Unauthorized Engine Start...

[Raptor]

Given the technology of 2154, shouldn't the control tower dispatcher (or whoever she is) be able to remotely shut down Trudy's helicopter's engines? If it was unauthorized, it would be a prudent safety measure to make sure that the engines can't start or can be remotely shut down.

What do you guys think?

[Sacred Tsahaylu]

I think that is a good idea, and probable in a corporation of that size. Maybe it just wasn't included or Trudy overrode the safety features

[Human No More]

I'd say it's more likely she just noticed that someone was starting one, as opposed to some kind of control system.

[tallbluewanderer]

Originally Posted by AC130StandingBy

Given the technology of 2154, shouldn't the control tower dispatcher (or whoever she is) be able to remotely shut down Trudy's helicopter's engines? If it was unauthorized, it would be a prudent safety measure to make sure that the engines can't start or can be remotely shut down.

What do you guys think?

That makes sense, but if you think about it such a security feature might also be a security hole. If, for example, a few soldiers went crazy and took over the control tower, they could bring down the entire helicopter fleet -- or someone might hack into the systems and cripple them (this would be more of a concern on Earth where the systems were designed and where enemy combatants are presumably technologically advanced). I'm guessing that the choppers wouldn't allow unauthorized pilots to fly them -- it's just that nobody expected Trudy to be a rebel and so her authorization wasn't revoked.

Anyway, these are just some random thoughts. I don't know anything about Avatar's Earth, and I haven't gotten a copy of the Survival Guide yet, so take this with a grain of salt.

[Rabbit]

Why didn't Grace, Norm and Jake all jump in the chopper before she started? that would make sense no?

[tallbluewanderer]

Originally Posted by Rabbit

Why didn't Grace, Norm and Jake all jump in the chopper before she started? that would make sense no?

That's what I was wondering. Maybe I missed something...

[Iluvrien]

I have devoted some thought to this too as it struck me as odd. I came up with two ideas, both of which have pros and cons (please share your thoughts):

1) The cycling time of the aircraft was such that there was a worry that their escape might have been discovered before they were ready to leave (I feel this one is unlikely).

2) They really didn't expect anyone to be quite so insane as to kick open the airlock-door of the control tower without a mask and start throwing automatic weapons fire at them the moment Trudy started cycling the engines.

Personally, I favour the latter... maybe with elements of the former. There are problems with both ideas though.

[txen]

In general most military air vehicles that I have worked on have no "turn off" systems of any kind. They are not even locked like a car. All you have to do is be able to start them.

[Woodsprite]

Trudy's sampson was probably a bit tweaked since she was involved with all the science field jobs with taking avatars to and from different destinations.

There might've been an overdrive mechanism inside the sampson before, but she removed it. Maybe she assumed they might've upgraded it sometime before along with the rest with a new override, explaining her line, "Come on, baby." Thankfully, it still had all the same tweaks she gave it. For all we know, she's had control over her own sampson for at least a full 2 years.