Back in the 70's, when I was in aerospace, the company I worked for made ash trays for planes and trains. They were deep drawn stainless steel and each ashtray was hand finished.

 

In 2002 I was in sales and wandered into a factory in Reno that made the same ashtrays as we made back then. Thinking to myself, I couldn't figure out why ashtrays were still made for airplanes and trains when they were no longer used.

 

So I asked the factory owner what the deal was and he told me an interesting story.

 

Apparently the FAA requires that ALL planes have ALL the original equipment right down to the ashtrays and seat cushions used as flotation devices to remain certified to fly. Granted, most of the seats in the passenger sections have been replaced by modern seating without ashtrays, but the pilot's compartments are still original equipment, hence the shop I visited specialized in pilot's compartment ashtrays and made a good living at it.

 

Guess all they are good for now is gum wrappers and bakon's broken egg shells. ;)

 

 

 

 

The telecommunications company "Sprint" has it's roots in the train business.

 

The name Sprint was taken from their mother company at the time Southern Pacific Railroad.

 

Sprint laid fiber optics along side their tracks nationwide to become the first mega sized fiber optic telecommunications company.

And that's your history/trivia lesson for today folks.

 

Be sure to come back tomorrow to hear TAC discuss the ins and outs of lint.

 

:huh:

Lint? Do you mean navel lint or lint in general? :huh:

Lint? Do you mean navel lint or lint in general? :huh:

You pick!  I'm open. :P

Allrighty then, I'll put something together about the weight restrictions on airplanes if you are carrying too much navel lint LOL