I’ve been rather quiet here for over a week for good reason: I’ve been on holiday in the UK, and Cornwall in particular. I’ll have some more to write about in the week ahead, but I thought I would share a few comments about the new A-380 airbus. It’s the biggest passenger plane in the World and British Airways just put it into service. I was lucky enough to fly it from London Heathrow to Washington on Sunday, and it truly is an amazing plane.

It was so quiet on take-off, that I could talk with my wife in a normal tone of voice, and with the high ceilings and big windows, it feels very comfortable. The seating arrangement that BA has installed gives you plenty of room, even in coach and the windows are large. It truly is an amazing aircraft. I usually fly BA to London because they have great food, but this time I got an extra bonus on the way back.

If you want to see the value of science in action, this aircraft is a perfect example of what it can do. We forget sometimes how amazing it is that you can fly in just a few hours from one side of the planet to the other. How could you hope to explain this to those who rest in the centuries old, ivy covered grave-yards of England. It would seem like magic to them.

If you get a chance to fly on one, take it!