3 ms·

It’s time to ban private jets – or at least tax them to the ground

19 points by herodotus 4y ago

TheLoafOfBread 4y ago
EU: Best I can do is a tax exemption https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27775620 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27775620
Maursault 4y ago
Yes. And while we're at it, ban single engine planes. No one needs to ruin my Saturday flying in circles in the airspace above my neighborhood. In fact, ban all flying that is merely for the sake of the enjoyment of flight. Require compelling travel purpose such that if the pilot/owner can't explain why they took off and landed in the same place 2-3 hours later, they are fined massively for joyriding.
- techdragon 4y ago
  And while we’re at it lets do the same for cars.
- salawat 4y ago
  You realize pilots need to practice, right? Skills need maintenance. Not just on the individual scale, but in a societal sense as well. Swear to God, there are days I see posts like this and just wonder what in the name of all that is holy people expect to keep modernity running. Long term knowledge retention within a population requires taking into account population scale education/onboarding and actually coming to terms with the fact knowledge is extinguished/lost over time as people die.
  - warning26 4y ago
    I’m guessing GP was supposed to be sarcastic, but one can never be sure
  - Maursault 4y ago
    I swear to God, the entitlement exhibited uncannily suggests personality disorder, as though progress screeches to a halt because small planes are better regulated. A small pilot's right to train does not supersede my Constitutional right to be secure in my home, free from maddening single engine noise and air pollution. Pilots training, in fact, do not need to do so over residential areas. Get it together, man. Do whatever you want to do, as much as you want to do it, as long as you're not massively disturbing or inconveniencing anyone.
- schmookeeg 4y ago
  I don't know why you're focused on single-engine airplanes. My twin-engine airplane would certainly annoy you twice as much if I flew it low and near your home, which seems to be the sole basis of your complaint. You're in luck, the ghastly economics of private flight will continue to reduce the numbers of us indulgent and entitled pilots until we're just a bizarre niche, like people who own locomotives.
atomicbeanie 4y ago
This populist stuff does nothing but create blame and distract from the real issues. Ending billions of dollars in petro-subsidies is where this energy should be pointed. Instead journalistic need for clicks will take us further away from decisions that that will change our fate.
throwaway67743 4y ago
While yes, private jets are incredibly wasteful - eventually this makes it's way back into the economy (which is flawed for other reasons) and I don't think a ban will actually help as they will just find other means that may be even worse, more over I don't think anyone wants to have to share a public terminál with these idiots. The correct response is to make these people the useless nonsense they actually are, however the masses like dumb things like reality tv.

19 points by herodotus 4y ago

EU: Best I can do is a tax exemption https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27775620 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27775620

Maursault 4y ago

Yes. And while we're at it, ban single engine planes. No one needs to ruin my Saturday flying in circles in the airspace above my neighborhood. In fact, ban all flying that is merely for the sake of the enjoyment of flight. Require compelling travel purpose such that if the pilot/owner can't explain why they took off and landed in the same place 2-3 hours later, they are fined massively for joyriding.

techdragon 4y ago
And while we’re at it lets do the same for cars.
salawat 4y ago
You realize pilots need to practice, right? Skills need maintenance. Not just on the individual scale, but in a societal sense as well. Swear to God, there are days I see posts like this and just wonder what in the name of all that is holy people expect to keep modernity running. Long term knowledge retention within a population requires taking into account population scale education/onboarding and actually coming to terms with the fact knowledge is extinguished/lost over time as people die.
- warning26 4y ago
  I’m guessing GP was supposed to be sarcastic, but one can never be sure
- Maursault 4y ago
  I swear to God, the entitlement exhibited uncannily suggests personality disorder, as though progress screeches to a halt because small planes are better regulated. A small pilot's right to train does not supersede my Constitutional right to be secure in my home, free from maddening single engine noise and air pollution. Pilots training, in fact, do not need to do so over residential areas. Get it together, man. Do whatever you want to do, as much as you want to do it, as long as you're not massively disturbing or inconveniencing anyone.
schmookeeg 4y ago
I don't know why you're focused on single-engine airplanes. My twin-engine airplane would certainly annoy you twice as much if I flew it low and near your home, which seems to be the sole basis of your complaint. You're in luck, the ghastly economics of private flight will continue to reduce the numbers of us indulgent and entitled pilots until we're just a bizarre niche, like people who own locomotives.

atomicbeanie 4y ago

This populist stuff does nothing but create blame and distract from the real issues. Ending billions of dollars in petro-subsidies is where this energy should be pointed. Instead journalistic need for clicks will take us further away from decisions that that will change our fate.

throwaway67743 4y ago

While yes, private jets are incredibly wasteful - eventually this makes it's way back into the economy (which is flawed for other reasons) and I don't think a ban will actually help as they will just find other means that may be even worse, more over I don't think anyone wants to have to share a public terminál with these idiots. The correct response is to make these people the useless nonsense they actually are, however the masses like dumb things like reality tv.