Lack of news forces news.com.au to mine YouTube #media #laziness

Surely news.com.au can do better than just rehash what they find on YouTube? Apparently not! This is headed 'Most terrifying plane landings' and was written, if that is the correct term, by Kate Schneider: HOLD on to your seats and be thankful you weren't onboard these terrifying flights as we take a look at some of the scariest plane landings ever. From nearly hitting the heads of beachgoers to swinging violently from side to side, these videos show some extreme and amazing landings. Yes folks, this is the travel section! Brought to you by a quick Google of YouTube!

Yes, some scary crosswind landings there, but these videos aren't hard to find, are they? My 2 year old has seen these already. And crosswinds are part of the flying game, just as not hitting the terrain is considered a good thing. It wouldn't be so bad if Kate had actually researched the topic a bit more widely and made some more thoughtful and valuable comments. It seems to me that an airport's 'scariness' shouldn't be judged on the number of posts found on YouTube... nor would a prudent and informed writer say that pilots were 'forced' to fly close to buildings; rather perhaps they flew a safe and pre-determined glidepath that was approved by the appropriate flight safety bodies. It may be that it looks dramatic, especially when viewed through a long-focal-length lens, when if fact it was quite day-to-day for the pilots and passengers concerned to 'skim' buildings or beaches.

Maybe it was just a s-l-o-w day at news.com.au.