In article ,
(Jason Strong) writes:
Does it really take a travel agent to inform you guys that the 747
will be the aircraft long remembered in aviation history?

No, but for some reason, the theme from Expedia.com is running through
my head, just now.

The 747 revolutionized air travel and has moved billions of people
around the earth, making flight obtainable to everyone for a
reasonable price without the need to become a pilot or join the AF.

I really have to disagree. The revolution in air travel came 10 years
earlier, with the introduction of the Boeing 707 and the DC-8. They
were teh aircraft that changed air travel, bringing about a whole new
universe of operating economics and making transoceanic travel
something other than a luxury. The 747 expanded that somewhat, but it
was operating in a universe that had already changed. The 747 was an
evomutionary step, not a revolutionary one.

It was the 707 that killed off the Ocean Liners. They were all gone
by the time the 747 showed up.

The 747 has established air routes that link the entire world and
moved cargo at a pace that transformed not only the delivery business
but the nations that rely on those resources to advance their own
industries.

Uhm, what routes, exactly? The 747s aren't going anywhere that the
707s weren't already going.

Who cares about some old rusting hunk of military hardware? Even the
sleek SR-71 is nothing compared to the Jumbo.

You guys need to get your heads out of your ass**, um... the clouds...
and think about the revolution the 747 has caused and the
accessability of flight to the average Joe.

This paragraph makes me quite proud that I helped develop the
Distributed Network Control System that allowed the Sabre Reservation
Network to be restrung for open access, thus allowing the average Joe
to find and book flights over their own computers, reducing the
requirement for Travel Agents.

Even when that monster Airbus slugs its way into the air it will be a
long time before that aerial doubledecker ever truly rivals the Jumbo.

Y'know, I still haven't seen how the A380 is supposed to pass the
evacuation requiremnts for certification. The upper deck's too far
off the ground for slides to work reliably enough.

--
Pete Stickney
A strong conviction that something must be done is the parent of many
bad measures. -- Daniel Webster