# how should superman stop a plane from crashing? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 14, 2016, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-superman-stop-a-plane-from-crashing/765951 "2016-09-14T18:01:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-superman-stop-a-plane-from-crashing/765951/41 "2016-09-15T17:45:13Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > She does, however, lift the plane using just her palms. But notice that she doesn’t really “lift” the plane so much as “decrease it’s glide slope.” That’s a lot less force than would be used to literally pick up a plane, which seems to be the thrust of the Superman discussion. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-superman-stop-a-plane-from-crashing/765951/42 "2016-09-15T18:20:38Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > The jet looked like an Airbus 340 (four engines, no upper deck), which is not actually flown by any airline operating in North America, it seems. The plane was “bound for Geneva” suggesting it was at or near the start of its trip and presumably fully fueled. It had been circling for some time, though, already damaged, and may have dumped some its fuel. Its weight could be anywhere from ~300,000 to ~800,000 lbs. I doubt that the producers put in the effort to get the right type of aircraft for the route it was supposed to be on. I think they told the SFX folks “she saves an airliner.” ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-superman-stop-a-plane-from-crashing/765951/43 "2016-09-15T18:27:52Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > I doubt that the producers put in the effort to get the right type of aircraft for the route it was supposed to be on. I think they told the SFX folks “she saves an airliner.” Then they don’t know the internet, do they? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-superman-stop-a-plane-from-crashing/765951/44 "2016-09-15T19:05:47Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > But notice that she doesn’t really “lift” the plane so much as “decrease it’s glide slope.” That’s a lot less force than would be used to literally pick up a plane, which seems to be the thrust of the Superman discussion. Well, in this case “lift the plane” doesn’t mean pick it up off the ground like a barbell, but to slow its descent. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-superman-stop-a-plane-from-crashing/765951/45 "2016-09-15T19:13:04Z")
I seem to recall in one case, Superman just taking the place of the missing engine. Which certainly answers the problem of the support problem, because obviously there was structure in place to hold the engine (right up until it fell off :smack:) I assume that the flight crew then stations a flight attendant at the window making water skiing “go faster/slow down” signals until the plane is on the ground. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-superman-stop-a-plane-from-crashing/765951/46 "2016-09-15T19:18:06Z")
Had a computer problem - this is what I meant to post: > [@silenus](#): > > But notice that she doesn’t really “lift” the plane so much as “decrease it’s glide slope.” That’s a lot less force than would be used to literally pick up a plane, which seems to be the thrust of the Superman discussion. Well, in this case “lift the plane” doesn’t mean pick it up off the ground like a barbell, but to slow its descent. In any case, me trying to identify the type of plane was just to get some idea of the weight involved. It was a four engine jet, and though it was bound for Europe, it had been in an emergency state for some time when Supergirl found out about it, so while it may have started with a full fuel load, it’s possible it had dumped some or most of it before she intervened. I have to figure the only plausible approach is to simulate normal flight as much as possible - try to stabilize the plane’s path and keep its speed above stall to let it make a halfway-smooth landing. Supergirl doesn’t do this - she makes the plane roll ninety degrees to keep it from crashing into the towers of a suspension bridge - named for Otto Binder, incidentally - before leveling it out again for a water landing. “Catching” it in any sense would be disastrous. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-superman-stop-a-plane-from-crashing/765951/47 "2016-09-15T19:19:49Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > I seem to recall in one case, Superman just taking the place of the missing engine. Which certainly answers the problem of the support problem, because obviously there was structure in place to hold the engine (right up until it fell off :smack:) > > I assume that the flight crew then stations a flight attendant at the window making water skiing “go faster/slow down” signals until the plane is on the ground. That was depicted in the 1978 _Superman_ movie and the plane was Air Force One. He stabilized the plane, but how it managed to land was not shown. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-superman-stop-a-plane-from-crashing/765951/48 "2016-09-15T19:32:08Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > I assume that the flight crew then stations a flight attendant at the window making water skiing “go faster/slow down” signals until the plane is on the ground. Why, because Superman forgot he has X-Ray Vision? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-superman-stop-a-plane-from-crashing/765951/49 "2016-09-15T19:35:06Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > Damn! I was going to suggest this. Flying completely around the world in reverse, of course. Bonus points if he hears a Supertramp song first. > [@eschereal](#): > > Well, we all know that planes crash because they are angry or depressed. Superman (played by Owen Wilson) could talk to the plane and convince it to land safely, or at least do a soft bellyflop that would not kill any passengers. > > What, has no one here seen _Dark Star_? Like Roger Ebert always said, nothing makes for more compelling cinema than a superhero discussing phenomenology with a falling jetliner > [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > That was depicted in the 1978 _Superman_ movie and the plane was Air Force One. He stabilized the plane, but how it managed to land was not shown. Oddly enough, Jimmy Carter never discussed that incident in his memoirs. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-superman-stop-a-plane-from-crashing/765951/50 "2016-09-15T20:53:28Z")
He should grab a large, flat slab of rock or metal, then fly under the plane and support the weight using the distributed volume of the flat material ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-superman-stop-a-plane-from-crashing/765951/51 "2016-09-15T23:30:54Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > Damn! I was going to suggest this. Flying completely around the world in reverse, of course. > [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Bonus points if he hears a Supertramp song first. OK, I guess that airliner just flew right overhead. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-superman-stop-a-plane-from-crashing/765951/52 "2016-09-16T01:00:12Z")
> [@YogSothoth](#): > > He should grab a large, flat slab of rock or metal, then fly under the plane and support the weight using the distributed volume of the flat material It would have to be a material that can rest on two hands, support its own weight, and a couple hundred thousand more pounds. Not sure where you’d get something like that on short notice. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-superman-stop-a-plane-from-crashing/765951.md?page=2)