- by Hénock Gugsa -
Way back in '79, when I was in Ethiopia and working for Ethiopian Airlines, I was a member of a fleet expansion committee. In our search for cost-effective aircraft that were good-fit for our needs, it was de rigueur to invite high-powered salesmen/engineers from internationally renowned aircraft manufacturers to come and present their products for our consideration. The top companies in our sight-scope at the time were Boeing and the McDonnell-Douglas companies.
I remember once, in one of the presentation sessions, asking the representatives of either Boeing or McDonnell-Douglas if they envisioned non-petrol consuming aircraft at some point in the future. I specifically mentioned planes that would use solar power as energy source.
My colleagues in the committee reacted with so much eye-rolling, smirking, and loud impatience. That was bad enough, but the response I got from those salesmen was even worse. It was non-committal, amused, and even condescendingly polite. In essence, my question was treated as an inane exercise because it "seemed" to lack relevance to the discussion points on the table. I must declare that it was devastatingly painful to be viewed as a foolish academic who was wasting everybody's time.
////====> But I am now remembering that push-aside dismissal, many years ago, with different eyes. I feel vindicated now ... I am glad I have lived long enough to see the possibility of solar aircraft becoming a practical reality.
I have no doubt that, very soon now, such aircraft will, after some refinements, be commercialized; and they will dominate the world's skies !!!
====================================
* This article is written in response to: "Solar plane completes dangerous 3-day flight over the Pacific Ocean" ---------->
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/solar-plane-completes-dangerous-3-day-flight-over-the-pacific-ocean/
I remember once, in one of the presentation sessions, asking the representatives of either Boeing or McDonnell-Douglas if they envisioned non-petrol consuming aircraft at some point in the future. I specifically mentioned planes that would use solar power as energy source.
My colleagues in the committee reacted with so much eye-rolling, smirking, and loud impatience. That was bad enough, but the response I got from those salesmen was even worse. It was non-committal, amused, and even condescendingly polite. In essence, my question was treated as an inane exercise because it "seemed" to lack relevance to the discussion points on the table. I must declare that it was devastatingly painful to be viewed as a foolish academic who was wasting everybody's time.
////====> But I am now remembering that push-aside dismissal, many years ago, with different eyes. I feel vindicated now ... I am glad I have lived long enough to see the possibility of solar aircraft becoming a practical reality.
I have no doubt that, very soon now, such aircraft will, after some refinements, be commercialized; and they will dominate the world's skies !!!
====================================
* This article is written in response to: "Solar plane completes dangerous 3-day flight over the Pacific Ocean" ---------->
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/solar-plane-completes-dangerous-3-day-flight-over-the-pacific-ocean/
