Airplane meltdown videos form a significant microgenre on YouTube, capturing passengers reacting dramatically to trivial inconveniences. In early aviation, flying elicited curiosity and wonder, rather than frustration; early passengers faced harsh conditions, often sitting in open cockpits. The pioneering Wright brothers expressed belief in the feasibility of flight, culminating in their first successful flight. Early airplanes primarily served military and mail purposes, with passengers enduring primitive travel experiences, as amenities like flight attendants did not exist until later.
Of YouTube's many microgenres, one of the most popular and most enduring is the airplane meltdown. There are thousands or maybe millions of these videos online: Passengers going nuts over spilled drinks or supposedly bad service; flight cancellations turning grown adults feral.
In the early 20th century, flying was a source of intense curiosity and great wonder; if anyone was melting down, it was probably because they were simply so dazzled by it all.
Wilbur Wright wrote in a letter to a friend in 1900, eventually published in The Atlantic. Three years later, he and his brother, Orville, managed to get a biplane in the air for 12 seconds.
Early airplanes were used mostly for warcraft and mail carrying; occasionally, a passenger might come along for some reason or another, but they had to sit with the pilot in an open cockpit, exposed to whatever the weather was.
Collection
[
|
...
]