As someone in the air cargo industry I can tell you the B747-400s will be around for a long time. They make good freighters, especially for the lower-revenue freight. As they retire from the passenger world, they can be bought cheaply (relatively) and converted for freighter use.

Whether you have to dodge slower runners at the start is more a function of your specific race than what time you show up (but still, don’t be late). A lot of big races (Marine Corps, R&R, etc.) attract large fields but do not have strict corrals. Chicago on the other hand strictly enforces them. They are fenced off…

This is a bad idea. Since deregulation, most airlines have operated at a loss (Southwest being a notable exception). Since the advent of fee-based pricing, airlines have finally been able to turn a profit (low fuel has a lot to do with this as well but tiered-pricing has been huge). Attempting to limit how seats are…