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Virgin launches glass-bottomed plane

Fisher

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Virgin launches glass-bottomed plane - Richard's Blog - Virgin.com

I’m thrilled to announce that Virgin has created another world-first with the introduction of the technology required to produce the world’s first glass-bottomed plane. This technological innovation coincides with the start of Virgin Atlantic Airways’ first ever domestic service to Scotland.

VirginAtlantic.jpg
 
Did you happen to look at the date on your link?
 
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Shoot. I want it to be true. Make it happen. Getter done.

I would fly in it. But then again, there are quite a few planes out there that have took off with me in them that have landed without me so I would probably not be the typical passenger.
 
I would fly in it. But then again, there are quite a few planes out there that have took off with me in them that have landed without me so I would probably not be the typical passenger.

I'd find it a bit disconcerting but I suppose people can get used to anything if the are exposed to it often enough.
 
I get the feeling that take offs, landings, and trips to the restroom would probably be less than fun.
 
So people who afraid to fly but gut through it by taking an aisle seat just met their worst nightmare?

I think it would be pretty cool.
 
I'd find it a bit disconcerting but I suppose people can get used to anything if the are exposed to it often enough.

To a degree. I still have a bit of a fear of heights, but when I know there is some form of a security blanket I have no problems looking straight down at the ground from hundreds or thousands of feet up.

This does bring to mind an amusing tale of my first jump though. When we started to approach our jump point my instructor flung up the door of the plane and called me over to look out the door to where we would be landing. There was one slight technicality though - I did not have a chute on my back, it was a tandem jump and the instructor was wearing the chute and he had not hooked onto me yet. So I very gingerly crawled over towards the door keeping my center of gravity VERY low and quickly and ever so slightly peeked my head out the door before immediately pulling back.

Of course the instructor got a bit worried that I might freeze up or something after seeing this and made a comment long the lines of "you are going to be jumping out of this plane in a couple of minutes, so you better get over this". My response was "well I don't have a parachute on my back, and until I do I am going to take EVERY step possible to make sure I do not leave the plane without it".

He then proceeded to latching onto my harness so we could jump. Quick bit of back story - When we were on the ground just prior to rehearsing our jump he had asked if I wanted to dive out of the plane, or if I wanted to do flips. I told him I wanted to do flips, so he then explained that the harder I pulled when it was time to go when we exited the plane the more flips we would do. So back to the jump.

I am now all strapped in and have no problems with that door that I was so timid of previously. We get to the doorway, I put my feet out on the bar, he counts to three: one.. two.. three!! and on three I lunge forward with everything I have.

A tad over a minute later I pull the chute and in the relative calm of being under canopy I hear this hysterical laughter behind me. Of course I ask "what's so funny" and my instructor says "I have been doing this for years, and I have NEVER been yanked out of a plane so hard in my life! here i was expecting you to freeze up, did you ever prove me wrong!" and of course I had to tell him again that the chute on my back makes all the difference in the world.

So long story, but hopefully amusing, the point of it (other than entertainment) as it applies to this thread is that as long as there is glass between me and the ground and I know it is structurally sound, I am cool with that.
 
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It sounds cool, but I'll bet it's actually quite frightening. :lol:
 
I get the feeling that take offs, landings, and trips to the restroom would probably be less than fun.

OMG! Trips to the bathroom would be terrifying! :shock:
 
To a degree. I still have a bit of a fear of heights, but when I know there is some form of a security blanket I have no problems looking straight down at the ground from hundreds or thousands of feet up.

This does bring to mind an amusing tale of my first jump though. When we started to approach our jump point my instructor flung up the door of the plane and called me over to look out the door to where we would be landing. There was one slight technicality though - I did not have a chute on my back, it was a tandem jump and the instructor was wearing the chute and he had not hooked onto me yet. So I very gingerly crawled over towards the door keeping my center of gravity VERY low and quickly and ever so slightly peeked my head out the door before immediately pulling back.

Of course the instructor got a bit worried that I might freeze up or something after seeing this and made a comment long the lines of "you are going to be jumping out of this plane in a couple of minutes, so you better get over this". My response was "well I don't have a parachute on my back, and until I do I am going to take EVERY step possible to make sure I do not leave the plane without it".

He then proceeded to latching onto my harness so we could jump. Quick bit of back story - When we were on the ground just prior to rehearsing our jump he had asked if I wanted to dive out of the plane, or if I wanted to do flips. I told him I wanted to do flips, so he then explained that the harder I pulled when it was time to go when we exited the plane the more flips we would do. So back to the jump.

I am now all strapped in and have no problems with that door that I was so timid of previously. We get to the doorway, I put my feet out on the bar, he counts to three: one.. two.. three!! and on three I lunge forward with everything I have.

A tad over a minute later I pull the chute and in the relative calm of being under canopy I hear this hysterical laughter behind me. Of course I ask "what's so funny" and my instructor says "I have been doing this for years, and I have NEVER been yanked out of a plane so hard in my life! here i was expecting you to freeze up, did you ever prove me wrong!" and of course I had to tell him again that the chute on my back makes all the difference in the world.

So long story, but hopefully amusing, the point of it (other than entertainment) as it applies to this thread is that as long as there is glass between me and the ground and I know it is structurally sound, I am cool with that.

Hmmm. I'm airborne qualifed and have jumped out of planes and helicopters many times, which is funny because I am slightly acrophobic.

During jump school because of my name I was always the first stick leader and got to stand in the door and watch the ground go by as we approached the jump zone. The fact that I had a parachute on gave me absolute confidence and I couldn't wait to exit the aircraft. I've jumped more than 60 times. I'm still leery of leaning over the edges of tall buildings and other very high places. LOL
 
Hmmm. I'm airborne qualifed and have jumped out of planes and helicopters many times, which is funny because I am slightly acrophobic.

During jump school because of my name I was always the first stick leader and got to stand in the door and watch the ground go by as we approached the jump zone. The fact that I had a parachute on gave me absolute confidence and I couldn't wait to exit the aircraft. I've jumped more than 60 times. I'm still leery of leaning over the edges of tall buildings and other very high places. LOL

exactly.
 
On the bright side though, it might be sort of fun to get an idea of what a pigeon feels like while taking a flying dump on someone's car. :mrgreen:

Lol! I wasn't even thinking of the bathroom stall having a glass bottom too! I was just thinking about trying to get there walking down the aisle. If the plane was flying very low, I wonder if people would be able to look up and see a person using the bathroom? :2razz:
 
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