Why does Airbus have the nickname "Scarebus"?

Question

Airbus aircraft are much more technologically advanced than Boeings, and use sophisticated fly-by-wire technology that does not allow the aircraft do any manouvres uncomfortable to the passengers. I mean, if someone hijacked a Boeing, they could do loops, rolls, dives, whatever and send passengers flying around the cabin. The computers in the Airbus will not allow a hijacker or pilot to do any manouvre that would make a passenger uncomfortable let alone tossed around the cabin. So what's up with the nickname?

Answer 1

early in the airbuses career the plane had troubles at airshows where the pilot and computer disagreed and the results were tragic in one case and very scary in the other. the test pilot and some execs were killed at a airshow in which the plane simply wanted to land while it was supposed to be taking off. the result was a famous video of the airbus crashing into the trees at the end of the runway. Thus the media always good for inventing catchy phrases came up with scarebus and the smear has stuck especially with Boeing devotees.

Answer 2

Simply because it rhymes with 'Airbus' - us aviation professionals have a limited sense of humour. There are many other rhyming words for airlines/aircraft etc. that I'm not willing to admit to on this forum.

Answer 3

I don't know but my husband builds software for them. They are a customer of his company and they seem pretty high tech from the way he talks about stuff.

Answer 4

In the early 80's my airline began to fly the A-300. As with any new aircraft type there is a learning curve to operating the new fleet type efficiently. After a few minor glitches (like the ground crew not knowing how to service the potable water, mechanics not having the correct adapter for hydraulic servicing) and the flights running late or after a few cancellations and the term "Scare Bus" was termed at my airline by the Flight Attendants. Some of them loved the plane and some did not.

I think Uh huh hits it right on. At first there was a jealousy of Airbus after years of flying Boeing & MD's. Every time we learned a new procedure on the Airbus you could hear someone in the simulator say "Well Boeing doesn't do it that way, why do we have to do it that way?" I have to say the Airbus instructors had lots of patience with us.

Answer 5

I've only heard folks start calling 'em Scarebuses when the A320 first came out. In that airplane the pilot has no direct connection between his controls and the control surfaces. He's sending inputs into a computer (well actually a number of 'em) and the computer spits that information out and makes the hydraulic servos move the controls. It was the first airliner rigged like that, and that was pretty scary at the time. In fact, as far as aeronautical engineering goes, the A320 is as close to an unnatural act as they come. I'll bet that with a couple of well placed refrigerator magnets, you could disable one of those things.

They've been around long enough, and aren't so scary now, that the name is said with more affection than derision. That's the way it generally goes in aviation.

Answer 6

Because they always seem to malfunction?

Answer 7

Simple and short answer: "Scarebus is a name coined by the immature Boeing fan boys(the world is just crawling with them) to flame Airbus. If the planes were really that bad, i doubt they'd have wouldn't have outsold Boeing ever year since the millenium except for last year.

Answer 8

Why?  Well, you make it sound as if in an Airbus aircraft the pilot is not in command.

Why are you opining about something you really don't know much about?  That is so typical in this "Aircraft" section--the uninformed and inexperienced getting on here and talking out their as s.

Answer 9

Fact of airbus!!

Aeroflot airines flight  crashed into woods

in russia after a the pilots nephew was allowed to take controls he turned the aircraft without relising the autopilot was disconnected the aircraft turned violantly and then a new design in the control system took over auto-survive then the aircraft attempted to self right but inadvertantly stalled it self and sending it plummeting in to the woods all died on impact no aircraft is safe from gravity no matter how high tech it may be an airbus can be controlled only if the controls are pushed automatticly switching off autopilot

Answer 10

Brian L. has part of my answer but for the rest-

The thing about the smooth flying during a hijackign is completly off. On the overhead panel you can disengage some of the flight

augmentation systems and the aircraft will be exremly overresponsive to control inputs. - on scarebus:

Sometimes strange manuevers lead to the flight control system acting out. The pilot has the ability to disengage the system befire it leads to a disaster, but there are several swithces to do this, and some of them disable the control input, making the planes control surfaces not move. Airbus is also known for using questionable contruction mehods on their aircraft to save money.

Answer 11

Lol Sounds like a Dodge man defending his vehicle of choice to Ford and Chevy men.  In other words Boeing and Airbus are both solid products but to say the flight control computers in Airbus are superior to those in Boeing because of the restrictions programmed into them is ridiculous.  

If the Airbus is so incredibly superior why are more boeings sold each year than Airbus.

What sound does and Airbus make when it crashes?   Boeing!!!

Answer 12

Talk to the mechanics that rip them apart and put the together. The structure of the aircraft is made on the bare min. of safety. You can`t fix nothing you have to replace it. They made the aircraft out of nonclad aluminum .They are corroding away.When it comes to the wiring it breaks so easy. It`s computers are like windows xp ,you don`t know if it`s going to boot up all the time. They will never beat  boeing or douglas in airframe life.

Answer 13

I think this is the first and last time i answer questions like this. I have both flown both airplanes as aircraft mechanic 733 and 744 as positioning mechanic in KSA & Sydney. Flown the A300, A330 & A340 in mostparts of the world etc SYD, Vancouver & M.E.

Airbus has really outgrown Boeing even in sales in Asia alone the refleeting is now an A320 instead of the 733. Even until now countries are paying Airbus in their "Buy 5 take 5 pay later plan".

The only good thing about Boeing that is from a mechanic's point of view is they are user-friendly (location of componenets are easy to find and working is easy) while the Airbus isn't so neat yet as Boeing yet the overall sophistication and design Airbus tops Boeing in all phases.

I bet my ICAO, FAA  A&P  license and 30 years of being aircraft mechanic, Licensed Aircraft Engineer and Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineer.