... he sourced the engines for White Knight from surplus that was cheaply available. This plane probably also uses an engine that was "close enough" instead of purpose designed.
It would be foolish to spend that much money to purpose design an engine for this vehicle. Unlike car manufacturers, airplane manufacturers do not (normally) design an engine to drive their plane. Most choose a supplier with an engine that meets the performance criteria and go with that. In some cases, you get to choose which brand of engine you want. The 747 is available with Pratt and Whitney, General Electric, or Rolls Royce engines, as is the 777. In engines of that size, the engine manufacturer was probably approached to develope an engine specifice to the model, but in smaller business jets, and the new very light jets, many models of planes are using engines from one of only several manfucaturers of engines.
Any landing you walk away from...
Many people have probably heard the saying that any landing you can walk away from is a good landing. But most have probably not heard the addendum which is that an excellent landing is one in which you can use the plane again.
I think what you are missing is the huge number of things that all had to come together at one time in order to make the first airplane. The engines of the time had to make a huge step forward in terms of their power output to weight ratio. The Bernoulli principle had to be tested and proven on a large scale wing. The traditional propeller shape used in power boats had to be redesigned to work in the unfamiliar arena of air.
Work was going on in several places in the U.S., as well as in France. Curtiss Aircraft actually had a model ready to go before the Wright brothers, but when they launched it, it didn't fly.
The French claim they had the first flight because the Wright brothers only got the plane to go in a straight line. The French chose to define flight as the ability to take off, turn the aircraft in a 1km circle and land in the same spot, which they did in 1908.
Other notable French Aeronautical achievements:
1905 Captain F. Ferber of the French army introduces a stable, powered biplane.
1907 A man-carrying helicopter, built by Frenchman Paul Cornu, rises (November)
1909 Louis Blériot makes the first airplane flight across the English Channel (July)
1910 First successful seaplane flown by Henri Fabre
1912 First flight of an all-metal airplane, the French Tubavion
1912 First airplane flight at more than 160 km/hr (100 mph), by the French pilot J. Védrines (February)
While I agree with the GP that it is good to see innovation, it is already possible to get pretty far nonstop. There is a Singapore Kennedy to Changi flight that lasts 18.5 hours and covers 10,335 miles (16,670 km). That was in June 2004, there may be longer flights now. That is very close to half the radius of the earth. Notwithstanding great circle routing, it is possible to get from almost any major city to any other major city nonstop. Most of the reason that we don't do nonstop flights these days is not due to technological reasons but due to monetary ones. It can be, but is not always, more profitable to use hub and spoke even on these long routes. You just have a much bigger hub and much bigger spokes.
Computers don't drink, they don't sleep, they don't have fights with their wives, and they're not subject to intimidation by armed thugs.
Unfortunately, computers also are unable to respond to situations which they were not programmed for. Neither are quite a number of people, frankly, but hopefully the people we put in the cockpit are capable of reason in a previously unknown situation.
I thought I recognized true.com. They are one of the spammers in my filter who have sent me multiple invitations to find another women despite the fact that I am perfectly happy with the wife I have now.
Apparently, their background checks are not comprehensive enough to determine if the intended recipient of their SPAM is married, let alone a criminal.
I propose we tack a rider onto the true.com bill making SPAM illegal. Wouldn't that be ironic?
And many states have laws requiring the dealership to perform the registration process when you purchase the car. This is to avoid people doing sneaky stuff like buying a car and not paying the registration fee, or buying it and registering it in another state.
Actually, I am pretty sure it is the AIRPORTs policy, as I have seen the same carrier require IDs at one airport and not at another. I have also heard them specifically say "We do not require ID here at $AIRPORT".
I don't know if anyone else travels much, but I hardly ever am asked for ID at the gate anymore. Even in Washington.
A completely restored wrecked car is not worth as much as a non-wrecked car. A wrecked car can not earn money while it is being repaired. Paperwork costs money. Time costs money. The operator you called when you crashed costs money.
If you've ever been in an accident, you will realize that being fully compensated for the repair of your vehicle does not even BEGIN to cover these other resale losses, inconvenience losses, and hassle losses.
Simple fact: Raise the age for a drivers license and the age that is most likely to get into an accedent will rise
That is a statistical game, as the 15 to 17 year old supposedly won't be driving any more, so won't represent the most accidents. However, the 18 to 20 year olds STILL won't be as dangerous as the 15 to 17 year olds, and if they raised it to 25, the 25 to 27 year olds would be FAR less dangerous than 15 to 17 year olds currently are.
Studies show that by the time males are 24 to 25 years old, they have fully matured mentally, their inhibitions become more conservative, and their need to show off in front of their frinds ahs gone down considerably. For women it is even younger.
they probably cost more to employ than you get in theft protection
I doubt that. An electronics store like Fry's probably has several hundred to a thousand dollars worth of theft every day. If a person up front can prevent 10% of that, they come out ahead of the game.
I wouldn't expect the door checkers to determined criminals, but I should think it would work well against people who wouldn't normally steal, but just want a playstation game really badly and can't come up with the $50. I would think that probably most of their theft is of this variety.
I really don't think TSA is all that well-trained and I know I can take most of them.
TSA checks your ID, but in this case, Gilmore was complaining about the gate agent, which actually wanted to see his ID before boarding the plane.
Interestingly, most airports don't even bother with this anymore. They figure if you made it through security, you can give your ticket to someone else who ALSO made it through.
From listening to the airlines, I gather it is the airport that requires the ID check at the gate, and not the airline, or TSA. The airline DOES have to provide a manifest with every passenger's name, but apparently since you have to show ID at security, they are reasonably sure that the name on the ticket is the tickeholder at the gate.
But it's been four years, and everyone should either know what's required of them or arrange alternative transportation.
Checking ID at the gate goes back further than 9/11. It seems like it started in the early 90's. I remember because mys sister and I swapped tickets one time because she needed to get back from a trip earlier and I was able to stay a few days longer. This was back in about 1989 or 1990. A year or so later they started checking IDs and you couldn't do this or exchange the ticket anymore. But I believe this was not for security reason, but because of money.
Same thing as when an officer pulls you over and asks if it's OK to search your vehicle. A nice respectful "sorry, but I refuse to surrender my 4th ammendment rights under the Constitution of the United States." is all you need to say.
Unfortunately, if you do not consent to a search, that is apparently sufficient for probable cause, so now you will be detained while they get a search warrant, then they will search your vehicle with a vengeance instead of just giving it the once over like they would have otherwise, probably damaging your vehicle in the process.
I used to travel by Amtrak. The only time I was required to show ID was on September 11th. After that, it was back to business as usual.
I've travelled a few times on greyhound, but I can't recall if I had to show ID or not. I think I did, but not when getting on the bus, only when buying the ticket.
I can't speak for government regulation of trains and busses, but as far as airlines go, I don't see any government regulations requiring ID to be taken. It appears to me to be corporate policy, probably just to fulfill the passenger manifest requirements of the FAA, and that applies only to regularly scheduled commercial operations and not to charter flights.
In short, I don't believe the government is requiring identification. If you wish the government to force commercial entities to allow you to travel freely between states regardless of mode of travel, that would require new legislation which would take away the rights of corporations and private businesses.
You have to pay a company to run a credit check on yourself in order to find out whether or not you are considered trustworthy to pay off debts.
Or you could apply for a billion dollar home loan or something else you don't have a chance in hell of getting. Then when the notice of denial comes back, take them up on the offer of the free credit report. You are entitled to a FREE credit report when your credit is used as a determining factor for turning down a credit application.
The phone calls made from the jets, which were a) not technically possible to make
It's going to disappoint a lot of travelers to learn that they can't use their phones in the air after all despite the legislation currently in the works to allow mobile phone use except during takeoff and landing.
Federal Aviation Regulations 125.383 (a) Each certificate holder is responsible for the preparation and accuracy of a load manifest in duplicate containing information concerning the loading of the airplane. The manifest must be prepared before each takeoff and must include-- ...
(8) Names of passengers.
If I was responsible for the accuracy of the names of the people on board, I bet I would check ID too.
I'm sure that a secret law is much more interesting, but it is much more likely that the gate attendant doesn't know the regulations, because mostly, they don't need to.
In the good old USA, you can be brought up on charges because some hick cop or religious fundie comes across your site and has a hissy fit.
There is also the problem of suggestion. In Illinois, a first grade class was given a presentation on child abuse in the auditorium and at the end, the kids were asked "Have your parents ever hit or kicked you." Several children said yes, including one child that I know. His mother was thrown in jail and her children taken away. It turns out that THAT morning, the child and mother had been sleeping and the mother rolled over and accidentally kicked the child, not hard, not even leacing a bruise. But since it happened that morning, the child remembered.
I would argue that the mother's children were more in danger during their few hours with Child Services while this was being sorted out than they ever were with the mother.
Heck, I have had the gov't threaten to take my kids away, and I don't drink, do drugs, beat my kids, or live in squalor. My burglar alarm went off while I was on a business trip, and the police felt I was irresponsible for going out of town and leaving my wife alone to watch all three babies.
Maybe this is the first step toward state run ISPs.
"Thank you for placing your HTTP request. If your request passes the review board, you should receive your first packet in 6 to 8 weeks."
Sounds eerily like me...
Of course it does. Nearly everyone I know has had some sort of molestation or rape occur in their childhood. Sometimes its not too bad, and sometimes its horrible. Sometimes its family, sometimes its a stranger. Most people don't want to talk about it, but when you get to know people really closely, it usually comes out.
Some people can get over it and do. Some people can't get over it and need help. Some people can get it over it, but won't.
I wonder if making all of these laws has really done anything to curb the problem, or just made us feel more at ease?
>So, how much water are we talking about?
Very likely none. It's probably frozen methane like the "ice" they found at the poles.
But since our brains associate ice with water it makes sense for them to say ice just to get our hopes up and keep the research dollars flowing.
Not that research is a bad thing. I think that a large part of the downturn in the economy was due to companies choosing not to do research (because we, the stockholders demand instant gratification. One bird in the hand is worth 1 billion birds in the bush).
Actually, if we really did evolve from amoebas, then we are very much part of nature and everything we do is therefore quite natural.
On the other hand, if we were made by God, then we can argue that the things we are doing are not natural, because we are separate and above nature.
But seriously...the effort required to sidestep spam (click it into your junk box) is actually far slighter than the effort required to sidestep a solicitor's phone call or turn away a caller in the flesh. If a salesman is going to bug me, please let him (oh, please) send me an email instead of telephoning me at home!
Far slighter? Then why did it take me until 2:00 this afternoon to sort through all of my "probable" spam? That is only the stuff that gets through my filters that route to/dev/null. I sure didn't spend that amount of time on telemarketers today.
If all the non-crazy people leave America, won't it just get even more crazy?
Actually they were going to go to Canada, which is still America, so the craziness level would remain constant.
What's the difference between using email for marketing as opposed to a physical mail box, or your telephone?
I see no real difference between e-mail spam marketing and telemarketing. They both use my own resources and my own time to try to sell me a product that I almost certainly do not want (because if I did I would have called THEM).
Physical mail, on the other hand is at the expense of the spammer, helps subsidize first class mailings, and is useful for keeping my house warm in the winter.
Slashdot Mirror
... he sourced the engines for White Knight from surplus that was cheaply available. This plane probably also uses an engine that was "close enough" instead of purpose designed.
It would be foolish to spend that much money to purpose design an engine for this vehicle. Unlike car manufacturers, airplane manufacturers do not (normally) design an engine to drive their plane. Most choose a supplier with an engine that meets the performance criteria and go with that. In some cases, you get to choose which brand of engine you want. The 747 is available with Pratt and Whitney, General Electric, or Rolls Royce engines, as is the 777. In engines of that size, the engine manufacturer was probably approached to develope an engine specifice to the model, but in smaller business jets, and the new very light jets, many models of planes are using engines from one of only several manfucaturers of engines.
Any landing you walk away from...
Many people have probably heard the saying that any landing you can walk away from is a good landing. But most have probably not heard the addendum which is that an excellent landing is one in which you can use the plane again.
I think what you are missing is the huge number of things that all had to come together at one time in order to make the first airplane. The engines of the time had to make a huge step forward in terms of their power output to weight ratio. The Bernoulli principle had to be tested and proven on a large scale wing. The traditional propeller shape used in power boats had to be redesigned to work in the unfamiliar arena of air.
Work was going on in several places in the U.S., as well as in France. Curtiss Aircraft actually had a model ready to go before the Wright brothers, but when they launched it, it didn't fly.
The French claim they had the first flight because the Wright brothers only got the plane to go in a straight line. The French chose to define flight as the ability to take off, turn the aircraft in a 1km circle and land in the same spot, which they did in 1908.
Other notable French Aeronautical achievements:
1905 Captain F. Ferber of the French army introduces a stable, powered biplane.
1907 A man-carrying helicopter, built by Frenchman Paul Cornu, rises (November)
1909 Louis Blériot makes the first airplane flight across the English Channel (July)
1910 First successful seaplane flown by Henri Fabre
1912 First flight of an all-metal airplane, the French Tubavion
1912 First airplane flight at more than 160 km/hr (100 mph), by the French pilot J. Védrines (February)
While I agree with the GP that it is good to see innovation, it is already possible to get pretty far nonstop. There is a Singapore Kennedy to Changi flight that lasts 18.5 hours and covers 10,335 miles (16,670 km).
That was in June 2004, there may be longer flights now. That is very close to half the radius of the earth. Notwithstanding great circle routing, it is possible to get from almost any major city to any other major city nonstop. Most of the reason that we don't do nonstop flights these days is not due to technological reasons but due to monetary ones. It can be, but is not always, more profitable to use hub and spoke even on these long routes. You just have a much bigger hub and much bigger spokes.
Computers don't drink, they don't sleep, they don't have fights with their wives, and they're not subject to intimidation by armed thugs.
Unfortunately, computers also are unable to respond to situations which they were not programmed for. Neither are quite a number of people, frankly, but hopefully the people we put in the cockpit are capable of reason in a previously unknown situation.
I thought I recognized true.com. They are one of the spammers in my filter who have sent me multiple invitations to find another women despite the fact that I am perfectly happy with the wife I have now.
Apparently, their background checks are not comprehensive enough to determine if the intended recipient of their SPAM is married, let alone a criminal.
I propose we tack a rider onto the true.com bill making SPAM illegal. Wouldn't that be ironic?
And many states have laws requiring the dealership to perform the registration process when you purchase the car. This is to avoid people doing sneaky stuff like buying a car and not paying the registration fee, or buying it and registering it in another state.
Actually, I am pretty sure it is the AIRPORTs policy, as I have seen the same carrier require IDs at one airport and not at another. I have also heard them specifically say "We do not require ID here at $AIRPORT".
I don't know if anyone else travels much, but I hardly ever am asked for ID at the gate anymore. Even in Washington.
A completely restored wrecked car is not worth as much as a non-wrecked car. A wrecked car can not earn money while it is being repaired. Paperwork costs money. Time costs money. The operator you called when you crashed costs money.
If you've ever been in an accident, you will realize that being fully compensated for the repair of your vehicle does not even BEGIN to cover these other resale losses, inconvenience losses, and hassle losses.
Simple fact: Raise the age for a drivers license and the age that is most likely to get into an accedent will rise
That is a statistical game, as the 15 to 17 year old supposedly won't be driving any more, so won't represent the most accidents. However, the 18 to 20 year olds STILL won't be as dangerous as the 15 to 17 year olds, and if they raised it to 25, the 25 to 27 year olds would be FAR less dangerous than 15 to 17 year olds currently are.
Studies show that by the time males are 24 to 25 years old, they have fully matured mentally, their inhibitions become more conservative, and their need to show off in front of their frinds ahs gone down considerably. For women it is even younger.
they probably cost more to employ than you get in theft protection
I doubt that. An electronics store like Fry's probably has several hundred to a thousand dollars worth of theft every day. If a person up front can prevent 10% of that, they come out ahead of the game.
I wouldn't expect the door checkers to determined criminals, but I should think it would work well against people who wouldn't normally steal, but just want a playstation game really badly and can't come up with the $50. I would think that probably most of their theft is of this variety.
I really don't think TSA is all that well-trained and I know I can take most of them. TSA checks your ID, but in this case, Gilmore was complaining about the gate agent, which actually wanted to see his ID before boarding the plane.
Interestingly, most airports don't even bother with this anymore. They figure if you made it through security, you can give your ticket to someone else who ALSO made it through.
From listening to the airlines, I gather it is the airport that requires the ID check at the gate, and not the airline, or TSA. The airline DOES have to provide a manifest with every passenger's name, but apparently since you have to show ID at security, they are reasonably sure that the name on the ticket is the tickeholder at the gate.
But it's been four years, and everyone should either know what's required of them or arrange alternative transportation.
Checking ID at the gate goes back further than 9/11. It seems like it started in the early 90's. I remember because mys sister and I swapped tickets one time because she needed to get back from a trip earlier and I was able to stay a few days longer. This was back in about 1989 or 1990. A year or so later they started checking IDs and you couldn't do this or exchange the ticket anymore. But I believe this was not for security reason, but because of money.
Same thing as when an officer pulls you over and asks if it's OK to search your vehicle. A nice respectful "sorry, but I refuse to surrender my 4th ammendment rights under the Constitution of the United States." is all you need to say.
Unfortunately, if you do not consent to a search, that is apparently sufficient for probable cause, so now you will be detained while they get a search warrant, then they will search your vehicle with a vengeance instead of just giving it the once over like they would have otherwise, probably damaging your vehicle in the process.
I used to travel by Amtrak. The only time I was required to show ID was on September 11th. After that, it was back to business as usual.
I've travelled a few times on greyhound, but I can't recall if I had to show ID or not. I think I did, but not when getting on the bus, only when buying the ticket.
I can't speak for government regulation of trains and busses, but as far as airlines go, I don't see any government regulations requiring ID to be taken. It appears to me to be corporate policy, probably just to fulfill the passenger manifest requirements of the FAA, and that applies only to regularly scheduled commercial operations and not to charter flights.
In short, I don't believe the government is requiring identification. If you wish the government to force commercial entities to allow you to travel freely between states regardless of mode of travel, that would require new legislation which would take away the rights of corporations and private businesses.
You have to pay a company to run a credit check on yourself in order to find out whether or not you are considered trustworthy to pay off debts. Or you could apply for a billion dollar home loan or something else you don't have a chance in hell of getting. Then when the notice of denial comes back, take them up on the offer of the free credit report. You are entitled to a FREE credit report when your credit is used as a determining factor for turning down a credit application.
The phone calls made from the jets, which were a) not technically possible to make
It's going to disappoint a lot of travelers to learn that they can't use their phones in the air after all despite the legislation currently in the works to allow mobile phone use except during takeoff and landing.
Federal Aviation Regulations 125.383
...
(a) Each certificate holder is responsible for the preparation and accuracy of a load manifest in duplicate containing information concerning the loading of the airplane. The manifest must be prepared before each takeoff and must include--
(8) Names of passengers.
If I was responsible for the accuracy of the names of the people on board, I bet I would check ID too.
I'm sure that a secret law is much more interesting, but it is much more likely that the gate attendant doesn't know the regulations, because mostly, they don't need to.
In the good old USA, you can be brought up on charges because some hick cop or religious fundie comes across your site and has a hissy fit. There is also the problem of suggestion. In Illinois, a first grade class was given a presentation on child abuse in the auditorium and at the end, the kids were asked "Have your parents ever hit or kicked you." Several children said yes, including one child that I know. His mother was thrown in jail and her children taken away. It turns out that THAT morning, the child and mother had been sleeping and the mother rolled over and accidentally kicked the child, not hard, not even leacing a bruise. But since it happened that morning, the child remembered.
I would argue that the mother's children were more in danger during their few hours with Child Services while this was being sorted out than they ever were with the mother.
Heck, I have had the gov't threaten to take my kids away, and I don't drink, do drugs, beat my kids, or live in squalor. My burglar alarm went off while I was on a business trip, and the police felt I was irresponsible for going out of town and leaving my wife alone to watch all three babies.
Maybe this is the first step toward state run ISPs.
"Thank you for placing your HTTP request. If your request passes the review board, you should receive your first packet in 6 to 8 weeks."
Sounds eerily like me...
Of course it does. Nearly everyone I know has had some sort of molestation or rape occur in their childhood. Sometimes its not too bad, and sometimes its horrible. Sometimes its family, sometimes its a stranger. Most people don't want to talk about it, but when you get to know people really closely, it usually comes out. Some people can get over it and do. Some people can't get over it and need help. Some people can get it over it, but won't.
I wonder if making all of these laws has really done anything to curb the problem, or just made us feel more at ease?
>So, how much water are we talking about?
Very likely none. It's probably frozen methane like the "ice" they found at the poles.
But since our brains associate ice with water it makes sense for them to say ice just to get our hopes up and keep the research dollars flowing.
Not that research is a bad thing. I think that a large part of the downturn in the economy was due to companies choosing not to do research (because we, the stockholders demand instant gratification. One bird in the hand is worth 1 billion birds in the bush).
Actually, if we really did evolve from amoebas, then we are very much part of nature and everything we do is therefore quite natural.
On the other hand, if we were made by God, then we can argue that the things we are doing are not natural, because we are separate and above nature.
But seriously...the effort required to sidestep spam (click it into your junk box) is actually far slighter than the effort required to sidestep a solicitor's phone call or turn away a caller in the flesh. If a salesman is going to bug me, please let him (oh, please) send me an email instead of telephoning me at home! /dev/null.
Far slighter? Then why did it take me until 2:00 this afternoon to sort through all of my "probable" spam? That is only the stuff that gets through my filters that route to
I sure didn't spend that amount of time on telemarketers today.
If all the non-crazy people leave America, won't it just get even more crazy?
Actually they were going to go to Canada, which is still America, so the craziness level would remain constant.
What's the difference between using email for marketing as opposed to a physical mail box, or your telephone?
I see no real difference between e-mail spam marketing and telemarketing. They both use my own resources and my own time to try to sell me a product that I almost certainly do not want (because if I did I would have called THEM).
Physical mail, on the other hand is at the expense of the spammer, helps subsidize first class mailings, and is useful for keeping my house warm in the winter.