NationStates Jolt Archive

First off, the marketing worked. I found NationStates, truly enjoy the site, and as a result received the Jennifer Government novel in my stocking.
I finished the book last night about 5am. (I have a tendency to get right into a book and not stop reading unless I fall asleep)
Overall the book is excellent. The premise is not unbelievable as corporations are gaining more and more power every day, and yes I carry an AirMiles card that I use when I make purchases.
One bugaboo, Chapter 56. 2 F/A-18's shoot down a Boeing 737 that is heading Westbound from England out over the Atlantic. When I first read this I just couldn't catch what on Earth was going on. What could this have to do with the story?
That question was answered in Chapter 60. The President and 2/3 of the Government upper echelon went down on route to Washington.

A Boeing 737 is a short range commuter jet. I am very well versed in the aircraft having worked for an airline that fly them for nearly 20 years.
A 737 in full economy seating (Knees in your chin) can hold 122 passengers.
It is unlikely that as a Presidential aircraft it would be in this configuration. There was room on the flight (chapter 60) So this must be a very very small "upper echelon" And this echelon must be very hands-on because a chief in England no longer knows who his boss is.

Why is the Aircraft heading West? The 737 is not capable of flying across the Atlantic, with passengers, without refuelling. The NRA didn't need to shoot it down, it was doomed to run out of gas anyway. And you don't fly West even if you are capable of flying London-Washington nonstop. You fly NNW crossing the Atlantic coast over Scotland. This 737's only hope of making it was a fuel stop in Iceland and Gander,NF so again, they are going the wrong way.

To make the chapters sensible, the aircraft should have at least been a Boeing 767, heck even our Canadian Prime Minister has one of those and the aircraft should have been heading north. The F/A-18's should have been based in Scotland as Luton (SE England) doesn't work either.

Hope I don't seem picky, just a point. I made a similar observation over Stephen King's first Gunslinger/Dark Tower book when the inflight crew couldn't get into a washroom onboard an aircraft because a character had locked the door. (Why do you think there is a flight attendant call button in there if the crew can't unlock the door from the outside)

Anyway, really enjoyed the book, thanks Max and I will look forward to reading more of your work.

Well from what i understand it's a little more into the future so by that time a 737 could carry a full loard of passengers across the atlantic.

Well from what i understand it's a little more into the future so by that time a 737 could carry a full loard of passengers across the atlantic.

No amount of "in the future" would make a 737 an intercontinental jet for a President. The whole aircraft would have to be so fundementally redesigned that it would no longer be a 737.
And it would still be going the wrong way.

There was a stop over in Iceland.

Duh.

-Shifty eyes-

There was a stop over in Iceland.

Duh.

-Shifty eyes-
Fine, so why is the aircraft heading WEST. (read the original post)

Duh.

Um...

America.....................Atlantic Ocean...............................England

<-----------------------------------------------------------West

What other direction would they be going?

Traditionally, MGH, planes fly over as much land as possible en route to their destination. That way, if something were to happen so that the plane would need to land, there's a much greater chance that they'd be able to.

http://www.loc.gov/rr/geogmap/guide/gm075001.jpg


Technically, Iceland is West of England. Yes? Just North some.

Traditionally, MGH, planes fly over as much land as possible en route to their destination. That way, if something were to happen so that the plane would need to land, there's a much greater chance that they'd be able to.
Yes, but flying over 2/3rds of the world seems a little excessive.

The point was how much Government was basically lapsing into itself. It's one of the fallacies to highlight how inefficient, cost saving and self defeating it was (especially in light of Jennifer Government's comment about cost cutting and only one aircraft).

Um...

America.....................Atlantic Ocean...............................England

<-----------------------------------------------------------West

What other direction would they be going?
On a nice flat map of the Earth, you're right.
The world isn't flat, althought there are some who would disagree with me on that.
The shortest distance between two points is a straight line.
For instance, when I travel from Vancouver to London, the route is almost across the Pole.
London to Washington isn't as far North, but you would still travell NNW crossing the coast at the SW England/Scotland border.
A 737 would still be taking this track in order to refuel in Iceland.

Traditionally, MGH, planes fly over as much land as possible en route to their destination. That way, if something were to happen so that the plane would need to land, there's a much greater chance that they'd be able to.

That's partly true.
It's called ETOPS, and applies to twin engined aircraft, Like the 737.
So it can't go in any direction except NNW taking the Iceland, Greenland, Newfoundland route.
ETOPS = Extended range twin engine operations.
or sometimes, Engines turn or passengers swim.

It was still travelling in a westerly direction, and the final destination was west of the starting point. This is called "creative license".

It was still travelling in a westerly direction, and the final destination was west of the starting point. This is called "creative license".
OK, I pointed out a technical error in the book. And it is an error. As far as I was concerned that was the end of my point.
It didn't affect my overall enjoyment of the book, I would highly recommend it to others. However "creative license" doesn't allow "unbelievable premise"

Dunno about the travelling west part, but I seem to remember that the new 737-900 has the range to do Trans-Atlantic non-stop. Not sure, so an aircraft buff might want to recheck my figures.

Dunno about the travelling west part, but I seem to remember that the new 737-900 has the range to do Trans-Atlantic non-stop. Not sure, so an aircraft buff might want to recheck my figures.
The new 737-900 is designed as a Transcontinental jet (ie travel between East and West coasts of North America.)
It's maximum range under optimum conditions at EOW (Empty Operating Weight) is 3,300 nautical miles. Thats with no passengers or luggage or inflight catering.
Distance between London and Washington, direct route, ignoring the 737's requirement to follow ETOPS and remain within 90 minutes of land, is 3,674 Nautical miles.
Splash.
I am an aircraft buff, I worked in airline operations for 20 years.