# The Great Ongoing Aviation Thread (general and other) (Part 1) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 23, 2011, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499 "2011-10-23T02:17:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 177
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2023, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/3523 "2023-01-25T03:27:24Z")
Just ran across this article about MH370: > **[Call of the Void: Seven years on, what do we know about the disappearance of...](https://admiralcloudberg.medium.com/call-of-the-void-seven-years-on-what-do-we-know-about-the-disappearance-of-malaysia-airlines-77fa5244bf99)** > > “Good night, Malaysian three seven zero.” To be honest, I didn’t follow much of the MH370 saga past the point of “it disappeared somewhere in the Indian Ocean and while it was probably a murder-suicide by one of the pilots, no one knows for sure.” And indeed, that’s still basically where things stand, but the article contains a ton of details about exactly what happened, how we know those details, and why pretty much any other theory is unlikely at best. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2023, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/3524 "2023-01-25T05:03:02Z")
Right after it happened I attended a lecture on aviation accidents. I asked the person giving the lecture what he thought about finding it and he said that the US military would have tracked it with over-the-horizon radar. I have no way of verifying that statement. I’ve wondered if weather satellites would have seen the contrail particularly at different angles of sunlight. It’s hard to believe we couldn’t track or find this plane. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2023, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/3525 "2023-01-25T05:06:35Z")
In not-General Aviation news… > **[Airport Worker Sucked Into Jet Engine Was Repeatedly Warned to Stand Back](https://autos.yahoo.com/airport-worker-sucked-jet-engine-010000109.html)** > > Last month, the National Transportation Safety Board released its preliminary report on a shocking incident that took place at Alabama’s Montgomery Regional Airport. On New Year’s Eve, 2022, an Envoy Air worker was killed after being sucked into the... > > “The ground crew reported that a safety briefing was held about 10 minutes before the airplane arrived at the gate. A second safety “huddle” was held shortly before the airplane arrived at the gate, to reiterate that the engines would remain running until ground power was connected. It was also discussed that the airplane should not be approached, and the diamond of safety cones should not be set until the engines were off, spooled down, and the airplane’s rotating beacon light had been extinguished by the flight crew.” > According to the NTSB, despite these multiple warnings, video surveillance footage from the airport shows the unnamed ramp agent walking around the Embraer airplane and stepping in front of the number-one jet engine while it was still running. ‘Don’t walk in front of the engines!’ ‘Don’t walk in front of the engines!’ [Walks in front of an engine] Stupid should have consequences. It did. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2023, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/3526 "2023-01-25T06:32:31Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > I’ve wondered if weather satellites would have seen the contrail particularly at different angles of sunlight. It’s hard to believe we couldn’t track or find this plane. Contrails often don’t form at all, so it wouldn’t be surprising if there was nothing physical to see. ---
**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:** [January 25, 2023, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/3527 "2023-01-25T14:37:01Z")
Hiya, kid! > **[Passenger gives birth on Emirates flight from Tokyo to Dubai | CNN](https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/emirates-baby-plane-january-2023/index.html)** > > An Emirates flight from Tokyo Narita to Dubai International touched down with an extra traveler on board, after a passenger gave birth in the air. Parent and baby were reported to be stable and were met by medical staff upon arrival in Dubai. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2023, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/3528 "2023-01-25T16:34:54Z")
Wow, possibly the swankiest birth, ever. I used to know a stewardess for Emirates, they’re not messing around when it comes to luxury. ---
**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:** [January 25, 2023, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/3529 "2023-01-25T16:59:40Z")
Is there any way to update the souls-on-board number midflight? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2023, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/3530 "2023-01-25T18:50:13Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > Right after it happened I attended a lecture on aviation accidents. I asked the person giving the lecture what he thought about finding it and he said that the US military would have tracked it with over-the-horizon radar. I have no way of verifying that statement. > > I’ve wondered if weather satellites would have seen the contrail particularly at different angles of sunlight. It’s hard to believe we couldn’t track or find this plane. The US’s OTH radar does not cover the globe. It covers the likely approaches of 1960s USSR bombers to the USA. For sure it won’t reach the area around Malaysia. The Australians have an OTH radar on their north coast aimed more or less towards China. I don’t know whether it was within their range. OTH radars have a long _minimum_ range too; they’re blind inside of 500 - 1000 _miles_ from the antenna IIRC. The MH flight took place at night. Kinda hard for satellites looking down at the black ocean to see contrails at night. Much less, as @Richard_Pearse said, whether contrails formed or not. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2023, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/3531 "2023-01-25T21:51:19Z")
I’ve been on ramp crews before and if you started to do something stupid people would seriously scream at you. This could have been a suicide. ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2023, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/3532 "2023-01-25T22:06:11Z")
Suicide by jet engine? I’m seriously doubting that. Reminds me of a scene from Double Indemnity: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/VV6wbBFmPdo/maxresdefault.jpg "Double Indemnity - Keyes Talks Suicide Statistics") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VV6wbBFmPdo) ---
**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:** [January 27, 2023, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/3533 "2023-01-27T14:01:28Z")
Great scene! And now this: > **[Why NASA tested a plane with a pivoting wing | CNN](https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/nasa-ad-1-plane-oblique-pivoting-wing/index.html)** > > Not many aircraft can claim to be truly one of a kind, but the NASA AD-1 is undoubtedly one of them. No other piloted plane has ever been built with a wing that could turn to a lopsided 20 to 2 angle -- but the fascinating story is why it did at all. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2023, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/3534 "2023-01-28T01:56:33Z")
Cool. I new the plane existed but I didn’t know it was in the 70’s and I didn’t know the Legendary Burt Rutan was involved. ---
**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:** [January 28, 2023, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/3535 "2023-01-28T03:20:10Z")
I got to meet Burt Rutan right after he set the record with _Voyager._ Got a couple of autographed pictures and everything. Just can’t remember if it was at Edwards or JPL. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2023, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/3536 "2023-01-28T04:24:10Z")
Are you sure that wasn’t Dick Rutan, One of the pilots of Voyager? Burt is his brother and designer of the plane. I’ve seen Burt Rutan at Oshkosh a number of times but I don’t think I’ve ever seen Dick Rutan. ---
**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:** [January 28, 2023, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/3537 "2023-01-28T15:42:34Z")
Met both of them. Probably at Edwards. Met Dick several times thereafter. I have the signed photos around here somewhere. TBH, I was initially thinking of Dick Rutan, but then remembered I met both brothers. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2023, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/3538 "2023-01-28T16:11:36Z")
This is getting more real every day: > **[Natilus Announces Purchase Agreement with Ameriflight for 20 Cargo Aircraft -...](https://natilus.co/natilus-announces-purchase-agreement-with-ameriflight-for-20-cargo-aircraft-bringing-total-orders-to-6-8-billion-for-460-aircraft/)** > > Reducing Global Air Freight Costs By 60% Through The Use Of Large Autonomous Aircraft Key design decisions here are conventional propulsion, unconventional airframe design, and remotely-monitored piloting leading to fully autonomous ops as the tech develops. Or so they fervently hope. They’re actually manufacturing full scale parts for this thing now; it’s not just “artist’s conceptions” angling for seed capital. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2023, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/3539 "2023-01-28T17:19:09Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Met both of them. Probably at Edwards. Met Dick several times thereafter. I have the signed photos around here somewhere. Nice. Unrelated story but I was at a grocery store and went down the toy aisle by mistake. I looked up and saw Bur Rutan’s “Boomerang” plane as a toy. I couldn’t believe Matchbox made a model of it. had to buy it. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2023, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/3540 "2023-01-28T17:24:22Z")
One Thanksgiving (I think – It may have been Christmas) my friend was visiting his mom in Lancaster. He and his brothers went to a nearby park to toss a football around, and I went to find them. Near them, Burt Rutan and his then-girlfriend were flying a kite. ---
**Author:** ![3AxisCtrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/ecd19e/32.png) [@3AxisCtrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3AxisCtrl)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2023, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/3541 "2023-01-30T06:50:40Z")
I own a small piece of the Rutan _Voyager_. (It’s a part of the double-layer skin that was cut away to make an access hole.) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2023, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/3542 "2023-01-30T19:04:00Z")
> **[The family of five flying around the world in a tiny plane | CNN](https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/family-of-five-fly-around-the-world/index.html)** > > The Porter family, set off on board their Gippsaero GA8 AirVan, a modern aircraft manufactured in Australia, from Vancouver, British Columbia last June and have "been basically traveling every day since." [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499.md?page=176) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499.md?page=178)