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Aviation & aerospace engineering: videos Hacker News recommends
Aviation: airplanes, airlines, pilots, flight training, air traffic control, jet engines, aircraft design, crashes and investigations, paramotors, drones, helicopters, Boeing, aircraft history. Below: every video in this topic that at least three HN users linked with real commentary, in at least three different months (44 demos, 27 explainers, 12 documentarys), best-scored first, with the comments on each video page.
- Cars, EVs & motorcycles 171
- Transit, cities & urban planning 174
- Civil engineering & construction 70
- Mechanical & precision engineering 141
- Manufacturing & industrial processes 69
- Woodworking, metalworking & workshop skills 34
- 3D printing, CNC & maker projects 58
- Home, DIY & practical skills 61
- Cooking & food 41
- Ships, submarines & maritime 24
- Engineering & making (other) 27
- 11 HN recommenders 11 months 2021–2026M Mossie Fly · lectureHN brings it up in any thread about autopilot, Tesla FSD, self-driving cars and crashes as the classic lecture on automation dependency.
- 6 HN recommenders 6 months 2017–2025HN commenters recommend it as an in-depth, accessible look at airline class economics and revisit it in many discussions about airlines.
- 8 HN recommenders 6 months 2020–2022HN commenters send people here for a detailed first-hand account from the pilot, and some say it changed their view on the sightings.
- 9 HN recommenders 6 months 2020–2023It is the default link in any thread about boarding or deplaning order, praised as an excellent, clear treatment.
- 9 HN recommenders 6 months 2019–2023HN points to it as the best explanation of how Zipline's whole system works and as an example of drones doing real, useful work.
- 6 HN recommenders 5 months 2020–2025X X, The Moonshot Factory · documentaryHN recommends it as a technically rich, beautifully made documentary on ambitious hardware engineering and failure.
- 5 HN recommenders 5 months 2019–2023HN refers to it as the direct first-person account from the pilot in UFO and UAP threads, though some find it unconvincing.
- 8 HN recommenders 5 months 2017–2023Recommended in threads on the 747 and A380 for explaining why big planes were phased out.
- 5 HN recommenders 5 months 2016–2025It is the go-to demonstration of how hypoxia silently disables decision making, cited in threads on altitude, flying, diving, CO2 and breathwork.
- 6 HN recommenders 5 months 2017–2024Boeing threads cite it as early evidence of deep cultural and quality problems at Boeing, years before the 737 MAX crashes.
- 5 HN recommenders 4 months 2024–2025HN recommends it as a detailed, pilot's-eye summary of the whole MH370 story and the case for searching again.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2019–2024Strongly recommended as a gripping case study whose lessons carry over to engineering management and safety.
- 3 HN recommenders 4 months 2021–2024D Dark Footage · explainerShared in hypersonic and missile threads as a compact, impressive overview of what Sprint achieved in the 1960s.
- 10 HN recommenders 4 months 2020–2021HN repeatedly recommends it as an excellent explanation of why flying on Mars is hard and how the helicopter was built.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2022–2023It is the standard answer when someone asks what happened to drone delivery.
- 2 HN recommenders 3 months 2019–2023L LEMMiNO · documentaryRegularly shared as the best well-made overview of the MH370 mystery, in threads on the search and ocean mapping.
- 7 HN recommenders 3 months 2019–2022During the 737 MAX crash coverage, HN commenters linked it as a clear, pilot-led demonstration of what an MCAS runaway looks like and how hard manual trim is to crank.
- 4 HN recommenders 3 months 2017–2020HN recommends it whenever threads touch twin-engine ocean flights, diversions, or why the 747 and A380 are being retired.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2018–2024HN recommends it as a clear explanation of why batteries limit electric aviation.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2011–2021F Festo · demoRecommended as a spectacular example of bio-inspired robotics, and a pointer to Festo's other work.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2018–2023Recommended as a clear, accessible explainer on logistics, overnight shipping and why old planes get used for cargo.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2019–2024HN resurfaces it during Boeing safety stories as early, firsthand evidence that production and management problems long predate the 737 Max.
- 4 HN recommenders 3 months 2019–2021M Michigan Engineering · talkHN commenters point to it as a credible debunking of the popular but wrong explanations of how wings generate lift.
- 5 HN recommenders 3 months 2021–2026HN commenters point to it whenever airline economics or frequent-flier miles come up, since it clearly shows loyalty programs are worth more than the airlines themselves.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2018–2022Recommended as a clear economic explanation of aviation tradeoffs, relevant to Concorde and supersonic startup threads.
- 2 HN recommenders 3 months 2014–2021A AviationTV · demoRecommended as a captivating look at how a professional crew calmly handles an in-flight engine problem.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2022–2026HN recommends the series as an insightful, humorous account of why unleaded aviation fuel is so hard to approve.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2015–2026Cited whenever aviation or vehicle communication security comes up, as the standard demonstration that ADS-B is naively designed and trivially spoofable.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2022–2026HN recommends the series for explaining why unleaded avgas has been so hard to approve, usually in threads about FAA and EPA fuel decisions.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2021–2022Recommended as a fascinating insider account of how the F-22's software makes it easier to fly than a Cessna.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2017–2021HN recommends it as a well-done history of Skunk Works, popping up in SR-71 threads.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2018–2023HN links it whenever airline route rules, cabotage or loopholes come up, as a concise background explainer.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2019–2023HN commenters point to it as a well-researched primer when airport security theatre and Israeli-style screening come up.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2019HN recommends it as a concise explanation of what caused the 737 Max crashes.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2017–2023B Bret · talkHN recommends it as an entertaining, technical illustration of how hard the Shuttle's one-shot dead-stick landing was.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2025–2026Commenters send it to people asking how engines survive such temperatures, and call it fascinating and worth watching.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2017–2019HN points to it as a short, clear answer to why budget airlines are so cheap.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2018–2022J Just Think · demoHN cites it as a practical demonstration that kerosene-type fuels are hard to ignite compared with gasoline.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2018–2021J Jan Johnson · talkShared as the pilot's own telling of a famous, amusing SR-71 anecdote that never gets old.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2010–2014C Clark Lindsey · demoCited as an example of impressive amateur-scale rocket work, and as a vertical-landing test that predates and rivals SpaceX's Grasshopper.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2013–2023M mtthw0 · demoHN links it constantly as vivid evidence of how much margin aircraft structures have and that destructive testing is real.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2023–2025G Greg's Airplanes and Automobiles · documentaryHN commenters use it as a well-researched account of what the Wrights actually solved, in threads on airplane physics and invention credit.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2024HN recommends it as an entertaining and thorough overview of Boeing's decline whenever the company's safety problems are in the news.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2019–2020HN people recommend it as an easy-to-understand pilot's explanation of the 737 MAX MCAS issue.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2022–2025F flightcrewguide.com · lectureHN cites it as the famous lecture on over-reliance on automation and on when to drop to a lower level of automation, applicable well beyond aviation.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2021–2022N Nathan Kutz · lectureHN commenters recommend it for its fluid dynamics of detonation waves and its high-speed imaging of rotating pulses.
- 3 HN recommenders 2 months 2019–2022HN pointed to it during the 737 MAX discussions to show how hard manual trim is when severely out of trim.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2017–2026F flugsnug · demoHN commenters link it as a visual illustration of wingtip vortices and wake turbulence when discussing lift and aircraft wakes.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2017–2021HN uses it as a vivid example of tacit knowledge and skill acquisition, where the brain eventually abstracts away the complexity.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2014–2020K Kevin Hayward · demoLinked as a vivid demonstration of how fast hypoxia incapacitates people, often without them noticing.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2016–2017Pointed to when people want to see the cams and gears inside a mechanical navigation computer.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2022–2025HN people point to it as a fun summary of how messy airport codes are, especially in threads on aviation falsehoods and code collisions.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2022–2023T TNG Technology Consulting GmbH · talkRecommended as a detailed, wonderful explanation of the physics of dynamic soaring and record-speed RC gliders.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2021–2024Recommended as the introductory explainer whenever rotating detonation engines show up in the news.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2012–2015F FirstSecondThoughts · documentaryLinked in Reaction Engines threads as the story behind the engine, though one commenter is skeptical of the company's funding record.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2012–2017J JDProductions INC. · documentaryRecommended as a great look at how thoroughly airliners are inspected and rebuilt, and cited in aviation maintenance discussions.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2021–2025Cited in aviation-accident threads as a compact analysis of whether whole-aircraft parachutes work, with the track record described as impressive.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2012–2026O OrnithopterProject · demoUsed as the real example of human-powered flapping flight, in contrast to hoaxes and other human-powered aircraft discussions.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2014–2021S shareoldvideos · documentaryCited in threads on Boeing and engineering management as a long, interesting look at how a modern airliner was built.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2016–2024HN points to it as a real-world example of Julia used in safety-critical aerospace design.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2020–2021M Microsoft Flight Simulator · demoHN commenters link it as official evidence that the new simulator's flight model is serious and comparable to dedicated sims.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2020–2021Cited as a source for Boeing's post-merger cultural decline and the undermining of its engineers.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2019–2024C Cirrus · demoHN points to it as a real example of certified emergency autoland, used in debates about autonomy and pilotless aircraft.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2022–2025B BPS.space · demoHN cites it as the landmark example of a hobbyist landing a rocket, and recommends the channel for following that progress.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2014–2021B BELAIR2000 · interviewHN cites it as an insider's critique of the F-35 whenever the program's problems come up.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2013–2016A AerospaceControlsLab · demoReferenced in drone threads as a demonstration that variable pitch quadcopters fly well with little drift.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2016–2019F flightcrewguide.com · lectureCited in aviation threads as a gripping primary-source account of incidents like stabilizer trim moving without the pilot's knowledge.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2016–2018HN points to it in electric aviation threads for how small electric motors enable contra-rotating props.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2016–2023J jaglavaksoldier · demoHN commenters link it as the go-to example of what a carrier deck can handle and as an impressive flight feat.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2018–2022N nature video · explainerLinked as a quick demonstration of the ion plane in threads about silent aircraft and flying cars.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2021–2025HN points to it as a concrete demo of emergency autoland when threads discuss pilot incapacitation and aviation automation.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2018–2022P PeterSripol · demoCited as an example of a hobbyist building and flying a real human-carrying electric plane, and as a channel worth following for DIY aircraft builds.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2014–2019M Mark Mueller · demoIt is the standard citation in drone and eVTOL threads for the claim that multirotors can survive a failed rotor with the right control algorithm.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2022–2025I Integza · demoCited as an approachable hobbyist look at RDEs in threads on detonation-powered rockets.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2010–2026M Manuito · demoLinked in aviation threads to show that engines are designed to contain a failed fan blade.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2014–2015B BELAIR2000 · interviewPosted in F-35 threads as an insider's critique from a legendary aircraft designer.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2016–2022B Boeing · news clipCited as an example of effective alarm and voice-alert design and in discussions of reactions to female voices.
- cited 3× 0 months 2018–2025I Insider · demoHN commenters link it to show how much stress airliner wings are designed to withstand, especially in turbulence and crash threads.
- cited 4× 0 months 2019–2023T TheNorthwestReport · demoHN cites it as an example of the skill of sling-load helicopter pilots.
- cited 3× 0 months 2019–2022HN commenters cite it as evidence that vertical rocket landing was demonstrated long before SpaceX, with the DC-X as the main example.
- cited 3× 0 months 2023–2024S sll914 · demoCited as a striking example of dynamic soaring letting unpowered gliders far exceed wind speed.
- cited 5× 0 months 2016–2024S Sven Herzog Aviation · videoCited as a vivid example that experienced pilots can ignore loud alarms, in threads on alarm design and gear-up landings.
- cited 5× 0 months 2015–2019H headintheclouds46 · news clipHN links it as a vivid example of a bird strike taking out an engine, and praises the calm crew and ATC response.
- cited 4× 0 months 2012–2023A Aviation Explorer · videoCited as proof that a large jet airliner can safely do a barrel roll and as a famous test-pilot stunt.
- cited 4× 0 months 2023–2025Used as an example of how easy homing and guidance have become, resembling precision-guided munitions.
- cited 3× 0 months 2015–2022G Gary Connery · demoCited as an example of how padding can allow survival of very high-speed impacts.
- cited 3× 0 months 2018–2022M Matt Brink · demoCited as a striking example of live-line work and of potential equalization, with the air as the insulator.
- cited 4× 0 months 2021–2026W What You Haven't Seen · demoHN commenters cite it in nuclear and engineering debates as evidence that concrete containment structures can withstand aircraft impacts.
- cited 3× 0 months 2014–2025B Barrel Roll · demoLinked as the go-to footage of a linear aerospike engine actually running whenever aerospike nozzles come up.
- cited 3× 0 months 2018–2021HN links it to illustrate how the shuttle's never-flown RTLS abort profile would work.
- cited 3× 0 months 2018–2022P PeterSripol · demoHN cites it as a fun, concrete demonstration that Magnus-effect rotating cylinders can generate enough lift to fly.
- cited 3× 0 months 2016–2022F forschungsbuero · demoHN points to it as proof that manned multicopters and eVTOL craft existed well before the current hype.
- cited 4× 0 months 2011–2013T Team BlackSheep · demoHN cites it as a well-known early example of FPV drone flight in drone and regulation discussions.
- cited 3× 0 months 2018–2020S sll914 · demoHN cites it as the surprising example that the fastest RC aircraft is an unpowered glider using dynamic soaring.
- cited 4× 0 months 2010–2019E englishelectric · videoHN cites it as a famous bit of aviation history showing the roll was a gentle 1G maneuver and salesmanship.
- cited 3× 0 months 2021–2025C Cambridge University · demoLinked in lift-theory arguments as a clear demonstration that air over the top of a wing does not need to catch up with air underneath.
- cited 4× 0 months 2017–2021A AviationWeek · news clipUsed as a concrete example of automation successfully saving an incapacitated pilot.
- cited 3× 0 months 2020–2022Cited to show that empty slot-keeping flights predate COVID and Lufthansa's recent practice.
- cited 5× 0 months 2016–2020N neway47 · news clipCited in threads about evacuation rules, mostly as an example of a certification test that commenters call unrealistic.
- cited 3× 0 months 2011–2020H HouieLouy · videoCited as an audible example of what hypoxia sounds like and how consciousness fades gradually.
Showing the 100 best-scored of 116. Use search to find the rest.
Questions
What is the most recommended aviation & aerospace engineering video on Hacker News?
Children Of The Magenta Line by Mossie Fly: HN brings it up in any thread about autopilot, Tesla FSD, self-driving cars and crashes as the classic lecture on automation dependency.
How is this aviation & aerospace engineering list ranked?
By HackerTube's score: the number of distinct months in which an HN comment recommended the video, plus half a point for every month with a strong recommendation. One viral thread counts less than steady recommendations over years.
Where do the videos come from?
From every Hacker News comment between 2007 and 2026 that linked a YouTube video, labeled by an AI model as a recommendation, a citation, a joke or a criticism. The list is published by HackerTube under ODC-By 1.0; this edition adds indexable pages and the comment context.
Video list and Hacker News comment labels from HackerTube (prompted by @karpathy), released under ODC-By 1.0, built on the open-index/hacker-news archive. Hacker News data is provided by Y Combinator; comments remain the work of their authors. Video titles, channel names and thumbnails belong to their creators and are shown via YouTube. HackerTube Watch is an unofficial edition. Data export of 2026-10-31.