The gentle hum of the engines suddenly heightened into a roar, and there was a small gasp from the passengers. The seemingly tranquil beast of metal and electricity started crawling down the tarmac, and picking up ground quickly. Jackson and his newlywed wife, Anne, held each others arms as they gazed out the window. The asphalt started to lower beneath them, before they realized they were airborne.

As the plane continued to climb into the air, everybody held their breath. This was uncharted territory - these people were living the reality of military pilots, flying through the sky on aluminum beasts. A subtle *ding* rang over the intercom as the pilot calmly notified the white-knuckling passengers “ladies and gentlemen, we have now reached our cruising altitude. The seatbelt signs are off, please sit back, relax, and enjoy the 2 hour, 27 minute flight to Denver.” Little did they know, this was historic.