Newsgroups: sci.space
Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: Don't Mess with NASA (afterburners)
Message-ID: <1989Jul21.193401.19303@utzoo.uucp>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
References: <8907201027.AA07833@osteocyber.ortho.hmc.psu.edu> <1989Jul20.184051.19979@utzoo.uucp> <SHAFER.89Jul20132937@drynix.dfrf.nasa.gov>
Date: Fri, 21 Jul 89 19:34:01 GMT

In article <SHAFER.89Jul20132937@drynix.dfrf.nasa.gov> shafer@elxsi.dfrf.nasa.gov (Mary Shafer) writes:
>... Just speaking personally, as a fairly
>frequent flier, I'd really prefer that fighters be limited-distribution
>items.  There are enough things to worry about, without worrying about
>some yahoo out there in an F-something with sidewinders at my 747's six.

Anybody with any sense who wants to shoot down your 747 will just hang
the Sidewinders on a Learjet -- less conspicuous, and perfectly adequate
performance for the job.  (You can hang Sidewinders on almost anything.)

>...I have some real definite opinions about required
>piloting skills.  We require our test pilots to fly a minimum of 200
>hours per year, with specified minimums for each aircraft, to maintain
>proficiency.  That F-86 driver had very low total time, low jet time,
>and was what I'd consider non-current...
>Just because you can afford an airplane, doesn't mean you can fly it.

I have no quarrel with the idea that anyone who owns his own jet fighter
needs to be properly qualified to fly it.  I see no reason why a civilian
is incapable of acquiring the qualifications, though.

>... I don't know why those posters who despise the government and all
>its fruits are panting to buy those fruits.  Let's see some consistancy...

If a private market in such things were allowed, we wouldn't have to buy
things designed by the government.  Which sort of brings us back to
spaceflight, since that's the big problem with space launchers too...
-- 
1961-1969: 8 years of Apollo.  |     Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
1969-1989: 20 years of nothing.| uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu
