Posted: 4/8/2009 2:17:36 PM EDT
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I was out riding my mountain bike with my dog last night and the UPS B767 flew overhead in it's steeply banked departure from my local airport (BIL). It comes and goes twice a day every day. I usually make it a point to stop what I'm doing (unless I'm driving) and watch it.
But last night was different. As I listened to those two powerful turbine engines "blasting" the plane towards cruising altitude... I was struck the the MIRACLE that was taking place. Not necessarily in the cockpit. I can do that (at least with little airplanes). But in those engines. That someone could have invented and then fabricated those things to be able to propel such a large aircraft at such speeds just boggles my mind. I never take aviation for granted. It's always fascinated me and it always will. But something about the sight and sound of that plane taking-off last night really touched the inner-child in me and I was just blown-away. It made me feel very small. And I generally think of myself as a pretty smart guy –– but I didn't feel so smart last night. That men's brains design such miracles and their hands build them is SMART. I'm just an IT guy who plays on the computer for a living. Unplug the power from my workstation and I'm done. 
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| The guys that make me in awe are the first guys that did this stuff. The technology is amazing, but my Dad's unit flew C-47s to England during the war (before my Dad's time). Hop, skip and jumping accross the pond in winter is just crazy to me. No nav computers. Just the same E-6B in use today and star sights. On clear nights. Cloudy, hope and a wild ass guess. Steel balls. Note women did the same thing (WAF). WJ |
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Four 747 "Dream Lifters" (I think that's what they call them, built by Boeing, to haul 787 assemblies to their Everett, Wa.,factor from world-wide supplers.
ETA: I think they were actually built(modified) in Taiwan or some similar place, with Boeing engineering and direction. |
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Quoted:
I was about 1/4 mile from a B-1 taking off in full burners yesterday. I put my windows down to hear the rumble, and I could feel my chest pounding and my car actually shaking. That was impressive. A long time ago we had a couple B1's from Ellsworth doing touch and go's up here. They would use burners and have their wings fully extended and then go into what seemed like a 90 degree bank after take-off. It was awesome. LOVE the sound of those military turbojets. |
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Boeing Field (KBFI) is a non-stop, daily airshow. Quoted: Two 747 "Dream Lifters" (I think that's what they call them, built new by Boeing, to haul 787 assemblies to their Everett, Wa., from world-wide supplers. ETA: I think they were actually built(modified) in Korea or some similar place, with Boeing engineering and direction. Modified in China. |
Did most of my flying on Big Sky and Delta out of BIL
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Quoted:
Boeing Field (KBFI) is a non-stop, daily airshow. Quoted:
Two 747 "Dream Lifters" (I think that's what they call them, built new by Boeing, to haul 787 assemblies to their Everett, Wa., from world-wide supplers. ETA: I think they were actually built(modified) in Korea or some similar place, with Boeing engineering and direction. Modified in China. 
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