eclecticism

April 13th, 2005 |

One thing I have to say I really like about living in Seattle — it’s part of the Lower 48. I’ve got forty-eight states I can get to within a few days without ever having to set foot on an airplane (49, if I make the time to drive the Al-Can).

I’ve mentioned before that I seem to have developed something of a fear of flying ever since a particularly turbulent flight into Anchorage a few years back. It’s not entirely rational, but then, rationality doesn’t really seem to enter into it when I’m trapped in a multi-ton metal tube a few thousand feet in the air that’s shaking me around like one of James Bond’s martinis.

So then, what do I in my infinite wisdom do? I go and read articles about what happens during explosive decompression (ROOF FLIES OFF!).

> A blown-out door can be perilous for pressurized aircraft at high altitudes. In 1989, the lower cargo door on a United Airlines passenger jet became unlatched at about 23,000 feet. The sudden and explosive loss of pressure tore open a portion of the cabin—nine passengers were sucked out through the large hole, along with their seats and the floor around them. > > The year before, a Boeing 737 operated by Aloha Airlines experienced an “explosive decompression” at 24,000 feet. An 18-foot portion of the roof of the cabin ripped off, and a flight attendant standing in the aisle was ejected from the plane.

No.

No, no, no, no, no.

I need to go find a happy place now.

“Mutilate” by Front 242 from the album 06:21:03:11 Up Evil (1993, 4:10).

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5 Responses to “Trains. Trains are good.”

Daniel Woods Says:
April 14th, 2005 at 1:32 am

They covered this sort-of on MythBusters a while ago. It was the old Bullet-hole Explosive Decompression Myth, which they proved wrong. Buster (the Crash Test Dummy) was in the adjacent seat to the window and he wasn’t sucked out. He didn’t even move! They then tried exploding it out with Explosives and Buster (who was a few seats away this time, only got covered with Debris. Basically, as long as you’re wearing your seatbelt, and the Pilot can still land the plane, you should be alright.

Michael Hanscom Says:
April 14th, 2005 at 6:57 am

There’s a big difference between bullet-hole decompression and 18-feet-of-fuselage decompression, though!

James Says:
April 14th, 2005 at 4:32 pm

How exactly are there 50 states you can get to without gettting in a plane? Lower 48, ok; Alcan to AK, ok; drive the Hawaiian Intersate to Hawaii? I’m not thinkin so. Or are you talking about that 51st state that’s in between AK and the Lower 48? You know, Canada.

Just curious.

Michael Hanscom Says:
April 14th, 2005 at 5:20 pm

You know, there are days I think I know what I’m talking about.

The rest of the time, I do a wonderful job of proving otherwise.

Considering I’ve yet to drive the Honolulu, Hawaii-to-Anchorage, Alaska freeway, I’d better go fix that…