It’s been big news lately that the new Boeing 787 is having problems, resulting in its grounding until a solution can be found to its lithium-ion batteries catching fire. Certainly, that’s not the track record that was expected when it was christened the “Dreamliner” in an online naming contest (beating out “Global Cruiser” by 2500 votes).
There’s another kind of jet that I’m waiting for with more anticipation. It’s only in the concept stage, but it’s a well-thought-out concept—aimed directly at families with children. It’s called cAir, and it’s the brainchild of RKS Design. I heard about it from Karolyn Wojtowicz at the blog William Penn University Study Abroad (lots of good stuff there for “opening the eyes of students, of all ages, everywhere to opportunities available anywhere”). Read her take at “cAir: The New Child-Friendly Airline.”
cAir innovations include
- Toy rental
- Sound curtains that pull down from the ceiling (reminds me of Get Smart‘s “Cone of Silence”)
- Child-friendly, family-size lavatories
- Places for storing and reheating food
- Built-in child seats
- Spinnable seat pairs that allow family members to face each other (my favorite—just like the trains in Taiwan)
- Lower-level overhead compartments for child access to smaller items
- And half-price discounts for parents flying with children (OK, I made this last one up, but we’re dreaming, aren’t we?)
“Flying with children can be a real nightmare. . . . So why not do something to fix it?” —RKS Design
(David M. Ewalt, “Dreamliner’s News May Be Getting Worse, and Not Just for Boeing,” Forbes, January 22, 2013; “Puget Sound Employee Wins ‘Name Your Plane’ Sweepstakes,” Boeing Frontiers Online, July 2003)
[illustration: “Flying Duck Patrol,” by Colorful Bleeding, used under a Creative Commons license]
Clearing Customs 