It might surprise you, then, that I believe one of the truly great inventions during the last 70 years has been the jet engine. I thought about this last week as I flew over a big ocean without concern on a twin-engine aircraft. It wasn't that long ago when passengers did not trust a twin over water. True, in the North Atlantic one is never more than 138 minutes from an airport. That's not the case, though, in the other oceans.
One rarely hears of a transoceanic flight having an engine problem. These engines are very complex machines that operate at high temperatures and high internal pressures, with massive elements that rotate at high speeds. I have to give the MEs credit for their superb technology.
Of course, at the end of the day electronics (and human pilots) are still running the aircraft.
As for specific engines, I've probably spent more time in the air propelled by some version of a Pratt & Whitney JT-8 than any other engine. You may know it as the engine on Boeing 727 and first-generation 737 aircraft as well as the Douglas DC-9 and MD-80. Introduced in 1964, the JT-8 sounds like a vacuum cleaner. The 727s and first-generation 737s are long gone from scheduled passenger service, and Delta will retire the last of its DC-9s soon. However, American will fly the MD-80 for several more years.
Whether it's an older aircraft or a newer one, think about those engines the next time you take off. And relax.
