Future job risk?
 

I could see the airlines going for this since they'd be able to fly so many more people with fewer pilots and, from the sound of things, no jet fuel costs. Who knows how long it would take to come out, though.

https://weather.com/science/video/co...uld-carry-2000

LOL






filler

Judging by California's high speed rail, ACTUAL airplanes would be cheaper and certainly faster.

Ain’t gonna hold my breath waiting for it to happen. Lots of hairbrained schemes come from universities and appear on the cover of Popular Science. Less than 1 in 100 actually take off, no pun intended.

Like any other high speed train concept, this kind of thing *might possibly* work in high density, small geography Japan, Western Europe, and a few places like SOCAL, NORCAL, and NY/DC corridor.

But there are many problems...

Infrastructure: Imminent domain for the rail would be the biggie. You could use existing railroad rights-of-way where the rail is straight enough and in unpopulated areas. But existing rail with tight curves would not work, and NIMBY's would oppose any significant expansion of status quo use of existing rail lines on grounds of noise, safety, and visual clutter.

Weather:
1) It would be under ALL weather.
2) It cannot deviate to avoid weather.
3) It cannot climb to avoid weather.
4) It's still an airplane (and fragile looking), and would be destroyed if it flew through a TS or severe ice.

Security: The plane is easily accessible by bad guys along any point in it's route. The power supply is easily accessible by bad guys along any point in it's route. A crash would make big headlines.

I think the most likely mass transit revolution (other than improved airliners with lower cost and environmental impact) will be high-speed underground tubes. That solves most of the security, imminent domain, and public perception issue. But it will cost huge $$$ to drill underground tunnels over vast distances (ex. Chunnel).

These visionaries (including Uber) are going to learn the hard way that the urban public will probably not be very keen on a massive increase in low-altitude airborne noise and clutter.

I would never set foot on that thing. I couldn't tell from the video and it may be a silly question but would the "airtrain" or "traincraft" or whatever it is be piloted by actual trained pilots or would they do away with traditional pilots and allow some lesser trained, non-licensed people who are just taught how to work some basic controls operate it? What if the tether detaches or what if due to an unforseen circumstances the operator needs to detach the tether? I just wouldn't be comfortable riding on that thing when there is no person with the experience, skill and instinct to maneuver the craft in response to an emergency. I'm sure the concept would develop over time but the thought of this for me at this time is absolutely not.

https://weather.com/science/video/co...uld-carry-2000

Turkey is the same place that sacrificed camels when upgrading aircraft for the national airline...sacrificed them on the ramp in front of the passenger terminal.

Concept...notion, idea. Does not exist.