Winds had put Friday's flight in question, and those conditions made for a less-than-smooth ride for the six-person flight crew on NASA's carrier plane.

WSJ: A Shuttle Meets Its City

Barbara and Craig were both pilots, and Barbara once landed a plane aboard a carrier, the hardest feat in aviation.

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Part of the reason the company thinks it can lower costs is because, unlike Pegasus, it already has a carrier aircraft - the same plane that will be lifting the passenger spaceship to its launch altitude.

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Bush arrived at the huge carrier off the California coast on a Navy plane, sitting in the co-pilot's seat.

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State-owned Ariana Afghan Airlines, the nation's only other carrier, was rebuilding its fleet from one plane and had jobs to protect.

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Passenger loads on the 787 have been higher than other flights, indicating popularity of the new plane, ANA said, and the carrier believes the 787 is drawing travelers away from competing airlines and bullet trains.

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Such a partnership could see big cost savings for the carrier, by herding short-haul passengers into trains and focusing on more profitable long-haul plane trips.

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