Crash in Rockaway

Monday, November 12, 2001 by Dave Winer.

Notes from Scripting News 

A few notes from today's Scripting News re the crash in Rockaway.

First, a question. Are flight recorders obsolete? Why not have an HTTP connection from the plane to a static server somewhere very far away. Stream the flight recorder data to the server on the ground. Then when a plane crashes, no need to hunt for the black box. Something like a weblog for each plane in our skies. As an bonus they could offer net connections to 802.11b laptop-using passengers.

Then an idea. Doc Searls, writes on his blog. "If you're sitting in a swamp on Rockaway Bay behind a duck blind wth a Stinger shoulder-held anti-aircraft missle launcher, an Airbus is a mighty big duck. You don't even have to aim very well. Your Stinger is a heat-seeking missle. It goes for an engine."

Better get the Coast Guard to search the marine reserve that's between Kennedy Airport and the crash site.

Then a survey. "Do you think we'll have an airline industry in the US in a few months?"

And finally a personal note. I know the area. My grandparents lived on Beach 146th. That's the neighborhood my mother grew up in. I was there with my mother and uncle in August.

Dave Winer