[lawnchair_larry]

Can confirm that United Airlines directly employs aircraft mechanics who are free to service as they see fit, and they use hardware that is not DRM'd to the plane.

Can also confirm that aircrafts can do more damage than tractors if things go wrong.

Like the JDs in the article that are so complex that they can steer themselves, aircrafts also do this!

I don't see how tractors are any different either. So JD should cut out this rent-seeking bullshit and stop pretending it's in the best interest of anybody other than their shareholders.

[gus_massa]

From all the articles that I have read, the repairs of the United Airlines planes are heavily regulated. The mechanics can't replace a part with another unless the new part is certified, and certification is very expensive. The mechanics also have to be certified and fill a lot of paperwork.

The changes checks are not enforced by software, but by strict FAA rules.