Fuel Crisis Flight Plan

The unstoppable-rising-fuel cost left passengers with burden. Airlines are abruptly changing course by suspending flight, slapping new luggage fees on travelers, raising fuel surcharges on tickets, switching to smaller planes inefficient aircraft and raising fares.

American Airlines plans to cut domestic capacity by 12 percent in the fourth quarter of this year. They also said it will stop flying between Chicago and Honolulu and suspend some Los Angeles-Hong Kong flights.

United Airlines will cut domestic capacity 15 percent in the fourth quarter, remove 1,500 jobs and jettison its low-fare unit.

Continental Airlines plans to cut domestic capacity by 11 percent in the fourth quarter and shrink its airline staff by 3,000.

US Airways will reduce capacity to 6 to 8 percent in the fourth quarter, trim 1,700 jobs and join other airlines in charging $15 for the first checked bag.

The fuel crisis had not only affected the increase in airline fares but also puts at risk jobs and living of staff and employees.

Flight Security Upgrade at New Zealand Regional Airports

After the attempted hijack of a short-haul domestic flight in New Zealand, two pilots, an injured passenger and a convicted woman was the result of the not so good security of domestic flights at regional airports in New Zealand. As a result, New Zealand will introduce wider passenger security screening at its regional airports.

 
The Somali immigrant Asha Ali Abdille faces several charges including attempted hijacking and the wounding of two pilots and a passenger after she stabbed them on a commuter flight. The woman demanded to be flown to Australia which is out of range of the plane’s route. The plane landed safely in the southern city of Christchurch.

 
The alarming incident caused New Zealand’s Civil Aviation Authority issued a formal security warning to airlines and airports in the wake of the attack. The authority said it was a reminder of the need for continuing security vigilance by all the aviation industry. Some turboprop passenger planes used on regional routes need to be included in an upgraded airport security screening system. In addition, the cost of any security upgrade would be borne by airplane passengers.

 
And for Abdille, she was ordered held in custody for psychiatric assessment when she appeared in court and will face life in prison if convicted.

Heli-Ski: Winter Thrills

Winter passes every time of the year, thousands of people climb out of helicopters on mountaintops descending to thousands of feet of pristine snow with their skis or snowboarding equipments. Gets back on the helicopter, fly to the top and do it again.

Though heli-skiing is not an extreme sport, it is not for beginners or faint hearted skiers. A lot of skiing experience at intermediate level is required by heli-ski operators. Heli-skiing involves moving through deep, light, untracked powder fallen on an in compact base.

Good spots to go heli-skiing are those places of remote areas such as United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, New Zealand, and Chile to heli-ski. In most areas, the heli-ski season runs between December and March or April. In Alaska, the season goes from February to May and to most, depends on the weather conditions.

North Cascade Helicopter Skiing has been in business since 1988, has a permit for 30,000 acres in the Okanogan National Forest. Ski runs in the area start at altitudes of 7,500 to 9,000 feet and offer 1,500 to 4,000 feet of vertical-foot drop.

Before planning a heli-skiing trip, make sure that skiers are in good health, can handle dangerous situations (such as injuries, avalanches, etc), willing to spend a lot of money to go heli-skiing (which will cost $1,100 and increase to as much as $9,500 for a week) and it’s a must to be a good skier.

China’s Homegrown Commercial Jet

China’s first homegrown regional jet, the ARJ21-700, rolls off production line at the Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Factory in Shanghai, China.

The ARJ21 Xiangfeng (Flying Phoenix) is the first passenger jet developed and indigenously produced by the People’s Republic of China, though the program is supported by 19 major US and European aerospace components suppliers, including General Electric and Rockwell Collins.

The government-controlled ACAC Consortium project began in March 2002 as part of China’s 10^th Five Year Plan. The maiden flight of the Flying Phoenix was planned to take place in 2005 however the design work was delayed and the final trial production stage didn’t begin until June 2006. And the aircraft was rolled out on December 21, 2007 with plans for a maiden flight in March 2008.

The ARJ21 was built by tools originally provided by the McDonnell Douglas Company for license production of the MD-90 in China. The Flying Phoenix can accommodate 50 to 95 passengers and has the capacity to travel 2,000 nautical miles or 3,680 kilometers.

International Air Show 2008

The first International Air Show this year will be held at Hamilton International Airport in New Zealand on March 7-9, 2008. Aviation enthusiasts worldwide are looking forward for this three-day event of fun and excitement.

Aside from exhibition of aircrafts and aerial displays, aerobatics and parachuting is also included in this “Wing and Wheels” event. The famous Warbirds with their freighter airplanes will battle out in a dogfight; as for the Royal New Zealand Air Force will showcase the capabilities of their aircrafts also the skills of their highly trained pilots in aerial displays.

As the host of this year’s spectacular event, New Zealand will also showcase classic cars, vintage cars, hot rods and military vehicles. Together with this, Outdoor Expo will give visitors an opportunity to check out latest products related to camping, boating, fishing, and more things related to the great outdoors.

The New Zealand International Air Show 2008 has numerous displays lined up to keep enthusiasts and mere fans entertained with this extravaganza.

Top 1 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle: MQ-1 Predator

The MQ-1 Predator is a medium-altitude; long-endurance, remotely piloted aircraft built by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems and entered service with United States Air Force in 1995. The MQ-1’s primary mission is conducting armed reconnaissance against targets and interdiction.

The MQ-1 Predator is a fully operational system that consists of four aircraft with censors, a ground control station, and a Predator Primary Satellite Link (PPSL). This UAV can carry two AGM-114 Hellfire missile targeting capability and integrates electro-optical, infrared, laser designator and laser illuminator into a single sensor package. The aircraft can employ two laser-guided Hellfire anti-tank missiles with the MTS ball. Powered by a 115-horsepower Rotax 914F piston engine, the Predator can operate from 5,000-by-75-foot hard-surface runways. It needs line-of-sight communications for takeoff and landing, though the PPSL provides over-the-horizon control and communications.

The MQ-1 Predator had been in successful combat since 1995 over Afghanistan, Serbia, Yemen, Pakistan, Iraq and is known as the Top 1 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle for its advance technology performance and advantageous operations.

Aviation Modelwork’s Handmade Model Airplanes

Static model aircraft also known as non flying models of existing airplanes are scaled down versions of the original size, length and wing span using mahogany wood as base material that are supported with steel as stem and base stand. Each model is carefully handcrafted and sculpted into detail, also hand painted by professional artists with only a minimal use of airbrush and stencils.

Aviation Modelworks offers more than 500 distinct aircraft designs and models including military, airlines and commercial planes, plaques and seals. These also include NASA models, World War aircrafts, signed collectibles, fantasy models, history, racing & unusual kinds, helicopters, modern military planes, multi-era military planes, rockets among the others.

Aviation Modelworks also provide services to customize model planes the way our customers want them to be and to their requests and so as personalized planes as well. Aviation Modelworks create model planes that are best for company giveaways and for memorabilia displays.

With only the best quality materials available for exact custom design or the original design, Aviation Modelworks provides products that will last a lifetime of memories with a very reasonable cost.

Aerobatic Aircraft: From Entertainment to Tactical Advantages

During the early days, most pilots did not use their aircraft for any practical purpose. Planes were flown in circuses to entertain and draw gasps from the viewers. Pilots demonstrated maneuvers in aerobatic aircraft for recreation and entertainment. Maneuvers included rotation of the aircraft and the more difficult spin.

Aerobatics were taught at military school to fighter pilots, in order to develop the flying skills that they might need for tactical use in battles. Aerobatic competitions were also held, and those who joined could participate in various levels: primary or graduate, sportsman, intermediate and advanced. Most teams that joined used fixed-wing aircraft, but for formation flying helicopters were also employed.

One famous aerobatic team seen at public airshows is the Blue Angels of the United States Navy. The group formed in 1946 and became the first official sanctioned military aerial demonstration team in the world. They first flew three aircraft in formation, then four, and currently six.

The Blue Angels used the A-4F Skyhawk, an attack aircraft manufactured by Douglas Aircraft Corporation. It served as the demonstrator aircraft for the acrobatic team from 1973 to 1986. The A-4F was also used in the Vietnam, Falklands and Yom Kippur wars. Some planes are still in service with air forces around the world.

Another aircraft used by the Blue Angels is the C-130 Hercules, a short takeoff and landing military transport manufactured by Lockheed Corporation. It was nicknamed “Fat Albert” because of its shape, which resembles the cartoon character it was named after. It was used to put on some shows before the Blue Angels began their performance. The C-130 was originally designed and developed for medical evacuation, troops and cargo transport but later on was also used for other roles such as gunship and airborne assault.

The First Airplanes in History

The first airplane that was ever flown was the glider, an aircraft without an engine that was towed to a given height and then set free to glide on air currents. The first gliders were launched from high places such as cliffs and flew on the wind to the ground.

Sir George Cayel was the inventor of the first glider that successfully flew. This glider did not have a passenger or pilot, for it was too small for a person to fit in. Cayel later developed another glider that flew his coachman across a small valley.

In 1890, brothers Orville and Wilbur Wright came up with the idea of flying. After researching and reading books about airplanes, they started creating gliders near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Later in the year 1899, the Wright brothers improved the glider and made a large, two-wing kite. They kept experimenting with gliders, until they eventually found out how to control a plane’s flight by developing a rudder and flaps on the wings.

The Wright brothers became the first people to successfully fly a plane with a person in it in December 1903. They made three successful flights that day, but Wilbur made the highest flight of 892 feet and stayed in the air for approximately one minute.

The “Flyer” was the first successful powered airplane and was created by the Wright brothers in 1903. It was a two-winged plane that had a 12 horse power engine. The wing was wooden, covered with cotton cloth and had a span of 40 feet. The plane flew with the pilot laying on his stomach on the lower wing while steering the plane. Later in 1908, the Wright brothers finally built an airplane that could stay airborne for over an hour.

Aircrafts : Significant in our history

World Wars have been one of the most eminent parts of the past and history itself. Whatever we are now, whatever we believe in or whoever we are, part of it is because of what happened in the past. Thus, any person should remember these important events and look back once in a while. World Wars may have brought death and sufferings to a lot of people but amidst that, it also brought a new chapter and beginnings to people’s lives; very essential events that made its own mark in history.

It will never be possible for any country to win or be in battle during wars if not because of their own astounding airplanes, helicopters or warships. Various aircrafts made its own name during the World War.

One of which was the B-24 Liberator that was used in one of the most historical raid at Ploesti. The Super Fortress B-29 “Enola Gay“, the aircraft that dropped the very first atomic bomb in Japan. The B-25 Mitchell Doolittle Raiders was then used in the first raid by the United States to attack Japan. The L-39 Albatross aircraft was the most popular jet warbird in the world. The aircrafts mentioned were just a very few example of the most famous and significant aircrafts in history. Definitely, there are a lot more.

More over, it was not only the famous soldiers and pilots that we have to give credit to. The aircrafts used by them also deserves our recognition for being such amazing means for fighting and defending the pilots and soldiers. The aircrafts of the pasts and even today didn’t only made their own place in history but beyond doubt, these aircrafts also helped each and everyone of us in different significant ways.