747

I guess the space shuttle provides some extra lift (since it has wings) meaning the 747 isn't strained with having the whole load of the shuttle when it is flying.

i did my research a while back because i'm really into avation. They actually charge overweight fees because the airlines dont wanna be sue if a luggage handler 'hurts his back'. Thats why you can have as many bags as you want, just none over 70lbs.

That my friend, sounds like bullshit. It's only in US you can sue for everything, and they charge overweight everywhere else too.

well i live in the US, and thats where i got the excuse from.

I thought it was because they take so much space

That would be volume, friend. Not weight.

in that sense wouldn't incredibly obese people have to pay extra as well?

That would be.. *cough* offensive? But I heard obese people have to buy 2 tickets in order not to cause discomfort to a person who they're sitting next to.

"Use your head sometimes."
Keep realistic.

Well spoken, Mr. Faraday!

Any Lost fans? No?

I thought he was the helpful guy from 'Its Kind of A Funny Story"

Probably that, too. I was just making a reference to something else this guy did. He was also the interpreter in "Saving Private Ryan," who gets really fucking shellshocked...

I have never actually seen any fat people on a plane. (I'm 'murkan) Probably because all the fat people (The small amount there actually is around here... Except Dallas.) Prefer to stay home and don't travel a lot.

The fat American is a wild species, preferring to stay in its natural habitat rather than get stuck (literally) in an airport checkpoint while a pack of Skinny Americans gather around it and taunt it.

lol wut? The 747 is the one carrying the shuttle, not the other way around.

Oh...maybe I should have looked at the picture more uh...closely.

I always thought the official explanation was they only carry set fuel for the journey based on passenger numbers and weight of the luggage to allow for extra in case of a diversion.

The actual explanation is that they want to find every way to milk money from you...

it's kind of silly, isn't it? getting on a plane if you think it can be weighed down by luggage... that would be an extreme safety hazard

Welcome to every single airport in the world!

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what is this Bangkok airlines?

Well, it would be much better then in flight movies, that's for damn sure.

shut up moot jew

Simple thing: There is no such thing as a rocket scientist, there are aerospace engineers and mechanical engineers and astrophysicists.

The 747 carrying the Shuttle has major disadvantages to a regular 747. The service ceiling of this aircraft is 15,000 feet, less than half of the usual cruise altitude for a Boeing 747, and it can only fly 1,000 nm (approx. 2300 km) before running out of fuel, so sure, cry about your overweight luggage, crashing into the Atlantic isn't much better.

The Space Shuttle had an AWFUL lift/drag ratio. That was something that was done on purpose to slow it down very quickly and assist in re-entry dynamics. There was a reason Shuttle Pilots called it "The Flying Brick".