Nov 23
We’ve spent a good bit
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Nov 23
As of tomorrow, the longest flight in the world will shuttle passengers on a 747-400 from Sydney, Australia to Dallas, Texas. That 15-hour, 25-minute hop on board Qantas 7 may not be the lengthiest in duration, but at 8,578 miles gate to gate, it’ll lead the industry in miles flown. For a few more hours, however, Singapore Airlines’ decade-long run from Newark, N.J., to Singapore remains the record holder for both time (more than 18 hours) and distance (9,534 miles). It’s a journey that’s been on the bucket lists of the world’s most ambitious aviation enthusiasts since the city-state’s namesake airline first launched the service in 2004, and following tonight’s final jaunt, this record-setting A340-500 will touch down at Changi Airport for the very last time.
Despite this cheerless loss, it’s a spectacular time in the world of aviation. Sure, we don’t have our supersonic Concorde replacement just yet, and the Dreamliner rollout was not without significant heartbreak, but the past few years have represented a tremendous period, with banner launches from both Airbus and Boeing that will change the way we fly forever. But as with any category, aircraft manufacturing and design advances also serve to highlight the shortcomings of previous-generation products.
The Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 make massive efficiency boosts a reality, leading gas-guzzling greats like the aging A340-500 to a premature retirement. In this case, the A345’s departure from Singapore’s fleet represents not only better things to come, but also the loss of a landmark route — it’s an unavoidable compromise, and with the end in sight, I drained my frequent flier account in order to score a ticket, and set out to discover the significance of Singapore Flight 21’s retirement.%Gallery-slideshow123017%
Filed under: Transportation
Nov 22
It has more or less become fact that when you pay money to travel on an airplane, you’re subscribing yourself to probable gropage, uncomfortable seats, shoddy service, a few degrees of recline comfort and nuked sludge as food (if there is food). It’s not pleasant. It’s not futuristic. It’s not fun. What if airplanes were a little bit more adaptable? Starting with the seats.
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Nov 18
Excited about flying home for Thanksgiving to see your family and friends’ shining faces? Well, you won’t be after reading this! Because according to a soon-to-be released study commissioned by the FAA, if it weren’t for automated systems, our pilots would suck at flying—bad.
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Nov 17
You can spend a lot of time on model-building or paper airplane folding, but Italian architect Luigi Prina does both. His flying models hang from the ceiling of his small studio as a reminder of his 20+ year design hobby.
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Nov 07
We’ve talked about Swiss daredevil Yves Rossy several times since he began making flights using a wing powered by jet engines strapped to his back. In the past he’s flown his backpack wing in formation with a fighter jet, jumped from a hot air balloon and completed a loop wearing his backpack wing.
Rossy recently completed another flight when he flew over the Japanese landmark of Mount Fuji.
This was his first flight in Asia. He used his carbon-Kevlar jet wing mounted to his back and flew around the mountain to celebrate its designation as a world heritage site.
The backpack wing Rossy uses can reach speeds of up to 190 mph. The flight speed is controlled by a hand held throttle. The wingsuit can fly to an altitude of 12,000 feet and travel 9.3 miles before running out of fuel. He then returns to the ground using a parachute when he runs out of fuel.
[via Telegraph]
Nov 06
Our favorite flying human Yves ‘Jetman’ Rossy is up to his old tricks again of making us all feel like tiny little life wasters. This time, he took a majestic flying tour around Mt. Fuji
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Nov 05
Though the world of comic book superheroes requires a suspension of disbelief, there are still rules even superheroes need to follow! Things just can’t happen when they don’t make sense! At least that’s what comic book legend Stan Lee thinks. And if he thinks like that, we should listen. Here he explains why he really hates Superman. And it goes beyond Superman being boring.
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Nov 04
The concept of the Phantom 2 Vision is not one of complete novelty. I will admit that. The Phantom 2 Vision by DJI, however, has something that the other quadricopter cameras do not: solid execution. (And great mobile integration.)
This RC copter will allow you to get the perfect bird’s-eye view photos, skyline images, and more! Plus, for those of us who just think that autonomous flying objects are cool, the “Return to Home” feature promises an awesome experience, as well as a safe landing at the takeoff spot.
Stream HD video to your mobile device, which can be mounted on the Phantom 2 Vision’s controller, and use that camera feed to steer the drone and take pictures and video! It comes with its very own 14 megapixel camera, which can record 1080/30p or 1080/60i video.
What’s the range on this baby? Well, you can stream video from up to 980 feet away, which is awesome, and I don’t think you’d want to fly your new $1,200 toy much farther away than that anyway. While it does have the “Return to Home” feature, it does not have the “stop my loser friends from sending my $1,200 flying into a pond” feature.
It’s also got automatic stabilization to help you fly, and the ability to tilt the camera remotely. Battery life is rated at 25 minutes, and you can easily swap batteries too.
Think you’re cool enough to bring the Phantom 2 Vision on the next family vacation? You can get your very own over at Amazon for $1,199(USD). If, like me, this is out of your price range, just do what I do: buy an Otterbox case, press the record button on your phone, and launch it as far as possible. You’ll get the same results give or take the entire thing.
Into photography? Take a look at the Kula Deeper, which lets you take some awesome 3D pictures, or the USB Camera Lens Humidifier, which is a way to take your money disguised as a humidifier disguised as a camera lens.
Nov 01
If you’ve flown into Los Angeles International Airport anytime in the last 50 years, the final segment of your journey may have taken you down a long hallway featuring a gorgeous color-blocked tile mural. Well, on your next flight to L.A., you can wear the socks to match it.
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