Free Republic

Maybe just because I'm a bit of a trainspotter/planespotter geek, I really dig this site: charts all commercial aircraft in the air worldwide in real time (except unfortunately US carriers on 5 min. delay due to unique American security concerns). Elsewhere -as I recently did in Europe- you can glance at FlightRadar24 when you hear a roar, get the flight #/carrier online and bingo there it is on the tailfin overhead 30 seconds later. Users can click on any plane (moving) over any chosen worldwide flight radar map and get flight #, carrier, plane type, basic stats, flight info,...

In February 1933 the Boeing Aircraft Company -today enduring an extremely difficult period- flew a groundbreaking new plane for the very first time- the Boeing 247. This design could be called the first true airliner, as it featured major innovations -plus the safety and power of twin engines- that made commercial long-range air travel feasible: all-metal construction (no wood frame), retractable landing-gear, variable-pitch propellers, pneumatic de-icing system- even autopilot. With a top speed of 200mph/cruising at 189, the Boeing 247 was able to run a NYC to Los Angeles route in an impressive 20 hours (including 3 fuel stops),...

Let's look at experts. Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727) was a mathematician and scientist. Newton has to be the greatest and most influential scientist who has ever lived. He laid the foundation for classical mechanics, and his genius transformed our understanding of science, particularly in the areas of physics, mathematics and astronomy. What's not widely known is that Newton spent most of his waking hours on alchemy; his experiments included trying to turn lead into gold. Though he wrote volumes on alchemy, after his death Britain's Royal Society deemed that they were "not fit to be printed." Lord William Thomson Kelvin...

Question....why would an airport redirect it's flights? I am a smoker and live in a smoke free apt. So I go outside to smoke my butt. I noticed tonight, just this past 20 minutes ALL flights have been flying over our home. They were so low, which is why I noticed the 1st one. Then 3 more came. I stayed after I finished my butt to see how many came over. It was constant. I have lived here over 7 years and have never seen such a thing. Is it normal for airports to "reroute" their planes in such a...

ANOTHER piece of evidence we are living in a world of sissies: watching the NFL today, just saw a commercial for Southwest Airlines that showed their ticket sellers and flight attendants PLANTING STRAWBERRIES or something like that. What the hell? How about boasting about better service? Or a great new lower fare structure? Nope. In the age of the fruitiest Oval Office occupant since James Buchanan, we see businesses talking about their green thumbs. Pathetic.

There are two interesting numbers that can be put together here. 1) Apparently, past security checks have indicated that TSA fail to detect knives and guns about 70 percent of the time. 2) Also this year "Nationwide, more than 1,100 firearms have been discovered at TSA checkpoints from January through September." If you put those two numbers together, you get the implication that more than 3,422 firearms improperly made it on to flights in the US this year (=1,110 * (70/30) * (4/3)). That seems like a lot of guns on planes, yet how many problems arose from all these...

A Russian-made passenger plane crashed into a steep cliff on a long-dormant Indonesian volcano during a demonstration flight to potential buyers and journalists. Its wreckage was spotted by helicopters today, but there was no sign of survivors among the 47 people on board. Search and rescue teams are now on their way to the crash site. Family members, many of whom spent a long, sleepless night at the airport, broke down in tears on hearing the news today. Others stared blankly ahead in disbelief.

The U.S. Air Force is pulling nine cargo aircraft from military operations to support President Barrack Obama’s stepped-up visits to campaign events. The five medium-capacity C-130s and four heavyweight C-17s will be used to ferry security vehicles, armored limousines and communications gear into cities ahead of Obama’s campaign appearances. In the months before November, the president is expected to fly into multiple cities per week, and speak at multiple sites per day. On Mar. 8, for example, the president will fly to Richmond, and then drive over to a Rolls-Royce aircraft-parts factory. That evening, he’ll fly down to Houston, Texas....

White House coy on reported Israeli request for bombs, planes By Olivier Knox | The Ticket – 3 hrs ago Call it a classic "non-denial denial." The White House tap danced Thursday around questions about news reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked the Obama administration for massive "bunker-buster" bombs and long-range refueling planes that could play a role in a strike on Iran. Israeli media accounts said that Washington agreed in return for a pledge that any such attack would not happen in 2012. "In the meetings the president had, there was no such agreement proposed or reached,"...

Air Traffic Controllers Caught On Video Updated: Friday, 24 Feb 2012, 6:13 PM EST FOX 5 INVESTIGATIVE REPORT MYFOXNY.COM - Westchester County Airport is a growing destination for seven different commercial airlines, from JetBlue to U.S. Airways and its one of the busiest airports in the country serving the corporate world. Seven days a week, from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., air traffic controllers guide flights serving nearly 2 million passengers a year. Sometimes 100 planes take off and land in an hour. A source, that Fox 5 News is not identifying, says, "I'm upset and extremely concerned with things...

The Air Force is preparing to trim hundreds of aircraft from its aging fleet in order to meet an Obama administration austerity order. The move will strike many Air Force supporters as ironic. Because just as the fleet is set to shrink, Defense Secretary ...

Sudanese media reports that planes attacked convoy of land cruiser jeeps, number of people reportedly killed; another strike hit truck near border with Egypt, according to reports. Sudanese media reported over the weekend that IAF planes struck a number of targets in the east of the country last week. According to the reports, the planes attacked a convoy of land cruiser jeeps and a number of people were reportedly killed. Another strike took place last Sunday against a truck near the border with Egypt, according to the reports. In another incident in early December Israeli planes were reported to have...

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Dubai's fast-growing airline Emirates kicked off the Middle East's biggest airshow Sunday with a huge order for 50 Boeing 777s, marking the U.S. aircraft maker's biggest-ever single order in dollar terms.

Investment in new aeroplane technologies is the key to the UK maintaining its status as an aerospace leader, according to a report. The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) said the country's research and development spending has "flat-lined" since the 2008 financial crisis. It said that made the UK's position vulnerable to China, India and Brazil. It urged the creation of a research centre to test ideas such as pilot-free planes and solar-powered flight. "The UK aerospace sector already employs over 100,000 people around the country and is worth over £29bn a year to our economy, but we need to take...

The NYPD is capable of shooting down planes in the event of another 9/11-style attack on New York City, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Monday, but it's unknown exactly what weapons the police have at their disposal, and whether their arsenal includes surface-to-air missiles. "The NYPD has lots of capabilities that you don't know about and you won't know about," Bloomberg told reporters Monday, echoing recent comments by police commissioner Ray Kelly. "Do you mean to say that the NYPD has the means to take down an aircraft?" Kelly was asked by "60 Minutes" on Sunday . "Yes," he replied, "I...

There was a net gain of zero jobs in August despite the president’s promise again to “focus like a laser beam on jobs.” Many people are blurry on the exact meaning of zero. Let me try to explain the concept of what zero means. Zero is 5 less than the number of rounds of golf President Obama shot in August. Zero is 7 less than the number of days President Obama spent in Martha’s Vineyard in August. Zero is 2 less than the number of planes the Obamas used to get to Martha’s Vineyard. Zero is 71,500 less than the...

A family of seven on board a small plane were killed when it crashed in Alabama after an engine failed - leaving behind a 16-year-old daughter. A couple and their five young children were returning to Florida from a family reunion in St. Louis, Missouri, on Saturday night when the crash happened, authorities said. Fred and Terresa Teutenberg died, but her oldest child, Ashlei Bruewer, 16, was not on the plane.

MIAMI — Robert Woodus III never met his father, who died eight months before his birth in 1996. But on Wednesday the 14-year-old eighth-grader stood near the place his father died, in a watery Everglades prairie where ValuJet Flight 592 plunged to earth in a fiery crash just north of U.S. 41. "I was thinking about this place, and what happened before I was born," said Woodus. His father, Robert Woodus Jr., was one of 110 people who died in what remains Florida's deadliest air crash.

MALICIOUS hacking software that could force a passenger jet to nosedive has been developed. Security representatives at the Asia-Pacific Aviation Security conference, which included representatives from Qantas and Virgin Airlines, said that cyber attacks were the second biggest risk to the aviation industry after natural disasters. Ty Miller, of Australian security firm Pure Hacking, said the risk was no longer "something out of a movie" but had become more likely with the dawn of the Stuxnet virus. An unknown attacker last year used the software to sabotage one of Iran's uranium enrichment plants. "The stereotypical Die Hard 2 airport attack...

"They are the sort of striking images that wouldn't look out of place in a scene from a sci-fi movie. However, one of these could soon be the face of modern aviation with the unveiling of a new generation of passenger aircraft. NASA has revealed three concept designs for quiet, energy efficient aircraft that potentially could be ready for flight as soon as 2025...."

As violent drug cartels take over Mexico and expand their criminal enterprises north, the United States has signed a “trusted traveler” agreement that allows pre-screened Mexican airline passengers to bypass lengthy airport security checkpoints. The foreigners will get “trusted traveler cards” with fingerprints and other biometric data and they must answer customs declarations questions on touch-screen kiosks before leaving airport inspection areas. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano claims it’s a way to enhance information sharing and mutual security in the face of “ever-evolving, multinational threats.” About 84 million Mexicans are expected to qualify for the trusted traveler program, according to...

In first claim of invasion, military drill spokesman says planes were intercepted by Iranian jets Associated Press Published: 11.17.10, 11:32 / Israel News Iran says that unidentified foreign planes violated its air space six times as the country kicked off an air defense drill, but that they were intercepted and forced back by Iranian jets. The remarks by Gen. Hamid Arjangi, a spokesman for the exercise, are the first Iranian claim of an intrusion. His comments were carried Wednesday by the semi-official Fars news agency. Arjangi says Iran's radar stations and observation posts reported six cases of foreign planes entering...

MESA, AZ - A man was arrested Tuesay after reportedly throwing oranges at planes at Falcon Field airport in Mesa, according to police. After a complaint about the oranges was called in to police, Brian Henio, 33, was found sitting in an orange grove by the airport apparently drinking out of a green jug, said Mike Melendez with the Mesa Police Department. Police said they could smell spray paint and saw paint on Henio's upper lip. He reportedly admitted to being under the influence of spray paint and to throwing the oranges. Henio was arrested on suspicion of possession of...

Iran confirmed on Tuesday that some companies were refusing to refuel its planes at European airports and said it would retaliate if the situation continued. Iran has played down the impact of international sanctions, which were tightened in June, and previously said news reports that Iranian airlines were having problems refuelling abroad were part of a "psychological war."

A technology writer has claimed the high-speed rail route connecting Madrid and Seville did a great job of convincing people to travel by train instead of plane. Pablo Valerio explained on Technorati.com that the track was completed in 1992, just in time to transport eager tourists to and from the World Expo in the Andalusian city. No doubt plenty of accommodation Seville guests will be heading to the sun-soaked destination via this reliable train, which was the first high-speed line in Spain, according to Mr Valerio. "Since the start of the high-speed projects in Spain, thousands of jobs were created...

I have been traveling a lot lately, and it has not made me a fan of airlines. Financial troubles have caused the airlines to slash their work forces to the bone, leaving the few remaining employees to handle multiple jobs with no real support. Costs are cut and the airlines have become more aggressive in beating cash out of us, their customers. The short staffing and reduced service lead to the kinds of emotional clashes we saw with the recent Jet Blue incident when flight attendant Steve Slater lost control, berated a passenger and then exited the aircraft via the...

WARWICK — Even before the first train rolls into the nearly completed station that will link T.F. Green Airport to Boston commuter rail service, the state Department of Transportation is adding route options to the opening schedule. According to department officials, morning routes from Providence to Warwick and evening return routes from Warwick to Providence have been added to the schedule that is expected to operate when the new train station opens in October. Until now the tentative schedule for the first runs had only included morning trains heading north from Warwick to Providence and Boston, and evening trains that...

IRVING -- The clock is ticking for Texas to get a share of the more than $50 billion for high-speed rail that Congress is expected to approve for the next five to seven years."You've got to have it coming out of Texas government leadership," Rod Diridon, a California High-Speed Rail Authority board member, said Tuesday during a break at the Transportation and Infrastructure Summit in Irving. "Someone at the state level has to come up and say, 'I want this to happen.'"While Texas lags in developing passenger trains that may travel 220 mph, high-speed rail was the big talk at...

Third of four parts.LA ROCHELLE, France - The train factory here on the Bay of Biscay was created in 1918 by the masters of the industry - the Americans - to build troop transports during World War I.Today, French engineers, welders, and electricians work in the same long sheds for the French manufacturer Alstom Transport, building the great-great-grandchildren of those early trains - sleek tubes of aluminum that travel at 225 m.p.h. They hope their new customers will include the old bosses, the Americans.About 500 miles south, near Madrid, the Spanish manufacturer Talgo is building high-speed trains with a novel...

<p>On another planet, it sounds like Steven Slater and I could have been friends.</p> <p>He likes swearing, beer and rubber slides. Me, too!</p> <p>But Slater is an airline attendant, or steward, or whatever’s the right thing to call those petty tyrants who rule the airplane galleys this week.</p>

Most airlines are charging for checked bags, but starting today, one discount air carrier will begin charging for some carry-on bags. KYW’s Jim Melwert reports Spirit Airlines is now charging for carry-on bags that have to be stowed in the overhead compartments. Spokeswoman Misty Pinson: “The whole idea behind Spirit’s philosophy is that we give the customers the purchasing power, and they have the power to pick and choose what options they do and don’t want to pay for.” Bags that fit under the seat will be free, and there’s no charge for purses, laptops or umbrellas. But any bag...

Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava today unveiled designs for the first phase of Denver International Airport's south terminal redevelopment and he said they complement the airport's best-known architectural element — its terminal with the white-tented roof. The DIA tent delivers an important image all over the world, Calatrava said, adding that he was conscious of preserving and protecting the airport's existing architecture and view corridors as he designed the south terminal complex. "We have given our best to create a dialogue between the two buildings in a complementary basis to respect the iconic view of the tent," Calatrava said of the...

An article published on Tuesday in The New York Times reported that by official accounts, 2009 was a stellar year for the commuter railroads that serve New York City. Of all the trains that ran last year, the railroad said nearly 96 percent were on time. This was one of the best performances since they began keeping records. According to findings of an examination by The New York Times of more than 685,000 trips last year involving the region's three major commuter railroads, trips to and from Penn Station during rush hours were two-and-a-half times as likely to be late...

Deborah Atwood was soaked and shaken up -- but glad to be in one piece -- after experiencing what she described as a "free fall" on a United Airlines flight Tuesday night. Atwood, a resident of Northwest Washington, was one of 255 passengers on the jetliner that departed Dulles International Airport headed for Los Angeles and experienced turbulence that injured 21 people. "All I could think of was the final scene in 'Thelma & Louise,' " Atwood said Wednesday, referring to the end of the 1991 movie when the two title characters fly off a cliff in a vintage convertible....

State transportation planners envision Amtrak passenger trains rumbling through St. Augustine someday and stopping at San Marco Station, a renovated 1960s-era depot south of Winn-Dixie on U.S. 1 North. But St. Augustine Airport Authority would love to squish that vision and substitute what they see as a better one: Trains stopping at a modern Amtrak station across U.S. 1 from Northeast Florida Regional Airport, where passengers can walk across an elevated causeway to airline flights, auto rental kiosks, taxis, shuttles and the Sunshine Bus. Ed Wuellner, authority executive director, said, “It’s our duty to do whatever we can to get...

If you’re fed up with flights packed with passengers and crowded overhead bins, try flying from Atlanta to Macon. The 20-minute, roughly 80-mile flights are operated with nine-passenger planes that are usually nearly empty. Sometimes, no one’s on board but the two pilots. What keeps the flights going? A $1.4 million annual federal subsidy that, based on 2009 passenger counts, amounted to $464 for each round-trip booked on the route. Despite the sparse loads, four small aviation companies are vying for the subsidy contract, which is up for renewal this fall by the U.S. Department of Transportation. But the DOT...

While transit advocates are discussing where to put rail and how soon, a broader debate continues about the wisdom of spending any tax money on any form of rail. Critics say that if passenger rail were practical, private investors would happily build it and reap the profits. They're half right. If profits were to be had, many people would be trying to capitalize. But that's no justification to refuse to subsidize better mobility on corridors where road expansion is impossible or would cost much more than a rail line. The great expense of right of way, the slow return on...

Alarmed by a spate of near-collisions involving airliners, the government is trying to find out why air traffic controllers and pilots are making so many dangerous errors. In recent months, there have been at least a half-dozen incidents in which airliners came close to colliding with other planes or helicopters — including in Chicago, Houston, San Francisco, Burbank, Calif., and Anchorage, Alaska. In some cases, pilots made last-second changes in direction after cockpit alarms went off warning of an impending crash. "This spring we had several close calls that got everybody's attention, and I think that's the thing that really...

Passengers See Man Running Toward Plane Before It Took OffBEIRUT -- The remains of a body were found on the rear wheels of an airplane that landed in the Saudi capital of Riyadh from Beirut, Lebanon's transportation minister said Saturday. Minister Ghazi Aridi confirmed that the remains were found on an Airbus 320 jet from the Saudi Nasair company that landed in Riyadh just after midnight with 130 people on board. The remains were discovered shortly after the plane landed while maintenance was being done. Aridi said the body has not been identified and no further details were immediately available,...

A north-south high-speed rail (HSR) network would mean that internal flights in the UK would become largely a thing of the past, according to Transport Secretary Philip Hammond. He described the HSR route - along with a link to Heathrow airport - as being “at the heart” of the new Government’s transport policy. Mr Hammond added that funding discussions for a scheme that would “transform our cities and regenerate our regions” would soon begin. He was speaking at an HSR conference in London arranged to discuss the Government plans for a high-speed route linking London with northern England, the Midlands...

In time, convenience and cost, taking the Northeast Regional in many cases is the best option. Adult ticket prices on Amtrak to Washington are as low as $29 if they're purchased at least two weeks in advance (children are half price). A "business class" car with more comfortable seats and more leg room costs $19 more each way and includes complimentary soft drinks. It takes about the same amount of time to drive to Washington. Considering the cost of gasoline, wear and tear on a car, and parking in the city, the train prices are competitive if not cheaper. They're...

ALPINE, Texas — A patient and his wife were among the dead when an air ambulance crashed shortly after takeoff from a West Texas airport, killing all 5 people on board. The crash happened about 12:15 a.m. Sunday about a mile east of Alpine-Casparis Municipal Airport, around 200 miles southeast of El Paso. The twin-engine Cessna 421 had just taken off for Midland International Airport in Midland when it went down in an open area, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The aircraft was carrying a patient and his wife to Midland, the Texas Department of Public Safety said. It...

Snakes on a plane may just be the stuff of daft action movies, but maggots on a plane are, it seems, all too real a threat. Maggots wriggling from a container of rotten meat forced a U.S. Airways flight to abort take-off and return to the gate in Atlanta, Georgia earlier this week. Passenger Donna Adamo said that she noticed a couple of flies buzzing around on the Monday flight when she got to her seat but didn't think much of it. Then, as the plane was taxiing, she heard a passenger behind her causing a commotion and refusing to...

The new coalition government's transport secretary has told the Financial Times that domestic flights will become a "thing of the past." In an interview discussing the government's aviation strategy, Philip Hammond said hi-speed intercity trains will be key to quelling demand for domestic and short-haul European flights. The government has already blocked plans for new runways at the country's three largest airports, Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted, and instead wants to focus on developing a high-speed rail network between London, northern England and Scotland. The airlines are hardly panicking yet though, noting that it takes decades to build such rail networks....

NOTE The following text is a quote: www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-obama-and-president-medvedev-russia-us-russia-business-summit Home • Briefing Room • Speeches & Remarks The White House Office of the Press Secretary For Immediate Release June 24, 2010 Remarks by President Obama and President Medvedev of Russia at the U.S.-Russia Business Summit U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Washington, D.C. 3:08 P.M. EDT PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, good afternoon, everybody. It is a pleasure to be here with my friend and partner, President Medvedev, and I want to thank him again for his leadership, especially his vision for an innovative Russia that’s modernizing its economy, including deeper economic ties between our...

Publicly stating that some of your company’s goods and services should be discontinued even if they are profitable probably would get most company executives in trouble. Rob Maruster, JetBlue’s Chief Operating Officer, startled an aviation conference when he thought out loud that there were better options for traveling between Boston and New York than the five flights his airline offers daily. More companies and industries have shown growing interest in sustainability, but aviation is generally a laggard. In fairness, it is myopic to attack the industry for any perceived lack of interest in sustainability: the industry has had a rough...

NOTE The following text is a quote: DHS performs 100 percent watchlist matching for domestic flights Washington, D.C.—Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano today announced that 100 percent of passengers traveling within the United States and its territories are now being checked against terrorist watchlists through the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) Secure Flight program—a major step in fulfilling a key 9/11 Commission recommendation. Before Secure Flight, airlines conducted passenger watchlist checking. “Secure Flight fulfills a key recommendation of the of the 9/11 Commission Report, enabling TSA to screen passengers directly against government watchlists using passenger name, date of...

At least three single-engine planes violated a temporarily restricted flight area apparently set up over the area this past weekend for President Barack Obama's return to Chicago, according to the North American Aerospace Defense Command. Maj. Mike Humphreys declined to say specifically that the restricted area was being enforced for the president's visit or how large the area is but said that, in general, the zones are put in place for various reasons including "POTUS movements." "It's not so unusual that these incidents occur," he said. In most cases the incursions are accidents, "but we have to be ready every...

WHEN business travellers want to get from London to Paris in a hurry, or from Paris to Brussels, or from Madrid to Barcelona, or from Wuhan to Guangzhou, or from Tokyo to Osaka, they don't rush to the airport. They get to a railway station and catch a train. City centre to city centre, high speed trains in Europe, Japan and China are faster than air travel for journeys of up to 800 kilometres, and competitive up to 1000 kilometres. Economy passengers on modern trains have more room than business-class passengers on a short-haul airline; and there are no long...

LONDON – The volcanic ash cloud that's closed European airports in recent weeks is changing travel habits, leading to a surge in rail and ferry bookings. Richard Branson's Virgin Trains is reporting increased demand on its London-Scotland route. Channel Tunnel rail company Eurostar says summer sales are up, and ferry operators Stena Line and Irish Continental Group say that recent gains in bookings are more than a blip. The eruption of Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano on April 14 grounded 100,000 flights in six days, costing airlines $1.7 billion in sales, figures show. Further bursts have closed airspace across parts of Europe....