Question of the day.

Do you think a POA member will make it into the history books as a legend like Yeager or Earhart?

  • Yes...me.

    Votes: 4 13.8%

  • Someone that I know on here who is highly respected.

    Votes: 1 3.4%

  • Not one that I have seen yet, but new members are being added regularly, so who knows.

    Votes: 4 13.8%

  • No one, we are all wasting too much time on the internet while the legends are out flying.

    Votes: 20 69.0%

  • I know a few different people.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    29
PrincessPilotNJ

PrincessPilotNJ

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WATXNJMA
If so, then for what?
 
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Doubtful. There really isn't anything you could do at this point to be as famous as those two. Everything has pretty much been done. It's possible there will be some major technological breakthrough that'll make some engineer famous, but even then, I doubt Earhart famous.
 
After reading that grill thread, maybe a famous griller or three!
 
One never knows,but it would have to be spectacular.
 
Yeah, I agree with Jesse. Those days are over and all the great aviation achievements have been done.

Even these new astronauts selected for the future Mars missions aren't going to be well known like in the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs. Those guys were like gods.

I think the Ansari X Prize stuff was pretty cool but it really didn't make anyone famous. Outside of us aviation geeks, how many in America knows about that program or even who Burt Rutan or Mike Melville is?
 
Velocity173 said:
Yeah, I agree with Jesse. Those days are over and all the great aviation achievements have been done.

Even these new astronauts selected for the future Mars missions aren't going to be well known like in the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs. Those guys were like gods.

I think the Ansari X Prize stuff was pretty cool but it really didn't make anyone famous. Outside of us aviation geeks, how many in America knows about that program or even who Burt Rutan or Mike Melville is?
Click to expand...

And yet everyone knows who Sully is and few know who Jeff is. And many know who Haynes is but not Fitch.

Maybe the goalposts moved and folks will only remember the ones who turned crud sandwiches into a slightly better day now that flying (especially commercially) is considered to be incredibly safe.

But they only have room in their brain for the Captain's name. Everyone else is just the supporting cast.

:)
 
jesse said:
Doubtful. There really isn't anything you could do at this point to be as famous as those two. Everything has pretty much been done. It's possible there will be some major technological breakthrough that'll make some engineer famous, but even then, I doubt Earhart famous.
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+1. Aviation is so developed that any big achievement would be the accomplishment of a team, with the pilot only one part of that team. Besides, as Jesse said, there's nothing much left to be done.
 
Does it count if people say about me:
"How ironic he was making a spoof tutorial video about flying in IMC when he flew into a tornado and died"?

That seems like legend potential.

Edit: and plausible.
 
Velocity173 said:
Outside of us aviation geeks, how many in America knows about that program or even who Burt Rutan or Mike Melville is?
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Or Brian Binnie for that matter ;)

Nauga's philosophy for fame? "If you can't be good be colorful."

Nauga,
who has his own list
 
Mya e not as famous as those two, but there are a few here vying for the Guiness World record for pegging the BS meter
 
My company brought in a "legend" to speak for black history month. I'll let you guess who... I just couldn't be brought to be impressed about circumnavigation of the earth with a donated Columbia 400. It's not an impressive "legendary" feat with that kind of aircraft and GNSS with money being thrown at you.

So, no, I didn't waste an hour watching him give a motivational talk.
 
jesse said:
Doubtful. There really isn't anything you could do at this point to be as famous as those two. Everything has pretty much been done. It's possible there will be some major technological breakthrough that'll make some engineer famous, but even then, I doubt Earhart famous.
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Nah, still lots of ground to break, lots of pioneering, I would love to be a test pilot for virgin galactic, space x, or the like.

I think the private space sector is going to be very interesting in the years to come, and thats the future.
 
Solo 'round the world maybe, non-stop, unrefueled. Voyager, minus the ballast. Pretty cool, and attention grabbing with a good PR plan.

I don't think Lindburgh cool, though. The folks going to Mars will be flavorless, corporate reps. Some of the selection criteria will be included just because some suit thinks it should be. If one or more of the selectees has a real personality, we won't see it.

And no one remembers a clone. What you'll see will be about as distinctive, and memorable, as a pigeon.
 
:)...I was gonna say, Jesse.
 
Sundancer said:
Solo 'round the world maybe, non-stop, unrefueled. Voyager, minus the ballast. Pretty cool, and attention grabbing with a good PR plan...And no one remembers a clone.
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I guess no one remembers Steve Fossett either? Kinda makes Jesse's point I guess. :rolleyes:

Nauga,
with miles to go before he sleeps
 
nauga said:
I guess no one remembers Steve Fossett either? Kinda makes Jesse's point I guess. :rolleyes:

Nauga,
with miles to go before he sleeps
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How about Abruzzo, Anderson, and Newman? That was in most of our lifetimes...

I think it has more to do with society wanting the *next* name for a 24 hour news cycle nowadays, maybe.

Big achievements are often a one-shot and then done. If the name doesn't "stick" when it happens nowadays, the camera and the media have moved on...
 
Shouldn't this have been posted to the "Ask Sac a question" thread?
 
jesse said:
Doubtful. There really isn't anything you could do at this point to be as famous as those two. Everything has pretty much been done. It's possible there will be some major technological breakthrough that'll make some engineer famous, but even then, I doubt Earhart famous.
Click to expand...

There's also an expectation that we'll do things like go to Mars or colonize our moon. Those feats, in most people's minds, are just natural progressions of what we've already done.

I remember when Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon. My family was on vacation at a bungalow we had in the middle of nowhere, and my dad and I had spent the better part of the day before installing and aiming a new TV antenna so we could watch it. If we couldn't grab a satisfactory signal, the plan was to drive to the nearest public place that had reception like a diner or bar. There was no way we were going to miss it.

That feeling was universal. I doubt there were more than a handful of people in America who weren't watching. It was a momentous occasion.

Air and space travel don't have that kind of awe-inspiring appeal anymore. It's become commonplace. It's hard to think of an accomplishment that will ever attract that kind of attention and admiration again.

Rich
 
I'd say there are more than a few people here who probably think they're in that category ;) (and most of us know they're most certainly are not :D).
 
I voted yes. I'm thinking either Jesse (he IS the greatest pilot in the world after all) or David White.

I'm not sure what milestones there actually are that would capture the public's attention though. Anybody know who was the first to go 2x the speed of sound?

John
 
RJM62 said:
There's also an expectation that we'll do things like go to Mars or colonize our moon. Those feats, in most people's minds, are just natural progressions of what we've already done.

I remember when Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon. My family was on vacation at a bungalow we had in the middle of nowhere, and my dad and I had spent the better part of the day before installing and aiming a new TV antenna so we could watch it. If we couldn't grab a satisfactory signal, the plan was to drive to the nearest public place that had reception like a diner or bar. There was no way we were going to miss it.

That feeling was universal. I doubt there were more than a handful of people in America who weren't watching. It was a momentous occasion.

Air and space travel don't have that kind of awe-inspiring appeal anymore. It's become commonplace. It's hard to think of an accomplishment that will ever attract that kind of attention and admiration again.

Rich
Click to expand...

If someone sets foot on Mars in my lifetime, I sure as hell will be watching.

Heck, nobody has even set foot on the moon since I've been alive....
 
Velocity173 said:
Yeah, I agree with Jesse. Those days are over and all the great aviation achievements have been done.

Even these new astronauts selected for the future Mars missions aren't going to be well known like in the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs. Those guys were like gods.

I think the Ansari X Prize stuff was pretty cool but it really didn't make anyone famous. Outside of us aviation geeks, how many in America knows about that program or even who Burt Rutan or Mike Melville is?
Click to expand...


My wife and I were at OSH about 15 years ago. She "ran into this guy with mutton chops who was putting rockets on these funny planes with canards". Asked him why he was doing it, what the purpose was, etc.

Afterwords, I said "do you know who that was...?" ;)
 
mkosmo said:
My company brought in a "legend" to speak for black history month. I'll let you guess who... I just couldn't be brought to be impressed about circumnavigation of the earth with a donated Columbia 400. It's not an impressive "legendary" feat with that kind of aircraft and GNSS with money being thrown at you.

So, no, I didn't waste an hour watching him give a motivational talk.
Click to expand...

Anyone with money could easily do the same. I wouldn't go to a "motivational speech" by this guy, but it would probably be a good story to hear with some interesting tidbits.
 
Didn't most of the great aviation pioneers have corporate or government sponsors?
 
cowman said:
Didn't most of the great aviation pioneers have corporate or government sponsors?
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Of course, but there's a difference between doing something for the first time with no assurance or expectation of surviving, err pioneering vs doing a repeat of a 100 year old great in something more than capable of the task.

A corporate pilot doing a world tour in a Gulfstream will get no love and fame for doing an around the world tour with the CEO. Nor should they off there's nothing new or special about it.
 
cowman said:
Didn't most of the great aviation pioneers have corporate or government sponsors?
Click to expand...

I have a Disney Air Race replica poster in one of my bathrooms. (NOT BY CHOICE...)

Considering the Mouse's aversion having any airplanes bear him these days, and the runway no longer in use at the Florida Mouse House, it's somewhat ironic.

(I'd eradicate all Mouse things from my house if I were single, but the Mrs. seems to not know what a terrible company it is these days.)
 
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