Aerospace Legacy Foundation
President of the Aerospace Legacy Foundation, a nonprofit based in Downey, California; 40-year veteran of the aerospace industry
PROFILE
Jerry Blackburn
Guest
FROM Jerry Blackburn
Which Way, L.A.?
Last Space Shuttle Flight Leaves a Southern California Legacy In the 1950's black and white sit-com The Life of Reilly, Reilly and his buddy, Gillis, drove on something called a freeway to get to their jobs in an airplane factory. It was there, where eventually Howard Hughes built his Spruce Goose. Those bits of news were just the tip of the iceberg. One could make the case that Southern California wouldn't really exist without aerospace. Now, consolidation, outsourcing and other factors have shrunk the local industry to a shell of its former self. Tomorrow, the Space Shuttle Atlantis will blast off for the final time. We look back at the central role played by aerospace industry in the growth of Southern California, and examine its potential resurrection.
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