Terminology – Flightmare

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

Flightmare is what happens on Independence Day weekend (the 4th of July), in the United States, when millions of people have travel plans, 800 flights a day are canceled, bad weather is hitting the east coast, crews are unable to get to the airport, and the signals from new 5G network technology are interfering with aviation radar altimeters.

Flightmare, a portemanteau term blending together “flight” and “nightmare”, means mayhem at the airport and in passenger travel plans. Flightmare, not be confused with FlightAware, the American multinational flight-tracking company, that provides historical, predictive, and real-time flight-tracking data, using 32,000 ground stations, in 200 countries.

Flightmare travel chaos, slightly different from Flightmare, one of the 84 dragons at the Dreamworks School of Dragons, a virtual MMORPG* videogame, based on the animated trilogy How To Train Your Dragon I , II & III.

Flightmare, perhaps not in 2024, if the H.R.2653 Flightmare Prevention Act of 2023 passes. The bill was introduced in Congress on April 17, 2023, by US Congresswoman Katie Porter, representing Orange County, CA.

Flightmare** 

Happy 4th!

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* MMORPG - Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game -- a video game that takes place in a persistent state world (PSW) with thousands, or even millions, of players developing their characters in a role-playing environment.

** Flightmare - A medium-sized dragon with a very ghost-like appearance, whose body is covered in tiny spots that almost resemble the night sky. MMORPG Dreamworks School of Dragons.  

References

Flightmare – Dreamworks School of Dragons.
https://dreamworks-school-of-dragons.fandom.com/wiki/Flightmare

FlightAware
https://flightaware.com/ 

HR2653 - Flightmare Prevention Act of 2023. 

https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/2653/text?s=1&r=6

How To Train Your Dragon I. (2010)
https://youtu.be/fVr3J3Ddz70

How To Train Your Dragon II. (2014)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFEaLrcQGA0

How To Train Your Dragon III. (2019)

https://youtu.be/CQ7XUCQ6pbE

Rodriguez-Poleo, G. (June 30, 2023). Fourth of July flightmare continues with nearly 800 flights delayed today - as passengers slam FAA for tweeting 'Wheel of Failure' meme about unruly passengers after almost 7,000 cancelations this week. Daily Mail.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12251037/Fourth-July-flightmare-continues-800-flights-delayed-today-7-000-cancelations.html

Towey, H and P. Syme (June 30, 2023). Get ready for a flightmare: What to expect if you're one of the 4 million Americans flying this Independence Day weekend. Insider (and Associated Press).
https://www.insider.com/fourth-of-july-travel-airport-chaos-united-flight-delays-cancellations-2023-6