I’m an airline pilot. I don’t set my own hours, and to be fair I do work a lot of very odd and irregular hours including nights and weekends. This leads to a lot of fatigue sometimes, but I do enjoy my work. While there is a lot of routine, the view from the office is unbeatable.

Word. I hated working like that. Going from office work to a job I actually enjoy doing (and that is everything but 9-5) was one of the best choices I ever made.

Indeed. No matter how much I know intellectually that I could easily invest it better myself (even risk-free government bonds are better than the annuity), I know that the annuity is a great safety net against my inevitable stupidity.

I’m not big on gyms either. Hardly ever enter one except in hotels while traveling for work.

It looked like it pooped the bombs.

I like your thinking. :)

If memory serves, Shafer had described it elsewhere as having structural limits comparable to those of an airliner.

The Russian answer was the MiG-25 Foxbat. The Foxhound is the MiG-25’s (slower) successor, the MiG-31.

Correct. There was no way to seal the tanks on the ground. Once the plane heated up, the metal would expand and the tanks would seal.

Third restriction would have to do with emergency descent time after depressurization. This would probably apply but since the pilots are in pressure suits they’d have ample time so it wouldn’t be restrictive.

Seems to me the taxiway has a slight sideways incline.

85,000 feet is the official Blackbird ceiling, although it supposedly could fly higher

When I’m on vacation I can easily read a novel every day or two. It all comes down to the things mentioned in the article. No distractions and not falling asleep. Pool chairs in the shade are perfect. They’re just not quite comfortable enough to easily fall asleep in, and you’re not ensconced “safely” in your room.

Nobody in Europe would ever fasten an American license plate to their car in an attempt to seem cooler.

I still prefer an analog speedometer and tach. I do not like excess back-lit screens in my face, especially during night driving.

It is QUEEN-ah-mann. FOR I AM THE QUEEN OF ALL FLEMISH BAKED GOODS.

As well you should. However extra layers of redundancy are not a bad thing. Humans are easily distracted and fatigued.

As mentioned by others, WiFi extenders have an annoying tendency to make things worse. The only reliable solutions in my experience:

That’s not an An-124...

Apples and Oranges. Somewhat. The 747 is much better for “normal” cargo ops. The planform is more efficient. However it does not have the An-124’s capacity for outsize cargo or less well equipped airports.