Don't know if Mr.May has much of a profile in the US, but he's Captain Slow of Top Gear. He has his own life on TV though, in particular recently a series on 20th century technology. Perhaps arisng out of that, last night BBC showed two programmes, one with the above title and one called "James May at the Edge of Space". The first was JM seeing some Moon walker astronauts (not the usual ones), and training to go up in a U-2, the nearest thing, as I think he says that a middle aged, rather porky man could hope for, to going to the Moon.

It's really good, IMHO! Wonderful shots of the Curve of Earth from 700,000 ft, and an airliner pasing below, as far below as they are normally seen above. If you can get BBC iPlayer, see them again at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/

John

Lucky sod getting all the fun, I was just a little jealous I guess he deserved the U2 ride after all the abuse he gets in Top Gear. I agree with JohnD, at least for the part of the show I saw. Great program.

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"Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge" -- Charles Darwin
"Your right to hold an opinion is not being contested. Your expectation that it be taken seriously is." -- Jason Thompson
Meet the OOONG TOE.

Erm, if anyone can get a plane to fly at 700,000 feet, I think NASA would like to hear about it.

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But the reason I call myself by my childhood name is to remind myself that a scientist must also be absolutely like a child. If he sees a thing, he must say that he sees it, whether it was what he thought he was going to see or not. See first, think later, then test. But always see first. Otherwise you will only see what you were expecting. Most scientists forget that.
(Wonko the Sane, from "So long and Thanks for all the Fish" by Douglas Adams)

Quote from Saturn 4b's signoff, presumably something he would like to live by:
"If he sees a thing, he must say that he sees it, whether it was what he thought he was going to see or not."

It LOOKED like 700,000 ft.

"Demons tell us there is a hell for pedants, an interminable palace more empty than full, and without windows." Sadly I can't find the origin of this telling sentence, that all those who seek to correct the trivial mistakes of others should take to heart.

John the Mistaken

Good answer!

__________________
But the reason I call myself by my childhood name is to remind myself that a scientist must also be absolutely like a child. If he sees a thing, he must say that he sees it, whether it was what he thought he was going to see or not. See first, think later, then test. But always see first. Otherwise you will only see what you were expecting. Most scientists forget that.
(Wonko the Sane, from "So long and Thanks for all the Fish" by Douglas Adams)