Signal Boost: Flying While Pegasus · 12:26am Aug 23rd, 2021
PonyDragon brought this one to my attention, and while it doesn’t quite qualify for the Not-a-contest, it’s got a pony on Earth and it’s got a pegasus dealing with flight rules.
Which is something that very much has my interest.
While we’ve never heard it mentioned in canon (as far as I know), since Equestria has both mechanical flying machines and biological fliers, there must be some rules to avoid midair collisions. While I’m not aware of any episode with a jet engine, I have to imagine if a pegasus were to collide with the main rotor of Cherry Berry’s helicopter, both ponies would have a bad day.
Maybe they’re still using ‘see and avoid,’ which is low-tech but workable at low speeds and good visibility. Especially since ponies are often brightly-colored. IRL birds rarely have midairs with each other.
But on Earth, there would have to be rules to take into account the normal air traffic—nobody wants a pegasus to get sucked through a jet engine. What form those requirements would take, and how much of a hassle it would be for bureaucrats to deal with, well. . . .
Incidentally, I have two more works in progress that involve pegasi and flight gear/communication rules while on Earth, and also another idea about a pony failing a government inspection (spoilered ‘cause it’s a minor plot point in Flying While Pegasus).
I seem to remember another story on here where getting FAA certified was a plot point. Silver Glow's Journal, I believe it was. Can't remember who the author is ...
(Not sure if I link since it does have the sex tag in it, though its relatively mild. And that last comment is very much tongue in cheek)
Can you believe it's been five years since the beginning of Silver Glow's Journal? Where has the time gone?
I think their flying machines are mostly too slow-moving to warrant any concern.
Ironically the biological fliers (at least a couple of them) can go fast enough to cause concern.
Well, a friend of mine has written a five score story, where the ponies end up in our world due to Discord's curse. And she gave a lot of thought to it. And the USAF to the rescue. Forming the five twentieth, primarily with pegasi that were military when they changed back to ponies. It has different divisions dealing with west and east coast ponies, and also educating them about no-fly zones, and to stay away from airports. Also since a pegasus can simply fly over a fence, also 520th pegasi who guard vital buildings and prevent them from breaking human laws. Any pegasi able to get high enough or fast enough are required to get a transponder, and com gear so they can communicate with traffic control. Actually, another five score story had a really good scene depicting life with pegasi going with commercial flights. That one is Civil Patrol. The first one is called Velvet Nightfall. If you want some long stories to read, give them a shot.
5572836
You're commenting on the author's blog post :P
5572882
I believe you missed the spot at the end of my post that indicated that bit was tongue in cheek :)
Hm, thanks. :)
5572763
...I mean, uh, you did also put that spoilered bit in the blog tags, though.
I'm writing a mystery right now with some pegasus world-building in it, actually.
I've said as much on the story's page, but stories like this always make me wonder how many pegasi would actually come over to our world. The kind of regulations and limitations we put on flying would make a species for whom flying is as natural as breathing pull out their mane in frustration. It'd be like us crossing the portal to Equestria and be greeted with "welcome to Equestria, please tie your hands behind your back until you have familiarized yourself with our hands-protocol, filled in the required paperwork and have the appropriate equipment."
5572836
Hmm, yes, I think I’ve heard of that one. I’ll have to check it out.
5572839
I know, right? It’s crazy.
Then again, I have no idea where 2021 has gone.
5572844
Probably, although midair collisions between flying machines and pegasi or even two flying machines could still be devastating. While it’s not an exact comparison (due to mass), ships are slow-moving, and yet there have been navigation rules for a long time to avoid collisions.
Yeah, exactly. If we go with real physics and assume that RD breaks the sound barrier with her Sonic Rainboom, how much damage can a supersonic little pony do if she crashes? I don’t know enough physics to give a proper answer, but I bet a hundred pounds moving at 1000km/h is going to leave a dent in whatever it hits. 200 pounds of doe can do plenty of damage to a car at only 100km/h. . . .
5572853
I’ve also put a lot of thought into it, for what that’s worth (and it’s a plot point in several stories of mine) . . . granted, there are some headcanons that come into play, but however those shake out, ideally pegasi would be granted somewhat unfettered access to the sky but in the interests of other aircraft there would be rules they would have to follow for everyone’s safety. Nobody wants to deal with a pegasus getting sucked through a jet engine, after all.
Different operations could lead to different rules; for example, in one of my stories the pegasi who are working with tornadoes are given more freedom since no pilot is going to fly into a tornado. Altitude restrictions could come into play; in the US aircraft are generally forbidden to fly below 1000 feet in an urban area, and that could be a free zone for pegasi. Likewise, restrictions on different classes of airspace could come into play, and honestly a lot of it would be a work in progress. The odds of a pegasus getting hit by an aircraft flying at treetop level over a city is basically zero, but flying across LAX’s approach paths for funzies will almost certainly end in disaster.
5573001
That’s a bonus for people who actually bother to read the blog tags
5573052
Looking forward to it! Pegasus worldbuilding is always fun!
5573161
Yeah, our rules would put a damper on normal pegasus behavior to be sure, but then the same could be applied to other Equestrian species as well. There are likely things that unicorns are forbidden to do on Earth, some of which might be normal things for them. Ditto for Earth ponies. And other Equestrian species as well; what kind of regulations might have to be in place for a dragon? I think that while it might not be a popular destination for all ponies due to limitations (just like I might give a pass on visiting a nation that had restrictions I didn’t want to deal with), the benefits might outweigh those for some ponies. Assuming you’ve read Silver Glow’s Journal, the tornado ponies probably were all ones who jumped at the chance to try dealing with feral weather in another world, even if they had to put up with some flight limitations. Ditto for the ponies working at Disney World who were required to wear clothes.
Fact is there’s a lot of fun worldbuilding and speculation revolving around Equestrians on Earth.
5573289
Yes! Great fun!
...but of course this is Trick Question we're talking about so most of the worldbuilding has to do with suicides by falling from the sky
5573287
Ah. :D
Well, thanks? :)
5573052
Ooh, neat. :)
5573312
...Ah.
Well, still, could be interesting, certainly! And you say most of the worldbuilding is about that, too, not all.
5573280 For that matter, there might be far more rules for, say, Wonderbolts, than for airships.
5573338
There's a lot of flight terminology and details. Er, there will be, anyway. Still writing.
First I have to finish my entry for Pia-sama's contest. Had no idea they were on Fimfiction until, like, two days ago.
Have you met Bad Horse?
5573365
Very possibly. And there could also be priority rules (in the open seas, sailboats or unpowered vessels generally have more freedom than powered ones, whereas in restricted waters, large unmaneuverable boats have effective channel privileges (your jetski will do fine in three feet of water, a lake freighter not so much). I could see weather ponies and emergency responder pegasi having a higher right-of-way than other types of marecraft or aircraft.
5573432
Bad who? Never heard of him.
At EFNW there was a Bad Horse-looking dude but his badge was defaced and “Good” was written in crayon in front of the word “Horse.”
Also funnily enough we were talking at dinner or before dinner and apparently he’s only aware of me writing crackfics and trollfics.
5573431
Good luck with the contest entry!
5573296
In Kris Overstreet's The Maretian Spitfire manages to stop a magically caused tornado from ruining the group's attempts to get off planet.
There's a comment there that its one record that Rainbow Dash will never beat.
5573847
I really need to finish reading that story. I read the first half or more, actually was late to work one day ‘cause I had to read ‘just one more chapter,’ and then I got sidetracked and never finished it.
That is probably true.