The aging SAAB JAS-39 Gripen is a veteran member of several of the world’s most powerful air fleets – certainly not only because it is fairly priced, but also because it is functional; not to mention, the JAS-39 is known for its execution: nearly any flight mission can be carried out by the Swedish masterpiece [...]
Bob Hoover is among the elite of the aviation world. Although this American icon of heroism and aviation prowess passed away Tuesday, October 25, he legacy will certainly live on. Robert Anderson “Bob” Hoover was born January 24, 1922. At 15, he began flying at Nashville’s Berry Field while working at a local grocery store [...]
It might seem reasonable to assume that aerial warfare didn’t begin until the 20th century—after all, that’s when the Wright Bros invented and flew the first successful airplane (The Wright Flyer). In a way, this is completely valid. However, technically speaking, the history of aerial warfare is an ancient one. Lowe in his balloon "Intrepid" on [...]
When it comes to aviation, I can’t help but think of Orville and Wilbur Wright. After all, they paved the way for aviation as it exists today. Without their historic flight on December 17th, 1903, who’s to say where aviation would currently be. The Wright Brothers achieved this feat using their “Wright Flyer” aircraft, which [...]
Photography has long been associated with aviation; perhaps it's because some of us on the ground can’t believe our eyes when we see these hulking flying machines — it’s almost as though we continually need reassurance that this is indeed possible, in spite of our knowledge of the physical world. Witnessing a 1,265,000 pound hunk [...]
The MiG-31 Foxhound is one of the fastest combat jets in the world. The Mikoyan MiG-31 (NATO codename Foxhound) was developed by Soviet Air Forces to replace the MiG-25 "Foxbat." Introduced in 1970, the Foxbat was among the fastest military aircraft ever developed. But it had its fair share of issues; while the Foxbat was [...]
The above photos were illegally taken during flight by pilots employed in commercial airlines. These photos, obtained from David Yanovski's article on the subject, were taken from (now defunct) Instagram accounts of several pilots some of whom -- between the breathtaking cockpit photos -- also took "selfies" in their pilot uniforms while on duty. If [...]
Smoky: the Little Dog that Could Wynne and Smoky (William A. Wynne via National Geographic) Corporal Bill Wynne first met Smoky in the beginning of 1944 when he was stationed with the U.S. Army Air Corps in Nadzab, New Guinea. She was a small thing—a little Yorkshire Terrier weighing only 4 pounds and standing [...]
Of the 17 known to exist, there are only two airworthy Lancasters are left in the entire world. The Lancaster was used extensively during World War II. The handsome planes dropped a total of 608,612 long tons of bombs between 1942 and 1945. The Avro Lancaster was the primary British aircraft used for bombing until [...]
TRUMP calls US airports “third-world” | are they REALLY that BAD?
TRUMP calls US airports “third-world” | are they REALLY that BAD?
Donald Trump lives life a bit more fancifully than the average Joe, so it makes some sense that he would refer to LAX — one of the world’s most famous airports — as “third-world.” Considering such rhetoric has largely gone out of fashion (especially when making comparisons to the United States and other “developed” nations), this [...]