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The recent succession of aircraft crashes recently (although these were unrelated) leads me to ask - do you think that the sky is becoming dangerously congested with respect to commercial airliners? Is there a ticking timebomb before a major mid-air collision occurs? Or is it just paranoia?
It's just coincidence. As many deaths from commercial flights in one month as in any full year since '01, which is only the case when counting 9/11? I'll consider that coincidence until the numbers get more consistent.
I doubt it would ever happen with the way they synchronize and time the planes, but it would be one of the sweetest things to see happen...
...minus all the deaths of course.
Air travel is still the safest way to travel. Even if you obey all the driving laws in any country 100%, you are still at a greater risk of dying in a car crash rather than a plane crash.
Not to mention how much space is actaully up there. I'm talking specifically about the notion of a mid-air collision. I agree it'd be something to see, but only in probably cenima or something. That would screw a lot up if it happened in real life. But I honestly don't think it could, unless two planes were on severly retarded auto-pilot. Because an actaul pilot would be able to (hopefully) see another aircraft miles away long before a collision could occur. Not to mention the fact that different planes fly at different altitudes. So even if they were on the same heading, one would likely just fly over the other.
Here's a simple test. Go into an area of reasonable build up. Now, count how many aircraft go overhead in the space of about ten minutes. Then count how many cars/trucks/buses/whatever. Now tell me that you're more likely to crash into something in the air than on the ground ;)
I find it hard to believe the crew on board the Titanic failed to notice the iceberg until it was too late - I mean it was a clear night and well come on, it's a bloody big white chunk of ice !
Most likely a steering problem, these boats dont exactly turn on a dime.Quote:
Originally Posted by Itsunari 2000
The Titanic disaster probably could have been avoided if not for the incompetence of just about everyone associated with that voyage. In the case of the lookouts, only two were posted. Neither had a pair of binoculars, and (having been posted at the highest point) were at a terrible angle to view the iceberg. Ironically, had they been viewing from the deck, they would have been forewarned of the iceberg far sooner.Quote:
Originally Posted by Itsunari 2000
As to air travel, the point has already been made that it's far safer than driving.
It's just paranoia.
you do have a very good question, with the expansion of airlines and mostly cheap air travel the skys are filling up with every more aeroplanes and the old guidlines of distance and altitude may have to be adjusted. Here in England they have to computerise most of air traffic control becauses the numbers of planes and becoming impossible to handle with man power alone. I feel within the next ten years governments will be clamping down more on airlines prehaps by taxing the number of planes they have in the sky, to detere expansion.
As for the case of the Titanic i believe they were going too fast to turn away, as for the time of year and seas they were traveling they didn't expect any icebergs. Experience can sometimes override common sense.