Guinea Pig

Fortunately I have friends in high places, in particular aviation acoustic laboratories. I just began teaching a group of three lovely engineers from the local Federal University. One of them is researching in a lab that tests the acoustics of Embraer Planes. Embraer is one of Brazil's most successful businesses in the aviation sector. They mostly produce small planes and jets for the commercial market--They even sell to Jet Blue! Anyways one of my students invited me to come and be a guinea pig and I enthusiastically accepted. The test was performed in a model plane the size of two phone booths. The plane was very authentic with plush blue curtains, uncomfortable seating, and cloudy views through the pigeon-holed windows. I kept kvetching to my student about the lack of kosher food on Brazilian airlines and the shoddy seat I was assigned. The test was simple and she said there were no right answers. I had to choose between two sounds a passenger would hear on a flight and decide which was more pleasant or at least tolerable. To clarify, these sounds weren't those of a hacking cough or a whining baby but the common sounds of rushing air one would experience traveling at 500 mph at 30,000 ft. I think I passed the test with flying colors! However I'm not sure if this officially means I can put Embraer on my resume.