James Fallows on Cirrus as Game Changers, 9 Years On

JP Rennquist Jan 26, 2010 11 Comments

This was interesting to me. On the Plane Conversations blog, author Alan Howell reviews a 2001 book by Atlantic contributor James Fallows called “Free Flight: From Airline Hell to a New Age of Travel.” In the book, according to Howell, Fallows says that the Klapmeier brothers of Duluth’s own Cirrus Design created the first of three major innovations that would change the way people travel. How did the prediction stack up?

In the last nine years, how did James Fallows’ case studies fare?

To date, Cirrus has manufactured and sold more than 5000 aircraft and has been the number one, best selling aircraft in the past decade – not bad for a start-up company with a non-conventional design. Like other aviation companies, Cirrus has been severely impacted by the economy but will survive in some form. The aircraft has been too successful and the market will continue to demand new models with improved technology.

Read the whole article here: Free Flight: What has happened since James Fallows wrote the book

Recommended Links:


Random

11 Comments

vicarious

about 15 years ago 

Somewhat related:

Purdue University College of Aviation has ordered sixteen 2010 Cirrus SR20's for their flight school. Always a good thing when Cirrus makes a big sale...

vicarious

about 15 years ago 

Linky:  http://news.cirrusaircraft.com/post/2010/01/25/PURDUE-UNIVERSITY-ACQUIRES-FLEET-OF-CIRRUS-SR20-AIRCRAFT-FOR-DEPARTMENT-OF-AVIATION-TECHNOLOGY.aspx

TimK

about 15 years ago 

Those of us who watched the Jetsons when we were kids (and the show was new) just assumed that we'd have flying cars, robot maids and sprocket manufacturing jobs by now. Instead we have gas-guzzling SUVs, immigrant maids and out-sourced manufacturing.

Barrett Chase

about 15 years ago 

@TimK: We assumed this because we were watching cartoons. We weren't reading literature.

mevdev

about 15 years ago 

I am severely disappointed at 2010. Pfft, the future is still far away. We don't even have ONE thing from my top 3 list:


1. Flying Cars

2. Cats that stay kittens

3. FTL space travel

adam

about 15 years ago 

Depends who you read.

Zoomerang!

about 15 years ago 

TimK: Don't forget about world peace, feeding the hungry and saving the planet from global warming/cooling/climate change.  Can't believe you left those off of your list of liberal causes.

TimK

about 15 years ago 

I was a kid! My goals were totally cartoon-based at the time!

wildgoose

about 15 years ago 

http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20100101/COLUMNISTS/301010007/OK--it%5C-s-2010--where-are-the-flying-cars-we-were-promised

zra

about 15 years ago 

@ zoomerang: Christ (you know, that guy that then entire basis for Christianity is founded upon) commanded us (et, al) to clothe and feed the needy, care for the sick and to...love our neighbors as ourselves, and we as humans are given "stewardship" over the earth (by God himself), which means that we are to take care of his creations.

adam

about 15 years ago 

...and kick it with prostitutes and tax collectors.

Leave a Comment

Only registered members can post a comment , Login / Register Here