly on the timeline, framing the roughly 30-35 production jets parked in the storage yard as a “pretty massive activity” that needs systematic scheduling before deliveries can accelerate.

    That backlog is a financial headache for Boeing’s balance sheet. But for the Everett workforce, it has a different meaning: sustained work.

    Mechanics, quality inspectors, systems integrators, and engineers working on the 777X program at Paine Field aren’t facing a cliff. The combination of new-build production — continuing to produce 777-9s and 777-8F freighters for the global order book — and the multi-year change incorporation effort on stored jets means the widebody floor at Everett has a work runway that extends well into the late 2020s.

    The program’s current delivery target has Lufthansa receiving its first 777-9 in Q1 2027. After Lufthansa, the delivery queue runs to airlines including Emirates, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, and Cathay Pacific — a backlog of hundreds of aircraft that will take the better part of a decade to fulfill.

    What This Means for Paine Field

    Paine Field is Boeing’s widebody campus. The 40.3 million-square-foot Everett complex builds the 777X family, the 767 commercial freighter (through 2027), and the KC-46 military tanker on adjacent production floors. The workforce is organized around high-precision, long-cycle assembly work that has no real equivalent elsewhere in American manufacturing.

    For that workforce, the May 7 flight carries a specific significance: it’s the first time Boeing showed that Paine Field’s assembly process produces complete, airline-configured 777-9s that actually fly. The 777-9 simulator qualification earlier this year proved that pilot training infrastructure is ready. The Phase 4A Type Inspection Authorization earlier in 2026 proved the design cleared a critical regulatory gate. The May 7 flight proved the jets coming off the Everett floor work.

    N20080 now enters Boeing’s standard production flight-test sequence — additional sorties over the coming weeks to complete the data package required before the aircraft receives its Lufthansa livery and enters the final documentation process for type certification. If the Q1 2027 delivery holds, this aircraft will be carrying passengers within the next year.

    For Everett, the longer arc of that story runs through thousands of workers, billions of dollars of local economic activity, and a production program that defines what this city builds. Thursday’s flight was one data point. But it was a good one.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How is the May 7 production flight different from earlier 777X flights?

    Earlier 777X flights used dedicated test aircraft without full passenger cabins. N20080 is a production-standard aircraft built to Lufthansa’s delivery specification — with the full Allegris interior installed. It’s the first 777-9 built exactly as it will be delivered to an airline.

    When is Lufthansa’s first 777-9 delivery scheduled?

    Boeing and Lufthansa are targeting Q1 2027 for the first 777-9 delivery. Lufthansa has 20 777-9 orders in its fleet plan.

    What is the fuse plug test?

    During a high-speed rejected takeoff, brakes heat the wheels to design-limit temperatures. Fuse plugs are small metal inserts engineered to melt at that threshold, releasing tire air before a blowout occurs. The test proved the system worked correctly.

    How many 777-9s are stored at Paine Field?

    Boeing has approximately 30-35 production 777-9 and 777-8F aircraft stored at Paine Field, each requiring change incorporation work before delivery. CEO Ortberg has confirmed this process will take years.

    Who are the pilots who flew N20080?

    Boeing test pilots Ted Grady and Jake Miller piloted the aircraft on its May 7 maiden flight.

    What is the 6,000-foot cabin altitude and why does it matter?

    Conventional airliners maintain cabin pressure equivalent to 8,000 feet altitude. The 777-9’s composite fuselage allows Boeing to maintain a 6,000-foot equivalent — meaning less ear-popping, better hydration retention, and reduced fatigue for passengers on long-haul flights.

  • Bluewater Organic Distilling Is the Port of Everett’s Craft Spirits Secret You’ve Been Walking Past

    Bluewater Organic Distilling Is the Port of Everett’s Craft Spirits Secret You’ve Been Walking Past

    Quick Answer: Bluewater Organic Distilling (1205 Craftsman Way Suite 109, Port of Everett waterfront) is one of fewer than 10 organic distilleries in Washington State. Founded 2008 by sailor-turned-distiller John Lundin. Craft vodka, gin, and aquavit from organic wheat. Bar, bistro, tasting room, retail on-site. Hours: Wed–Thu 2–9pm, Fri 2–10pm, Sat–Sun noon–10pm. Closed Mon–Tue.

    The Port of Everett Has Had One of Washington’s Only Organic Distilleries on Its Waterfront for Years. Here’s Why It’s Worth Your Full Attention.

    The Port of Everett waterfront has added a lot in the last three years. Tapped Public House opened its rooftop. Rustic Cork opened a panoramic wine bar. The Net Shed added a fish counter. Fisherman Jack’s brought dim sum. Marina Azul brought elevated Mexican. The list keeps growing, and it should — the Restaurant Row project has done what it set out to do.

    In the middle of that wave of openings, it’s easy to overlook what’s been at 1205 Craftsman Way Suite 109 since well before any of it: Bluewater Organic Distilling, one of fewer than 10 certified organic distilleries in Washington State, anchored into the Port’s original Craftsman Way footprint.

    Bluewater isn’t new. It isn’t a pop-up or a concept or a waterfront brand. It’s been distilling organic spirits on Puget Sound since 2008 — seventeen years — and it has earned its place in the Everett food-and-drink conversation it doesn’t always get included in.

    The Story: A Sailor Names a Distillery After the Deep Ocean

    John Lundin is the founder of Bluewater, and he’s also a sailor — the name isn’t marketing, it’s biography. In sailing, “blue water” means the deep ocean: open water that demands real seamanship and real commitment. Lundin chose it because he wanted the distillery to operate with the same seriousness of purpose.

    The sustainability commitment came first. Before organic spirits became a marketing trend, Lundin built the entire operation around it: organic wheat from Pacific Northwest farms, copper-alembic stills, water from the Cascades. The result is a distillery where the origin of every ingredient is a decision, not an afterthought.

    “In this day and age to have a place at the table, to have a purpose for existing, to have any meaning to the business, you have to choose a sustainable path,” Lundin told Visit Everett when the distillery launched. That framing has held up across seventeen years of production.

    The Spirits: What Bluewater Makes and What to Try First

    The core lineup is three spirits: organic vodka, organic gin, and aquavit. All three are distilled from organic wheat in hand-hammered copper-alembic stills.

    Aquavit is the one to try first. We’ll say that plainly. Aquavit is a Scandinavian grain spirit flavored with caraway and other botanicals — it’s the category most American craft distilleries skip because it requires a customer who’s willing to try something unfamiliar. Bluewater doesn’t skip it, and their version is the thing most first-time visitors remember. If you’ve only ever had aquavit as a shot at a Scandinavian restaurant, the tasting room version here will change your sense of what it can be.

    The gin is botanical-forward and clean — the way an organic gin that takes its botanicals seriously should taste. The baseline test: drink it in a proper G&T and see how much of the gin you can actually taste. In a well-made Bluewater G&T, the answer is: a lot.

    The vodka is smooth in the way that organic wheat spirits tend to be smooth — not neutral to the point of flavorlessness, but clean enough that you can drink it neat without feeling like you’ve done something wrong. That’s the test for any vodka you’re considering buying a bottle of.

    The Space: More Than a Tasting Room

    The Bluewater location on Craftsman Way is a full hospitality operation, not just a production facility with a small pour counter. The space includes:

    • The working distillery — the actual production facility
    • A tasting room to pour through the lineup
    • A craft cocktail bar built entirely on house spirits
    • A fresh bistro with a rotating food menu
    • A retail shop for bottles and cocktail supplies
    • Private event space available for bookings

    The bistro menu rotates seasonally. Check their Instagram or call ahead if a specific food item is the plan — the cocktail bar is the primary draw, and the food is calibrated to support an evening rather than anchor it. That’s the right balance for a distillery experience.

    Location: The Craftsman Way Anchor of the Waterfront

    Bluewater shares the Craftsman Way address with Scuttlebutt Brewing’s original Craftsman Way pub — two different operations at 1205 Craftsman Way doing two different things. Scuttlebutt pours their own beer. Bluewater pours their own spirits. They’re complementary, not competing.

    The Craftsman Way end of the waterfront gets less foot traffic than the newer Restaurant Row buildings, and parking is proportionally easier. If you’re planning a full waterfront evening — starting with dinner at Tapped Public House’s rooftop on the restaurant row end, then walking the marina esplanade — finish at Bluewater for cocktails. That’s a very good evening out.

    You can also anchor an afternoon around the Craftsman Way end: Sound to Summit’s Marina Taproom at 1710 W Marine View Drive is a short walk from Bluewater if beer is the other item on your agenda. The brewery trail and the distillery are increasingly telling the same story: Everett has become a serious craft spirits and beer destination, and the waterfront is where that story lives.

    The Organic Credential: Why It’s Not Just a Label

    Fewer than 10 organic distilleries operate in Washington State — that’s Lundin’s own count, and it tracks with the available data on certified organic producers in the state. Being organic from day one in 2008, before organic spirits became a trend category, means the certification reflects a genuine foundational decision rather than a marketing retrofit.

    In a wheat-based spirit, organic grain quality shows up in the final product. The base ingredient in vodka, gin, and aquavit is the same — organic Pacific Northwest wheat — and the consistency of that source material is part of why all three spirits have a similar cleanness to them, a through-line you don’t always find at distilleries working from commodity grain.

    Visit Everett has featured Bluewater as a standout local maker, and the Tripadvisor rating of 4.1 out of 5 places it in the top tier of Everett dining and drink experiences by review volume.

    What to Order

    Aquavit neat or in a cocktail — Try it neat first to understand what it is, then in whatever the bar suggests. This is the thing to order.

    Organic gin and tonic — Clean, botanical, meaningfully better than a mass-market G&T.

    The house cocktail list — Changes seasonally; ask what’s new.

    A bottle to take home — The retail shop stocks the full lineup.

    The Logistics

    • Address: 1205 Craftsman Way Suite 109, Everett WA 98201 (Port of Everett waterfront)
    • Hours: Wednesday–Thursday 2pm–9pm | Friday 2pm–10pm | Saturday–Sunday noon–10pm | Closed Monday–Tuesday
    • Phone: (425) 404-1408
    • Website: bluewaterdistilling.com
    • Instagram: @bluewaterdistilling
    • Parking: Craftsman Way lot, free
    • Tripadvisor: 4.1/5 — top-ranked among Everett drink destinations
    • Price range: $$ — craft cocktails, tasting flights, retail bottles

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What does Bluewater Organic Distilling make?

    Organic vodka, gin, and aquavit — all distilled from organic Pacific Northwest wheat in hand-hammered copper-alembic stills with water from the Cascades.

    Is Bluewater really an organic distillery?

    Yes — certified organic since opening in 2008. Fewer than 10 organic distilleries operate in Washington State. The organic commitment predates the trend.

    What is aquavit and should I try it at Bluewater?

    Aquavit is a Scandinavian grain spirit flavored with caraway and other botanicals. Bluewater’s is particularly good and is the spirit most visitors remember. Try it neat first, then in a cocktail.

    What are Bluewater’s hours?

    Wednesday–Thursday 2–9pm, Friday 2–10pm, Saturday–Sunday noon–10pm. Closed Monday and Tuesday.

    Can I buy Bluewater spirits to take home?

    Yes — there’s a retail shop on-site with their full lineup of organic vodka, gin, and aquavit available by the bottle.

    Is there food at Bluewater Organic Distilling?

    Yes — a fresh bistro with a rotating menu. Food accompanies drinks rather than serving as a full dinner service. Call ahead or check Instagram for current offerings.

    When did Bluewater Organic Distilling open?

    Founded in 2008. One of the original craft spirits producers in the Pacific Northwest and one of fewer than 10 organic distilleries in Washington State.

    Who founded Bluewater Organic Distilling?

    John Lundin, who is also a sailor. The name “blue water” refers to the deep ocean in sailing terminology — a deliberate tribute to the water and to the commitment required to cross it.