Feb 1st, 2012 at 4:00PM:
The reality of manned space travel has scientists on limited budgets looking at every angle that might make it happen efficiently. Recently, five aerospace companies contracted with NASA to study the idea of a new propulsion system, designed to turn the sun's rays into electricity for space travel.
NASA hopes the end result is a new propulsion system that will power a reusable "space ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
Boeing posts
Space travel to get boost from solar power
Feb 1st, 2012 at 4:00PM:
The reality of manned space travel has scientists on limited budgets looking at every angle that might make it happen efficiently. Recently, five aerospace companies contracted with NASA to study the idea of a new propulsion system, designed to turn the sun's rays into electricity for space travel.
NASA hopes the end result is a new propulsion system that will power a reusable "space ...Boeing 787 makes first commerical flight
Oct 26th, 2011 at 2:00PM: Our good friend Scott Mayerowitz over at the AP was lucky enough to get a seat on the first commercial 787 Dreamliner flight, and he's just published an update on the experience. The special flight, which ran between Tokyo and Hong Kong yesterday, played host to a variety of media and airline enthusiasts and is a celebration to kick off widespread service of aircraft on All Nippon Airways. The ...United's 787 rolls off of the assembly line
Oct 13th, 2011 at 8:00PM:
We're warmly looking forward to the launch of the first domestic 787 product in the United States, United Airlines' service between Houston and Auckland.
With Japan based - All Nippon Airways as the launch partner for Boeing's new jumbo jet, however, we have to patiently wait our turn.
The good news, however, is that construction is still on time for a 2012 delivery. Pictured above ...Cockpit Chronicles: Boeing vs Boeing. Pilots weigh in on the flight qualities of each type
Sep 30th, 2011 at 10:30AM: We talked last week about identifying the various Boeing airplanes from their external characteristics. But to Boeing pilots who have been fortunate to fly most of them, each airplane has its own personality. I thought I'd share some different opinions of a few pilots who have flown them.
To accomplish this, I chose a select group of 'friends of Kent that also fly Boeings.' And by select, I ...Cockpit Chronicles: Know your Boeings
Sep 23rd, 2011 at 10:00AM: One of the first things any aviation enthusiast or pilot learns is how to tell one airplane from another. Usually, those of us aviation obsessed types pick this up as kids.
But a few frequent fliers, airline employees and maybe even some pilots may not be able to catch all the nuances that separate the various types of jets. We've broken down the differences between the various Boeings to make ...First domestic 787 begins construction
Aug 19th, 2011 at 10:30AM:
Production and delivery of the 787 jumbo jet is starting to shift into high gear, and as ANA shows off its new Japanese aircraft the focus is now turning to the domestic carriers. Delivery of the new Boeing aircraft to its first domestic carrier is slated for the merged Continental/United airlines -- it was Continental's order (in 2004!) before the two giants joined forces.
Planned for ...Interior photos of the ANA Boeing 787 released
Aug 7th, 2011 at 5:30PM:
The airline nerdery have been waiting with baited breath for clues about how the interiors of the new Boeing 787 will be designed. Sure, we've seen mockups at the Paris Air Show and renderings here and there, but a full, comprehensive tour and photo shoot hadn't really been completed.
With All Nippon Airways receiving their first equipment this year, however, it was only a matter of time ...Video: Southwest Airlines' departure from the Oskhosh AirVenture
Aug 2nd, 2011 at 9:00AM: Though aviation enthusiasts are the focus of each annual Oshkosh AirVenture, there's also a big commercial and and industrial component. This year, for example, Ford, GE and Honda each had a significant presence on the grounds, largely for what seems to be exposure.
As part of the festivities, Southwest also brought one of their Boeing 737s to display at the show, and they chocked the airplane ...
Cockpit Chronicles: Eight ways to slow a jet
Jul 31st, 2011 at 9:00AM: One of my first posts on Cockpit Chronicles was an explanation on how to park a 757. At the risk of catering only to people who have recently acquired their own Boeing jets, I'd like to continue with another lesson.
The eight ways to slow a jet
When you're driving your 5-speed manual transmission car and you exit an offramp, besides just taking your foot off the gas pedal, there are a couple ...American Airlines makes largest purchase in airline history
Jul 22nd, 2011 at 10:30AM: There was deep speculation in the airline nerdery about whether American Airlines was going to be making a purchase at the Paris Air Show, and though the event came and went without a spark of activity, a palpable sense of excitement has been humming ever since. After all, with one of the oldest fleets on the planet, there was no doubt that American needs to freshen up -- it was just a matter of ...
ANA's 787 Dreamliner Interior Revealed
Jun 24th, 2011 at 11:00AM:
Boeing has unveiled interior designs for its 787 Dreamliner at the Paris Air Show earlier this week, and we must admit, we're intrigued. There's a WINDOW in the bathroom!
The 787-8 will sit 210 to 250 passengers, have a 7,650 to 8,200 nautical mile flying range, and an array of high tech enhancements. The 787-9 will seat 250 to 290 and have a range of 8,000 to 8,500 NMI.
In addition to ...
American Airlines flight makes emergency landing in Las Vegas
May 6th, 2011 at 5:30PM: An American Airlines Boeing 757 was forced to make an emergency landing at Las Vegas' McCarran International Airport earlier today after pilots detected smoke in the cockpit.
AA Flight 431 was traveling from Miami to San Francisco, and was over Utah, when the crew diverted from their course to make the landing. They touched down at 11:10 AM Pacific time and were met by emergency crews who ...American Airlines to test streaming video
May 5th, 2011 at 11:00AM: American Airlines will begin testing inflight streaming video that enables customers to wirelessly stream content such as movies and TV shows from an inflight library to their personal Wi-Fi-enabled devices during flight.
"We know our customers want to be connected on the ground and in the sky, so we are working hard to stay on the leading edge of connectivity through technology enhancements ...Aborted takeoff testing of the 747-8
May 4th, 2011 at 4:00PM:
Comprehensive testing is at the core of any airframe development, and that means modeling and measuring the worst case scenario. Though likely to never happen in practice, engineers need to know how components will perform in an emergency situation -- so they test them to their limits.
The aborted takeoff is one such test that Boeing uses to gauge the performance of a vehicle's braking ...
Boeing's 787: Engineering a quieter airplane
Apr 27th, 2011 at 2:00PM:
It has long been rumored that Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner will be the quietest commercial jumbo jet in its class. Take a look at the back of select engine nacelles on the airframe and you can see an obvious difference. That egg crate design is in place for improved acoustic performance, which means a better experience for not only passengers but the people living near airports and flight ...
NASA funds commercial space travel
Apr 21st, 2011 at 7:00AM:
Space shuttle Endeavour is ready to fly it's 25th and final mission on April 29th. That brings us one step closer to the end of the U.S. space program as we know it and one step closer to the future of space travel. In preparation for that future NASA recently awarded $millions to several private contractors for the construction of space taxi's able to fly to the International Space Station ...Southwest grounds planes, investigation underway
Apr 3rd, 2011 at 10:00AM:
As a result of Sacramento bound Southwest Airlines flight 812 making an emergency descent Friday night after a large hole appeared in the fuselage, 79 Southwest planes have been grounded.
While no one was seriously injured Friday as the Southwest flight carrying over 100 people rapidly lost cabin pressure and made scary descent from 34,500 feet, landing safely in Arizona, questions about ...Drunken pilots delay flight
Mar 19th, 2011 at 3:30PM:
We're used to waiting on the tarmac for luggage to be loaded. Some people make a game out of looking for their bags. Sitting at the end of the runway too is to be expected. We don't want the planes colliding in mid-air. But a flight delayed because the pilot is drunk is hard to anticipate.
A Boeing 737-700 full of passengers is nothing to be flying drunk but that's exactly what would have ...Breaking: United grounds all Boeing 757 aircraft
Feb 15th, 2011 at 10:00PM: If you were scheduled on a United 757 earlier today and are wondering why it was canceled, we now know why. According to the Wall St. Journal, the airline is in the process of grounding its entire fleet in order to perform maintenance checks to air data computers that were modified earlier this year.
According to Gadling's resident pilot Kent Wien:
There are two air data computers on every ...How we used to fly: Luxury on board the Boeing 314 Flying Boat
Feb 15th, 2011 at 6:00PM:
Flying nowadays means being packed together in seats with barely enough legroom to stretch - but it wasn't always like that. Back in the early days of aviation, flying meant putting on your good suit, and enjoying fine dining in a luxurious lounge before spending the night in your private sleeping accomodations.
Sure, the trip took considerably longer than it does nowadays, but with this ...
