Between 1942 and 1945, the U.S. Navy received more than 150 airships for the war effort. The military used these blimps, produced by the Goodyear Corporation, as convoy escort vessels. The Navy used them to spot enemy submarines and drop depth charges on those they encountered. But of all the airships utilized during World War [...]
The importance of military helicopters is monumental. They perform rescue missions, partake in special operations, and transport crucial equipment. Helicopter design and its unique ability to fly vertically traces back to patterns seen in nature long before the technology existed. Military helicopters must be able to do this as quickly and safely as possible. In some [...]
The Douglas DC-3 is one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made. Since its introduction in the 1930s, the DC-3 completely revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 40s and had a lasting effect on both the airline industry and World War II. So why would such a significant aircraft—a symbol of the golden [...]
Waiting to board your plane can be frustrating, especially when airlines use different boarding processes that may take longer than others. Passengers are usually seated by zone, from the back to the front of the plane, or by first-come, first-served. When you’ve already been waiting at the gate for over an hour, the last thing [...]
We haven’t always been sky-bound, but I don’t have to tell you this. Flying is a relevantly recent thing for us. Being suspended in a big metal tube-thing about 40,000 feet in the air is something that only our generation has experienced, so we haven’t really adapted to it quite yet. This is where spatial [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
