
Flawed Computer Models Add To European Flight Delays - naish
http://spectrum.ieee.org/riskfactor/computing/software/flawed-computer-models-add-to-european-flight-delays
======
jarek
Of course, if the airspace _wasn't_ closed and a plane went down, the airlines
would be blaming the authorities for allowing flights in unsafe conditions.

------
nraynaud
Reading a British newspaper on a European topic is a bit like reading a
American newspaper about Russia: not really the best way to understand.

------
rbranson
Sounds like the EU needs to work something out with the Flightcaster guys.

~~~
jrockway
Because an iPhone app that tells you your flight is delayed can model the
effects of ash ingestion by jet engines?

I think the EU was just playing it safe. Two planes have flown into ash clouds
before. Both were essentially destroyed. Do _you_ want to be on the plane
where you hear the engines go silent and the captain announce, "Ladies and
gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We have a small problem. All four
engines have stopped."?

~~~
gaius
Yes the issue is tho', that the government relied _only_ on the computer
model, whereas the airlines compared the model's prediction with a) satellite
data and b) their own observations by making test flights.

Willie Walsh, CEO of BA, himself an experienced pilot, was onboard the 747 BA
sent up to take a look. Lord Adonis the transport minister declared the skies
safe again having never left the ground himself. Who do _you_ trust?

~~~
jrockway
I would trust neither, as both parties have other interests in mind.

The government will suffer political fallout if a plane crashes, so they err
on the side of caution.

On the other side of the coin, BA loses money every second that a plane is not
in the air, but their insurance company covers them if the plane crashes and
kills everyone on board. So they err on the side of keeping the planes in the
air.

With neither group being interested in objective safety, it's hard to believe
either of them.

~~~
gaius
Insurance wouldn't cover them if they knew it wasn't safe and flew anyway.

