The China Clipper, the Philippine Clipper, and the Hawaii Clipper are the names of three flying boats—Martin M-130s—designed by Glenn L. Martin Company in the 1930s. In fact, it’s the first of the three to have been built. With a complex and tragic story behind them, this boat-plane hybrid introduced the reality of scheduled, international [...]
From underground bunkers, aliens, apocalyptic art, and Nazi runways, there’s no way the internet doesn’t find this airport weird. The Denver International Airport (DIA or IATA: DEN) isn’t your typical airport. At 33,531 acres, it is the largest airport in the US (by total land area). It is also the sixth busiest airport in the [...]
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 [...]
As a nimble jet, the L-39 Albatros trains future pilots and prepares them to use heavier, larger planes in the future. Air force units and the military utilize the plane for tactical aircraft, as well as a light ground support fighter. Pilots refer to the plane as an aggressive, agile aircraft with speed and maneuverability. [...]
Sometimes, it’s unavoidable to avoid bringing your pet along for your travels. Maybe you’re moving across the country? Or, maybe you can’t find a dog sitter during a peak-vacation time and you’ve already booked a pet-friendly hotel, so why not? While the decision to bring along your furry friend might be stressful in a number [...]
Do You Want to Believe? Planes aren’t always the only things flying in the sky. We’ve got helicopters, blimps, weather balloons, lost kites… and every once in a while, some eye spies something that’s not so easily identifiable. These are known as UFOs: unidentified flying objects. For some, UFOs are as American as baseball, apple [...]
The World's First Operational Jet Fighter While the design for the Messerschmitt Me 262 began pre-World War II, it didn't reach operational status with the Luftwaffe until mid-1944. Even then, only small numbers of Me 262s actually appeared in combat. Design and Development Several years before the onset of WWII, Germans saw the potential for [...]
In the wake of hurricane season, you may have heard of the "Hurricane Hunters" and wondered, why anyone would go towards a hurricane rather than away from it? Well, there's good reason pilots fly into the eye of the storm--to collect accessible data for public officials. Their flights help gather information on a hurricane's strength, which can [...]
I was driving through Virginia recently and noticed a sign on the side of the highway that read “Speed Limit Enforced by Aircraft.” I’ve seen them in my home state too, but never really thought much of them until recently. I always thought, “Yeah, right. How would they do that?” But now I have more [...]
Design-wise, this plane was one to look at. It became one of the most copied and iconic aviation designs of all time. Famous pilots made history in their planes, and they opened the doors to many opportunities for England, this being more desirable to some than the Wright biplanes. Flying for the first time on January [...]
