[geeks] Not sure if they were running Vista...

[Charles Shannon Hendrix]

On Sun, 25 Feb 2007 22:02:05 -0600 (CST)
Lionel Peterson <lionel4287 at verizon.net> wrote:

> Seems the new stealth fighter had a wee problem crossing the Pacific - from 
> slashdot.org:
> 
> http://it.slashdot.org/it/07/02/25/2038217.shtml

I find it hard to believe that the planes were in danger. A friend of mine
trained in an F-16, which also has purely computerized navigation, and they
were required to know how to operate without it, even complete missions
without it.

Does anyone here believe that F-22 pilots are not trained the same way?

I also find it hard to believe that the computers could not be reset once
back on the "other side", if they were not physically damaged.

Finally, I don't believe the "interview" that was posted.  It didn't seem
genuine to me.  The guy came across sounding like a moron.

Sounds like a story that broke before anyone really knows what happened for
sure.

The Air Force says there was a nav system problem.  They didn't mention
anything about systems crashing or that it was any other system besides
navigation.

It could very well have been nothing but an accuracy issue or something
minor, and they just want the first deployment to Japan to be perfect.

Aside:

The F-16 had a navigation bug when crossing the equator many years ago.  The
news media reported it as something that caused the aircraft to suddenly
flip upside down at the equator, and for years and years later people kept
repeating that story.

The reality was not as interesting: an F-16 simulator had a bug which caused
the aircraft to flip upside down when crossing the equator if it was on
auto-pilot and when testing inertial compensation.

This bug was fixed long before it ever made it into a real plane, but even
today people talk about F-16's that horrified their pilots by flipping upside
down.




-- 
shannon           | There is no such thing as security.  Life is either
                  | bold adventure, or it is nothing.
                  |         -- Helen Keller