John Bryan

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[John Bryan @denjohnbryan]

@FiscalRespect
Reading isn't your strong suit, is it? I literally called it 'fatal pilot error' in my post. Let me translate that into your vocabulary so you don't need Google Translate: 'Fatal pilot error' translates to 'She f'd up. 8 people are dead.' We actually agree. And guess what? They 'Own it!'

[John Bryan @denjohnbryan]

I want to weigh in on the recent cash of the lear jet in Florida. As someone who started flying at 15, had an aerobatic coach by 20, and has flown everything from seaplanes to stunt planes my entire life, I know exactly how unforgiving aviation can be. As many of you know, I even survived a major amphibious aircraft crash myself, flipping upside down underwater in the Allegheny River flying with my dad.

First, let's put the age and experience argument to bed. When a tragedy like this happens, people are quick to fixate on a 20-year-old in the cockpit. Forget the noise about her age. Some of the greatest pilots in the United States—the ones flying our most advanced military aircraft—are in their late teens and early twenties. If someone that young can handle an F-35 Lightning II in a dogfight, they are absolutely capable of flying a Learjet.

Now, just looking at the cold facts of this specific crash, FAA regulations (AIM 7-1-27) are crystal clear: pilots must avoid thunderstorms by a minimum of 20 miles. Ultimately and tragically, this boils down to a fatal pilot error. They never should have flown directly into a severe storm cell.

In the cockpit, final responsibility always rests with the Pilot in Command (PIC). The captain was highly experienced, and at the end of the day, he owns that bad decision. Could the young co-pilot have pushed back? Yes. She had every right to question the call and insist they do a 180 to find a safer route. But the ultimate burden of the failure belongs to the PIC.

Listening to the ATC audio is absolutely heartbreaking, but you have to give that young co-pilot immense credit. You can literally hear her fight off the initial terror, force herself to stay cool, and continuously brief Air Traffic Control right up to the end. She was doing her job even when she had to have known they had no hope left.

Very few people will ever be in a position of knowing with 100% certainty that they are going to die, yet still forcing themselves to execute a job for the final two minutes of their life. Godspeed to the passengers and crew.

[John Bryan @denjohnbryan]

Credit where it's due: you make an excellent point. She should NOT have been texting. Her entire focus should have been on fighting the Pilot in Command's decision to press on, and she should have requested an immediate 180 from ATC, with no change in altitude. I'll gladly hand you the win on this one.

[John Bryan @denjohnbryan]

@moo94025378 WOW... My dad flew a Spitfire and World War II on 346 MISSIONS applying for the Royal Canadian Air Force and assigned to Biggin Hill... the worst place you could have been assigned...

[John Bryan @denjohnbryan]

Well my father was 18 years old flying 347 missions from Biggin Hill in Southern England and also Italy for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) in a Spitfire... Maybe they require college degrees in this day and age but they didn't in World War II or the Korean War and I'm not sure about VietnamWell my father was 18 years old flying 347 missions from Biggin Hill in Southern England and also Italy for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) in a Spitfire... Maybe they require college degrees in this day and age but they didn't in World War II or the Korean War and I'm not sure about Vietnam.... They may not be doing it today but they did in many previous wars.

[John Bryan @denjohnbryan]

@KCOracle Your point is well taken, I heard about the texting after writing this post and I do think that's irresponsible in the middle of severe turbulence.

[John Bryan @denjohnbryan]

@Frostzyd At the end of the day the pilot in command has the final word.

[John Bryan @denjohnbryan]

@Papa1313131313 This is a really really really good point you've made... That possibility is a really really good explanation. Pilots must never allow any passenger to pressure them to do anything that's against their own judgment.

[John Bryan @denjohnbryan]

@boblindstrom67 And she said it was plus or minus 700 ft which absolutely meets the definition of severe turbulence...

[John Bryan @denjohnbryan]

Well my father was 18 years old when he started flying 347 missions from Biggin Hill in Southern England and also in Italy for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) in a Spitfire... Maybe they require college degrees in this day and age but they didn't in World War II or the Korean War and I'm not sure about Vietnam...

[John Bryan @denjohnbryan]

@cjc1103 I agree with you...

[John Bryan @denjohnbryan]

Well my father was 18 years old flying 347 missions from Biggin Hill in Southern England and also Italy for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) in a Spitfire... Maybe they require college degrees in this day and age but they didn't in World War II or the Korean War and I'm not sure about Vietnam

[John Bryan @denjohnbryan]

Pretty near downtown LOL... then we found ourselves upside down 12 ft underwater LOL... The river was really flowing fast LOL and I was completely upside down. The wings even bent over the doors so you could not open the door to get out... My father was unconscious and I grabbed him by the shirt undid his seat belt and dragged him through there smashed front windshield... Oh my God I was cheering when we got to the surface.... And what was the cause? Total pilot error, I had forgotten to retract the landing gear after practicing 5 landings on hard runways and so I had landed with the gear down in the water causing the aircraft to flip over and go 12 ft underwater.

[John Bryan @denjohnbryan]

Thank you for the comment. Incredible experience you had! My father was a WW2 Spitfire pilot with over 300 missions and after I srtarted learning aerobatics, we used to have incredible dogfights that were mind blowing, flying 2 identical aerobatic airplanes LOL... He started me flying at 15!!!

[John Bryan @denjohnbryan]

@boburk5 Really good point

[John Bryan @denjohnbryan]

@Angle__wix @grok movie title

@grok is there an algorithm that deletes the title name when people write it, cuz I never see the name of a title after people are asking

[John Bryan @denjohnbryan]

@uniquemoviemom @grok what's the name of the movie

[John Bryan @denjohnbryan]

@Matt_Pinner "Uruk" named after the first city on planet Earth.

[John Bryan @denjohnbryan]

THESE NUMBERS ARE WRONG:
While New Zealand maintains a higher percentage for the "primary series" (the initial two doses). Both countries have seen a significantly lower uptake for the most recent 2025–2026 seasonal boosters.
​COVID-19 Vaccination Rates (February 2026).
USA. Vs New Zealand
Primary Course Completed
USA 70.1% NZ 82.5%
Booster Uptake (Eligible Adults) USA 34% NZ 70.8%
Current Epidemic Trend USA Stable Not Changing AND NZ IS Stable / Declining
Hospital Admissions 1.3 per 100k. AND 0.7 per 100k
Test Positivity Rate USA is approx 0.63% and NZ is 0.51%