Flying cars are taking off: Minnesota just passed a new “Jetsons law” to regulate airplane-to-car hybrids. Starting Aug. 1, you can fly (and drive) them on highways there, but you can’t take off directly from the road. Oh, and you have a tail number instead of a license plate!
People are glued on YouTube, watching planes land at LAX
https://www.youtube.com/@AirlineVideos
Move over, cat videos and cooking hacks, there’s a new YouTube obsession, and it’s planes landing at LAX. No, really.
I thought you’d find it interesting that a channel called Airline Videos Live is racking up millions of views pointing a camera at the runway at Los Angeles International Airport.
It’s exactly what it sounds like: hours of live footage showing planes taking off, landing and taxiing.
This isn’t grainy security cam footage either. We’re talking HD video, a real-time radar display and a fabulous, engaging host who knows everything from aircraft models to what brand of shoes pilots wear (OK, maybe not that last part yet).
💡 Why are people so obsessed?
There’s something hypnotic about the precision, the power, and yes, the sheer size of these metal beasts touching down with ballet-like grace. But the real draw? The community.
The live chat is a global party. You’ll see aviation buffs from Tokyo, retirees from Kansas and night owls from Berlin all geeking out over a Qatar A350 floating in from the Pacific. People cheer when their favorite airline shows up. So fun!
The energy is part Twitch stream, part group therapy, part Sesame Street for adults obsessed with planes.
🌍 It’s more than just plane spotting
What started as a pandemic hobby has morphed into a worldwide phenomenon. The guy behind the camera, Kevin Ray, is a former TV news cameraman. He set up shop on a hotel rooftop near LAX and turned this into a full-blown business.
He’s now pulling in advertising revenue, getting free hotel stays and partnering with huge travel brands. Go take a peek, you might get hooked.
Scam in the skies
ChatGPT
I am hearing more and more reports about a certain travel scam that is not making the tech sites or mainstream news.
A “travel agent” or travel site selling fake plane tickets. You pay real cash for a flight that doesn’t actually exist, like booking a table at a restaurant that burned down in 2006.
1,500 parts
In business class seats on new airplanes. They come with heated and cooling options, big HD screens and comfy beds. The R7 from seat manufacturer Germany’s Recaro weighs 176 pounds. Older seats weighed as much as 350 pounds each. Does this mean we get more carry-ons? Nope.