Why are some many people Stupid, when it comes to the accident

[MXrider13]

I don't understand a lot of people at times, especially people claiming to be experts on the crash when they know nothing. I here people in my town, at work and on the internet keep trying to be experts on the accident when they know nothing about it.

I keep hearing people say that "they shouldn't have been flying those old planes, there two dangerous" or "why would people fly those WWII aircraft" or "So many people die every year at these events, why do they keep doing them" when this is Renos first fatal accident in 47 years.

Its funny too when I try to tell me coworkers, professors, and other adults other wise all they ever tell is "well your just a kid, what do you know" and things like that.

I really don't understand people sometimes, especially older adults.

My prayers are with Jimmy Leeward and his family, and the familys of those that were killed in the accident.

[SLCPilot]

Re: Why are some many people Stupid, when it comes to the accident

"they shouldn't have been flying those old planes, there two dangerous"

X2 points for the grammar humor!

I agree, 95% of the general population is not well informed when it comes to aviation. That's why this forum is so valuable. It has a much greater concentration of people who have, "been there, done that".

SLCPilot

[MXrider13]

Re: Why are some many people Stupid, when it comes to the accident

"they shouldn't have been flying those old planes, there two dangerous"

X2 points for the grammar humor!

I agree, 95% of the general population is not well informed when it comes to aviation. That's why this forum is so valuable. It has a much greater concentration of people who have, "been there, done that".

SLCPilot

It really is sad to me, even if people don't know about aviation they should at least admit they don't instead of trying to act like experts but I guess people are stupid.

[ChadK]

Re: Why are some many people Stupid, when it comes to the accident

After the first 24 hours when I looked for as much info as possible, I had to stop reading news reports and comments from the peanut gallery. I was just getting to frustrated and involved with said gallery. I restricted my knowledge search to this forum and the NTSB website.
I learned years ago during the first Gulf War when the yahoos were burning flags that the reason they were burning flags was to get a reaction from you and draw us into arguments that we could never win. Don't engage the idiots and they can't draw you down to their level!!

[OC BOB]

Re: Why are some many people Stupid, when it comes to the accident

I worst thing I saw was a reporter for the local Reno TV coverage report.... " There is no word on the condition of the pilot".

Sheeezzzz..........

[mgbf4u]

Re: Why are some many people Stupid, when it comes to the accident

It really is sad to me, even if people don't know about aviation they should at least admit they don't instead of trying to act like experts but I guess people are stupid.

To quote an old cliche', "Because inquiring minds want to know"

That's why they still buy the National Inquirer.

[MXrider13]

Re: Why are some many people Stupid, when it comes to the accident

I worst thing I saw was a reporter for the local Reno TV coverage report.... " There is no word on the condition of the pilot".

Sheeezzzz..........

Thats the media for ya

[RAD2LTR]

Re: Why are some many people Stupid, when it comes to the accident

I hear you. I just burned a friend at the stake for posting about the accident and saying some very uninformed things on facebook. It was mostly "Why do they do this, its so dumb and unsafe" blah blah blah. I made the point of saying that in the 47 years that Reno has run, this is the first time any spectator has been hurt. I also brought up the '55 24 Hrs of LeMans accident that killed 80 and injured another 120. That race still continues, and so should Reno. When you stop and think about it, how many spectators have been killed at baseball games, soccer games, World Rally Championship races; do I really need to go on? The odds of being injured at the air races are worse than being stuck by lightning. Unsafe? So is crossing the street.
The media has made a spectacle out of this, and its really too bad. The general public really doesn't know much about Reno, and because we live in a society that would rather be sheep then the watchful bird in the tree. People need to learn to think for themselves rather than what the media feeds them. If they want the truth, wait and see what the investigators have to say. Right now, the NTSB isn't saying much new, but they haven't had time to sort through a HUGE amount of info and data.

Sorry for the rant. I just hate seeing a sport that I love, and people that I have had the honor of meeting, smeared by those who don't know better.

Will

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: Why are some many people Stupid, when it comes to the accident

Fellow fans, I just deleted a post and I'm not going to say who wrote it, it was not intended to be bad but by repeating things heard elsewhere, it was extremely offensive.

I'm going to ask everyone to take a deep breath before you hit the "submit reply" or "post" buttons!

Your words, even if they are not yours, whether you write them, or copy them and paste here, WILL be seen, and probably taken out of context by someone.

Please Please Please... everyone, talk about it, heal... to hell with the lawyers, EXPERT witnesses and the rest.. but try to keep your emotions in check when writing about those who simply do not understand aviation, our sport, or what just happened.

[FuryFan]

Re: Why are some many people Stupid, when it comes to the accident

Wayne, I know many people have already said it but, thank you! You could have just shut the board off for a couple of weeks to let everything settle down a little......but you didn't. It's always comforting to have a home base to return to for whatever reason.


Kevin

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: Why are some many people Stupid, when it comes to the accident

You could have just shut the board off for a couple of weeks to let everything settle down a little......but you didn't. It's always comforting to have a home base to return to for whatever reason.

THAT... was a tough decision! Once I got back to the hotel and saw that nothing we had on the board was anything that had not already been plastered all over the CNN world we live in today... And I was able to read the posts which had been on during the time between when it happened and I managed to calm my fingers enough in the press room to shut it down on a borrowed computer, I realized, we all needed this place to be available and it turned it back on!

[MXrider13]

Re: Why are some many people Stupid, when it comes to the accident

Fellow fans, I just deleted a post and I'm not going to say who wrote it, it was not intended to be bad but by repeating things heard elsewhere, it was extremely offensive.

I'm going to ask everyone to take a deep breath before you hit the "submit reply" or "post" buttons!

Your words, even if they are not yours, whether you write them, or copy them and paste here, WILL be seen, and probably taken out of context by someone.

Please Please Please... everyone, talk about it, heal... to hell with the lawyers, EXPERT witnesses and the rest.. but try to keep your emotions in check when writing about those who simply do not understand aviation, our sport, or what just happened.

I know what post you deleted and I think its actually good you did, it was really offensive toward Leeward and his family, I just couldn't believe someone would actually say that.

[dwcoulter]

Re: Why are some many people Stupid, when it comes to the accident

<saracastic tone> The air races must be cancelled because somebody might die driving to see them! For the same reason we must also cancel the Superbowl and World Series.<end sarcastic tone>

No motorsport is risk free (nor is driving on 395). After the crash we discussed parallels to the accident that ended the Cleveland races. The difference is that the victims in Reno were spectators that voluntarily attended and presumedly knew the risks of being close to chunks of metal moving at 500MPH.

It is just infortunate the this incident combined a worst case situation (complete loss of control) in the worst place it could have happened. Can spend hours ruminating on why the plane didn't hold out for another few seconds and put Leeward down in the dry lake, but that will drive you crazy.

[wyhdah]

Re: Why are some many people Stupid, when it comes to the accident

One thing you need to know, and this goes to what Wayne said, people are used to people being kill in all kinds of accidents. What they don't understand is how close our community is, not just air racing but aviation as well, and when something like this happens it's like the loss of a family member.

You will be hard pressed to find another sport where fans pull for not only the pilot but the mount as well. They will never understand.

[dwcoulter]

Re: Why are some many people Stupid, when it comes to the accident

I am relatively new to the sport but on Saturday I was really overwhelmed by all of the losses. The spectators, Jimmy Leeward, AND Galloping Ghost. Strange to feel a sense of mourning about an aircraft but, after digesting the deaths, there was a kind of shocking revelation that Galloping Ghost is gone too. My hope (and I think the point of this thread) is that we don't have to mourn the loss of the races as well because of public pressure.

One thing you need to know, and this goes to what Wayne said, people are used to people being kill in all kinds of accidents. What they don't understand is how close our community is, not just air racing but aviation as well, and when something like this happens it's like the loss of a family member.

You will be hard pressed to find another sport where fans pull for not only the pilot but the mount as well. They will never understand.