Ubisoft co-founder Claude Guillemot has died in a plane crash • Hacker News Board

Re: Ubisoft co-founder Claude Guillemot has died in a plane crash

#41

Post by gpm » Sat, Jun 20, 2026, 5:23 PM UTC

miketery wrote: post #30

Insanity wrote: post #24

I briefly entertained flying planes as a hobby. I live next to a small-ish local airfield and a coworker of mine got his license there. Then I learned more about it, and there's way to many accidents like these for me to be comfortable with the risk I'd be taking. I have no issue with flying commercial planes, but I guess I don't trust myself _and_ the smaller planes enough to do this. RIP Claude, horrible way to die…

I got my glider license at 16 and private at 17. Majority of accidents are human error. Though yes an accident with a plane is much costlier than one with a car. I encourage you to read NTSB accident reports. The work the investigators do and the reports they assemble are unparalleled. There are also good parallels to complex systems in general.

It seems like unjustifiable hubris to assume that I'm significantly less susceptible to human error than the average person that decides to become a pilot.

Re: Ubisoft co-founder Claude Guillemot has died in a plane crash

#42

Post by mc32 » Sat, Jun 20, 2026, 5:24 PM UTC

kylecazar wrote: post #8

comrade1234 wrote: post #4

Personal aircraft. The great equalizer.

I clicked a news article a few months ago about a crash... Google has since decided I need to know about all future aviation accidents. I was surprised how frequent it happens. Two brothers were killed in a Cessna just the other day. I suppose it's a combination of lower maintenance standards and pilot experience, definitely doesn't make me want to hop in a small plane anytime soon.

THere are parachutes for small aircraft these days. If I were flying one and had their money I would get that installed. Of course that doesn’t protect against crashing into mountainsides or losing ones orientation, but it does help against engine failure at altitude.

Re: Ubisoft co-founder Claude Guillemot has died in a plane crash

#43

Post by weaksauce » Sat, Jun 20, 2026, 5:28 PM UTC

altmanaltman wrote: post #21

master_crab wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

“Doctor killer” for a reason. It can be monotonous and degrading, but commercial air is the safe way to travel.

It was a Cessna 421 so its not really about travel but flying as a hobby most likely.

probably a hobby but a 421 is a high performance dual engine with a pressurized cabin... that's a lot of plane and dual engines are difficult to fly with a lot of technical knowledge and practice to handle an engine out procedure safely. this kind of plane very commonly kills doctors and other high earning individuals that don't have the time to keep their time in the plane to stay recent.

a lot of time people do buy multi engine planes for travel so it's not certain it was just a hobby.

Re: Ubisoft co-founder Claude Guillemot has died in a plane crash

#44

Post by m0llusk » Sat, Jun 20, 2026, 5:29 PM UTC

This sort of thing is one of the reasons Elon became so important at Tesla. The other key players died in a freakish plane crash, apparently hitting transmission lines at low altitude which is not something parachutes would likely have helped with.

https://www.wired.com/2010/02/plane-crash-kills-tesla-employ...

Re: Ubisoft co-founder Claude Guillemot has died in a plane crash

#45

Post by infecto » Sat, Jun 20, 2026, 5:33 PM UTC

iwontberude wrote: post #33

So many nerds here in Silicon Valley love to fly small aircraft, it’s an autistic comorbidity. You’ll never catch me acting so foolish.

I would argue it has a much closer intersection with wealth.

Re: Ubisoft co-founder Claude Guillemot has died in a plane crash

#46

Post by lstodd » Sat, Jun 20, 2026, 5:33 PM UTC

memento mori

Re: Ubisoft co-founder Claude Guillemot has died in a plane crash

#47

Post by applfanboysbgon » Sat, Jun 20, 2026, 5:37 PM UTC

gpm wrote: post #41

miketery wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I got my glider license at 16 and private at 17. Majority of accidents are human error. Though yes an accident with a plane is much costlier than one with a car. I encourage you to read NTSB accident reports. The work the investigators do and the reports they assemble are unparalleled. There are also good parallels to complex systems in general.

It seems like unjustifiable hubris to assume that I'm significantly less susceptible to human error than the average person that decides to become a pilot.

If you're even thinking about the danger, it's absolutely justifiable to believe you're above the average already. The average person has zero regard for their own safety; governments have to literally force people to wear seatbelts in cars or helmets on motorcycles because they won't do it without threat of financial penalty.

Re: Ubisoft co-founder Claude Guillemot has died in a plane crash

#48

Post by clarkmoody » Sat, Jun 20, 2026, 5:37 PM UTC

jmward01 wrote: post #26

ultrarunner wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Counterintuitively, it's probably the unrealistically high maintenance standards that lead to 1) no available qualified mechanics, and 2) incredibly high prices, resulting in 3) deferring whatever is possible to defer. This is the situation in the US; I imagine costs are doubly impactful in a country like France.

Aviation is in a huge rut. A major issue is that innovation is nearly dead. Want to bring a new aircraft to market? Got 5-10 years to get it certified while not being able to sell it to a market size of....? How about a new engine? In GA we fly 80yo designs around not because they are great, but because nobody can innovate to bring in the better stuff. I have a lot of hope for electric aviation because a new regulato…

Don't forget that the incumbents will fight to keep regulatory barriers high.

Re: Ubisoft co-founder Claude Guillemot has died in a plane crash

#49

Post by bombcar » Sat, Jun 20, 2026, 5:37 PM UTC

echoangle wrote: post #20

ultrarunner wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Counterintuitively, it's probably the unrealistically high maintenance standards that lead to 1) no available qualified mechanics, and 2) incredibly high prices, resulting in 3) deferring whatever is possible to defer. This is the situation in the US; I imagine costs are doubly impactful in a country like France.

Citation needed. Afaik they mostly crash from pilot error, not technical problems caused by too little maintenance.

The vast majority of GA crashes are pilot error directly or indirectly (taking off without fuel is "technically" a mechanical issue but really pilot failure).

Equipment failure is pretty low on list.

Re: Ubisoft co-founder Claude Guillemot has died in a plane crash

#50

Post by bombcar » Sat, Jun 20, 2026, 5:39 PM UTC

Insanity wrote: post #24

I briefly entertained flying planes as a hobby. I live next to a small-ish local airfield and a coworker of mine got his license there. Then I learned more about it, and there's way to many accidents like these for me to be comfortable with the risk I'd be taking. I have no issue with flying commercial planes, but I guess I don't trust myself _and_ the smaller planes enough to do this. RIP Claude, horrible way to die…

I had a similar decision to make (pilot or motorbike) and the fact that 60%+ of aviation deaths are pilot error and something like 60%+ of motorcycle crashes are NOT the rider's fault - led me to be a pilot. At least then I can try to make good decisions, e.g, DO NOT FLY INTO WEATHER.