4: Safety in the Air

There are about 7,000 aircraft in the air over the United States at any given moment. If you're a frequent (or even infrequent) flier, this fact should terrify you. But it doesn't, because of the important government agency that regulates the skies.

I flew a lot for my previous employer - and I like to visit my family members who live many states away as often as I can. I've also flown in many other countries around the world, some with far less well-developed air traffic control regimes (though unfortunately I didn't snap any dirt runway photos to share with you here). I'm therefore extremely thankful for the work of the Federal Aviation Authority, especially since air traffic is expected to triple in the coming decades.