I am five years old.

Our Fargo trip finally happened today. Sat on the plane next to the founder/chairman, the president, and the head of transportation on the way back. We were, appropriately, watching Fargo on the TV's. Most of the development department was in the back with the leasing guy having some sort of meeting about a project I'm not really involved in. I sat next to them on the way out, so I didn't feel bad sitting up front on the way back. (Not that there was room in back, anyway.)

The president of the company asked if I wanted to sit in the rumble seat (which is located halfway inside the cockpit) when we landed. Of course I said yes.

I spent the last twenty minutes or so inside the cockpit figuring out what all the dials and switches do. I talked with the pilot and copilot about what was going on. I asked if Microsoft Flight Simulator is very realistic. It is.

Watching a plane land from inside the cockpit is just about the coolest thing you can see on an airplane. I don't even know if I can adequately describe what it looks like. Imagine the end of a mission in "Top Gun" for the NES, but about a billion times cooler. You're coming toward the runway, you can tell that there's some wind because you're drifting a bit from side to side. There's some yaw, but not too much. You've basically got the computer making sure you're all lined up and you've got to watch the throttle. The computer starts telling you your altitude.

I've been thinking a lot lately about getting a pilot's license. Probably not for a jet, but for a small plane. I don't think I'll ever be able to get April to go up with me, however.