---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We use the Air Force analogy: there were…"
description: "\"We use the Air Force analogy: there were expensive things they had to do to get a cockpit suitable for a lot of pilots, like wraparound windshields, bu..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e8/l-todd-rose-30782_air_we-use-the-air-force-analogy-there-were_1533475.jpg"
---

#  We use the Air Force analogy: there were expensive things…

![“We use the Air Force analogy: there were expensive things they had to do to get a cockpit suitable for a lot of pilots, like wraparound windshields, but their initial solutions, when they realized average didn't work, were adjustable seats. How in the world did they not already have adjustable…” quote by L. Todd Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e8/l-todd-rose-30782_air_we-use-the-air-force-analogy-there-were_1533475.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e8/l-todd-rose-30782_air_we-use-the-air-force-analogy-there-were_1533475.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e8/l-todd-rose-30782_air_we-use-the-air-force-analogy-there-were_1533475.jpg)

> “We use the Air Force analogy: there were expensive things they had to do to get a cockpit suitable for a lot of pilots, like wraparound windshields, but their initial solutions, when they realized average didn't work, were adjustable seats. How in the world did they not already have adjustable seats in their planes? We're looking for adjustable seats for education, for basic things that we can do.”

[L. Todd Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-todd-rose/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Traditional designs often overlook simple, adaptable solutions, leading to costly fixes later.

**In simple terms:** Simple fixes are often missed, causing later expenses.

Key Takeaway

Seek adaptable, low‑cost solutions early.

Themes

education design adaptability cost innovation

Mood

reflective critical inspirational

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- classroom design
- product development
- policy making
- budget planning

Key Concepts

Human‑centered design systems thinking scalability

Questions to Reflect On

- What low‑cost adjustments could improve your environment?
- How can you prioritize adaptability in design?

A Different Perspective

Complex systems can resist change, delaying simple fixes.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Air force](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/air-force/) [Analogies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/analogies/) [Basic things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/basic-things/) [Pilots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pilots/) [Plane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plane/) [Planes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/planes/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/)

## Related quotes

> [I never understood why they have life jackets under our seats on planes instead of parachutes...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-never-understood-why-they-have-life-jackets-under-our-seats-on/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [They say that most airline seats on planes today are meant for 170-pound passengers. The last time the average American weighed 170 pounds, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/they-say-that-most-airline-seats-on-planes-today-are-meant-for-170/)

[Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/)

> [If you look at it that way, then you start thinking about the basic things, which are jobs not jails, and education not incarceration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oren-moverman/if-you-look-at-it-that-way-then-you-start-thinking-about-the-basic/)

[Oren Moverman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oren-moverman/)

> [If loyalty is, and always has been, perceived as obsolete, why do we continue to praise it? Because loyalty is essential to the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-felten/if-loyalty-is-and-always-has-been-perceived-as-obsolete-why-do-we/)

[Eric Felten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-felten/)

> [Even though L.A Confidential box-office was a fraction of, say, Titanic or the Grinch movie, it finds its audience and will continue doing so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-hanson/even-though-l-a-confidential-box-office-was-a-fraction-of-say-titanic/)

[Curtis Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-hanson/)

> [We just can't love without God. God wants for us want we want for ourselves. These basic things are not that hard to grasp.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/we-just-can-t-love-without-god-god-wants-for-us-want-we-want-for/)

[Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/)

> [When you realize how hard it is to know the truth about yourself, you understand that even the most exhaustive and well-meaning autobiography, determined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-rose/when-you-realize-how-hard-it-is-to-know-the-truth-about-yourself-you/)

[Phyllis Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-rose/)

> [This basic thing I always do: 'What happened between the character's birth, and page one of the script?' Anything that's not in the story,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/this-basic-thing-i-always-do-what-happened-between-the-character-s/)

[Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/)

> [And after a while, you just pare things down more and more and more, until you get to certain basic things which just -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-barry/and-after-a-while-you-just-pare-things-down-more-and-more-and-more/)

[Robert Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-barry/)

> [Here's an easy one: "Race is an entirely social construct." No, it's partially one, depending on how any given society seeks to define it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-goad/here-s-an-easy-one-race-is-an-entirely-social-construct-no-it-s/)

[Jim Goad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-goad/)

> [Come back down to basics. The basic things of life, the basic things for me are the things that turn me on more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ashcroft/come-back-down-to-basics-the-basic-things-of-life-the-basic-things/)

[Richard Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ashcroft/)

> [All I can do is just go in there and tighten up my game, tighten up my handles. Just all the little basic things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derrick-rose/all-i-can-do-is-just-go-in-there-and-tighten-up-my-game-tighten-up-my/)

[Derrick Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derrick-rose/)

> [I want to do the basic things, like putting my daughter to bed. It's the sweetest thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-douglas/i-want-to-do-the-basic-things-like-putting-my-daughter-to-bed-it-s/)

[Tom Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-douglas/)

> [“Every human being, he believed, must do one of three basic things during his lifetime: leave something living, create something lovely, or make something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renee-manfredi/every-human-being-he-believed-must-do-one-of-three-basic-things/)

Renee Manfredi

> [When it comes to educating all of us about the most basic things in life, it seems to me we need more kindergartens and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-rooney/when-it-comes-to-educating-all-of-us-about-the-most-basic-things-in/)

[Andy Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-rooney/)

## More by L. Todd Rose

> [Historically, education has been about batch processing: standardize everything against the average, rank kids, sort them to see who gets more and who really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-todd-rose/historically-education-has-been-about-batch-processing-standardize/)

[L. Todd Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-todd-rose/)

> [Right now, for instance, we resist giving people extra time on exams or for assignments, as though it's unfair to the faster students.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-todd-rose/right-now-for-instance-we-resist-giving-people-extra-time-on-exams-or/)

[L. Todd Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-todd-rose/)

> [When you start digging into things like character, though, the notion that people have high character or low character is very strong. What's crazy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-todd-rose/when-you-start-digging-into-things-like-character-though-the-notion/)

[L. Todd Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-todd-rose/)

> [I care deeply about opportunity and fairness, because I grew up really poor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-todd-rose/i-care-deeply-about-opportunity-and-fairness-because-i-grew-up-really/)

[L. Todd Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-todd-rose/)

> [Growing up in rural Utah had a lot of benefits, but in an environment that prized conformity, fit wasn't one of them. I ended…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-todd-rose/growing-up-in-rural-utah-had-a-lot-of-benefits-but-in-an-environment/)

[L. Todd Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-todd-rose/)

> [I enrolled at a local college, but this time paid attention to myself - took only courses that really interested me, even if they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-todd-rose/i-enrolled-at-a-local-college-but-this-time-paid-attention-to-myself/)

[L. Todd Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-todd-rose/)

> [Character is incredibly jagged, and incredibly contextualized, even to the point where I still feel uncomfortable thinking about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-todd-rose/character-is-incredibly-jagged-and-incredibly-contextualized-even-to/)

[L. Todd Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-todd-rose/)

> [That was one of my most surprising discoveries when I dug into the history of average-ism: When you actually get the data, it rarely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-todd-rose/that-was-one-of-my-most-surprising-discoveries-when-i-dug-into-the/)

[L. Todd Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-todd-rose/)

> [Education and the workforce: I think these two things go together in terms of human potential.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-todd-rose/education-and-the-workforce-i-think-these-two-things-go-together-in/)

[L. Todd Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-todd-rose/)

> [Talent - really, everyone agrees, it's multidimensional, and often overlooked in standard assessments. That's not hard for people to accept.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-todd-rose/talent-really-everyone-agrees-it-s-multidimensional-and-often/)

[L. Todd Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-todd-rose/)

> [Our biggest project is actually more in the social sciences, where we are studying mastery - how people get good at things - only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-todd-rose/our-biggest-project-is-actually-more-in-the-social-sciences-where-we/)

[L. Todd Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-todd-rose/)

> [The whole idea of timing tests is a century old, from a scientist who thought speed and ability were tightly correlated, which they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-todd-rose/the-whole-idea-of-timing-tests-is-a-century-old-from-a-scientist-who/)

[L. Todd Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-todd-rose/)

> [We've become so used to the concept as a measuring and sorting tool, that it and its correlates - below-average, above-average - are everyday…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-todd-rose/we-ve-become-so-used-to-the-concept-as-a-measuring-and-sorting-tool/)

[L. Todd Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-todd-rose/)

> [It's fine to pretend that people are one-dimensional, like in body size; the problem comes when you forget that you are just pretending.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-todd-rose/it-s-fine-to-pretend-that-people-are-one-dimensional-like-in-body/)

[L. Todd Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-todd-rose/)

> [We need to develop people rather than process them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-todd-rose/we-need-to-develop-people-rather-than-process-them/)

[L. Todd Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-todd-rose/)

[Explore all 17 L. Todd Rose quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-todd-rose/)

## More Air quotes

> [I will be a tireless advocate for our District's defense priorities including Sheppard Air Force Base, Pantex, Bell Helicopter, universities conducting important research, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronny-jackson/i-will-be-a-tireless-advocate-for-our-district-s-defense-priorities/)

[Ronny Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronny-jackson/)

> [I have lifted my plane . . . for perhaps a thousand flights and I have never felt her wheels glide from the Earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beryl-markham/i-have-lifted-my-plane-for-perhaps-a-thousand-flights-and-i-have/)

[Beryl Markham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beryl-markham/)

> [If U.S. air, naval, missile, and ground forces were not in and around Korea, and if we were not treaty-bound to fight alongside South…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/if-u-s-air-naval-missile-and-ground-forces-were-not-in-and-around/)

[Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/)

> [The cooler days have brought a wistful mood upon him. The smell of coalsmoke in the air at night. Old times, dead years. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/the-cooler-days-have-brought-a-wistful-mood-upon-him-the-smell-of/)

[Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/)

> [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/)

[Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/)

> [I'm a candle flame that sways in currents of air you can't see. You need to be the one who steadies me to burn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadine-gordimer/i-m-a-candle-flame-that-sways-in-currents-of-air-you-can-t-see-you/)

[Nadine Gordimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadine-gordimer/)

> [It is sometimes said that scientists are unromantic, that their passion to figure out robs the world of beauty and mystery. But is it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/it-is-sometimes-said-that-scientists-are-unromantic-that-their/)

[Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/)

> [ Just between you and me, shouldn’t the World Bank be encouraging MORE migration of the dirty industries to the LDCs \[Less Developed Countries\]?... I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-summers/just-between-you-and-me-shouldn-t-the-world-bank-be-encouraging-more/)

[Lawrence Summers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-summers/)

> [After a few mouthfuls of moon-flavored air, even the stubbornly drowsy can find themselves wide-eyed.. All the normal noises of life were gone, leaving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/after-a-few-mouthfuls-of-moon-flavored-air-even-the-stubbornly-drowsy/)

[N.D. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/)

> [There was a little nook on Air Force Two that contained the vice presidential seal, and I would sort of wedge myself in there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-biden/there-was-a-little-nook-on-air-force-two-that-contained-the-vice/)

[Jill Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-biden/)

> [Words are substance strange. Speak one and the air ripples into another's ears. Write one and the eye laps it up. But the sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-beachy-quick/words-are-substance-strange-speak-one-and-the-air-ripples-into/)

[Dan Beachy-Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-beachy-quick/)

> [ \[A\]s you partake of the world's bill of fare, that's darned good advice to follow. Do a lot of spitting out the hot air.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-seuss/a-s-you-partake-of-the-world-s-bill-of-fare-that-s-darned-good-advice/)

[Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-seuss/)

> [...As the disparity between the rich and the poor grows, the fight to corner resources is intensifying. To push through their "sweetheart deals," to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/as-the-disparity-between-the-rich-and-the-poor-grows-the-fight-to/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [Washington bureaucrats have classified the very air we exhale as a pollutant and have gone unchallenged in this incredible assertion. The logical consequence is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/washington-bureaucrats-have-classified-the-very-air-we-exhale-as-a/)

[Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/)

> [“It is unnatural to fear something natural.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/it-is-unnatural-to-fear-something-natural/)

[Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/)

Browse all 6,278 Air quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "We use the Air Force analogy: there were expensive things they had to do to get a cockpit suitable for a lot of pilots, like wraparound windshields, but their initial solutions, when they realized average didn't work, were adjustable seats. How in the world did they not already have adjustable seats in their planes? We're looking for adjustable seats for education, for basic things that we can do.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "L. Todd Rose"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-todd-rose/we-use-the-air-force-analogy-there-were-expensive-things-they-had-to/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Air"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-todd-rose/we-use-the-air-force-analogy-there-were-expensive-things-they-had-to/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e8/l-todd-rose-30782_air_we-use-the-air-force-analogy-there-were_1533475.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e8/l-todd-rose-30782_air_we-use-the-air-force-analogy-there-were_1533475.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e8/l-todd-rose-30782_air_we-use-the-air-force-analogy-there-were_1533475.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“We use the Air Force analogy: there were expensive things they had to do to get a cockpit suitable for a lot…” — L. Todd Rose",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "L. Todd Rose",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-todd-rose/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "We use the Air Force analogy:...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-todd-rose/we-use-the-air-force-analogy-there-were-expensive-things-they-had-to/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-todd-rose/we-use-the-air-force-analogy-there-were-expensive-things-they-had-to/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
