This is a really great idea that i would love to be a part of. although i dont own a aircraft not even a simulator. How are you guys planning to accomodate the large number of people who will simulatneously would want to travel the same route at the same time?
Launch HN: Airhart Aeronautics (YC S22) – A modern personal airplane
381–390 of 632 posts
Re: Launch HN: Airhart Aeronautics (YC S22) – A modern personal airplane
#382It's insane the length we go as humans (in the US at least) to not invest in the easiest, most cost-effective and environmentally friendly mode of transportation: trains. Hyperloops, wider and wider highways, now personal airplanes. Anything but goddamn trains. It's mental to me. Wish the best to the startup, after all they are filling a void someone else would, but still, not happy with the direction transport is go…
You can't take a train to anywhere you want. Tracks will always be less accessible than roads or the sky.
It is not the #1 reason. #1 reason is being in the same train with other human beings. Nobody wants to deal with public transportation anxiety. Trains are so relaxed and loose security compared to airplanes.
Re: Launch HN: Airhart Aeronautics (YC S22) – A modern personal airplane
#383Congrats Nikita. What about the regulations from the government for private aviation? What kind of hurdles are you seeing in getting approvals for this project?
Re: Launch HN: Airhart Aeronautics (YC S22) – A modern personal airplane
#384Earlier quoted context omitted.
> but I'm not super excited about the idea of lowering the barrier to entry for GA on a foundational skill basis. Like the light-sport rating, it encourages more people to be in the (already congested) airspace system who haven't really gained all the other skills necessary or experience to be there By that logic, shouldn't we make driving cars as dangerous, complicated, inaccesible, and confusing as possible?
its pretty easy to drive a car. press pedal car go vroom turn wheel car go right not the same for flying a plane
But presumably you're talking about a modern automatic car?
What about a manual car, where you need more understanding of the mechanics, and will stall or roll back on a hill if you don't? Or a manual car without synchromesh, where you have to double de-clutch to match the input and output shaft RPMs? Or a car without antilock brakes? Or without tire pressure sensors? Or automatic headlights? Or automatic wipers? Or lane assist? Or auto braking? Or cruise control? Or indicator blinkers that auto cancel? Or auto dimming headlights? Or warning messages that tell you about everything from seat belts to service warnings or blown bulbs?
All these are driver safety and convenience innovations that people take for granted so it is as simple as "press pedal car go vroom"...
Also, think about drones and model planes. With computer aided support they now have full autopilot, return to base, auto land etc. and can be operated by a kid! Why can't some of these types of support, safety and convenience make it over to light aircraft?
Re: Launch HN: Airhart Aeronautics (YC S22) – A modern personal airplane
#385Earlier quoted context omitted.
I cannot fathom a life with Tesla owners flying over where my kids and I bbq. The same kinds of people who speed, watch videos, and do dangerous stunts while they drive are going to speed, watch videos, and do dangerous stunts while they fly. Uber made everyone an amateur taxi driver. AirBnb made everyone an amateur innkeeper. Now the "tech" industry wants to make everyone an amateur pilot? No thanks.
If someone's a bad amateur innkeeper, what's the worst that could happen? Their guests might have a poor experience, or at worst get bedbugs or something (which happens commonly at real hotels a lot these days anyway). At the very worst, their "inn" could burn down, but that's a risk with any building, including whatever home the guests normally live in. Amateurs flying aircraft have the potential to cause far more h…
No smoke alarms is an obvious issue in my experience.
Re: Launch HN: Airhart Aeronautics (YC S22) – A modern personal airplane
#386Earlier quoted context omitted.
I live in a suburb near a county airport. I cannot fathom a life with Tesla owners flying over where my kids and I bbq. This idea is great, but people should still be licensed for the real safety protocols e.g. radio and not crashing into others.
This is such a common argument for everything NIMBY. Your point remains valid, but the argument you've presented comes across uninspired. What if you had no way to stop or from happening; what do you think might be reasonable mitigation steps that regulators could take to minimize the risk to your BBQ? If something becomes an inevitability, you probably should be prepared with an argument that is accepting of that in…
Just because the argument is "common" or "uninspired" doesn't make it wrong.
Certainly different "NIMBY" complaints can have differing levels consequences based on whether we're talking about sweeping changes to the skill level of most GA pilots vs. do we build this new apartment building here or not.
Re: Launch HN: Airhart Aeronautics (YC S22) – A modern personal airplane
#387Are you familiar with the Pivotal Aero?
This unusual aircraft seems to be a move in the right direction, apropos making flight simpler - because its flight dynamics are designed, inherently, to be forgiving to non-trained pilots.. Its landing mode is a function of its wing pitch and air speed, so it will 'automatically' transition from flight to landing modes based on air speed - there is no need on the part of the pilot to get heavily involved in the approach to landing, and so on, beyond the usual 'is it safe to go down there' decision-making process.
I'm curious what you think of the Pivotal Aero Opener concept, and how long you think it might be until similar designs arrive on the scene. It seems to me that the Opener is a bit of a leapfrog ahead of traditional plane design decisions, intended for non-pilot use .. from your perspective, what are the pros'/cons' of the Opener, as a design, and would you consider similar concepts in the future of Airhart Aeronautics?
Re: Launch HN: Airhart Aeronautics (YC S22) – A modern personal airplane
#388Earlier quoted context omitted.
You can't take a train to anywhere you want. Tracks will always be less accessible than roads or the sky.
It is not the #1 reason. #1 reason is being in the same train with other human beings. Nobody wants to deal with public transportation anxiety. Trains are so relaxed and loose security compared to airplanes.
I've never heard anyone ever be concerned about the "relaxed" security of trains, and virtually everyone here uses them. I did hear everyone who flies complain about the theatre and how they accidentally took whatever prohibited item on, forgetting they had a water bottle in some bag for example
If fear of people were the #1 reason not to go on public transport where you live, I'd be deeply worried for your culture
Re: Launch HN: Airhart Aeronautics (YC S22) – A modern personal airplane
#389[deleted]
Re: Launch HN: Airhart Aeronautics (YC S22) – A modern personal airplane
#390Earlier quoted context omitted.
The current systems seem to be all designed around there only being minimal air traffic, as it was in the past. People talking one on one with ATC, everything being done on a plane by plane basis. Can that really continue to function if traffic increases a few orders of magnitude? I mean hell, imagine everyone having to ask the city car controller for permission to back their car out of their driveway, state their ro…
Minimal traffic? An ATPL pilot here. Fly into any major airport and you'll see that it can be REALLY BUSY. The system is based around separation down to about 1 minute. Major airfields are all traffic limited (hence "slots"). 1 minute might seem like a lot when you're walking or driving, but when coming in at 200mph in something that weights hundreds of tons ... I want that guy 1 minute ahead of me off the runway ;)…
True I suppose, and it's not like we're on the verge of any new energy density tech that would make personal VTOLs viable either so runways might be the bottleneck that keeps throughput constrained for the foreseeable future I guess. Although you can always build more of them :)