In order for planes to fly safely and efficiently, they must go high into the sky; after all, they are airplanes. However, being 30,000-40,000 feet in the air isn't the best scenario for the people in the plane due to thinner air. Compensating for the difference in pressure from sea level to the sky through cabin [...]
The people who care for the planes we travel on are the unsung heroes of the field. Without their knowledge and hard work, we would face a lot more problems than we do now when flying, to say the least. The job of an aviation mechanic entails a lot of training and duties. Today, we’re [...]
While pilots typically love the freedom afforded by flying in the open skies, that wide, open space may appear to get smaller and smaller as more drones take to the air. Recently published research commissioned by the FAA finds that high-speed collision between an airliner and a drone is more damaging than bird strikes. In [...]
Boeing equipped its long-range 777 with a laser to discover turbulence before coming in contact with it. If the laser proves efficient, the plane, crew, and any passengers on board will be saved from a rough ride. Troublesome Turbulence Photo Credit: CBC News | Technology and Science, Ted S. Warren In-flight turbulence is [...]
So, what exactly does it mean when that little plane icon appears? Airplane mode is a setting found on many modern smartphones. Maybe you've used it before when you travel. Maybe you've heard enabling it will help save battery life on your phone. Or maybe you've never put any thought into the little airplane icon. [...]
Utopia: a place of ideal perfection. Tall, bright buildings between smooth highways surrounded by green grass. Driverless cars making seamless lane changes. Computers performing jobs better than humans ever could. Appealing as this may sound, real life is a bit more… messy. Pilotless planes seem like something taken out of a Utopian society that will [...]
Between aisles of herringbone suits and wool neckties sat the ERCO Ercoupe. The small, twin-tail metal plane with a bubble canopy caught everyone’s eye. The 1945 Manhattan department store advertisement read, “Macy’s the world’s largest store, within a matter of days, will bring you America’s first certified spinproof plane!” The World’s Safest Plane Ercoupe took [...]
Remember when in 1984 NASA and the FAA got together and intentionally crashed a B-720 aircraft in the name of airplane safety? Well, they’re back at it again—because who doesn’t like intentionally crashing stuff? Recently, NASA and the FAA put 10 crash test dummies to the test to help develop new crashworthiness guidelines for the future of [...]
When it comes to crash testing, it’s not such a big deal for cars. This form of destructive testing is often performed by car companies to ensure safety design standards in both crashworthiness and crash compatibility. For road vehicles, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) rates vehicles on how well they protect their occupants [...]
So, should I wait for a check engine light to go on, or what? If you have a car, you probably follow the manufacturer’s suggestion to have it serviced regularly. Or at least you should. For the most part, that’s up to your own discretion. You take it for regular inspections? Great! Not every state [...]
