Do you feel safe flying on an airline's modern passenger travel jets? This is commercial aviation.
With the spat of accidents reported recently, one may have second thoughts of flying.
However it is rather safe, and is said to be safer than driving cars.
Quote from: ChrissyRyan on February 21, 2025, 08:43:19 PMDo you feel safe flying on an airline's modern passenger travel jets? This is commercial aviation.
With the spat of accidents reported recently, one may have second thoughts of flying.
However it is rather safe, and is said to be safer than driving cars.
Statistically speaking, this is true.
But, the people in the cockpit are not flying the plane. Autopilot handles almost all of the maneuvers while they are doing who knows what.
I am in control of my car 100% of the time when I am driving. I choose the route, the speed, and when to pull over and stop for a while if needed. I can, and have many times, been able to react to a dangerous situation within seconds. Commercial pilots can't react that quickly.
I haven't flown on a commercial flight since 1985. I am not opposed to it and maybe someday I will. But if I can drive there myself, I would prefer it to flying.
Quote from: Lori Dee on February 21, 2025, 08:50:01 PMStatistically speaking, this is true.
But, the people in the cockpit are not flying the plane. Autopilot handles almost all of the maneuvers while they are doing who knows what.
I am in control of my car 100% of the time when I am driving. I choose the route, the speed, and when to pull over and stop for a while if needed. I can, and have many times, been able to react to a dangerous situation within seconds. Commercial pilots can't react that quickly.
I haven't flown on a commercial flight since 1985. I am not opposed to it and maybe someday I will. But if I can drive there myself, I would prefer it to flying.
I like the travel time being less than driving for long distances. However, one has to get to and from the airport. One has to wait for flights, possibly handle luggage, go through security, possibly customs, then has to perhaps obtain some type of ground transportation. This can make it almost equal time duration wise for short flights for flying vs. driving your car.
With the number of airplane crashes in the U.S. lately, and the fact of large F.A.A. firings and plans for spacex to take over I really don't trust flying into the U.S. but flying anywhere else is fine.
Hi Everyone According to AirlineRatings 2025 evaluation,
- Air New Zealand
- Qantas
- Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airways, and Emirates (tied)
- Virgin Australia
- Etihad Airways
These rankings underscore the commitment of these airlines to maintaining high safety standards.
I always use Qantas or Virgin Australia.
Best Wishes AlwaysSarah BGlobal Moderator
Hi Everyone The most dangerous forms of travel, ranked from most to least dangerous based on fatality rates per miles or kilometres or per trip, are:
- Motorcycles
- Bicycles
- Walking (Pedestrians)
- Cars & Light Trucks
- Boats & Ferries
- Trains
- Buses
- Commercial Airlines
- Elevators & Escalators
- Space Travel
Flying is very safe, so to answer the question " Do you feel safe flying on an airline's modern passenger travel jets?" Yes, thats why I fly Qantas and if not, then Virgin.
Safe Travels everyone!
Best Wishes AlwaysSarah BGlobal Moderator
As a former pilot, I have nothing against flying. In principle.
But things have changed since my day, especially in the US. Too many planes in too little airspace, with too few controllers. I follow a site that has radar/audio replays of various aircraft incidents, and I have seen too many near misses caused by trying to cram too many planes into too small a space. In many cases, it is only the alertness of the pilots that avoided catastrophe.
And it is just too darned expensive.
Quote from: Athena on February 21, 2025, 10:51:51 PMWith the number of airplane crashes in the U.S. lately, and the fact of large F.A.A. firings and plans for spacex to take over I really don't trust flying into the U.S. but flying anywhere else is fine.
These firings have been said to NOT impact airline safety. The firings are for support positions. In fact the FAA is hiring more air traffic controllers and the TSA keeps hiring the security staffers. If any of these safety impacting workers were given termination notices these would have been rescinded, as were other improperly issued firings in other federal departments.
Quote from: ChrissyRyan on February 22, 2025, 08:06:34 AMThese firings have been said to NOT impact airline safety. The firings are for support positions. In fact the FAA is hiring more air traffic controllers and the TSA keeps hiring the security staffers. If any of these safety impacting workers were given termination notices these would have been rescinded, as were other improperly issued firings in other federal departments.
Thanks for clarifying, Chrissy. I did not know that.
As a navy lass... no. I spent a lot of time being under the oceans. Not flying over them. And I have severe vertigo. I'd rather go the long way, lol. I would be like Jake Gyllenhaal in "The Day After Tomorrow" movie. Eating ALL the peanuts.
Hi Everyone
I would be riding the aeroplane like Muad'Dib rides the sandworm in 'Dune'. ;D :D ::)
Best Wishes Always
Sarah B
Global Moderator
Quote from: Sarah B on February 22, 2025, 03:03:36 PMHi Everyone
I would be riding the aeroplane like Muad'Dib rides the sandworm in 'Dune'. ;D :D ::)
Best Wishes Always
Sarah B
Global Moderator
LOL omg there's an image!
Quote from: Sarah B on February 22, 2025, 03:03:36 PMHi Everyone
I would be riding the aeroplane like Muad'Dib rides the sandworm in 'Dune'. ;D :D ::)
Best Wishes Always
Sarah B
Global Moderator
I have not seen that.
Sarah is actually gorgeous. She'd be on the back of that 747, hair streaming in the wind, probably whooping at the top of her lungs.
:D
Quote from: Sephirah on February 22, 2025, 03:09:14 PMSarah is actually gorgeous. She'd be on the back of that 747, hair streaming in the wind, probably whooping at the top of her lungs.
:D
Sephirah,
You would be there and just as beautiful, right?
Chrissy
Quote from: ChrissyRyan on February 22, 2025, 03:13:01 PMSephirah,
You would be there and just as beautiful, right?
Chrissy
Not even close. I'd be a shivering wreck in the cargo hold. But thank you. <3 You kind of made my night.
Quote from: Sephirah on February 22, 2025, 03:14:03 PMNot even close. I'd be a shivering wreck in the cargo hold. But thank you. <3 You kind of made my night.
Anyone would be shivering in the cargo hold, even the gorgeous.
Chrissy
Hi Everyone Quote from: ChrissyRyan on February 22, 2025, 03:06:58 PMI have not seen that.
You do not know what you are missing. Both movie versions 1984 and 2021 are good, they both follow the books written by Frank Herbert.
Best Wishes AlwaysSarah BGlobal Moderator@ChrissyRyan
Quote from: Sarah B on February 22, 2025, 03:28:22 PMHi Everyone
You do not know what you are missing. Both movie versions 1984 and 2021 are good, they both follow the books written by Frank Herbert.
Best Wishes Always
Sarah B
Global Moderator
@ChrissyRyan
I agree, the dune novels are very high fantasy. If you can get into the world building. If you can get into the whole world behind it, it's really really good.
Quote from: Sephirah on February 22, 2025, 07:28:06 PMI agree, the dune novels are very high fantasy. If you can get into the world building. If you can get into the whole world behind it, it's really really good.
I liked the book better than the movies. But that is typical of me. The details the authors tell us seem to get glossed over in the movies. A prime example is "Hitchhikers Guide" and "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest". In the latter, the movie is about R.P. McMurphy, but in the book, the story is told from the Indian's point of view. BIG difference.
But I had a hard time reading Tolkien, but enjoyed the movies, so there's that.
Quote from: Lori Dee on February 22, 2025, 08:20:18 PMI liked the book better than the movies. But that is typical of me. The details the authors tell us seem to get glossed over in the movies. A prime example is "Hitchhikers Guide" and "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest". In the latter, the movie is about R.P. McMurphy, but in the book, the story is told from the Indian's point of view. BIG difference.
But I had a hard time reading Tolkien, but enjoyed the movies, so there's that.
The books are always better, Lori. And I commend you for saying so. With literature, you can create your own images. Rather than be told what to see.
An art sadly lost in modern times.
To be fair... I know why you feel like you do about Tolkien. My most prised possession is an illustrated, hardback version of Lord of the Rings. It is well over 1200 pages. I have worn it out at this point... because the movies cut out so much of the books. Change things around for a movie audience.
If you ever get the chance to read the original work... please do take it.
Quote from: Sephirah on February 22, 2025, 08:28:28 PMIf you ever get the chance to read the original work... please do take it.
I had a complete set, I think it was five paperbacks. I was never into fantasy, so I think that is where I struggled. I picked up a book called "Dragon World" and spent 8 hours reading it on a flight to Germany. (She subtly redirects the topic back to
safe airline passenger travel). ;D
No book in the world would deter me from the mind crushing thought of crashing and spawning a long running tv show... obsessed with a bunker ;D
Civil aviation though has a higher accident rate than commercial aviation.
Quote from: ChrissyRyan on February 22, 2025, 09:13:29 PMCivil aviation though has a higher accident rate than commercial aviation.
That seems unusual. I have only flown a few times on a small private plane. My grandfather had a small Cessna and he used a cornfield for an airstrip. He would take us kids up for a "Mickey Mouse Ride" that was like a rollercoaster. Sometimes I wondered if he just wanted to see if we would toss our cookies.
I have flown on many military flights, probably the same number as commercial. Never any problems.
Hi Lori The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy movie was atrocious. I was so looking forward to seeing it on film, I was extremely disappointed in it.
Best Wishes AlwaysSarah BGlobal Moderator@Lori Dee
Quote from: Sarah B on February 23, 2025, 12:05:32 AMHi Lori
The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy movie was atrocious. I was so looking forward to seeing it on film, I was extremely disappointed in it.
Best Wishes Always
Sarah B
Global Moderator
@Lori Dee
At the risk of making a lifelong frenemy of Sarah, I've never read or seen... or otherwise consumed any content related to that, lol. I know all the memes but... I don't know, it was just never on my radar. When it comes to British sci-fi comedy, I was always more of a Red Dwarf gal.
Quote from: Sephirah on February 23, 2025, 03:25:06 PMAt the risk of making a lifelong frenemy of Sarah, I've never read or seen... or otherwise consumed any content related to that, lol. I know all the memes but... I don't know, it was just never on my radar. When it comes to British sci-fi comedy, I was always more of a Red Dwarf gal.
Find the book by Douglas Adams. It isn't just what he describes, it is the way he describes it. Every scene will make you laugh or scratch your head. For example, the description of the President of the Galaxy's ship, The Heart of Gold, was described as:
The Heart of Gold was described as huge, 150 meters long, and shaped like a sleek running shoe. It was perfectly white and mindbogglingly beautiful.
The cabin was mostly white, oblong and about the size of a smallish restaurant. It was not, however, perfectly oblong. Two long walls had been raked round in a slight parallel curve and all of the angles and corners of the cabin were contoured in excitingly chunky shapes. It would have been a great deal simpler and more practical to build the cabin as an ordinary three-dimensional oblong room, but then the designers would have gotten miserable.
The cabin looked excitingly purposeful, there were large video screens which ranged over the control and guidance system panels on the concave wall, and long banks of computers set into the convex wall.
The first time I read this, I was like... wait... what?
Hi Sephirah You said:
Quote from: Sephirah on February 23, 2025, 03:25:06 PMAt the risk of making a lifelong frenemy of Sarah, I've never read or seen... or otherwise consumed any content related to that, lol. I know all the memes but... I don't know, it was just never on my radar. When it comes to British sci fi comedy, I was always more of a Red Dwarf gal.
I have always had a deep love for science fiction and love astronomy. There is something fascinating about big ideas the mystery of the unknown and how a well told story can change the way you see the universe. Shows like Star Trek and Stargate have always drawn me in. They explore complex problems deep questions and characters who face challenges with intelligence and determination.
And that brings me to
Red Dwarf.
I gave it a fair chance. But instead of the thought provoking sci fi I enjoy I found a group of clueless characters stumbling through space making jokes and getting into ridiculous situations. The humour felt forced the plots seemed silly and instead of feeling immersed in a well crafted world I felt like I was watching a parody that did not respect the genre.
Maybe it is British humour and I confess that I am British by birth and love British humour shows like
Fawlty Towers, Open All Hours and of course
Mr Bean. Some people love it, but the dry wit, irony, and slapstick did not work for me when applied to
Red Dwarf. Its lack of seriousness mocks the very things I love about sci-fi. Or maybe I just prefer stories where intelligence matters, where the stakes feel real, and where the characters are capable rather than exaggerated for laughs.
Whatever the reason
Red Dwarf does not connect with me. It does not challenge my mind the way great sci-fi should. Instead it feels like it is mocking the genre I love. I suppose that is the point. A
Red Dwarf is a small fading star near the end of its life and
Red Dwarf seems to reflect that, less about brilliance and more about burning out.
As for making me a frenemy in the case of
Red Dwarf, I will wear it like a badge of honour.
Best Wishes AlwaysSarah BGlobal Moderator@Sephirah
Hi Lori and SephirahI have always had a deep appreciation for
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Its humour is sharp its satire is insightful and it engages with big ideas about existence and the universe and everything in it. Douglas Adams had a way of giving absurdity meaning turning the chaos of the cosmos into something both hilarious and thought provoking.
I gave
Red Dwarf a fair chance but it never really worked for me. The humour felt scattered relying more on slapstick and exaggerated personalities than the sharp observations I enjoy in
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Rather than exploring sci fi concepts with clever twists it seemed more focused on outlandish antics that did not feel meaningfully connected to the genre.
The difference may come down to the characters. Arthur Dent is an ordinary man thrown into ridiculous situations and his reactions feel natural as if an average person were experiencing them.
Red Dwarf on the other hand is built around caricatures. Lister the carefree slob Rimmer the neurotic mess Cat the self absorbed show off and Kryten the dutiful robot. Their interactions feel more like a comedy routine than an intelligent take on sci fi.
Or maybe it is the way sci fi itself is used.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy takes complex ideas and reshapes them into something both funny and thought provoking.
Red Dwarf treats sci fi more as a backdrop for jokes without the same level of depth or respect for the genre.
I love
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy because it blends intelligence satire and sci fi ideas in a way that feels meaningful. In contrast
Red Dwarf leans more toward sitcom style humour which may feel too slapstick exaggerated or unserious for my taste.
Both are comedies but one respects the intelligence of the viewer while the other focuses on character driven often absurd humour. Since I value intelligent storytelling
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy naturally resonates with me while
Red Dwarf feels like it undermines the genre I love.
Best Wishes AlwaysSarah BGlobal Moderator@Sephirah@Lori Dee