u/Accomplished_Ant3459

I fly a long haul cargo plane for a living. We can stay in the air for up to 18 hours, and it’s not abnormal for us to have a fuel stop that extends a Pacific crossing to 24+ hours.

That used to mean 24+ hours of sitting, sleeping, and eating. (4 pilot crew; 2 pilots stay on watch while 2 go to rest)

Not anymore! I bought resistance bands specifically to turn crew rest into gains. I’m definitely looking for ways to optimize this, but today was a great start on our 15 hour trans Pacific leg! Felt great working up a bit of a sweat when I’d otherwise just be laying there doing nothing.

The other crew members looked at me like I was either insane, or a genius!

Is the setup ideal? Not even close. Is it way better than lying there waiting for deep vein thrombosis? You bet!

Edit for clarity: I checked all regulations and company procedures before doing this. I did not do this in a way that disturbed anyone else’s rest period. We have a very large upper deck (747-400 freight conversion) with a shocking amount of empty space in which to stay active that usually goes to waste.

If you've never heard of the McDonnell 220, you're not alone. Even my most passionate aviation enthusiast friends hadn't.

The Model 220 began life in the late 1950s as McDonnell Aircraft's entry into the U.S. Air Force's UCX competition, where it competed against what ultimately became the Lockheed JetStar. After the Air Force selected the JetStar, McDonnell attempted to market the aircraft as a civilian executive transport. It never entered production, but in the process, it became the very first business jet certified anywhere in the world. Only the prototype was ever completed.

For decades, that prototype sat quietly at El Paso International Airport, gradually fading into obscurity. Earlier this year, I was informed that the airplane's future was uncertain and that it could eventually be scrapped if no preservation effort materialized. Rather than watch that happen, a small group of volunteers came together to determine whether preserving the aircraft was actually possible.

What has happened since has been far beyond anything we expected. Former pilots, mechanics, historians, and aircraft preservation experts have joined the effort. Hundreds of historical photographs and documents have been located, along with firsthand accounts from people who flew, maintained, and owned the airplane throughout its history.

During a recent visit to El Paso, we also uncovered what may be the single most important surviving artifact related to the aircraft: the original McDonnell Model 220 Prototype Design Book, containing the factory engineering drawings used to build it. Just as importantly, aircraft preservation experts have now completed an initial evaluation of the airplane itself.

Their conclusion was encouraging. While recovering a one-of-one prototype is unquestionably a major undertaking, the aircraft appears to be structurally recoverable, the engineering documentation still exists, and there is a realistic path toward disassembling, transporting, and preserving it.

The objective is not to make the airplane fly again. It belongs in a museum, preserved as an authentic piece of aviation history. The goal is to ensure that this unique aircraft, and the story behind it, survives for future generations.

This is where I'm hoping Reddit might be able to help. Because the Model 220 is so obscure, there is a good chance that photographs, documents, films, or personal stories are still sitting in attics, filing cabinets, or family albums, completely unknown to us. If you or someone you know has any connection to the McDonnell Model 220, McDonnell Aircraft, the UCX competition, the Flight Safety Foundation, or any of the airplane's later owners, we'd genuinely love to hear from you.

We've started documenting everything we've learned, along with the history of the airplane and the preservation effort, at www.savethe220.org. The website is still a work in progress, and it's my first website, so please bear with me. Later today, I'm hoping to post the most complete history of the aircraft possible, as well as a News section where I can post all of the project updates.

History is worth the effort.

I want to make one thins very clear: I'm not asking for money. I'm not even sure if we need it, and I don't want to be in charge of managing donation money unless it becomes absolutely necessary. If that does become necessary, I'll make an announcement and be sure to do it in the most transparent way possible. Thank you all!

If you've never heard of the McDonnell Model 220, you're not alone. Even my most passionate aviation enthusiast friends hadn't.

The Model 220 began life in the late 1950s as McDonnell Aircraft's entry into the U.S. Air Force's UCX competition, where it competed against what ultimately became the Lockheed JetStar. After the Air Force selected the JetStar, McDonnell attempted to market the aircraft as a civilian executive transport. It never entered production, but in the process, it became the very first business jet certified anywhere in the world. Only the prototype was ever completed.

For decades, that prototype sat quietly at El Paso International Airport, gradually fading into obscurity. Earlier this year, I was informed that the airplane's future was uncertain and that it could eventually be scrapped if no preservation effort materialized. Rather than watch that happen, a small group of volunteers came together to determine whether preserving the aircraft was actually possible.

What has happened since has been far beyond anything we expected. Former pilots, mechanics, historians, and aircraft preservation experts have joined the effort. Hundreds of historical photographs and documents have been located, along with firsthand accounts from people who flew, maintained, and owned the airplane throughout its history.

During a recent visit to El Paso, we also uncovered what may be the single most important surviving artifact related to the aircraft: the original McDonnell Model 220 Prototype Design Book, containing the factory engineering drawings used to build it. Just as importantly, aircraft preservation experts have now completed an initial evaluation of the airplane itself.

Their conclusion was encouraging. While recovering a one-of-one prototype is unquestionably a major undertaking, the aircraft appears to be structurally recoverable, the engineering documentation still exists, and there is a realistic path toward disassembling, transporting, and preserving it.

The objective is not to make the airplane fly again. It belongs in a museum, preserved as an authentic piece of aviation history. The goal is to ensure that this unique aircraft, and the story behind it, survives for future generations.

This is where I'm hoping Reddit might be able to help. Because the Model 220 is so obscure, there is a good chance that photographs, documents, films, or personal stories are still sitting in attics, filing cabinets, or family albums, completely unknown to us. If you or someone you know has any connection to the McDonnell Model 220, McDonnell Aircraft, the UCX competition, the Flight Safety Foundation, or any of the airplane's later owners, we'd genuinely love to hear from you.

We've started documenting everything we've learned, along with the history of the airplane and the preservation effort, at www.savethe220.org. The website is still a work in progress, and it's my first website, so please bear with me. Later today, I'm hoping to post the most complete history of the aircraft possible, as well as a News section where I can post all of the project updates.

History is worth the effort.

I want to make one thins very clear: I'm not asking for money. I'm not even sure if we need it, and I don't want to be in charge of managing donation money unless it becomes absolutely necessary. If that does become necessary, I'll make an announcement and be sure to do it in the most transparent way possible. Thank you all!

If you've never heard of the McDonnell 220, you're not alone. Even my most passionate aviation enthusiast friends hadn't.

The Model 220 began life in the late 1950s as McDonnell Aircraft's entry into the U.S. Air Force's UCX competition, where it competed against what ultimately became the Lockheed JetStar. After the Air Force selected the JetStar, McDonnell attempted to market the aircraft as a civilian executive transport. It never entered production, but in the process, it became the very first business jet certified anywhere in the world. Only the prototype was ever completed.

For decades, that prototype sat quietly at El Paso International Airport, gradually fading into obscurity. Earlier this year, I was informed that the airplane's future was uncertain and that it could eventually be scrapped if no preservation effort materialized. Rather than watch that happen, a small group of volunteers came together to determine whether preserving the aircraft was actually possible.

What has happened since has been far beyond anything we expected. Former pilots, mechanics, historians, and aircraft preservation experts have joined the effort. Hundreds of historical photographs and documents have been located, along with firsthand accounts from people who flew, maintained, and owned the airplane throughout its history.

During a recent visit to El Paso, we also uncovered what may be the single most important surviving artifact related to the aircraft: the original McDonnell Model 220 Prototype Design Book, containing the factory engineering drawings used to build it. Just as importantly, aircraft preservation experts have now completed an initial evaluation of the airplane itself.

Their conclusion was encouraging. While recovering a one-of-one prototype is unquestionably a major undertaking, the aircraft appears to be structurally recoverable, the engineering documentation still exists, and there is a realistic path toward disassembling, transporting, and preserving it.

The objective is not to make the airplane fly again. It belongs in a museum, preserved as an authentic piece of aviation history. The goal is to ensure that this unique aircraft, and the story behind it, survives for future generations.

This is where I'm hoping Reddit might be able to help. Because the Model 220 is so obscure, there is a good chance that photographs, documents, films, or personal stories are still sitting in attics, filing cabinets, or family albums, completely unknown to us. If you or someone you know has any connection to the McDonnell Model 220, McDonnell Aircraft, the UCX competition, the Flight Safety Foundation, or any of the airplane's later owners, we'd genuinely love to hear from you.

We've started documenting everything we've learned, along with the history of the airplane and the preservation effort, at www.savethe220.org. The website is still a work in progress, and it's my first website, so please bear with me. Later today, I'm hoping to post the most complete history of the aircraft possible, as well as a News section where I can post all of the project updates.

History is worth the effort.

I want to make one thins very clear: I'm not asking for money. I'm not even sure if we need it, and I don't want to be in charge of managing donation money unless it becomes absolutely necessary. If that does become necessary, I'll make an announcement and be sure to do it in the most transparent way possible. Thank you all!

If you've never heard of the McDonnell Model 220, you're not alone. Even my most passionate aviation enthusiast friends hadn't.

The Model 220 began life in the late 1950s as McDonnell Aircraft's entry into the U.S. Air Force's UCX competition, where it competed against what ultimately became the Lockheed JetStar. After the Air Force selected the JetStar, McDonnell attempted to market the aircraft as a civilian executive transport. It never entered production, but in the process, it became the very first business jet certified anywhere in the world. Only the prototype was ever completed.

For decades, that prototype sat quietly at El Paso International Airport, gradually fading into obscurity. Earlier this year, I was informed that the airplane's future was uncertain and that it could eventually be scrapped if no preservation effort materialized. Rather than watch that happen, a small group of volunteers came together to determine whether preserving the aircraft was actually possible.

What has happened since has been far beyond anything we expected. Former pilots, mechanics, historians, and aircraft preservation experts have joined the effort. Hundreds of historical photographs and documents have been located, along with firsthand accounts from people who flew, maintained, and owned the airplane throughout its history.

During a recent visit to El Paso, we also uncovered what may be the single most important surviving artifact related to the aircraft: the original McDonnell Model 220 Prototype Design Book, containing the factory engineering drawings used to build it. Just as importantly, aircraft preservation experts have now completed an initial evaluation of the airplane itself.

Their conclusion was encouraging. While recovering a one-of-one prototype is unquestionably a major undertaking, the aircraft appears to be structurally recoverable, the engineering documentation still exists, and there is a realistic path toward disassembling, transporting, and preserving it.

The objective is not to make the airplane fly again. It belongs in a museum, preserved as an authentic piece of aviation history. The goal is to ensure that this unique aircraft, and the story behind it, survives for future generations.

This is where I'm hoping Reddit might be able to help. Because the Model 220 is so obscure, there is a good chance that photographs, documents, films, or personal stories are still sitting in attics, filing cabinets, or family albums, completely unknown to us. If you or someone you know has any connection to the McDonnell Model 220, McDonnell Aircraft, the UCX competition, the Flight Safety Foundation, or any of the airplane's later owners, we'd genuinely love to hear from you.

We've started documenting everything we've learned, along with the history of the airplane and the preservation effort, at www.savethe220.org. The website is still a work in progress, and it's my first website, so please bear with me. Later today, I'm hoping to post the most complete history of the aircraft possible, as well as a News section where I can post all of the project updates.

History is worth the effort.

I want to make one thing very clear: I'm not asking for money. I'm not even sure if we need it, and I don't want to be in charge of managing donation money unless it becomes absolutely necessary. If that does become necessary, I'll make an announcement and be sure to do it in the most transparent way possible. Thank you all!

6 months ago, I weighed 252.2lbs. I stepped onto a Metric scale thinking that I weighed ~230lbs and was horrified when I did the conversion. My blood pressure was about 160/100. That's when everything changed.

Overnight, I started counting calories like it's some sort of religious obligation. I mathematically determined the minimum amount of food that I could eat without being unhealthy.

I used to eat a 3000 calorie dinner - and it wasn't my only meal for the day. After that day on the scale, the thought of eating over 800 calories in one sitting became alien to me.

And it worked. Weight started falling off. Not at first - the first month was a whole lot of nothing. Then it started melting like the butter I used to slather on my 2lb ribeye dinners.

Eventually, I was walking somewhere and realized that my feet no longer hurt. It used to feel like I was walking on knives when I'd walk more than about half a mile or so.

Then, I took a cab ride to the middle of nowhere - and couldn't get a cab back. I had to walk 5 miles to a train platform. I dreaded it, but eventually got moving. When I made it to the train platform, I realized that it was actually a pretty relaxing walk through the countryside, and I really enjoyed it.

So I started walking more and more, enjoying it more and more. Then it hit me. Maybe I could enjoy hiking? I'm now training to climb Mt. Fuji - hopefully next month, as I regularly visit Japan for work. I ran my first 5k on July 4. It wasn't pretty, but I did it. That felt awesome. It felt awesome enough that I did a 6k the next day, 7k the day after that, and 5 miles the day after. I literally had my fiancé drop me off at a store 5 miles from her house and hoofed it home - because treadmills suck and walking in circles are a close second to that level of suck.

The whole point is this: you CAN do it. Food does NOT have to win. God I love food, but not enough to let it kill me.

And I still eat the foods that I enjoy - just a lot less of it. My day begins with deciding the calorie budget. Sometimes that means a lot of grilled chicken and vegetables. Sometimes I decide that I really want some greasy pizza. But instead of smashing half a large pizza (or an entire one), I'll eat one slice and walk away. If I'm still not full, I'll fill up on broccoli and carrots or a big salad with the lightest dressing possible.

And yeah, some days, it still sucks. But after about 2 months, it just became a thing I do for the most part. 60 days is what it takes. If you can commit to it for 60 days, it stops being a chore and starts being a routine.

Also, LIQUID CALORIES ARE THE ENEMY. Early on, I realized that when I eat chicken nuggets, I'm eating nearly as many calories in sauce as I am nuggets. Salads are the same way - probably even worse. COUNT YOUR LIQUID CALORIES!

If you're out there wanting to lose weight, I believe in you, and I'm rooting for you!