The airports of today are so much different than they used to be. Things are stricter and much more structured. There are hard and fast rules, and there are no bending them. Here are 5 things you won’t see at an airport today that used to be staples in the early years of aviation. 5) [...]
Before the GPS provided exact coordinates and became fully operational on flights in 1994, pilots had to navigate through the air in a different way. They relied on map reading methods, measuring tools, and even celestial navigation. If there’s one thing we know about pilots in a world without a GPS, it’s that they certainly [...]
When aircraft crash or disappear, investigators highly prioritize retrieving the aircraft's black box. The device records the entire flight, as well as conversations in the cockpit and between the flight crew. However, the term “black box” inaccurately describes the box. It is a bright orange cylinder that must be highly visible in a wreck. The [...]
When remembering all who served on Memorial Day, the Distinguished Flying Cross Society is an organization that helps honor and salute our fallen heroes. The society awards aviators and aircrew for heroism, as well as remarkable courage in flight. It’s the only honorary metal granted to all five military services in all wars from WWI [...]
Aviation mysteries haunt us and hold our attention and have done so relentlessly over time. The case of EgyptAir Flight 990 is no exception. While the plane itself was found and a cause is speculated, there is no certainty behind what happened that day in 1999. Halloween Day, 1999 EgyptianAir Flight 990 took off from [...]
Narrowing it down to just five moments is hard to do, but there are still some clear front runners here. Historically, firsts are what helped propel the field. We’re going to skip over the Wright brothers here, because you can read all about them elsewhere on this blog (here and here, to get you started). [...]
How the first cat got to cross the Atlantic Cats are no strangers to notoriety. Ancient Egyptians worshipped a cat Goddess and held felines in the highest esteem. Today, there is no shortage of internet-famous cats, to the point where we are essentially worshipping them on social media. Given cats’ status ranging from our ancient [...]
Take yourself back to the early days of aviation. Just how far back you go is really up to you. Mankind's been fascinated with flight for centuries before we ever got into the air by means of a plane. You can start in 1903, as we are so inclined to do, when the Wright Brothers [...]
If you’ve ever had the window seat on a flight, you may have looked out of it and admired the aerial view. The small, triple-paned glass does not provide a full panoramic view, but it usually gives enough visibility to enjoy the scenery. The oval-shaped windows may seem to stylistically go well with the sleek shape [...]
The U.S. was experiencing a shortage of pilots during World War II. In efforts to find a way to fill that gap, women were trained to fly military aircraft. This group of women is known as The Women Airforce Service Pilots, or WASPs. The Development of WASP In 1942, trained pilots were off fighting for [...]
