Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders ID'd in WA plane crash • Hacker News Board

Re: Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders ID'd in WA plane crash

#111

Post by nurettin » Sat, Jun 08, 2024, 5:44 AM UTC

tzfld wrote: post #110

bicx wrote: post #5

I saw the headline earlier, and my first thought was "I hope he was the pilot, because that would be a fitting way to go for a legend." Not only was he the pilot, but he was flying solo at 90 years old.

I hate this reasoning. Why is this a fitting way to die? What would be a fitting way to go for a cook or an athlete then?

Maybe doing what they like the most, and taking all the risk/responsibility that comes with it.

Re: Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders ID'd in WA plane crash

#112

Post by larodi » Sat, Jun 08, 2024, 5:45 AM UTC

tzfld wrote: post #110

bicx wrote: post #5

I saw the headline earlier, and my first thought was "I hope he was the pilot, because that would be a fitting way to go for a legend." Not only was he the pilot, but he was flying solo at 90 years old.

I hate this reasoning. Why is this a fitting way to die? What would be a fitting way to go for a cook or an athlete then?

Because an unfitting way to die is to be stuffed with tubes, half conscious in a bed, shitting your pants uncontrollably. The perspective of dying lying helpless in a hospital or care house is not very appealing to people who had an active life.

Re: Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders ID'd in WA plane crash

#113

Post by overstay8930 » Sat, Jun 08, 2024, 5:46 AM UTC

tzfld wrote: post #110

bicx wrote: post #5

I saw the headline earlier, and my first thought was "I hope he was the pilot, because that would be a fitting way to go for a legend." Not only was he the pilot, but he was flying solo at 90 years old.

I hate this reasoning. Why is this a fitting way to die? What would be a fitting way to go for a cook or an athlete then?

Most people die painful and slow deaths in a bed surrounded by people they don’t know, or most likely entirely alone. Almost nobody dies peacefully in their sleep, it’s usually some horrible disease or failing bodily function.

If you’re going to die a “fitting” way, it’s going to be because you took your life passion to the extreme.

Re: Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders ID'd in WA plane crash

#114

Post by jandrewrogers » Sat, Jun 08, 2024, 5:46 AM UTC

tzfld wrote: post #110

bicx wrote: post #5

I saw the headline earlier, and my first thought was "I hope he was the pilot, because that would be a fitting way to go for a legend." Not only was he the pilot, but he was flying solo at 90 years old.

I hate this reasoning. Why is this a fitting way to die? What would be a fitting way to go for a cook or an athlete then?

He went out on his own terms subject to the rules of the way he lived. No excuses. It may not have been his intent to die but he was willing to take the risk. That is the price of true agency.

Re: Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders ID'd in WA plane crash

#115

Post by losteric » Sat, Jun 08, 2024, 5:48 AM UTC

SoftTalker wrote: post #72

p51-remorse wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At a minimum, flight reviews every two years. More applicable to a 90yo is keeping a medical.

For private flying, the medical is a lot less stringent (as I understand it.... I'm not a pilot).

and one can absolutely get examined by a “pilot’s doctors”

Re: Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders ID'd in WA plane crash

#116

Post by rconti » Sat, Jun 08, 2024, 5:48 AM UTC

TylerE wrote: post #80

wszrfcbhujnikm wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What could be the reasons for this? Misread the altitude? Sudden wind?

Barring a pre-crash sequence mechanical failure, this was pilot error. There is a safe speed called Va, or maneuvering speed. While most aircraft will have higher maximum allowed speeds, maneuvering speed is the most important figure for aerobatics because it's the maximum speed at which the airplane's flight controls can be used at full deflection (i.e. maximum effort) without exceeding the structural capabilities o…

Wouldn't be altitude since it was at sea level, but maybe air pressure due to temperature? But, at sea level, seems like he'd be cutting it way too close regardless.

Re: Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders ID'd in WA plane crash

#117

Post by rconti » Sat, Jun 08, 2024, 5:51 AM UTC

TMWNN wrote: post #2

I learned about this from Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/space/comments/1daolaw/rip_bill_and... >. Title edited by me from "WA" to "Washington State". Besides making history as the first human expedition to the Moon, Apollo 8 produced not one, but two future CEOs of Fortune 500 companies: Anders (General Dynamics) and Frank Borman (Eastern Airlines). Jim Lovell "merely" survived Apollo 13.

As a WA native: happy for the edit of the ambiguous and US-centric acronym WA -> Washington.

Also as a WA native: screw those DC assholes, why are we the only state that have to append "state" to our name?

Re: Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders ID'd in WA plane crash

#118

Post by jandrewrogers » Sat, Jun 08, 2024, 5:56 AM UTC

An absolute legend going out like a total badass. I know people will disagree but there is much to be said for living your life on your own terms and accepting the potential consequences without reservation. He was clearly one of those guys. He probably did not expect to die that day, but he knew he would die some day and he wasn’t going to nerf his life to buy a few more years.

Re: Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders ID'd in WA plane crash

#119

Post by TylerE » Sat, Jun 08, 2024, 5:58 AM UTC

rconti wrote: post #116

TylerE wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Barring a pre-crash sequence mechanical failure, this was pilot error. There is a safe speed called Va, or maneuvering speed. While most aircraft will have higher maximum allowed speeds, maneuvering speed is the most important figure for aerobatics because it's the maximum speed at which the airplane's flight controls can be used at full deflection (i.e. maximum effort) without exceeding the structural capabilities o…

Wouldn't be altitude since it was at sea level, but maybe air pressure due to temperature? But, at sea level, seems like he'd be cutting it way too close regardless.

No.

That's just... such a marginal thing. It's like complaining your supercomputer melted because the CPU got 0.1C too hot. Like - it's technically possible, but if it's that close you were already way way way past safe and sane margins.

Re: Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders ID'd in WA plane crash

#120

Post by pfannkuchen » Sat, Jun 08, 2024, 6:04 AM UTC

BenFranklin100 wrote: post #81

jefftk wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd be surprised to see a pilot endorse that

Developers are such on-the-spectrum nitpickers. I guess that is what makes them good at their jobs and such unenjoyable cocktail party companions.

Is it even a nitpick in this case? It would have been substantially more badass to die flying a jet at 90. If it's relevant to the point I don't see how it's a nitpick.

Now picking on a particular model distinction or something like that I could get on board with.