For a minute there I thought I had to get off my couch, when all the while the fact is we don't have to do anything much but keep things afloat for just a few decades more! In fact, we'd best shut up about PO, because if our offspring finds out we knew about it all along, they'll turn and wring our necks come 2036!
Joined: Jun 13, 2007 Posts: 3345 Location: Minniesotuh
Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2008 10:32 am Post subject: Re: Will we still be flying in 10 years?
Ainan wrote:
For only £10000 down to pay for lessons, fees and a second hand micro lite you could be flying in 20 years time easy! About as fuel efficient as an American car. If you can make your own bio fuel...
Ala The Jetsons, The Fifth Dimension, etc? It might be fun, but can you just imagine the accidents both in the air and on the ground? _________________ "RRrrruuuunnnn!!!" ~Apocalypto
Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2008 1:05 pm Post subject: Air Travel
{thread merged by emersonbiggins}
(lol, I must read other sub-forums)
This is why I think air travel will not survive (in its current form):
1) air corporations are losing wealth just with operational costs, and this can not continue for much longer.
2) there is not a technological alternative for oil-fueled air travel
3) there is not even R&D (that I'm aware of) for this alternatives that seems promissing
4) passenger air travel for a significant percentage is not necessary, they are mostly vacations... and comerce or education that need passenger air travel isn't IMO that efficient.
5) import and export air travel is used mostly for speed, JIT (Just In Time) delivery, but is it cheaper than water and land travel? and if so, can it continue with $250+ oil?
6) air travel is a monoculture in technology and economy, most air corporations are the same and use very similar technologies, the planes are the same but with different painted branding. this, in networking security and biology, is weakness, is it too on an economical activity?
7) with resource wars it's possible that most of future air travel will be military, in which I disagree (I prefer less births than more deaths... but now it's 'even less even later'). for the purposes of this analysis, air travel for just military uses is basically no air travel (besides deaths, those that wanted to travel via air have to 'do without').
8) other? _________________ anagami.net
Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2008 6:56 pm Post subject: Re: Air Travel
zensui wrote:
{thread merged by emersonbiggins}
(lol, I must read other sub-forums)
This is why I think air travel will not survive (in its current form):
1) air corporations are losing wealth just with operational costs, and this can not continue for much longer.
2) there is not a technological alternative for oil-fueled air travel
3) there is not even R&D (that I'm aware of) for this alternatives that seems promissing
4) passenger air travel for a significant percentage is not necessary, they are mostly vacations... and comerce or education that need passenger air travel isn't IMO that efficient.
5) import and export air travel is used mostly for speed, JIT (Just In Time) delivery, but is it cheaper than water and land travel? and if so, can it continue with $250+ oil?
6) air travel is a monoculture in technology and economy, most air corporations are the same and use very similar technologies, the planes are the same but with different painted branding. this, in networking security and biology, is weakness, is it too on an economical activity?
7) with resource wars it's possible that most of future air travel will be military, in which I disagree (I prefer less births than more deaths... but now it's 'even less even later'). for the purposes of this analysis, air travel for just military uses is basically no air travel (besides deaths, those that wanted to travel via air have to 'do without').
other?
All good points. I think it can be boiled down to high crude prices for the most part when it comes to the demise of airlines.
As far as alternative fuels?
It is my understanding that jet fuel is nothing more than kerosene. Is that true? I also understand that ethanol such as E85 is not a great fuel for freezing temps. And the only experimental work I've heard is Sir Branson testing a small % of bio fuel in his jets.
I wonder if planes can fly on hydrogen?
If so, they can make hydrogen with wind or solar and get it for free so to speak. (as compared to using crude to make hydrogen).
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