The Los Angeles Clippers’ February flight was struck by lightning

Now don’t ask me to go anywhere that involves air travel. My fanny is parked here on the west coast until further notice. I don’t drive anywhere unless my limousine can get me there, and it’d better be before my street parking fills up. There have been two recent reports of scary flying experiences. One went viral when it was posted by a movie star’s wife and the other happened to him Los Angeles Clippers.

ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk wrote a piece about the Clippers’ recent about-face, and the lede was about their flight to Denver on February 25th. Your plane was struck by lightning. This is not a metaphor or exaggeration. Your chartered Delta flight was literally struck by lightning. After takeoff, the plane made a sudden movement to the left, a loud bang was heard, and the plane’s altitude dropped several times. Bones Hyland saw this part of the article on Twitter and shared it while reporting firsthand.

For those of us who’ve seen videos and reports on the weather in Southern California since the New Year, it’s clear that we’ve had quite a bit out here. It’s snowing at lower elevations, streets are flooded and a pro basketball team’s plane has been hit by the Sky Stream. Last year the Super Bowl was on February 13th in LA and the temperature was 80 degrees. In January 2023 the rain washed people all over SoFi Stadium Hall during the College Football National Championship Game. Some rain was needed out here, but enough is enough.

Not just the Clippers

Two weeks ago Camila Alves McConaughey was on a flight from Austin to Frankfurt, Germany with her husband – actor Matthew McConaughey. It had to make an emergency landing at Dulles Airport near Washington due to severe turbulence that left seven people hospitalized. McConaughey posted footage on Instagram of the interior of the aircraft after it has stabilized. The turbulence took place during the meal, leaving trays and food scattered throughout the cabin. She claims she was told the plane had fallen 4,000 feet.

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Of course statistics Proving that flying on an airplane is the safest way to travel. Unlike America’s freeway system, at 37,000 feet, only highly skilled professionals operate large machines powered by engines. Another reason is capitalism. In order for the rich to get richer, many people have to fly around the world. These planes need to be staffed, and CEOs and professional basketball teams need to be on them frequently without worrying about a crash.

Those are two odd occurrences, but tell me the next time I’m on a plane my shaking right knee will be vibrating from turbulence. OK, that might be a little long winded. I would be seated in a main cabin seat so my knee would be pressed against the seat in front of me and there would be no room for a restless leg.

The most persistent problem with flying is the price of admission and the fact that less thorough TSA screening is available for purchase. A plane nose-diving and blowing up my dinner is far less likely than me cursing to myself because my flight was delayed on a sunny day.

Perception is everything, however, and my perception is that the sky is angry, so I’m going to endure those rainy days over here by the Pacific Ocean until summer.