20 March 2006

MUCHO COJONES

I always knew test pilots from Chuck Yeager on up had mega balls, but I never really thought about the testing that has to go into getting “plain old” civilian aircraft ready to fly me and you around the world. Well, HERE is a video of Boeing test pilots landing a 747 and a 777 on some hidden air strip in Brazil (I think it’s Brazil, because the accompanying print seems to be Portugese). It’s really incredible to think that an airplane is strong enough to withstand this kind of abuse. I've been told the testing is to prove the strength the engineers said the plane will have is really there. Amazing stuff.

If you’re a afraid of flying, watch this. If your next pilot is half as good as these guys, you’ve nothing to worry about.

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