Photos of the Week: Time Warp

Airplanes pretty much always move forward.

Other than being pushed back from gates or similar ramp maneuvers that require a little bit of backpedaling, aircraft spend the vast majority of their existence heading for the horizon, usually at hundreds of miles per hour.

That’s a great metaphor for aviation in general. It’s always advancing. Technology, logistics, materials, design—whatever aspect of flying you name, people are constantly looking for ways to improve it.

JetBlue is no different. The carrier recently began taking delivery of Airbus A220 aircraft to replace its fleet of Embraer 190s. The first A220 wearing JetBlue livery flew from Boston Logan International to Tampa International in late April.

Casper Wood captured a shot of that aircraft landing at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport not long after its debut, a literal and figurative symbol of aviation’s nonstop drive to move forward.

Interestingly, the people on that brand-new airplane probably looked out of their windows down at land and ocean, the very building blocks of our world that have existed for billions of years.

No matter how fast aviation or the planes it develops move ahead, our planet doesn’t really care. It’s a fraction of an eyeblink in the grand scheme of things.

Justin Zickafoose looked out the window of his Southwest flight from PIT to Las Vegas in March and saw the Rocky Mountains, a range that formed more than 55 million years ago.

If you stipulate that modern aviation started with the Wright Brothers’ flight at Kitty Hawk, it’s existed for about 0.0002 percent of the time the Rockies have. No matter how fast it moves, aviation’s got a long way to go to catch up.

Thanks, Casper and Justin!

Our readers continue to pass along shots of unique aircraft, international airports, historical events, gorgeous views and even family vacation photos for this feature. We love them! Keep them coming—you can click here for submission guidelines.

An aerial view of the Rocky Mountains from the wing. (Photo submitted by Justin Shea Zickafoose)