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Plane Too Fat To Fly In Scorching Vegas Heat, Airline Begs 50 Passengers To Get The Hell Off

Plane Too Fat To Fly In Scorching Vegas Heat, Airline Begs 50 Passengers To Get The Hell Off

LAS VEGAS — Talk about a weighty problem.

Travelers stuck at Harry Reid International Airport this weekend got the ultimate “you’re not going anywhere” announcement after the mercury hit a blistering 114 degrees: The plane was simply too heavy for the thin desert air to lift it off the ground.

In a viral video circulating online, gate agents at an American Airlines terminal can be seen pleading for 50 volunteers to sit this one out — or nobody was leaving Sin City.

“It’s 114 in Las Vegas. Pilot says it’s so hot that the plane cannot take off with full weight,” the overlay on the clip reads. “They ask for 50 volunteers to not board or the plane won’t take off. Wild.”

One social media poster captured the collective eye-roll perfectly: “I wonder how many people looked around, tried to spot out the bigger ones, and nodded like, ‘Yep, I think you need to sit this one out.’

”Extreme heat thins the air, reducing the density that wings need to generate lift and engines need to produce power. At high-temperature, high-elevation spots like Las Vegas, airlines routinely have to ditch cargo, fuel, or — as a last resort, actual human beings to stay within safe operating limits.

Passengers in the terminal looked less than thrilled as staff worked the gate, with some already muttering they’d rather walk than risk it. “If I hear the plane is too heavy, ain’t no way I am getting on that,” one online commenter declared. Others said they’d volunteer just to avoid trusting the math.

It’s the latest headache in a brutal heat wave baking Southern Nevada, where the airport itself clocked 114 degrees Friday afternoon. Flights have been delayed, diverted, and weight-restricted across the Southwest for days.

No word yet on how many travelers ultimately took the airline up on the offer or whether any “bigger ones” got the side-eye, but one thing’s clear: In Vegas, even the planes are learning that what happens in the heat stays grounded.



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Xtra suddenly cancels preorders for its clone of banned DJI Osmo Pocket 4 Pro camera<div id="article"> <p>Xtra, the camera company that suddenly popped up last year, is canceling preorders and issuing refunds for its upcoming Xtra Muse 2 Pro gimbal camera.</p><p>“After reviewing our product and launch readiness, XTRA has decided to pause the current Early Bird program,” the company said <a href="https://store.xtra-us.com/pages/muse-2-pro-early-access" target="_blank" data-ga-click="1" data-ga-label="$text" data-ga-item="text-link" data-ga-module="content_body" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>in a statement</u></a> posted on its website and in emails sent to customers viewed by Mashable. “Because we are unable to confirm a reliable launch timeline at this stage, we do not believe customers’ funds should remain on hold.”</p><p>Xtra customers had put down a $20 reservation for the Xtra Muse 2 Pro in exchange for a pre-order and an early bird discount of $60 off the camera when it went on sale. Along with a refund, Xtra is also issuing a 10 percent off coupon to customers that can be used on their current line of products.</p> <p>Despite taking preorders, Xtra never shared a prospective launch date for the camera, which was a major point of criticism for customers across social media.</p><h2>Why did Xtra cancel camera preorders?</h2><p>Xtra <a href="https://www.theverge.com/policy/970742/dji-camera-clone-company-xtra-is-halting-and-refunding-all-preorders" target="_blank" data-ga-click="1" data-ga-label="$text" data-ga-item="text-link" data-ga-module="content_body" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>says the refunds</u></a> were due to “product and launch readiness” and didn’t provide any further explanation. However, the preorder cancellations come shortly after the FCC announced investigations into eight companies, including Xtra.</p><section x-data="window.newsletter({ isDeal: false })" x-init="init()" aria-label="Newsletter Sign-Up" class="relative invisible my-12 mx-auto w-full max-w-3xl md:my-16 ziff-component accent-cut-for-gradient-bg accent-cut-border-for-gradient-bg bg-gradient-fuchsia-secondary p-[2px]"> <p> <span class="text-gradient-fuchsia-secondary">Mashable Light Speed</span> </p> </section> <p>DJI, the popular China-based drone and action camera company, has effectively been banned in the U.S. As Mashable <a href="https://mashable.com/article/fcc-bans-foreign-drones-including-dji-what-happens-next" target="_blank" data-ga-click="1" data-ga-label="$text" data-ga-item="text-link" data-ga-module="content_body"><u>previously reported</u></a>, the ban started late last year after Trump’s FCC cited national security concerns and data-spying issues. DJI products that were for sale before the ban can still be sold for now. Consumers with DJI devices can still use them. However, the U.S. government has not approved any new DJI products, so they can’t be imported into the country.</p><p>Enter Xtra. Xtra came onto the scene last year with its lines of cameras that appear to be clones of DJI’s line of cameras. The company is rumored to be a “<a href="https://github.com/KonradIT/dji-front-companies" target="_blank" data-ga-click="1" data-ga-label="$text" data-ga-item="text-link" data-ga-module="content_body" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>DJI front company</u></a>,” or a company explicitly set up to import DJI’s banned products into the U.S. Online sleuths and outlets such as <a href="https://www.theverge.com/report/795016/xtra-muse-dji-osmo-pocket-3-us-customs-tariffs" target="_blank" data-ga-click="1" data-ga-label="$text" data-ga-item="text-link" data-ga-module="content_body" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>The Verge</u></a> have previously looked into Xtra’s potential relations with DJI and found numerous similarities and connections. Xtra’s Muse 2 Pro camera, for example, looks exactly like DJI’s new Osmo Pocket 4 Pro camera aside from a few design alterations. </p><p>In addition, DJI has <a href="https://mashable.com/tech/dji-insta360-action-gimbal-cameras-patent-lawsuits" target="_blank" data-ga-click="1" data-ga-label="$text" data-ga-item="text-link" data-ga-module="content_body"><u>gone after competitors</u></a> like Insta360 with legal claims involving its camera patents. Yet, DJI has remained mum on Xtra’s products, which would appear to infringe way more than others.</p><p>The eight companies under investigation were previously asked to provide information on whether any of the products it sells should be on the list of banned items. However, none of these companies apparently responded to the FCC. As a result, the FCC is demanding the information and has levied a <a href="https://www.theverge.com/policy/964342/fcc-crack-down-dji-front-companies-xtra-skyrover-sgs-lab" target="_blank" data-ga-click="1" data-ga-label="$text" data-ga-item="text-link" data-ga-module="content_body" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>$25,000 fine</u></a> against each of them, including Xtra.</p><p>The FCC is now <a href="https://www.theverge.com/news/968310/fcc-dji-drone-camera-ban-skyrover-xtra" target="_blank" data-ga-click="1" data-ga-label="$text" data-ga-item="text-link" data-ga-module="content_body" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>looking into</u></a> <a href="https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-26-742A1.pdf" target="_blank" data-ga-click="1" data-ga-label="$text" data-ga-item="text-link" data-ga-module="content_body" title="(opens in a new window)"><u>retroactively banning</u></a> Xtra’s previously approved products as well.</p><p>At this point, the status of the Xtra Muse 2 Pro is unclear. The company is not outright canceling the launch; however, the preorder cancellations and the FCC news point to a potentially grim outcome for U.S. consumers. For now, at least, U.S. consumers looking to buy an Xtra Muse 2 Pro or DJI Osmo Pocket 4 Pro can look into the <a href="https://mashable.com/tech/insta360-luna-ultra-launch-price-specs" target="_blank" data-ga-click="1" data-ga-label="$text" data-ga-item="text-link" data-ga-module="content_body"><u>Insta360 Luna Ultra</u></a>, which is not banned in the country.</p> <section class="mx-auto max-w-7xl"> </section> </div>#Xtra #suddenly #cancels #preorders #clone #banned #DJI #Osmo #Pocket #Pro #camera

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