# 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:** 197
**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:** [May 4, 2023, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/3923 "2023-05-04T23:18:51Z")
I had several encounters with Africanized bees in Panama. IANA expert by any stretch. The swarm tends to land on stuff at random and then everybody just attaches themselves as close as possible to wherever the first guy landed. Why this tree and not the one 15 feet away? Why that window or stretch of eave but not the identical space 10 feet away? The exterminator folks I talked to basically shrugged and said “they do that.” There’s no way to make a spot more or less attractive to the swarms. Many of the places are not in any sense hospitable to animals. No water or food there, no obvious natural scent. It’s just a substrate to sit on / cling to. If the exterminators don’t intervene, the swarm will hang out there for a few hours then suddenly disappear as rapidly as it came. To next settle gosh knows where. But never to be seen in that spot again. It’s a weird bit of Nature that’s for sure. ---
**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:** [May 5, 2023, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/3924 "2023-05-05T00:10:19Z")
Who said/wrote, ‘God does not count against your time on Earth, the time you spend in the air.’? ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2023, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/3925 "2023-05-05T02:59:50Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > I would want to check a lot of stuff on that plane, I think. Wheel wells, pitot tubes, etc. The winglet seems like an odd place for the hive to go. I don’t think they’re out apartment hunting. It’s likely a breakaway hive following a new queen. I’m not sure why the airline had to delay a flight over it but It probably made a bee-keeper happy to get some frequent flyer freebees. ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2023, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/3926 "2023-05-05T17:48:04Z")
According to the Twitter thread a beekeeper was called but they weren’t cleared to touch the aircraft. After much consternation and discussion they eventually decided to taxi away from the gate. The moment the engines were switched on the bees flew away. ---
**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:** [May 5, 2023, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/3927 "2023-05-05T18:37:04Z")
I won’t be scared of killer bees until they develop jet propulsion. ---
**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:** [May 5, 2023, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/3928 "2023-05-05T18:38:45Z")
You mean like giant squid? 😉 ---
**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:** [May 7, 2023, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/3929 "2023-05-07T13:11:42Z")
Quoting myself from last month for context: > [@LSLGuy](#): > > Jeez, these poor bastards can’t buy a break: > [Boeing halts deliveries of some 737 MAXs amid new supplier problem | Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/boeing-pauses-deliveries-some-737-maxs-amid-new-supplier-problem-2023-04-13/) > > It is very important that when you install the saddle on the upper aft fuselage that the vertical tail bolts onto, you actually properly attach the saddle to, you know, the _rest of the fuselage_. > > Can’t anybody here play this game anymore? The latest news is that about 2/3rds of the _delivered_ fleet of MAXes & P-8s (so 500+ airplanes) have this problem. The exact response plan hasn’t been settled yet, but will almost certainly be some sort of repetitive inspection program to look for early signs of stuff breaking loose, and then fix it if such signs appear. Meanwhile, back at Boeing’s airplane kit assembly facility near Seattle, and Spirit’s fuselage construction factory in Wichita that screwed this up, a similar fraction of the partly built, or fully built and awaiting delivery, airplanes need to be fixed before delivery. These now semi-airplanes cannot be completed then released to their customers as-is to be periodically inspected like the already-delivered ones are. The only bright spot is lots of the already-built MAXes sitting around in Seattle are destined for Chinese airlines that nobody thinks will ever be delivered. So those can slide to the back of the queue to be fixed. Along with eventually having their interiors and cockpits torn out and replaced by non-Chinese ones once everyone involved admits the truth and they’re resold to Western customers. The easy ones are still bare fuselages and will only take a couple of man-_months_ to fix. Each. Like a crew of several workers laboring for a _week_ of calendar time. Each. Times multiple hundred aircraft. Once the vertical tail is installed, the effort & expense more than doubles. Each. Glad this didn’t happen on my watch. ---
**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:** [May 8, 2023, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/3930 "2023-05-08T18:05:40Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > …The only bright spot is lots of the already-built MAXes sitting around in Seattle are destined for Chinese airlines that nobody thinks will ever be delivered. So those can slide to the back of the queue to be fixed. Along with eventually having their interiors and cockpits torn out and replaced by non-Chinese ones once everyone involved admits the truth and they’re resold to Western customers… What happened to aircraft sales to China? ---
**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:** [May 8, 2023, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/3931 "2023-05-08T22:39:32Z")
You may recall China was the first country to unilaterally ground the MAXes after the accidents. As of today they are not officially grounded in China but since the ungrounding a year-ish ago, substantially zero MAX flights have occurred and no Chinese airline wants to take any deliveries of any MAXes. So it appears the government has said one thing in public and something else in private to all the Chinese airlines who are wisely obeying the whispers in to their ears. Most of which airlines have substantial stakes owned by the Chinese national, regional, or local governments. You may also recall Trump’s vaunted tariff / trade war with China. Which mightily pissed off the Chinese government. Pre-MAX & Pre-Trump-tariff Boeing was by far the largest US exporter by dollar value to China. Nobody else comes close. Boeing also buys substantially zero from China. They are the perfect target for China to swat with nil harm to themselves. So the Chinese government has in effect done an “official unofficial” national boycott of all Boeing products. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/3932 "2023-05-12T01:15:53Z")
> **[YouTuber accused of deliberately crashing plane for views pleads guilty](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/may/11/youtuber-crashed-plane-pleads-guilty-los-padres-forest)** > > Trevor Jacob, 29, faces up to 20 years in prison after purposely destroying wreckage of small plane that he crashed in 2021 The suggestion of up to 20 years in prison is very misleading: he undoubtedly did a plea deal which will have a small fraction of those consequences. Here is the video (with 2.9 million views) [https://www.youtube.com/results?search\_query="I+Crashed+My+Plane"](https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=%22I+Crashed+My+Plane%22) ---
**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:** [May 12, 2023, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/3933 "2023-05-12T01:28:06Z")
> **[Two injured after small floatplane crashes next to house in Lakewood](https://www.kiro7.com/news/south-sound-news/two-critically-injured-after-small-float-plane-crashes-next-house-lakewood/ITNI7Y5OCBEXDNKJXO7KQOGAYU/)** > > Two people had serious injuries and were transported to area hospitals. An Aviat Husky floatplane crashed about 100 mile south of where I live. Both occupants survived with severe injuries. ---
**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:** [May 12, 2023, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/3934 "2023-05-12T20:59:18Z")
Thanks, **LSLGuy.** I was unaware of most of that. ---
**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:** [May 12, 2023, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/3935 "2023-05-12T21:11:34Z")
That’s only a few miles from where I grew up; I’ve been right by the site of that crash hundreds of times. Lake Steilacoom seems kinda small for float planes. Can’t remember if I ever saw any there. ---
**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:** [May 12, 2023, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/3936 "2023-05-12T21:16:52Z")
Every so often, I’d have an occasion to drive around Lake Whatcom (which is big). There used to be a Skyhawk on floats moored by one of the houses. It eventually showed up on eBay (probably a dozen years ago). ---
**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:** [May 12, 2023, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/3937 "2023-05-12T21:23:10Z")
I did a college internship at a company that built airplane floats, and I’ve been up in float planes a few times. There really is a lot to it. I’m not sure exactly what the change is to takeoff distance; longer than the equivalent plane on wheels, I’m pretty sure, but I don’t know how much. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2023, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/3938 "2023-05-13T23:49:08Z")
Oh, so now it’s a crime to crash a plane and hide the evidence. Who knew? The jury should consist of short wing Piper pilots. ---
**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:** [May 14, 2023, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/3939 "2023-05-14T01:35:59Z")
Crashing deliberately is careless & reckless operation per FAR 91.13. Rip his ticket. These poor dumb bastards can’t buy a break this week: **[Dad mistaken for human trafficker on American Airlines flight from Sea-Tac Airport | king5.com](https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/dad-mistaken-human-trafficker-american-airlines-flight/281-216dc4c2-19ed-4e8f-9677-4ea5e8dff8f0)** **[St. Louis man says American Airlines lost prosthetic leg, won’t reimburse him | FOX 2 (fox2now.com)](https://fox2now.com/news/contact-2/st-louis-man-says-american-airlines-lost-prosthetic-leg-wont-reimburse-him/)** **[American Airlines Passenger Accused Of Attacking Cabin Crew Over Meal Service (simpleflying.com)](https://simpleflying.com/american-airlines-passenger-attacks-cabin-crew-meal-service/)** **[Pushy passenger defends antics, prepares for ‘white media’ boycott (nypost.com)](https://nypost.com/2023/05/12/pushy-passenger-defends-antics-prepares-for-white-media-boycott/)** **[Passenger late for flight charged with making bomb threat (nypost.com)](https://nypost.com/2023/05/11/passenger-late-for-philly-bound-flight-charged-with-making-bomb-threat/)** ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2023, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/3940 "2023-05-14T02:18:05Z")
Why would you check a $26,000 ANYTHING in luggage? ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2023, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/3941 "2023-05-17T00:16:14Z")
C[argolux 747-400 loses 1 of 4 main gears](https://aviationsourcenews.com/incident/cargolux-747-loses-landing-gear-bogey-in-emergency-landing/) that had to make some noise banging around the fuselage. ---
**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:** [May 17, 2023, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499/3942 "2023-05-17T00:25:24Z")
Damn, that gear could have really ruined someone’s day if it bounced a little differently. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499.md?page=196) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-aviation-thread-general-and-other-part-1/600499.md?page=198)