4 ms·

I wouldn't worry about that. Most people can't even drive cars in "2D" safely, never mind helicopters. The general public will never be given the skies, unless

I wouldn't worry about that. Most people can't even drive cars in "2D" safely, never mind helicopters. The general public will never be given the skies, unless the flights are automated.

sp332 9y ago
It's much harder to hit something in the air.
- michaelbuckbee 9y ago
  But much easier to hit something on the ground (powerlines, houses, highways).
- elif 9y ago
  It's much easier to be cocky and negligent if the last 100 times you drove you never encountered something to hit.
- Balgair 9y ago
  As any pilot knows, the stomach unfriendly words from Tower are: "Caution, Wake Turbulence". The air, being a sparse fluid, can change fast. Especially so if another aircraft has flown through it recently. It's not that there isn't anyone there, it's the air they left behind is all non-laminar now. Doubly being suddenly downwind of stationary objects like towers, wind farms, and mountains. Also, quick point of caution: One reason early flyers died a lot because they flew so low. Even after a few meters of height, just about any crash is likely to be deadly. Paradoxically, the higher you fly, the better off you are (in certain cases). In flying, your height can be measured in 'mistake recovery time'. The higher you are, the more time you have before you hit the ground, the more time you have to fix a mistake. If your engine cuts out, you have a longer glide time to look for a lake. You can get a fuel pump restarted or unfrozen. You have more time to grab a parachute and bail. Etc. It took a long time and a lot of lives to realize this. As such, personal drone-choppers will be more dangerous and I fear we will have to re-learn the lesson of height being a friend in aviation.
  - jimbob21 9y ago
    It comes with a parachute
    - mveety 9y ago
      Which doesn't help at all when you hit wake on final. Chutes take a surprisingly long time to grab the air and slow you down.
    - Balgair 9y ago
      If anything, that makes it more dangerous. Besides a sense of 'false' security, chutes do take a certain amount of height to catch air and become safe. IIRC it's about 100m and turbulence will affect that in strange ways. In the end, I still fear tech like this will not be as stringent as needed.
georgeecollins 9y ago
Don't today's drones and airplanes demonstrate that automating flying is a lot easier than automating driving?
- aqme28 9y ago
  That might stop being true if the air is as crowded as the roads.
  - jonny_eh 9y ago
    As long as they're all outfitted with transponders, and piloting is automated, I don't see that being an issue.
  - fizx 9y ago
    The air won't have pedestrians and bikes!
    - alfla 9y ago
      Para/hang-gliders, small drones, birds. There's plenty of stuff you don't want to hit :-)
      - justasitsounds 9y ago
        Cue legislation to make kites, balloons and RC aircraft illegal
- laythea 9y ago
  True. But there is a reason pilots are still a requirement.
- nradov 9y ago
  No they don't. Drones are generally only allowed to fly at very low altitude in most US airspace because they can't reliably see and avoid manned aircraft operating under VFR.
- 9y ago

I wouldn't worry about that. Most people can't even drive cars in "2D" safely, never mind helicopters. The general public will never be given the skies, unless the flights are automated.

sp332 9y ago

It's much harder to hit something in the air.

michaelbuckbee 9y ago
But much easier to hit something on the ground (powerlines, houses, highways).
elif 9y ago
It's much easier to be cocky and negligent if the last 100 times you drove you never encountered something to hit.
Balgair 9y ago
As any pilot knows, the stomach unfriendly words from Tower are: "Caution, Wake Turbulence". The air, being a sparse fluid, can change fast. Especially so if another aircraft has flown through it recently. It's not that there isn't anyone there, it's the air they left behind is all non-laminar now. Doubly being suddenly downwind of stationary objects like towers, wind farms, and mountains. Also, quick point of caution: One reason early flyers died a lot because they flew so low. Even after a few meters of height, just about any crash is likely to be deadly. Paradoxically, the higher you fly, the better off you are (in certain cases). In flying, your height can be measured in 'mistake recovery time'. The higher you are, the more time you have before you hit the ground, the more time you have to fix a mistake. If your engine cuts out, you have a longer glide time to look for a lake. You can get a fuel pump restarted or unfrozen. You have more time to grab a parachute and bail. Etc. It took a long time and a lot of lives to realize this. As such, personal drone-choppers will be more dangerous and I fear we will have to re-learn the lesson of height being a friend in aviation.
- jimbob21 9y ago
  It comes with a parachute
  - mveety 9y ago
    Which doesn't help at all when you hit wake on final. Chutes take a surprisingly long time to grab the air and slow you down.
  - Balgair 9y ago
    If anything, that makes it more dangerous. Besides a sense of 'false' security, chutes do take a certain amount of height to catch air and become safe. IIRC it's about 100m and turbulence will affect that in strange ways. In the end, I still fear tech like this will not be as stringent as needed.

georgeecollins 9y ago

Don't today's drones and airplanes demonstrate that automating flying is a lot easier than automating driving?

aqme28 9y ago
That might stop being true if the air is as crowded as the roads.
- jonny_eh 9y ago
  As long as they're all outfitted with transponders, and piloting is automated, I don't see that being an issue.
- fizx 9y ago
  The air won't have pedestrians and bikes!
  - alfla 9y ago
    Para/hang-gliders, small drones, birds. There's plenty of stuff you don't want to hit :-)
    - justasitsounds 9y ago
      Cue legislation to make kites, balloons and RC aircraft illegal
laythea 9y ago
True. But there is a reason pilots are still a requirement.
nradov 9y ago
No they don't. Drones are generally only allowed to fly at very low altitude in most US airspace because they can't reliably see and avoid manned aircraft operating under VFR.
9y ago