[lug] can't make this stuff up, folks...
Zan Lynx
zlynx at acm.org
Tue Oct 20 14:11:13 MDT 2009
On 10/20/09 1:59 PM, Kenneth D Weinert wrote:
> One of the first things the Air Force test pilots tried on an early F-16
> was to tell the computer to raise the landing gear while standing still
> on the runway. Guess what happened? Scratch one F-16. (my friend says
> there is a new subroutine in the code called 'wait_on_wheels' now...)
I can see this bug two ways. Sure, the computer is able to keep the
wheels down. But why should it have to?
In a smaller plane pulling the manual/hydraulic gear lever is going to
raise the landing gear too. You could also lower the wing flaps and rip
the wings apart.
These are just things the pilot isn't supposed to do!
This is almost Windows vs. Unix. Unix lets you shoot yourself in the
foot or script a machinegun to do so automatically thousands of times
per second. Windows will gray out the "shoot" button while it points at
your foot or ask "Are you sure? Are you really sure? You need
Administrator privileges for this option. Do you wish to allow this action?"
--
Zan Lynx
zlynx at acm.org
"Knowledge is Power. Power Corrupts. Study Hard. Be Evil."
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