“For once you have tasted flight, you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been, and there you will long to return.” — Leonardo Da Vinci […]
Flying With Da Vinci
Plug Your Ears for a Flight in the World’s Loudest Airplane
Few aircraft created such an indelible impression on its operators as the XF-84H “Thunderscreech.” Created by Republic Aviation for the U.S. Air Force, this experimental fighter never saw combat, but it left […]
Look Inside the World’s Largest Airplane Boneyard
Where do airplanes go when they die? Just as elephants make one final journey to their graveyards, aircraft — at least, those owned by the United States government — have their own […]
Take a Crash Course Into Aeroflot’s Harrowing History
Airline passengers tend to take for granted that purchasing a ticket will result in travel aboard a dependable aircraft run by an airline that places safety at a premium. The biggest concerns […]
The Wright Brothers Fly to the Moon
The first airplane flight covered a mere 852 feet, but a part of that plane ultimately flew nearly half a million miles.
The President with 5 Stars Also Had Wings
If you are looking for a poster child for “overachiever” you might consider Dwight D. Eisenhower. This Kansas farm boy rose from modest beginnings to become one of only five Americans to achieve […]
The Greatest Things Since Sliced Bread
The next time you use the phrase “the best thing since sliced bread,” you might want to consider how recent of an invention that is. The first commercially-available device that made it […]
When Judgment Trumps Skill
“A superior pilot uses his superior judgment to avoid situations which require the use of his superior skill.” — Frank Borman, commander of Apollo 8, in Flying Lessons, Federal Aviation Administration, January 8, 2008
When the Flight Attendant Tells You How to Fasten Your Seat Belt, Pay Attention
Captain Tim Lancaster was in command of British Airways Flight 5390 on June 10, 1990, when the windscreen failed and he was sucked out of the cockpit. The plane, a BAC 1-11, […]
An Odd Bit of Odds
In 2011 European bookies were putting the odds of Queen Elizabeth II abdicating and replacing Bruce Forsyth as the host of the popular BBC dance competition Strictly Come Dancing at 50,000 to […]
It’s a Bird… It’s a Plane… It’s an Inflatoplane!
Goodyear, the manufacturer of tires, developed an inflatable airplane called GA-468, but commonly known as the Inflatoplane. The Inflatoplane’s performance was comparable to that of a a J3 Cub. The airplane was […]
Any In-Flight Movies Available?
The shortest scheduled flight in the world is from Westray to Papa Westray in the Orkney Islands of Scotland. The distance is one and one-half miles, and the flight lasts 74 seconds. […]
You Take the Chicken; I’ll Have the Fish
On commercial airliner flights, the pilot and co-pilot never eat the same meal. This is for the safety of the craft: if the pilot is laid low by food poisoning, the co-pilot […]
The Perfect Aviation Crime
On the night before Thanksgiving, November 24, 1971, a passenger by the name of Dan Cooper boarded a plane in Portland, Oregon, bound for Seattle. Clad in a suit and raincoat, wearing […]
Commonplace Fun Facts 