[matt f]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

My deepest condolences to all who lost their lives, and to the loved ones they left behind. They knew the risks, and were courageous enough to smile and do it anyway. Not many like that. Contrast that with the sheer cowardice and ignorance displayed by the anonymous keyboard expert below.



Pretty easy to throw stones from the safety of your mom's basement, disparaging those who would risk it all, at their own expense (both financially and ultimately) to advance the common good. You make totally baseless accusations from a position of utter ignorance. Your socialist underpinnings betray you - you simply cannot put aside your evil capitalist pig view of those who would, in your mind, only venture into areas like this to make a quick buck. Having little motivation of your own beyond what is good for number one, you simply cannot understand those who may be motivated by some higher calling. You are doing your pitiful best to cheapen their deaths, and I'm just not going to let you get away with that.

I've spent my entire adult life in aerospace, primarily commercial aviation. For profit commercial aviation. All run by folks who would, in your estimation, sacrifice safety for an extra buck. You simply could not be more wrong. You have no basis on which to make those accusations, no experience in the field on which to draw. I can assure you, flight safety, the safety of the crew and occupants, has been the absolute number one priority on every program in which I have been involved for the past 35 years. Mostly commercial, but quite a bit of government and defense as well - I have never seen any difference in safety standards between them.

A loss like this resonates throughout the entire team, or more accurately, the entire family involved. From the investors on top to the guys bucking the rivets, one and all are devastated at a very personal level, the money involved be damned. That is a distant second to the sense of family on projects like this, the overwhelming sense of loss.

You owe the fine men and women involved in that program an apology.

How about I bump it.
I've done my share of flying, still not a comfortable experience.
Great points made by Jeff and gordner about safety and family.