Random Thoughts Wednesday - Of Ships & Planes

Powered ships have been plying the seas successfully for 150-years or so. And Boeing has been making reliable planes for over 80-years. Wonder what the problem is now? Maybe it's just more examples of leadership by accountants and financiers.

Falling Interstate highway bridges, massive electric grid failures, airlines shutdown in good weather, and other massive failures. Something is going on here...could be lousy FBG leadership. Based on my own observations of them, I tend to think so. Have I mentioned before that I don't like those people?

Another factor is what seems to me to be an overly aggressive migration to computer control of everything possible.  The Boeing plane was carrying something like 20+ computer technicians in the back.  They were lucky that the pilot had enough control left to get the plane back on the ground safely.  Some of these computer proponents are pushing hard for the elimination of pilots in the cockpit altogether...let the computer fly it, they chant, just as they are now doing with the drones.

Personally, I like the notion of having pilots aboard who have the same vested interest in completing a flight safely as I do.  A computer dweeb on a joystick thousands of miles away as with the current drones just doesn't have the same chips in the game as do the passengers.  Note that the "Dreamliner" has only 2 engines--I like 'em with more motors.  And as we all know by now, computers aren't perfect, nor do they behave themselves as advertised in all situations.  I would have no interest in flying beta.


Adios