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It's an interesting question. The logic of the article isn't great, but perhaps there truly are some deep similarities between flight and code. As he points out, both have a tradition of learning by on the job experience, and providing a sense of freedom to those willing to master the basics. Both also have an somewhat uneasy interplay between the 'professionals' and the 'amateurs'.

From the article, the most salient part for me was the "World War II attitude". There are tons of regulations for flying, but in end one is truly in charge of the vessel. Pilots and engineers are among relatively few professions where one can answer 'unable' and presume that the rest of the conversation will take this as fact. You may have to deal with the consequences later, but in the moment you are the expert in control.



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