pilot7378535's comments

Yes, for gliders: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glider_(sailplane)#Launch_and_...

Also related: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground_carriage

Car/house insurance might have a different opinion. :)

Sure, if you trust the correctness of the computer's software with your life and the lives of any passengers. There are popular apps now that do some of what you suggest, especially trip planning.

I've seen enough bugs in my day job to want to at least verify the computer's work and have backup instruments, even if just my own senses. Aerospace software is known for relatively low bug counts[1] but also causing fatal crashes[2].

I trust my car controls to be correct and if they aren't I can brake to a stop if anything else seems off. (Unless of course the brakes stop working!) But since you have to take off to fly, you might not realize you can't control the plane until it's already at dangerous speeds.[3]

1: https://www.bugsplat.com/blog/less-serious/why-nasa-code-doe...

2: See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_software_bugs sections on Space, Military, and Transportation for examples.

3: Amazing story about an airliner that took off not knowing its controls had been reversed (a maintenance mistake). Pilots declared "MAYDAY plane is completely uncontrollable we plan to ditch" but eventually figured out how to fly the reversed controls and landed it safely—super impressive. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIc8Rr-cKd8

Not sure about the plane from the original post; it looks pretty hefty. And lateral weight is so close to the center of mass that it's unlikely to have much effect. What's more of a concern is having a bunch of weight far from the plane's center of mass, where the weight tries to lever the plane end over end, increasing the risk of a stall. I heard about a crash where the pilot's seat adjuster didn't lock, so when he took off his seat slid all the way back (just a few inches) but that was enough to cause a crash. Could theoretically happen to any size plane, but matters more with little light planes like those in general aviation.

I have no idea if "Spirit Airlines weight distribution issue" actually happened, but it's funny so I'll share: https://youtu.be/YvfYK0EEhK4

Magnetic variation in my area is +20° (west) off true north. So if I want to follow longitude line true north I need to fly such that the compass reads 20° NEN. And don't forget to account for the hunks of metal inside the airplane, which can affect the compass differently depending on your heading.

I hear it happens with emergency beach landings especially—consequently they're somewhat of a last resort. Couldn't find a statistic though.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/aug/02/sunbathers-kil...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatalities_from_aviati...

"Flying cars" made sense to me until I started flying. Now I think "driving airplanes" is the more appropriate phrase for what might be in the realm of possibility.

For example: here's how you'd prepare to visit distant relatives with each vehicle:

Car: load up however much weight you want, turn the keys and start driving. Low on gas? Just turn off at the next exit. Weather looks bad? Just drive slowly and carefully and you'll be fine.

Airplane: visually inspect your vehicle, be careful distributing limited weight around the cabin, get a weather briefing and accept that many days you just can't fly, break out your slide rule (literally!) and plot a course between waypoints, with calculations accounting for wind deflection, magnetic variation, fuel burn, and various other factors. And don't forget to plan out refueling stops and emergency airfields too. Then run through your checklist and (once you get permission from the tower, if any) take off.

I never appreciated how user-friendly modern cars are until flying. And air travelers are spoiled by all-weather jetliners piloted by the pros.

Same, I'd hate to see a novice try to land on a narrow 2000' runway hemmed in by tall trees and a "snotty" 7+ kt crosswind component pushing the plane around.

Lucky they were in Florida with working radios and gas in the tank to reach an accommodating runway. None of that should detract from the emergency pilot's excellent handling of the situation though—bravo!

[edit] Apparently there was a significant crosswind:

  KPBI 101553Z 02011G17KT 10SM SCT042 SCT046 26/15

Even more impressive then!

Speaking of bad UX choices, the FAA is constantly dropping one or two or more digits from numbers like altitudes, runway lengths, heading, timestamps, etc. For example, "the runway from 180° is 5200 feet long" becomes "RWY18 52" which I suppose you get used to, but it's just begging for mixups.

I regularly fly without any radio.

Disclaimer: I'm not familiar with Lompoc. That looks like class echo airspace in which a radio is not required. Apparently the airport's control tower only operates part time. Still, with nearby population centers, restricted air over military bases, possible gliders and skydivers in the area, even oil wells relatively close, it looks like a particularly foolish place to turn an aircraft into an unguided missile by jumping out of it.

Sources: https://aeronav.faa.gov/visual/12-02-2021/PDFs/Los_Angeles.p... which includes a legend, faster version here: https://skyvector.com/?ll=34.665619444,-120.467502778&chart=....

Same goes for operating a car. How many accidents are caused by distracted driving?

The good news is that medication may mitigates the symptoms so you can focus on driving or flying safely.

The bad news is the FAA says you can't use the medication while flying nor can you have an active diagnosis. So if you have ever been diagnosed with ADHD, even as a child, your only option is to go through an expensive testing process to prove you don't have ADHD anymore. Or some people just lie. Easiest and most dangerous approach is to never be diagnosed in the first place.

The FAA is rewarded for caution, not inclusivity. But they are making changes, like very recently making exceptions to allow diabetics to be pilots: https://www.diabetes.org/resources/know-your-rights/discrimi.... Just know that a diagnosis can never been deleted.