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The FAA Changed Its Definition of 'Astronaut' on the Same Day Jeff Bezos Went to Space
Jeff Bezos is a lot of things. A tax-dodging megalomaniac. A Dr. Evil lookalike. A weirdly horny cowboy hat enthusiast. The one thing he isn’t—at least as far as the Federal Aviation Administration is concerned—is an astronaut. (gizmodo.com) Más...The idea that a Branson passenger is an astronaut is insulting. Astronaut Reisman says; If I take a Carnival Cruise, I don't get epaulets and get called a sailer. The key is what is your role? Are you trained to do a job in space?
Poke your head above some altitude and la dee da, you're an astronaut? It's like driving up Pike's Peak and getting a medal that says you've climbed one of Colorado's fourteeners...
Astronauts are not about joy rides. Even Christa McAuliffe, Teacher In Space, had serious assignments had that crew lived to fly their mission.
Rides are a legitimate thing to do. It will become more and more common and cheaper. But it is a joy ride. Or maybe eventually really fast trans-continental flying. That's fine. But you're not an astronaut. You're a Disney, er, uh, Virgin park guest. Maybe the title should be something like astropassenger.
Poke your head above some altitude and la dee da, you're an astronaut? It's like driving up Pike's Peak and getting a medal that says you've climbed one of Colorado's fourteeners...
Astronauts are not about joy rides. Even Christa McAuliffe, Teacher In Space, had serious assignments had that crew lived to fly their mission.
Rides are a legitimate thing to do. It will become more and more common and cheaper. But it is a joy ride. Or maybe eventually really fast trans-continental flying. That's fine. But you're not an astronaut. You're a Disney, er, uh, Virgin park guest. Maybe the title should be something like astropassenger.
If I'm not mistaken, one of the passengers was also an NTSB investigator at one point.
Yup Wally investigated the incident in SAN where the light single collided with a PSA 727.
Jeff, when I received my first set of "pilot" wings from TWA back in the '60s - and a visitor to the flight deck, seated in the FE's chair for about 15 minuted, I was just a fully ticketed and paid up PASSENGER. Welcome to the club!