Saturday, September 01, 2012

Ground stop in Hong Kong

Waiting to return to the sky
Hong Kong, China
May 2012
Please click here for more parallel-themed Thematic












I find it amazing how different vehicles can be so specifically designed for a given environment that it's hard to imagine any other form factor ever replacing them. As I stared at this lineup of Cathay Pacific aircraft in the early morning sun, I wondered about their unique layout, first defined over half a century ago in the first generation of swept wing aircraft with jet engines hanging from pods underneath their wings.

Today's planes are light-years removed technologically from those first 707s, of course, but the ancestral connection is clear, and the brilliant minds who created those early commercial jets were visionaries indeed.

Parallel shapes, for sure. But also parallel connections to folks who long ago, without the benefit of supercomputers or the Internet, crafted machines that conquered the sky for generations to come. I wonder if they knew where their work would end up.

Your turn: Jerry Seinfeld once asked, "What's the deal with airplane food?" So I'll ask, "What's the deal with airplanes? Why the appeal?"

4 comments:

21 Wits said...

Ah, very nice capture, it totally awakes the urge to travel for me!

Kalei's Best Friend said...

Every time I flew Hawaiian Airlines i was fun to watch the passengers tear into those small tv dinners.. I knew from the moment I sat down,the airline's routine... the service was predictable... the food was somewhat edible.. Let's just say it beats starving tho, I would rather have the pretzels and water... The routine was snack, then a drink, then about 1 hr. it was the main meal, after that, the movie, and in between, they would go up and down the aisle offering beverages and snacks that cost an arm and a leg... I knew quite a few who brought their own meals.. Some flights charge extra for the meal- pretty sad...

laurak/ForestWalkArt :) said...

i like these parallels!!
but as far as getting the urge to fly...no thanks! if i had wings, yeah!!

i've flown some in my time...in planes that is.

i've flown once since 9/11...roundtrip from california to NY to visit my brother. no more for me!!

as for the food...well, i never expected much on a plane. i figured they can't really prepare time consuming meals. anyway, i guess it's gotten worse over the years since i've been in the sky!

ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®© said...

I remember when you used to get airplane food. As I recall, it wasn't so bad...and certainly beats today's alternative (pay for some tiny portions of something).
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