News: Martin Jetpack Climbs to 5,000 Feet Above Sea Level
As of right now, Guinness World Records claims that the highest human flight with a rocket belt is 152 feet, accomplished by Eric Scott in 2004. But they may need to update their records soon thanks to Martin Aircraft Company in New Zealand, whose Martin Jetpack finally showed the world it can fly—really fly.
How To: How Area 51 Fooled the Soviets with Fake Spy Planes
Area 51 is the most secretive military base in the United States, a base that U.S. government officials to this day still barely acknowledge because of its top secret development and testing of experimental aircraft and weapons systems. But a slew of Cold War-era documents have finally been declassified, and National Geographic has discovered a rather low-tech method the military used to hide its high-tech prototypes.
HowTo: Fly the Harrier Jump Jet (World's First Vertical Take Off Fighter)
The Harrier Jump Jet was designed by the British military in the '60s, noted for being the first successful vertical take-off jet fighter, powered by thrust vectoring.
News: Jetman Does Acrobatics in the Sky
Looks like Yves Rossy is getting better at flying (his previous stunt sent him plummeting into the Atlantic). Other than some slight initial engine trouble, last week's record breaking aerial loops went off without a hitch. Watch below. Rossy's site states:
News: Space Tourism, Here We Come!
A family vacation to Mars might be in the not-too-distant horizon, with the first successful manned solo flight of Virgin Atlantic's VSS Enterprise this past Sunday morning. Taking off from the Mojave Air and Spaceport in California, the commercial spaceship separated from its mothership at an altitude of 45,000 feet, piloted by Pete Siebold and Mike Alsbury for a period of eleven minutes before safe landing.
News: The World's First Victorious Human-Powered Ornithopter
A major milestone in aviation occurred this past August, when the human-powered Snowbird, an aircraft made of carbon fiber and balsa wood, achieved the first successful flight of its kind.
How To: Draw up a VFR flight plan
When flying, having a well constructed flight plan is the key to flying safely and effectively. This video will teach you how to calculate the perfect flight plan, research flight paths, traffic, and calculating fuel flow and flight time. There's so much in this video it'll make your head spin!
News: Real Life Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: World's First Wonkavator
Charlie, Willy Wonka and Grandpa Joe's soul-stirring ride in the Wonkavator (Wonka's glass-bottomed elevator) was one of the most magical moments of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. If you can't recall, here's the scene (ride begins at 3:15): Wonka: An elevator can only go up and down, but the Wonkavator can go sideways, and slantways, and longways, and backways...
How To: Launch a Glider - Aerotow
How a sailplane glider is launched into the air from being towed behind another aircraft (Aerotow). Step 1: Launching a Glider
News: Rocket-Powered Helicopter Drinks Hair Bleach, Emits Water
In the market for a personal helicopter but anxious about increasing your carbon footprint? Pick up a peroxide-powered single-seater like Avimech International's Dragonfly and chop till you drop. WIRED's Autopia blog reports,
How To: Perform a standard non-precision approach and landing procedure in an aircraft
A pilot that earns an instrument rating is a pilot that's mastered his or her flight skills to a level or precision and accuracy needed to safely fly an airplane through clouds, fog, and other adverse weather conditions. While flying in these weather conditions, known as IMC, or instrument meteorological conditions, a pilot is tasked with flying an airplane solely by reference to flight instruments. The pilot needs to be able to go from takeoff to landing, without having any outside visual re...
How To: Perform textbook-style normal approaches and landings as a pilot
As far as landings go, it seems that there is nothing more basic than a standard, normal approach and landing. Even the name suggests that this is a bland procedure of routine and mundane performance. Despite disguise, however, the normal approach and landing is one of the most challenging parts of any flight to consistently master.
How To: Use safety precautions and techniques to avoid wake turbulence in aircrafts
In 1998, a Beechcraft Baron was following a Boeing 757, with approximately 3 to 5 miles separation. Air Traffic Control warned the Baron pilot three times with the phrase the phrase pilots hear on a regular basis: "Caution. Wake Turbulence".
How To: Avoid dangerous runway tailstrikes in a Cessna 172 Skyhawk aircraft
This is something every pilot should know: tailstrikes. What are they? It's when the tail of your aircraft smacks (strikes) the runway, either during landing or takeoff. During takeoff with a fixed-wing aircraft, it could happen because of a pilot pulling up too rapidly. During landings, it could happen when a pilot flares too aggressively. Either way, it needs to be avoided.
How To: Standardize aircraft checklist procedures from preflight to postflight
Safety is everything, and for pilots, safety means checklists. Pilots need to develop a pre- and post-flight checklist for each different aircraft they are responsible for flying, to make sure everything runs nice and smooth in-flight.
How To: Perform textbook-style soft-field approaches and landings as a pilot
If you've figured out your short-field approaches and landings, then it's time to tackle "soft-field" approaches and landings. As a pilot, you need to be able to perform all types of landings, and you have to be prepared for inadvertent reactions in the air and on the ground.
How To: Perform textbook-style short-field approaches and landings as a pilot
One of the most integral parts to being a pilot is knowing when and how to land. And in short-field areas, some may find this tricky, depending on what type of aircrafts you're flying. This video features pilot Mike Lents, Lead Flight Instructor, shows you landing standardization by introducing the Short-Field Approach and Landing.
How To: Prevent inadvertent spins in flight with prevention techniques
Being an aircraft pilot can be frightening, but as long as you have the proper spin awareness training, you should be good. Most pilots out in the general aviation public that have never conducted spins in an approved aircraft for the purpose of developing their spin recognition and recovery techniques to become a more safe and reliable pilot.
How To: Perform commercial eights on pylons when flying
This video, brought to you by UND AeroCast, will teach the fundamentals of commercial eights with pylons when flying. The objective of eights on pylons is to develop the ability to maneuver the airplane accurately, while dividing attention between the flight path and selective pylons on the ground.
News: Hello, Mach 6! Hypersonic Scramjet Shatters Speed Records
Holy *&@!... imagine flying faster than a speeding bullet. Or traveling at 1 mile per SECOND. Or being propelled 6 X the speed of sound.
News: Shhh, Don't Tell the Neighbors
This is one serious secret door. In fact, you can hardly call it a door, being it is the entire exterior of a house(!)
How To: Calculate density altitude when you are flying
In flight school, at some point or another you will be asked to determine your density altitude. In this professionally taught tutorial, lean how to calculate density altitude on a flight computer. This lesson is taught by an instructor from the Golden State Flying Club at Gillespie Field in El Cajon, California. So, if you are just beginning to fly, check out this clip and make sure you know all there is to know.
News: Chopper Brothers Build Haiti's First DIY Helicopter
Three Haitian brothers, with no training of any kind, have constructed a working, flying helicopter. Total cost? 45,000 Haitian dollars, which comes out to approximately 1100 American bucks. Their chopper is the first helicopter to every be produced in Haiti.
How To: Apply Newton's laws of motion to rollouts with NASA
Learn what happens during an aircraft rollout from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, more commonly known as NASA. They spill the goods on Newton's three laws of motion and how they affect the rollout phase of landing airplanes. Learn from the master of space exploration -- NASA!
How To: Apply Newton's laws of motion to flares with NASA
In this video, learn about aircraft flares from NASA. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration provides valuable information about Newton's three laws of motion and how they apply to aircraft landings and what happens when mistakes happen (flares).
How To: Apply Newton's laws of motion to approaches with NASA
Learn the basics of airplane landings and how Newton's laws of motion apply. NASA -- the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, gives this quick, informative video on Newton's laws pertaining to aircraft landings, specifically the approach. The powerhouse of space exploration explains all.
How To: Apply Newton's laws of motion to landings with NASA
Want to know about Newton's three laws of motion and how they affect aircraft landings? NASA has answers. NASA, aka the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, tells how Newton's laws apply to landings. There's no better place to learn from than the juggernaut of space exploration.
How To: Apply Newton's laws of motion to cruise with NASA
See how Newton's laws of motion apply to an aircraft's cruise performance with this educational video from NASA -- the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the leading resource for space exploration. There's no better place to learn about aerospace and Newton's three laws of motion and how they apply to aeronautics than NASA.
How To: Apply Newton's laws of motion to climb/descent w/ NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), provides this educational video on how Isaac Newton's three laws of motion apply to aerospace and the climb and descent of an aircraft. The powerhouse of space exploration is one place you should learn these concepts from.
How To: Apply Newton's laws of motion to takeoffs with NASA
Understand the concepts of drag force and how Newton's laws of motion apply to an aircraft's take off with help from NASA -- the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The juggernaut of space exploration lays everything out on the table for you. Learn from the best, learn from the pros, learn from NASA.
How To: Apply Newton's laws of motion to thrust force w/ NASA
Learn Newton's laws of motion from the utmost authority on aeronautics -- NASA aka National Aeronautics and Space Administration. See how Newton's laws apply to aircrafts from the powerhouse of space exploration. They talk about thrust force as applied to aviation.
How To: Apply Newton's laws of motion to drag force with NASA
The powerhouse of space exploration, NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), sheds light on Newton's laws of motion as pertaining to drag force on aircrafts. This is a great source for any aeronautics major. The infamous government agency breaks drag down for you.
How To: Master weight and balance concepts with NASA
Join NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) as they give the basics on the concepts of weight and balance as applied to aerospace. There's no better place to learn about aviation theory than NASA, the United States government's most infamous agency--the powerhouse of space exploration.
How To: Master Newton's third law of motion with NASA
Learn everything you need to know about Newton's third law of motion from none other than NASA. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the United States government's most infamous agency and powerhouse of space exploration. Why wouldn't you want to learn Newton's laws of motion from them?
How To: Master Newton's second law of motion with NASA
The second law of motion. Force equals mass times acceleration. F=MA. Learn the facts about Newton's second law of motion from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, otherwise known as NASA. The United States government's most infamous agencyand the powerhouse of space exploration explains motion theory.
How To: Master Newton's first law of motion with NASA
Demystify Newton's first law of motion with none other than NASA -- the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The United States government's most infamous agency and powerhouse of space exploration teaches you the law of inertia… Newton's first law of motion.
How To: Master Newton's laws of motion in aerospace with NASA
NASA -- the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the United States government's most infamous agency, the powerhouse of space exploration -- teaches you the basics of Isaac Newton's Laws of Motion. Who better to learn motion theory from than NASA?
News: $27K and Climbing- Bid Quick For Your Own Personal Hovercraft
Via Urlesque, "Designed by New Zealand inventor and mechanic Rudy Heema, the fiberglass WIG is all hover, all the time, until it hits 70kph at which point it starts to fly... The auction runs through next Saturday, so act quickly if you want to be ready for church."
News: Up, Up & Away - Get Your Own Jet Pack for $75K
The age of personal flight has finally arrived. You can now purchase your very own jet pack for the extremely high price of $75,000. The Martin Aircraft Company Jetpack gets 30 miles to the tank, sails along at 60 mph, and can reach heights of almost 8,000 feet. Oh, and bonus: since it weighs less than 254 pounds, you won't need a pilot's license to operate. Previously, NASA's Wicked Cool Take on the Classic Jetpack.
News: Build-It-Yourself Airplane for $2000
Shell out a mere two grand and you can build yourself your very own operating airplane. Back in 1928, Bernard H. Pietenpol decided everybody should have the option of personal flight. So Pietenpol drew up the plans for the Pietenpol AirCamper, and guess what? His family is still selling the plans for it.