Random ...

News: Air Lines a World-Wide Airline Route Map (Nov 11, 2008)
Air Lines is an art project showing worldwide airliner routes printed on a poster.

Video: F-16 Dead Stick Landing (Aug 30, 2008)
It has been awhile since I have posted a video, so here is a really good one of an F-16, over what I think is eastern North Carolina who lands with an engine out.

News: Unsuspecting Passenger Receives Free Cannabis From Security (May 26, 2008)
A customs officer hid a package of the banned substance in a side pocket of a randomly chosen suitcase in order to test airport security. Sniffer dogs failed to detect the cannabis and the officer could not remember which bag he had put it in.

News: US Airways Pilot Who's Gun Went Off Is To Be Fired (Apr 18, 2008)
The US Airways pilot who accidentally discharged his handgun in the cockpit during a flight will be fired, according to a spokesman for a flight officers group.

Video: Lockheed Martin P-791 (Apr 8, 2008)
Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works, the group that created among others the U-2 and JSF planes has developed this crazy looking aircraft. The Lockheed Martin P-791 appears to be an airship that looks sorta like a pig.

Video: The Real Flying RC Lawn Mower (Apr 2, 2008)
Check out the video below and see how someone can make just about anything take-off.

Video: Aviation Safety Videos From Delta and Virgin America (Mar 28, 2008)
There appears to me some big hype about the new Delta airlines flight attendant in the video. Below is the video as well as the Virgin America safety video, what do you think?

News: Pilot's Gun Accidentally Fires In Cockpit (Mar 27, 2008)
Ok, I usually resist blogging about topics that are already over-covered in the news but this one is an exception.

News: Pilots Draw Airplane Over Several States (Mar 24, 2008)
Following in the tradition of a Gulfstream who's pilots wrote GV over several states, a Cessna Citation X flew a flight path over 7 states to draw a flight path of an airplane.

Video: Guy Jumping Out of Plane Without Parachute (Mar 16, 2008)
But this guy Travis Pastrana was filmed jumping out on an airplane without a parachute. Then two guys caught-up with him to attach him tandem to one of the other jumpers.

News: American Airlines 777 Travels To London With Only 5 People On-Board (Mar 6, 2008)
I know this has happened before, but it still seems like a waste of resources to me (as well as some others).

Video: Virgin Galactic Promotional Video (Feb 26, 2008)
This fantastic promotional video for Virgin Galactic shows the process and gets me excited about what the future is to bring.

News: What Kind of Military Airplane Are You? (Feb 19, 2008)
The website YouThink.com has provided a tool that will ask you 15 questions about yourself and then display what kind of military aircraft you are.

Video: RC Jet Bad Take Off (Feb 15, 2008)
I am still amazed that there are remote controlled jets such as this. I really think it would be cool to fly one. Not sure what model this is but my best guess is that is might be a F-15.

News: Flaws In Checklist Cited After Malmo RJ100 Climbs Unpressurized (Feb 6, 2008)
Swedish regional carrier Malmo Aviation RJ100 was en route from Stockholm Bromma to Gothenburg when they realized the cabin was unpressurized.

Video: Alaskan Bush Pilots Show Their Skills (Feb 1, 2008)
This video shows some great STOL aircraft and pilots. It is actually amazing how quickly they can takeoff from a short distance.

Photo: US Air Force Official Aircraft Identification Chart (Feb 1, 2008)
The photo below shows the US Air Force Official Aircraft Identification Chart, thought we could all use some humor on a Friday!

News: Air Propelled Car For Sale On eBay Motors (Jan 21, 2008)
This "Air Car" currently for sale on eBay was built in 1985 and is powered by a large 6 blade propeller.

News: Manned Cloud Flying Hotel (Jan 18, 2008)
French designer Jean-Marie Massaud has proposed this design for a dirigible hotel.

News: Free Shuttle To In-N-Out Burger From LAX Airport (Jan 16, 2008)
Stuck at LAX or have a layover say for 2 or more hours? Well maybe you should go and grab a burger at In-N-Out Burger.

News: Area 51 Gets An Identifier (Jan 11, 2008)
The well-known, super secret military installation known as Area 51 (Groom Lake) now has an airport identifier. This identifier will be known as "KXTA" and is named Homey Airport.

News: Strange Departure Mistake in London (Dec 18, 2007)
A (Turkish registered) Boeing 737 departing London Stansted airport flew level for 6 miles at 500 feet (150 meters) above ground (AGL), before climbing to a safer altitude.

News: Two Great Websites To Share Your Travels From Hell (Dec 17, 2007)
Two websites have surfaced that allow travelers to share their Travel and Dining experiences that are, lets say, not so good.

News: CIA Gulfstream Crashes With 4 Tons Of Cocaine On Board (Dec 13, 2007)
This Florida based Gulfstream II (N987SA) crashed on September 24, 2007 after it ran out of fuel over Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. The big news is that it had a cargo of several tons of Cocaine on board.

News: Cool Flying Machines (Dec 12, 2007)
This episode of Boing Boing TV shows a guy (Carl Rankin) who builds cool airplanes and flying machines out of Reynolds warp, plastic straws, and thread.

News: The Funny Language We Pilots Speak! (Dec 11, 2007)
Plastic Pilot Blog has posted an article about aviation abbreviations and how they are used.

News: Airplane Shaped Pet Bed (Dec 10, 2007)
For the aviator looking for the perfect gift to give your dog, look no further. This pet bed is shaped as an airplane and provides all the comforts of home.

Video: Weightless Dog (Dec 3, 2007)
This video shows an airplane doing a loop and as the plane reaches a point in the loop a dog appears to be floating in the back seat.

News: Has British Airways Been Flying Empty Airplanes Across The Atlantic To Keep Slots (Nov 29, 2007)
British Airways (BA) has been accused of flying empty widebodies across the Atlantic in a bid to keep its landing slots at London airports.

News: British Airways Flight Cancelled Because of Drunk Crew (Nov 29, 2007)
British Airways canceled a flight from Manchester to New York on Friday because the airline received an anonymous call saying that the cabin crew was "partying" in their hotel bar until 2am.

Video: Airbus A310 Low Pass During Airshow (Nov 28, 2007)
Watch an TAP Airlines A310 do a low pass at the 2007 Portugal Air Show. Watch the left wing as it makes it turn to the left ... Crazy!!

Photo: Hold Found In Engine on Southwest Plane (Nov 28, 2007)
About 30 minutes into flight a Southwest Airlines plane from Dallas Love Field, enoroute to Little Rock (LIT) encountered vibration coming from the right (#2) engine of 737.

Photos: A Great Collection Of Real and No-So Real Aircraft Oops (Nov 27, 2007)
This website has collected many great aviation photos that can just be categorized as Oops. Some of these are real and some are not, you be the judge.

News: Before You Flush (Nov 25, 2007)
This is an interesting article from 2006 that talks about the environmental impact of using the restroom onboard commercial airlines.

Photo: Dinner In The Sky (Nov 21, 2007)
Here is a photo of a company that can arrange a dinner service for you on a table that is lifted 165 feet via a crane.

Update: An Interesting Update to the iPhone Pilot Commercial (Nov 17, 2007)
Planebuzz.com has reported that "Some guy with an iPhone says the weather is good, and wants to know what the real reason is for the delay. Is something wrong with the plane?"

Video: Southwest Airlines Announcement (Nov 17, 2007)
Southwest is such a good, fun and relaxed airline. This is a funny video showing how a flight attendant can get people to listen and laugh, while still covering the required FAA pre-flight procedures

Photo: Shifting Sands Reveal P38 Lightning Airplane from WW-II (Nov 15, 2007)
For 65 years, a Second World War fighter had lain hidden under the surface of a beach where it crash-landed.

News: Jet Flies On Fast Food Oil (Nov 15, 2007)
A L-29 military aircraft piloted by Carol Sugars and Douglas Rodante succeeded in completing the world’s first jet flight powered solely by 100% biodiesel fuel.

News: An Epileptic Pilot Could be Flying You (Nov 14, 2007)
Faced with a shortage of qualified pilots in the country, a low-cost airline based in north India has thrown caution to the winds and allowed two of its commanders to fly despite medical conditions that deem them unfit for the cockpit job.

Cool: Aviation Art and Products Made From Airplane Parts (Nov 13, 2007)
InterFlight Studio is another very cool aviation (recycled parts) art company.

News: 737-200 Loses Engine After Ingestion of Foreign Object (Nov 9, 2007)
There are lots of examples of an airline ingesting a bird or other object and having to shut down the engine and returning to land without incident, but this time it was different.

Video: Cool Artistic Video of Air Traffic Around North America (Nov 8, 2007)
This video shows what air traffic around North America, Pacific and Atlantic look like as time passes.

Video: Video Spoof On iPhone Pilot Commercial [Explicit] (Nov 6, 2007)
For all of those who are bent out of shape with the iPhone Ad showing a pilot that viewed Weather.com to get as weather update, here is a funny spoof on the ad!

Photo: The World's Smallest Jet Fighter The McDonell XF-85 Goblin (Nov 5, 2007)
Soon after World War II, one of the most amazing jet fighters was conceived for the US Air Force: the McDonell XF-85 Goblin, known as the "Flying Egg" because of its very small size (only 4.5 meters in length) and rotund appearance.

News: Captain and First Officer Asleep During Flight (Nov 5, 2007)
During a congressional hearing last week it was reported that a captain had filed a NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) stating that he and his First Officer (FO) fell asleep during the last 30 minutes of a flight from Baltimore to Denver.

News: Pilot Quits His Job Because He Hates Going Through Security (Nov 4, 2007)
A pilot with the Norwegian airline Widerøe has quit because he said he was tired of the “security madness” in the airports.

News: Homemade Helicopter Made By Student in Nigeria (Nov 2, 2007)
A 24-year-old physics undergraduate from Nigeria has made a homemade helicopter.

News: Canadian Pilot Locks Himself Out of Cockpit (Nov 1, 2007)
The pilot of a Canadian airliner went to the washroom during a flight found himself locked out of the cockpit, forcing the crew to remove the door from its hinges to let him back in.

Photo: Spider Made From Confiscated Scissors From The Airport (Oct 30, 2007)
Just in time for Halloween! Here is a cool photo of a spider made from confiscated scissors from TSA security at the airport.

News: Sioux City Embraces Their Airport Code (Oct 29, 2007)
USA Today reported that after fighting for years to replace the three-letter code used to identify Sioux Gateway Airport (SUX), city leaders are now making SUX the focal point of a new marketing campaign.

News: Passenger Boards Plane With His Bullet Wound (Oct 29, 2007)
A man who was shot during a domestic dispute boarded a flight from Tampa to Albany, New York with a stop in Charlotte.

News: Pilot Loses 100 Pounds to Fit Into New Light Sport Aircraft (Oct 29, 2007)
Mike Ash, a 58 year old pilot has lost 100 pounds so he could fly in a new light sport aircraft that his flying club purchased.

Photos: Ancient Flying Vehicles (Oct 28, 2007)
These images are found on the ceiling beams of a 3000-year old New Kingdom Temple, located several hundred miles south of Cairo and the Giza Plateau, at Abydos.

News: When An iPhone Is Not A Phone (Oct 26, 2007)
This is an interesting article about an airline passenger who was held and questioned by police for watching a video on his iPhone.

Article: Nine Ways to Get Thrown Off an Airplane (Oct 5, 2007)
This article (sorta humorous) is a summary of 9 things you can do to get thrown off of an airplane in the world we live today. Some of these are hard to believe and some are not.

Photo: The MicroDrone Spy Helicopter (Oct 4, 2007)
Meet the MicroDrone, a toy-sized spy helicopter that has been used by the police in Britain to film and photograph the street below.

Photos: 7 Unusual Propeller-Driven Vehicles (Oct 1, 2007)
Here is a collection photos and videos of propeller driven vehicles. These photos show trains, cars, sleds, railplanes, and other vehicles man has created.

Video: Where Aircraft Go To Die (Sep 27, 2007)
This video shows where airplanes and other stuff goes to Davis-Monthan AFB in Arizona (AMARC). The sheer amount of airplanes and helicopters in this video is hard to believe.

News: UK Using Spy Plane to Identify Homes Wasting Energy (Sep 20, 2007)
The UK has been using a spy plane to fly overhead to identify homes that are wasting energy.

News: Cessna Lands On Warehouse Roof (Sep 19, 2007)
A single-engine Cessna experienced engine problems shortly after takeoff from Columbia Owens Field (CUB) in South Carolina.

Photo: When Pigs Fly (Sep 15, 2007)
Not aviation related but this is a really cool photo. This photo goes along with the story of "When Pigs Fly"!

Photo: Giant Banana to Be Floated Over Texas (Sep 13, 2007)
Ok, I just can't resist the phrase. You know how they say everything is bigger in Texas, well artist Cesar Saez must agree. He is building a giant banana, to be filled with helium and floated in a geostationary orbit over Texas

News: Aviation Furniture and Art From MotoArt (Sep 12, 2007)
MotoArt is a company that provides some really cool art and furniture made from recycled airplane and aviation parts.

News: Iron Maiden Lead Singer to Fly Band on Next Tour (Sep 11, 2007)
Bruce Dickinson, the lead singer for Iron Maiden, is a licensed commercial pilot for Astraeus Airlines and be piloting his band during their upcoming tour.

Video: Will Farrell Scene on an Airplane on SNL (Very Funny) (Sep 10, 2007)
This hilarious video with Will Farrell will give you a laugh.

News: The Best Paper Airplane Designs (Sep 8, 2007)
This website has a great collection of "The world's best paper planes". You can view the step-by-step instructions on how to create a paper airplane.

News: Flight Attendant Uniforms From Around The World (Sep 8, 2007)
This web site proves a wonderful collection of flight attendant (stewardess) uniforms from airlines around the world. The site shows both old and new uniforms.

News: Google's 767 Jet (Sep 7, 2007)
The Wall Street Journal had some interior pictures of the "Google Jet" see link. The interior configuration shows multiple areas including a lounge, beds, dining room, and other seating.

News: Goats Sacrificed to Help Fix Nepal Airlines B757 (Sep 5, 2007)
Nepal Airlines has confirmed that it sacrificed two goats to appease Akash Bhairab, the Hindu god of sky protection, following technical problems with one of its Boeing 757 aircraft.

News: Real Opa-Locka Control Tower To Replace Trailer Tower (Aug 31, 2007)
Opa-Locka (OPF) airport has secured a $4.2 million grant from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to build a new ATCT.

Photo: Golden Eagle Flies Alongside Microlight (Aug 30, 2007)
Sampson the Golden Eagle was stolen from a British Zoo and kept locked in a cupboard for six months. He broke the feathers off his seven-foot wingspan while trying to escape.

Video: Funny Video on Airplane Restrooms (Aug 28, 2007)
Very funny video about airplane restrooms and airplane food. The guy doing the video has an Andy Rooney(ish) humor.

News: The Lost Delta Airplane (Aug 20, 2007)
I have been a big fan of the TV show "Lost" ever since it came on. As a casual plane spotter I have been looking for the registration of the L-1011 ever since the show debuted.

Article: 5 Key Attributes of a Successful Aviation Web Site (Aug 12, 2007)
I came across this article awhile ago and wanted to revive it to share with others. This article is a great checkpoint for those running a website or thinking of starting a new website.

Tip: More Free Palm OS Training Guide and Video (Aug 9, 2007)
If you are new to the Palm and would like to have a video tutorial to walk you through the basic features, then these new free videos will help.

News: F-16 Crashes, Are Spiders To Blame? (Aug 6, 2007)
A Dutch F-16 that crashed in August of 2006 may have been brought down by spiders in the cockpit.

News: Nike Jet Gear Problems (Nov 21, 2005)
Here is the flight path from the Nike business jet today (registration N225GV).