logo
episode-header-image
May 2022
33m 6s

When the Autopilot Switched Off

Pushkin Industries
About this episode

An airline captain thought he was giving his children a harmless thrill by letting them "fly" his packed airplane - the young cockpit visitors weren't really in control... the autopilot was doing the real flying. Until it wasn't. 

Do safety features actually lull us into a false sense of security - tempting us to take greater risks than we otherwise would?

For a full list of sources go to timharford.com

If you’d like to keep up with the most recent news from this and other Pushkin podcasts be sure to sign up for our email list at Pushkin.fm.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Yesterday
Schrödinger's Spy: Businessman, Fraud, or Russian Agent? - with Sam Jones
When the Financial Times uncovered the billion-dollar Wirecard fraud, it seemed like the story was over. But then the company’s Chief Operating Officer, Jan Marsalek, vanished - leaving behind clues that pointed to a double life as a secret agent. In his new podcast Hot Money: Ag ... Show More
1h 1m
Oct 3
Missing Fish and Fatal Feasts: Ritual and Ruin at the Sun King’s Table
In the gilded court of Louis XIV, 17th Century France, manners are everything. Where to sit, how to eat, what to wear - any misstep is costly. No one knows this better than François Vatel, the greatest party planner in all of France. Tonight, Vatel must deliver the ultimate banqu ... Show More
42m 18s
Sep 26
Don't Panic! Douglas Adams' Guide to Tomorrow - with Arvind Ethan David
Writer Douglas Adams, best known for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, used science fiction and satire to warn us about potential dangers in our future, from artificial intelligence to social media and animal extinction. In this Cautionary Conversation, Tim is joined by Arvin ... Show More
37m 54s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2023
This Pilot Intentionally Tried To Take Down A Plane?!
As if flying isn't scary enough, a pilot was arrested for trying to shut off the engine of a commercial flight, mid flight. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. 
6m 21s
Jan 2023
Could airplanes be haunted?
More than a century since the Wright brothers made history at Kitty Hawk, aircraft still seem like a stunning, new -- and potentially terrifying -- invention. It's no wonder that flight, like so many other forms of transit, has become embedded in the the human psyche. In today's ... Show More
1h 6m
Sep 2023
Weekend Release: Jane Boulton From Airline
A very, very special guest slid in to the boys DM’s this week - it’s Jane Boulton from the hit show Airline! Not only was Jane an iconic figure manning the check-in desks at Luton airport during the 90’s, but she’s now become an icon all over again with her unsympathetic interact ... Show More
26m 16s
Sep 2023
Selects: Social Security Numbers: Less Boring Than You'd Think
Do you know that up until July 2011 an ambitious hacker with a good software program could deduce your social security number based on your date and place of birth? In this classic episode, the boys examine some of the lesser-known details of the Social Security system in the U.S ... Show More
39m 3s
Jul 2022
“I Was A Stranger and You Welcomed Me”
Malcolm tells the story of how his parents and their friends sponsored three Vietnamese refugees, in the aftermath of the Vietnam War. And wonders: do we underestimate the value of ordinary acts of kindness? If you’d like to keep up with the most recent news from this and other P ... Show More
33m 47s
Jul 2022
Flight cancellations plague airlines as millions travel
If you thought it would be easier to fly than paying soaring gas prices this weekend, brace yourself. Flights are so overbooked and the schedule is so precarious that one airline is offering $10,000 for passengers to give up their seats. Plus, sources reveal who may have tried to ... Show More
1h 18m
Mar 2023
Terror on the Airline
Listeners, strap yourselves in. The late 20th century was an era of glamorous air travel, where you could saunter right through to the plane and buy your ticket in your seat (alongside your martini). But, alongside the glamour was a slew of sky-jackings, with hundreds of hijackin ... Show More
41m 10s
May 2020
Remember When Chris Flew A 747?
Back in 2013 - Scott feared the worse when two 747 pilots asked for Chris to be their Plan B - Did he manage to land the plane without risk to the passengers? Exactly how much of an idiot did he sound making annoucements on the PA system? And did he ever take off the Top Gun styl ... Show More
20m 10s