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Is The Boeing Starliner Space Capsule "A Flying Coffin" For Astronauts?
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2022 May 24, 3:55am 338 views 4 comments
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1
Bd6r
2022 May 25, 12:34pm
Bd6r
2022 May 25, 12:34pm
Designed/made by Boeing in last few yrs = flying coffin
Wonders of corporate welfare in combination with affirmative action
Wonders of corporate welfare in combination with affirmative action
2
Bd6r
2022 May 25, 1:07pm
Bd6r
2022 May 25, 1:07pm
DooDahMan says
A student of mine had relative (engineer) who worked for Boeing. The relative said Boeing engineers spent most of the day posting memes about Boeing leadership on bulletin boards, and that working there was insufferable because managers are idiots. She quit and now works for another company.
Have done a few long hauls (12+ hours each way) on the Dreamliner - very nice, very quiet but also on the back of my mind the entire flight was the build process and all of the problems.
Have also done an equal number of long hauls on the Airbus A350 which I prefer.
A student of mine had relative (engineer) who worked for Boeing. The relative said Boeing engineers spent most of the day posting memes about Boeing leadership on bulletin boards, and that working there was insufferable because managers are idiots. She quit and now works for another company.
3
WookieMan
2022 May 25, 1:09pm
WookieMan
2022 May 25, 1:09pm
DooDahMan says
It was pilot error. 100%. Pilots can shut down all those automated systems. Shit, kill the engines and glide it home. Shut off electric generators. This is all taught to pilots.
Not defending Boeing, but to blame it on a company that's made essentially the same planes for decades is foolish. Take a look at the airlines and their training. You can override all these systems. They trained for it on the 737 Max as it came out. Almost every modern American plane crash lies at the pilots feet. Mechanical engineers are meticulous. Errors can be made, but the systems are redundant and can be overriden by an average pilot with under 1k hours. In general and with instruction with ATC a zero hour, regular citizen can dead stick land a plane and not kill everyone if their IQ is above 80. Not saying the plane will be 100% not damaged, but it's not difficult.
Biggest problem is alertness when flying. By the time shit goes south, it's likely too late. In the late 80's early 90's, I recalled seeing MY pilot drinking before a flight. Either way trains, cars and boats are substantially more dangerous. Let's look up how many Fords got into accidents and the number of deaths. No different than guns. Human error.
Even though "design problems" with the hydraulic piston actuator for the rudder have been implemented - no definite answer has ever been offered by anyone and the cause(s) remain speculative.
It was pilot error. 100%. Pilots can shut down all those automated systems. Shit, kill the engines and glide it home. Shut off electric generators. This is all taught to pilots.
Not defending Boeing, but to blame it on a company that's made essentially the same planes for decades is foolish. Take a look at the airlines and their training. You can override all these systems. They trained for it on the 737 Max as it came out. Almost every modern American plane crash lies at the pilots feet. Mechanical engineers are meticulous. Errors can be made, but the systems are redundant and can be overriden by an average pilot with under 1k hours. In general and with instruction with ATC a zero hour, regular citizen can dead stick land a plane and not kill everyone if their IQ is above 80. Not saying the plane will be 100% not damaged, but it's not difficult.
Biggest problem is alertness when flying. By the time shit goes south, it's likely too late. In the late 80's early 90's, I recalled seeing MY pilot drinking before a flight. Either way trains, cars and boats are substantially more dangerous. Let's look up how many Fords got into accidents and the number of deaths. No different than guns. Human error.
4
WookieMan
2022 May 25, 1:19pm
WookieMan
2022 May 25, 1:19pm
DooDahMan says
Not picking on you, but what's the point? Just go first or business if you're going to fly the legacy airlines. Any economy on Delta is shit even the fake upgraded ones. Even my first class experience on Delta was shitty.
Have wine, beer, vodka or a gummy and fly the cheapest way possible domestic. As a tall guy it's all bull shit, even in first/business, unless you go international over an Ocean. When I eventually go to Australia or Southeast Asia, I'm dropping $3-4k a seat.
I'm in Chicago region though, so I can fly the Caribbean and lower 48 in four hours or less. That's not a huge discomfort. Paying premium domestically is the dumbest thing unless you're writing it off for taxes or just want to treat yourself (kind of). Also, American airports generally suck. No lounges, unless departing international and those are few and far between.
Primarily I use Delta and opt for Premium Economy - nice price point between torture and heaven
Not picking on you, but what's the point? Just go first or business if you're going to fly the legacy airlines. Any economy on Delta is shit even the fake upgraded ones. Even my first class experience on Delta was shitty.
Have wine, beer, vodka or a gummy and fly the cheapest way possible domestic. As a tall guy it's all bull shit, even in first/business, unless you go international over an Ocean. When I eventually go to Australia or Southeast Asia, I'm dropping $3-4k a seat.
I'm in Chicago region though, so I can fly the Caribbean and lower 48 in four hours or less. That's not a huge discomfort. Paying premium domestically is the dumbest thing unless you're writing it off for taxes or just want to treat yourself (kind of). Also, American airports generally suck. No lounges, unless departing international and those are few and far between.
After World War II, Boeing produced the B-47 bomber and B-52 bomber. The B-52 is still in service and could make 100 years of service. Boeing also produced incredible airliners that one could find in airlines all over the world.
Boeing was a company that was run by engineers. Then the company merged with McDonald Douglas. Finance executives started to replace engineers in senior management positions. What followed were nightmares like the 737 crashes and the failures associated with the Starliner manned spacecraft. Boeing was given a $400 million US contract to build this spacecraft. The spacecraft finally made it to the International Space Station. It will separate and make its reentry later today. You know that old saying about "a day late and a dollar short." The Starliner had a systems failure on the way to the I.S.S. concerning thrusters. The Angry Astronaut is warning everyone that the spacecraft is not ready to carry astronauts. NASA is not listening to him.
When returning from New Orleans, I found myself seated next to a 56-year-old United Airlines senior captain named Dave. He was getting a free ride to his home in San Diego. He gave me a fascinating briefing on the various airlines that he had flown during his career spanning 17,000 hours in the air.
He gave me a startling revelation about the 737-software disaster. I commented that United was wise to buy 737s with two sensors whereas the airlines that bought 737s with one sensor experienced crashes.
Dave told me that the perfect configuration was a 737 with three sensors. Then he surprised me. When the 737s got grounded, United showed up and bought over 100 of these troubled aircraft at "bargain-basement prices." He characterized the whole problem of the aircraft as a massive training failure. Pilots should have disengaged all automatic systems and flown the planes "the old-fashioned way" when the trouble started. He also told me that the 737 had a small and cramped cockpit that became very uncomfortable on flights of 5 hours or more. I kidded him that the cockpit was designed for female pilots