Everyone has an opinion, and below is mine.

Planes are funny things. If one were to go to his cardiologist, he would not be encouraged to hear the latter offer him their treatment from 1952. He wants whatever just jumped out of the pages of The New England Journal of Medicine last week. With planes, it would seem that some of the best models ever built are old—some of them older than this author and his readers.

My experience with planes was late in coming. When growing up, we drove everywhere because air travel was too expensive. Even trying to see the interior of a 747 that was housed in a Chicago museum failed, as every time I visited, that exhibit was closed. Finally, at age 18, I boarded my first flight, a People Express flight from Boston to Chicago. I was excited beyond words, and it was still the day when one’s loved ones stood with open arms on the other side of the jet bridge. When we landed, the plane skidded from side to side due to some ice apparently still on the O'Hare runway. I figured that was a normal feature of air travel, while those around me started making vows and writing their wills. Whereas I started to fly late, our kids flew at a very young age because flying has undergone a revolution in access and prices.

I don’t pretend that this list is absolute or right. In the spirit of David Letterman, I am listing 10 planes that I believe are unique and special. There are many fine planes of all sizes, makes, and models. That said, let’s begin.

The main designer of the Lockheed plane was Clarence "Kelly" Johnson. He said that every plane needs a miracle to succeed, and that the SR-71 was all miracles. The titanium used to make most of the airframe was purchased from the Soviet Union via a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) front company. Lockheed engineers needed to invent tooling to make the various parts, and Pratt & Whitney created the J58........

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