Cid Highwind is an airship pilot and most uncouth of the main characters, constantly swearing, losing his temper[19] and smoking cigarettes. In Final Fantasy VII, Cid is encountered in Rocket Town, where it is revealed that he had been part of Shinra's space program and was set to be the first man in space. During the launch, a woman named Shera defied orders and stayed to double-check the rocket's oxygen tanks, leading Cid to abort the mission to save her life. Shinra concluded that space exploration was not financially viable and withdrew funding from the project altogether once they discovered that Mako energy was a far more profitable venture.
