Hilton Hotels and Resorts symbolize the transformation of full-service luxury hotels. Ever since Conrad Hilton opened his first hotel in Waco, Texas in 1927, the company has in some ways set a standard in the hospitality business. Hilton is credited with several firsts in the industry including the first hotel in the world to install [...]
Learning to Fly For those who have always believed they could fly, getting a pilot’s license doesn’t have to be a pipe dream. There are different levels of pilot licenses depending on what types of aircraft you want to fly, whether it’s a hobby or a job, your level of training, and, frankly, your skills. [...]
The MiG-21 is flown by over 50 nations and is the most produced supersonic jet fighter. 11,600 MiG-21s were built since entering service in part because its simple design made it easy to manufacture. This plane originates from the Soviet Union and its development began back in the 1950s with a mission to replace the [...]
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 Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet is not to be confused with the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet—although the former was based on the latter. This hornet is super This twin-engine, supersonic, all-weather multirole fighter jet is capable of landing and taking off from an aircraft carrier. What is perhaps the most impressive feat [...]
Morse code has saved countless lives over time. This method uses a series of sounds, lights, and clicks, in different lengths and combinations to convey a message, the most famous being SOS. It’s a system that has transcended time, really. This particular incident is a one-off story of the system not necessarily working. In August [...]
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 [...]
Today, business and personal flight is the norm—if you’re traveling far, you jump on a jet and get there quickly. But 747s weren’t always around. The first commercial jet was the Learjet 23. These were also the first products of Learjet Corporation. Learjet 23 Design and Development In 1959, William P. Lear Sr. started with [...]
As part of the journey to building more fuel-efficient aircraft, aeronautic engineers have extensively researched ways to modify aircraft wings and make them more flexible. Less rigid wings could be the key to these flights because the overall weight of the aircraft would decrease while flexibility would increase. NASA’s Advanced Air Transport Technology project and [...]
