"push the envelope"

Posted by V-MAN on December 10, 1999

I will accept the premise that "push the envelope" originated with airline pilots, but I would like to know in exactly what context: the actual practical mechanics of flying as in the use of the controls relative to a certain aspect of aircraft performance, the theory of flight as in aerodynamics or the efficiency with which the aircraft performs relative to outside forces, or some other practical explanation?

• "Push the envelope" Arthur Smith 12/10/99
  • "Push the envelope" Bruce Kahl 12/10/99