Comments on: Ted Stevens, Alaskan to the end

By: iflydaplanes

iflydaplanes — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 16:57:34 +0000

Can you please back up your claim that small aircraft “which are by their nature pretty dangerous things”?

By: dsucher

dsucher — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 05:16:49 +0000

Besides the weather, the distance, the number of single-engine aircraft with many private pilots, the scarcity of open fields and roads for emergency landings, the mountains, and the lack of air traffic control, I don’t know what the big deal is about Alaska flying.

By: DanHess

DanHess — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 03:15:34 +0000

Ted’s wife also died years ago in a plane crash. The Alaskan way to leave this world indeed.

By: nicfulton

nicfulton — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 22:55:52 +0000

Worsel – Schroedinger would have something to say about “you’re either dead or you’re not”.

By: EconWatcher

EconWatcher — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 20:49:08 +0000

Felix, this is a thoughtful and original take, perhaps inspired because you just happened to be back from Alaska when this tragedy happened. It’s an interesting way to give the late Senator–and his worldview–their due.

By: Worsel

Worsel — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 20:29:20 +0000

“pretty unique” – grr. you’re either unique or you’re not. just like you’re either dead or you’re not.

By: EconWatcher

EconWatcher — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 20:24:08 +0000

Felix, this is a thoughtful and original take, perhaps inspired because you just happened to be back from Alaska when this tragedy happened. It’s a very interesting way to give the later Senator–and his worldview–their due.

By: Curmudgeon

Curmudgeon — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 20:23:44 +0000

Um, I have to disagree with your characterization of small planes as “pretty dangerous things.” While not having as good a safety record as airliners, they are arguably as safe as autos (depending on how you want to measure safe). They are certainly less forgiving of error than autos, however.

But I strongly agree with your implication that you have to be different to live in Alaska. In particular, you have to love the outdoors and wilderness in a way that the vast majority of us in the CONUS can never understand and appreciate.

By: Name13579

Name13579 — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 20:20:30 +0000

Alaska is the fourth-least populous state, ahead of Wyoming, Vermont and North Dakota.

Also, the mandatory registration on this web site is terrible. That form crashed ten times before I got it to go through. Yikes.

By: Charles1111

Charles1111 — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 20:18:12 +0000

“A free country is one in which informed individuals can and should be allowed to take life-threatening risks . . . .” That is a very eccentric definition.