Boeing Starliner First Manned Flight

[JoeThePop]

I had no idea this was happening. First manned flight of the Boeing Starliner is scheduled to launch tonight at 10:34 PM.
It’s no secret that Boeing has had some spectacular failures and ongoing issues in the commercial aviation wing of their business. I just really hope that this launch goes well. Little past my bedtime but I may stay up to watch it.

 

[MikeyFresh]

I had no idea this was happening. First manned flight of the Boeing Starliner is scheduled to launch tonight at 10:34 PM.
It’s no secret that Boeing has had some spectacular failures and ongoing issues in the commercial aviation wing of their business. I just really hope that this launch goes well. Little past my bedtime but I may stay up to watch it.

Yes this is a big test for Boeing, this program has been plagued by incessant delays, about 4 years/over $1 billion behind schedule if memory serves me. I hope everything goes well.

 

[JohnVF]

And its a crewed mission. I sincerely hope for the best, for the crew, for Boeing, and for space travel.

 

[MikeyFresh]

And its a crewed mission. I sincerely hope for the best, for the crew, for Boeing, and for space travel.

I'd like to think Boeing has been very careful/cautious with the program, now they face the music. Lets hope all of the hard work and testing pays off and everything goes smoothly.

 

[Thermionics]

Thank goodness it isn't a Starliner MAX.

 

[JohnVF]

Well they scrubbed the launch due to a valve problem of some sort.

 

[mhardy6647]

It takes Boeing to make Elon Musk look good.

 

[Thermionics]

It takes Boeing to make Elon Musk look good.

I dunno. At least Boeing's autopilot works as intended.

 

[prime minister]

I dunno. At least Boeing's autopilot works as intended.

I just spent a bunch of time trying out Teslas autopilot. The single most impressive technology I have ever experienced.

 

[Punker X]

I just spent a bunch of time trying out Teslas autopilot. The single most impressive technology I have ever experienced.

Until it isn't. Know a couple of owners that have had some scary experiences. Impressive, but not infallible. Need to stay aware and pay attention. Many get lulled into completely trusting it.

 

[prime minister]

Until it isn't. Know a couple of owners that have had some scary experiences. Impressive, but not infallible. Need to stay aware and pay attention. Many get lulled into completely trusting it.

It’s already dramatically better and safer then 95% of the people on the road. I’d definitely feel better if I was on the road driving one of my classics, surrounded by everyone else in Autopilot engaged Teslas.

 

[BobInWi]

Many get lulled into completely trusting it.

It just has to work until this movie ends then I'll look at the road again.

 

[BobInWi]

It’s already dramatically better and safer then 95% of the people on the road. I’d definitely feel better if I was on the road driving one of my classics, surrounded by everyone else in Autopilot engaged Teslas.

My buddy has a sister in Palo Alto. The test cars are all over the place there. The required driver sits inside while the car does its thing. Apparently, its no big deal & incidents are few. No one there gives the auto magic driven cars a second thought. Not the folks I spoke to anyway.

 

[JoeThePop]

This would be my local test for any autopilot vehicle. 3 lane roundabout with entrance and exit ramps from a highway. Close your eyes and let it go. Photo definitely not from rush hour

 

[prime minister]

This would be my local test for any autopilot vehicle. 3 lane roundabout with entrance and exit ramps from a highway. Close your eyes and let it go. Photo definitely not from rush hour View attachment 78672View attachment 78673

I did some things not too dissimilar actually. And I was shocked how well it handled it. I will have a full review written up at some point.

 

[JoeThePop]

I did some things not too dissimilar actually. And I was shocked how well it handled it. I will have a full review written up at some point.

I’ve just always been curious if a self-driving vehicle would be too cautious and end up sitting and waiting for an opening. During rush hour this is one of those roundabouts that you have to be fairly aggressive to enter and exit successfully. I know many people that tell me they avoid it entirely.

 

[BobInWi]

I just put performance tires on my car. That looks like it would be all kinds of fun (not during rush obviously).

 

[JohnVF]

I watched my neighbor try to back his whale of a Model X into his garage this morning and it was one of the more painful shows of vehicle handling I've seen in years. I don't know if he was driving or the car was, but whoever was in charge needed to not be on the road. It was stuttering, slow, looked like it or him was short-circuiting. And the car itself looked like a bloated orca bleached in the sun left out on the beach to die.

If you can't tell I"m not among Telsa's biggest fans. But the self driving thing will be welcome when all cars have it and its all figured out. I was wishing for it this weekend on a two day trip to St Louis. A long boring drive through cornfields.

 

[Punker X]

How about this cluster fuck on Lee Rd in Brighton MI.. Count 5 roundabouts.

 

[Snade]

I can appreciate the PM's view that the Tesla self-driving is impressive. I owned a Tesla for three years but did not use self-driving. The Tesla forums I participated on - many self-driving users gave it mixed reviews.

The problem for Tesla is in their current fleet of cars - the cameras and sensors and radar are older generation and have difficulty in certain light and weather and road conditions. There are a number of experts who think this current "stack" of cameras / sensors is not capable (even with the smartest software) to do self-driving with the level of safety required to meet federal requirements. This argument makes sense to me.

I'm sure Tesla can get it right, but it may require upgrading the onboard hardware on all their existing cars.

Other self-driving companies like Waymo use better technology (hardware) in their cars, but these are more experimental.