Both football and airplanes are deeply ingrained in the American psyche. But I don’t have to tell you this—look at the Super Bowl that took place just a couple of weeks ago. While the game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots drew the smallest crowd since 2009, there were still about 103.4 [...]
Communication is key, especially in aviation. It can be used to warn someone of danger and achieve goals as a team. It can also be used to help avoid huge disasters and call for help in dire circumstances. If you’ve ever seen a military-related movie or television show, you may have noticed pilots talking over [...]
We are incredibly lucky to presently live in a world with advanced medical technology. It wasn’t all that long ago, really, when commonplace surgeries today would have been nothing more than a pipe dream. World War II changed the world in many ways. During this time, aircraft advanced, weapons advanced, and numerous technologies advanced—because they [...]
Nearing the end of the year always brings a certain type of nostalgia. As we look towards the future, it's always good to reflect on past accomplishments, too. By doing so, we can measure our growth. It's kinda like time travel that way--a blast from the past! We've grown a lot over the past year [...]
Hilda Hewlett has the title of Britain’s first female pilot, the first woman in Britain to earn her pilots license, and the owner of the U.K.’s first flying school. Known as “Grace Bird,” that doesn’t include all of the accomplishments she’s made during her life. A woman ahead of her time: a budding aviatrix [...]
For nearly a century, Time magazine has annually selected people—man, woman, group or concept—that had the most influence on the world during the past 12 months. The criterion for the person of the year is the following: “the person or persons who most affected the news and our lives, for good or ill, and embodied [...]
A Pioneering American Aviator As one of America's Early aviators, Katherine Stinson set numerous flying records, including ones for distance, endurance, and aerobatic maneuvers. In July 1912, she became the fourth woman in the United States to obtain a pilot’s certificate. Katherine Stinson was born in Fort Payne, Alabama, on February 14, 1891. It would be twelve [...]
We’ve mentioned Jeana Yeager before in our Rutan Voyager Plane of the Week feature, but we’re thrilled to be bringing her back in this Pilot Profile! Known as the first women to fly a plane nonstop around the world without refueling, Jeana is truly an inspiration. By Ray Kamm, SDASM Archives - Ray Kamm [...]
Picture this: you’re a pilot, cruising through the air when suddenly an unknown object appears in your peripherals. What is that?! you scream to yourself, trying your best to keep it cool. You’ve heard about pilots having close encounters with UFOs before, and you’ve even read about WWII pilots experiencing pesky gremlins. But never in [...]
The story, and occasional mystery, surrounding airline disappearances capture international attention with each occurrence. Experts claim the most common causes of such crashes are mechanical error, weather, and pilot error. A few well-known flights caused by mechanical failures are Delta Flight 191 in 1945, United Airlines Flight 232 in 1989, and Air France Flight 447 [...]
