As a little boy in Beach Haven, my friends and I would marvel at the sight and sound of our neighbor, Col. Leland Cranmer, flying his fighter jet right over Beach Avenue, where he lived. Back then, it was not uncommon for military pilots to break the sound barrier, and he did. That planted a desire in me to fly. Now, having obtained my pilot’s license over 30 years ago, I am concerned about what is happening to the Boeing Co., one of the world’s largest aerospace companies.

I hate to see a world-class company like Boeing heading to the realm of forgotten U.S.