Launching the 737 was one of the most hotly debated decisions in the history of Boeing, pitting the realities of the business situation of the 1960s against a vision of the future of air travel. At the time, the 737 was behind the competition, the Douglas DC-9 and the BAC-111. It also was in competition with other programs for company resources, such as the C-5, the 747, the 727-200 and the largest airplane program in the aerospace industry at that time—the supersonic transport. In the end, based on the enthusiasm of a single but very loyal customer—Lufthansa—and the confidence of a handful of board members, the Boeing board voted to go forward with the 737 program. With more than 7,000 orders since then, it’s hard to think of the 737 now as anything but a tremendous success.