So the Sun let loose a pretty strong CME today, and we are still waiting for the waves of another that let loose a few days ago.  If you're not familiar with the Carrington Event, Click Here.  It was an event long before the age of flight where a CME struck the earth and our magnetosphere and brought all electrics and telegraph systems down.  

 

There are a lot of doomtards on another forum I visit who decided to start the topic of discussing what they think would happen to aircraft flying if we had another Carrington event.  I've been laughing for a good few minutes here reading some of their views.  The question is "What would happen to the planes in the sky?".

 

"Nothing but would have to go to manual controls. 

Hopefully they have had training"

 

 

"Hopefully the engines don't rely on electronic controls, like all of our cars and trucks do. 

Otherwise, things might get messy."

 

 

"Nothing to the planes themselves. But it could be a major issue for planes flying at night. Suddenly GPS is down and all the lights are out. You've just lost many of your visible landmarks and you've lost GPS guidance. 

You'd be down to finding major highways based on car headlights only. From that you'd have to find an airport, hopefully one that has got backup generators for radio beacons and runways lights?"

 

 

"Wrong, even lightning only rarely causes a major malfunction. Solar EMP for something as small as a plane will be trivial compared to a lightning strike."

 

 

"Depends on the pilot, load, weather. 

If the pilot can handle all that without comms, 
navs, possible black out on the ground, should be 
okay. 
Planes are configures to fly no matter how much 
the pilot interferes with controlled surfaces. 
Ailerons, rudder, flaps, etc. 
Course, jets like fighters, they are a whole other story. 
They would fall out of the sky, ejection capability 
gone."

 

 

I've been laughing for a bit because I actually don't think anything would happen.  What say you?

 

 

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I guess I should have asked what would happen to the 777 if it was to happen.