Bride's bouquet brings down plane

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around an incident where a bride's bouquet, thrown from a small plane, caused the aircraft to catch fire and crash. Participants explore the implications of this event, including the risks associated with such stunts and the broader societal tendencies towards elaborate displays.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that the pilot should have anticipated the risks of throwing a bouquet from a plane, comparing it to flying through a flock of birds.
  • Others express disbelief at the need for elaborate displays, arguing that such actions can lead to dangerous outcomes.
  • There is speculation about the speed of the bouquet when released, with estimates ranging from 60 to 70 mph, depending on its aerodynamic properties.
  • One participant humorously notes the potential hazards of throwing a bouquet, questioning the safety of guests on the ground.
  • Discussion includes a comparison to other absurd incidents, such as a man being crushed in a dumpster, highlighting societal trends towards risky behavior for impressiveness.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a mix of agreement on the absurdity of the situation and disagreement on the implications and responsibilities involved, particularly regarding the pilot's decisions and societal behaviors.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference various assumptions about the bouquet's design and the plane's speed, but these remain speculative without definitive calculations or consensus on the details.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may interest those exploring the intersection of safety, societal behavior, and the consequences of risky stunts in public events.

LowlyPion
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Bride's bouquet brings down plane
... The bride and groom had hired a small plane to fly past and throw the bouquet to a line of women guests, Corriere della Sera reported.

However, the flowers were sucked into the plane's engine causing it to catch fire and explode.

The aircraft plunged into a hostel. One passenger on the plane was badly hurt.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8149910.stm

Perhaps they needed a plane with bomb bay doors?

Another dividend from the Law of Unintended Consequences.
 
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LowlyPion said:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8149910.stm

Perhaps they needed a plane with bomb bay doors?

Another dividend from the Law of Unintended Consequences.

True, but then again, you don't jump out of the front of a twin engine aircraft when you parachute for exactly this reason, so why would this be any different? It's bad enough the couple (or other bystanders) didn't consider it, but it's f****** ridiculous the pilot didn't. It's like deliberatly flying through a flock of birds.

Completely self inflicted, no sympathy from me on this one. (I'm a strong believer in the Darwin Awards and if I did end up 'taking myself out' I would hope it to be worthy of one! This seems like a case for a 'Living' Darwin Award.).
 
The need people feel for more elaborate ways to impress people has gotten out of hand.

Can I add to ridiculous news stories?

Wheelie bin man crushed to death

Police believe Mr Williams, who had been out with a friend and was seen in public houses in Brighton until 0100 BST on Sunday, had been in one of the large wheelie bin used by blocks of flats or businesses
So, he got drunk and for some reason ended up in in a dumpster.

Of course the dumpster workers union wants more work for their people

The GMB union has called for large wheelie bins to be checked individually before they are emptied into refuse trucks.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/8149151.stm

Yes, there is such a high incidence of people killed daily because they are not flushed out of dumpsters.
 
Evo said:
The need people feel for more elaborate ways to impress people has gotten out of hand.
I couldn't agree more on that. And, I also agree that it's ridiculous the pilot didn't realize the hazard of this plan. AND, even if the bouquet didn't get sucked into the engine, can you imagine what it would be like to be one of the guests on the ground thinking they were going to catch this bouquet being hurled at them at the speed of the aircraft? Can anyone here give a guesstimate of what the speed would have been even if the plane slowed down as much as possible before releasing the bouquet?

Yes, there is such a high incidence of people killed daily because they are not flushed out of dumpsters.

What? Don't you watch CSI or Law and Order? Don't you realize there are constantly bodies being dumped into dumpsters? They better find them to preserve the evidence, of course! :smile:
 
Moonbear said:
Can anyone here give a guesstimate of what the speed would have been even if the plane slowed down as much as possible before releasing the bouquet?

I can't imagine it would be flying too quickly (the bouquet). I can't exactly say I've held my fair share of bouquets but I imagine they aren't exactly the most aerodynamic objects and would slow down considerably falling out of an airplane.
 
Moonbear said:
Can anyone here give a guesstimate of what the speed would have been even if the plane slowed down as much as possible before releasing the bouquet?

Depending on the cross sectional area of the bouquet and the amount of lace frills and ribbons adding drag, I'd guess the terminal velocity of a bridal bouquet at something less than a Tim Wakefield change-up, or maybe about 60 - 70 mph.

Dropping rice (not in a bag of course) might be more fun, because it would probably be more like twice that and sting like air pellets when it hit the guests.
 
LowlyPion said:
...maybe about 60 - 70 mph.

I really hope the florist removed the thorns from the roses!

Usually the ones for throwing are a smaller, more compact, and more aerodynamic version of a bouquet than the one the bride actually carries (apparently, brides like the tradition of pelting their friends with bouquets and watching them all tackle each other to get it, but don't really want to give away their own bouquet for it).
 
When I read that, my first thought was "As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly."