/c/fuckcars : “use some other form of transportation!”
Also /c/fuckcars: “No! Not like that!”
Unless you live in an extremely remote place not served by roads. The arctic for example. It’s not technically commuting as in going to and from your 9 to 5, but plenty of small northern communities are still completely dependent on small gravel runways or even bushplanes for things like going to the doctor or dentist, or really anything they need to go to a city for, which is a lot of things.
I actually thought this was a similar situation, that they’re so out in the middle of nowhere flying is significantly more convenient than driving. But then I took a look at the map and realized that they’re not far from Chicago and are within easy driving distance from nearby smaller towns, which makes this way harder to justify though still mildly interesting.
One of the first things my instructor told me was “I hope you’re getting your license for fun or a job, and not planning on commuting. Eventually you’ll get stuck somewhere due to the weather.”
Heavy, powerful commercial jets have deicing systems. They also have the benefit of an entire team of air traffic controllers on takeoff and landing – and they still get grounded by weather. Small planes are grounded by such inclement weather as “fog”, “thunderstorms”, “high winds”, and “low cloud cover”.
Why not? Less risk of being hit by a plane if they’re in the sky and requirements for a pilot license are much stricter. In a plane crash occupants are more likely to die than innocent bystanders, compared to cars that are designed for safety only for those on the inside.
Why not? Probably because:
Bike pollution: .
Car pollution: oooooooooo
Plane pollution: OOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOO
(bike pollution is slightly more than nil just because of the CO2 we breathe out while riding)
Speak for yourself, I bike with a bag on my head to capture my emissions.
bike pollution is slightly more than nil just because of the CO2 we breathe out while riding
Technically, the CO2 animals exhale is carbon neutral because it’s from plants you eat (or your food eats). Unless you’re eating petroleum derived products of course.
I say technically because while the plants themselves are carbon neutral, modern food production and distribution, especially meat production, still has a large carbon footprint. So your breath is only truly carbon neutral if you foraged for food in the forest on foot.
Don’t forget that many small propeller driven aircraft run on leaded gas, and it’s a formulation of leaded gas that has 10x the lead that motor fuel used to.
Small aircraft have a carbon equivalent to large cars. My plane is from 1961 and has a fuel economy of 15mpg as the crow flies (arguably closer to 25mpg because of straight line measurements versus winding roads that can almost double the distance), seats 4 people comfortably, and flies at 160 mph.
Walking pollution: …
That’s right, bike pollution is less than walking (or running) pollution in terms of CO2 per mile travelled. Cycling typically burns ~⅓ of the calories compared to making the same journey on foot and there’s a direct link between calories burnt and CO2 produced.
Cycling at 12mph takes roughly the same energy as walking at 4mph. You emit the same CO2 per minute, but get there in ⅓ of the time. Running at 12mph takes 3 times the effort of cycling at 12mph. You’ll get there in the same amount of time, but breath out 3 times as much CO2. Bicycles are more efficient than our own two legs - how cool is that!
I’ve got to ask, though—how is breathing CO2 pollution? Aren’t we just taking in air, removing the oxygen, and exhaling the waste gases? Isn’t there the same net CO2 afterwards?
Have I misunderstood something as simple as breathing? Please say no.
I feel like it should be … for the amount of gas I release while cycling.
Cycling has carbon emissions if you factor the additional calorie intake needed to power your bike. :| Which will vary widely depending on your size, diet, and food source. Is it still a more sustainable form of transportation? Probably, but maybe not in extreme cases (like a 300-lb person eating beef daily flown in from the other side of the planet, versus, a tiny two seater electric car power off of solar energy, using batteries sourced from recycled materials) and it certainly isn’t 0 impact.
Also, for extra pedantism, carbon emission are not pollution (in the sense that it doesn’t poison the life forms directly), but it is a GHG which causes harm to the environment too.
Plane pollution is not that much worse than a car. Depending on what metric you measure it can be better (planes are more fuel efficient and thus less CO2. Small planes like the picture generally use lead fuel and old engine designs that pollute more) on long trips.
You’re only taking into account pollution and i bet you with the barrier of entry and cost accounted there would be less pollution from flying compared to driving.
I dunno, I was supposed to get 100hrs of driving experience in order to get my license. Meanwhile the minimum required for a PPL is 40, and only 20 of that is required to be with an instructor. You can get away with fewer if you are just getting a Light Sport license, and an Ultralight requires no license at all (seriously though, get training).
Must be lovely to hear your neighbor fire up their Cessna at 7 in the morning for their morning commute.
C130s were designed to operate from relatively short unimproved runways. If the place has enough runway to operate corporate jets, it should have enough for a C130.
EDIT: This place only has enough runway (2998 x 50 ft ) for small Cessna size aircraft, so no jets or C130s.
I’ve lived under a flight path, ~9km/6miles from the airport - while I understand the difference between a 787 and a Cessna 172, I’ve got no earthly idea why anyone would choose to have a runway in their front yard.
I live basically across the street from an Air Force base so I get turboprops over the house at 1,000 feet starting at about 7:00 5-6 days a week. Doesn’t bother me or my wife, we just like planes.
I love planes, but I wouldn’t want to live next to a fighter base. Cargo planes are super cool though
Little known fact. Airplanes still use leaded fuel. I’ll bet that the blood levels for all of these families are elevated. Not a great place to raise a kid.
Clarification: Only piston aircraft require leaded fuel. Which is unfortunately a pretty big part of the general aviation market, but similarly sized turboprops do also exist (though are more expensive) and it doesn’t apply to modern commercial aviation at all.
Further clarification: Only gasoline powered aircraft without the Auto Fuel STC require leaded fuel.
Although, there is an initiative underway to fully phase out leaded avgas. G100UL is the FAA approved formulation. Exciting time and long overdue.
No, G100UL is still going through the FAA approval process. But it’s been approved for many specific engines already, but the majority still aren’t allowed to use it. For a full FAA approval we could be waiting another 6-9 years.
The Next big problem is availability, which will only come with time. There are only a few airfields around that stock the fuel. (And from what I can tell… none that are here in Australia)
Except republicans are seriously trying to require that all airports that receive federal funding to still offer leaded gas. For reasons.
Yep, and the FAA is taking it’s sweet time to approve a new unleaded fuel for general aviation that shows a lot of promise called G100UL. It’s estimated it could take another 6-9 years. Otherwise it’s currently only approved for specific planes and not available at most airports and aerodromes.
It’s approved as of last fall, but the FAA spent well over a decade stonewalling it with unnecessary bureaucracy.
Now we’re left with the chicken-and-egg problem of the market, where nobody will offer unleaded because it’s more expensive, but it’s expensive because it’s not widely used. The feds should subsidize it down to $4/gal for 5 years to get it off the ground.
This is like looking at a yet to be made Tom Scott video.
[INTRO]
Tom Scott (with his characteristic enthusiasm): “Hello, lovely internet denizens! Today, we find ourselves in a comment thread, delightfully jesting about my propensity to dive into the oddest corners of knowledge. From the physics of shoelaces to the mysteries of quantum buttered toast, we’ve covered it all!”
[SMILE AND NOD]
Tom Scott: “Now, I can already predict a few of the replies that might pop up here. ‘Tom, why not delve into the intricacies of a potato chip next?’ Well, who knows, that might just be on the horizon! And yes, someone will undoubtedly ask about the physics of a cat’s purr. It’s been on the list for a while, folks!”
[CONFIDENT NOD]
Tom Scott: “But you know what they say, the quest for knowledge knows no bounds! So, let’s keep the laughter rolling and the curiosity burning. What’s next, you ask? Well, that’s anyone’s guess! Stay tuned, stay curious, and let’s keep this adventure going!”
[OUTRO]
Tom Scott (looking bemusedly at his busily buzzing phone): “Well, it seems the replies are pouring in already! I might be here for a while trying to keep up with all your brilliant comments. But hey, that’s the joy of it, isn’t it? The learning never stops! Keep those questions and suggestions coming, and I’ll do my best to tackle them in the videos to come.”
[TOM SCOTT SMILES AT THE CAMERA]
Very true, even the 99% global human population reduction of 2025 he’s already recorded and got ready to go
Are you sure? I’ve seen a video about this community, but I don’t think it was Tom Scott. Couldn’t find it on his channel.
Wow, I’m actually pretty sure I’m wrong on this. I’m just now checking on my lunch break but I can’t find it. I know I saw a video about this (or a very similar) community following specifically one man who has a hanger house. Swore it was Tom Scott but, I just can’t find it… Don’t tell me I hallucinated it lol
http://www.casadeaero.net/text/about.php
Many pilots do this as a means of reducing the costs associated with operating out of areas with high hangar and service costs. This is Northwest of Chicago near Rockford. The about page explains a lot of the obvious questions.
