Things I tripped over on my way to the internet

givemesomethingtoread:

“Twenty-five years ago, we were a step below astronauts,” says one veteran pilot. “Now we’re a step above bus drivers. And the bus drivers have a better pension.”

19 years ago I switched my degree from flight training (Aeronautical Science) to Aviation Business because it seemed like after the first few times back and forth between airports as a pilot it wouldn’t be much different than driving a bus. Also, I couldn’t afford the flying. Somehow I ended up in politics/government.

Great article. I loved that jet too. I had a poster of it in my room in high school. Here’s one great quote of many from the story:

“On a typical training mission, we would take off near Sacramento, refuel over Nevada, accelerate into Montana, obtain high Mach over Colorado, turn right over New Mexico, speed across the Los Angeles Basin, run up the West Coast, turn right at Seattle, then return to Beale. Total flight time: two hours and 40 minutes.”

Long but interesting history of modern aviation. Why the 787 is so revolutionary.