What do you think about airplanes' value to society now?

Question

What do you think about airplanes' value to society now?

Answer 1

Can you think of anything safer with more efficiency, especially with the advent of the VLJ (Very Light Jet) Eclipse 500 for one, recent statistics at the GAMA (General Aviation Manufacturers Association) show that for the last quarter of 2007 corporate jet sales were up 21.7% and turbine aircraft up 11.3%. Airlines continue to struggle financially, so with that my choice is to fly myself which I do quite frequently......

Answer 2

I think it is very valuable. Over 1.2 BILLION people have traveled by air in the last 20 years worldwide. Fact.

Answer 3

What would our society be like without airplanes?  

Weeks or months to get mail across the globe.  No overnight package delivery service.  No cheap vacations to exotic destinations.  No medevacs.  No forest fire spotting and suppression.

More traffic deaths.  More pollution.  Overcrowded freeways, railways, and boats.

I think that for those who don't value the airplane now, they sure will miss it if it is gone.

Answer 4

I suspect the "1.2 billion people" figure reflects total boardings or ticket sales, meaning that the total number of people is less after allowing for the multitudes of repeats. In any event, the "1.2 billion people" or whatever the correct number is defines more of a problem rather than a benefit. The real value, in my opinion, is in private air transportation, and also in air cargo. Cargo is huge and is often overlooked  by the uninitiated whose only experience is sitting in the back of an airliner (i.e., in the back of an airborne bus). Many would argue that pilot employment at FedEx, for example, is a more attractive proposition than pilot employment at a legacy passenger carrier. (The passenger carriers fly some cargo, and that part of their business is usually, if not always, profitable.) So many uninformed posters on YA automatically equate "airplane" with airliner and, as a result, ignore vital, dynamic, and very enjoyable segments of aviation.

Answer 5

I think that airplanes are the best thing since since cliced bread. you can get to flordia from boston in 3 hours rather that 3 days if you drove. they have given joy to many people, and hundreds and thousands of people jobs. and made life worth living to work

Answer 6

The same as I did before 9/11/01.

They are a great way to travel.