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M ore enticing, is the news for consumers that ticket prices will be equivalent to the cost of a business class, long-haul flight—a far cry from the $12,000 ticket price for a seat on the Concorde and more manageable for those without access to private planes. e ticket puts you on a plane with single row seating ensuring privacy plus a window view and aisle access for every passenger. Ex- tended leg room and more headroom, provided by replacing over- head bins with underseat lockers, help ensure a more comfortable experience for each passenger. And if you're thinking increased speed will mean a bumpier ride, think again. By the very fact that supersonic jets fly higher than reg- ular planes, at 60,000 feet, turbulence will be minimized providing stability along with speed. e concept of building a better supersonic plane was undertaken by Blake Scholl who founded Boom Supersonic in 2014. Scholl first took an interest in aviation as a child in suburban Cincinnati. His parents would take him to the airport to watch Cessnas take off and land, prompting him to take up flying for fun while he was in college. His interest in flying took a bit of a backseat as he started his ca- reer; a career that lead him to a string of start-up successes as well as leadership roles at Amazon and Groupon. Scholl's career success was likely a factor in the willingness of investors to support the creation of Boom Supersonic and allow him to get back to his first love. Em- erson Collective, Y Combinator Continuity, Caffeinated Capital and SV Angel committed startup costs of about $141 million. Scholl sees fast travel as the means to bring families, businesses and cultures closer—why video call when you can be there in-person in a couple hours? But he is also cognizant of the impact increased speeds could have on the environment. For this reason, speed is not the only focus of this company. V U E N J . C O M 158

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