Aviation Facts

RULES OF THE AIR 1. Every takeoff is optional. Every landing is mandatory. 2. If you push the stick forward, the houses get bigger. If you pull the stick back, they get smaller. That is, unless you keep pulling the stick all the way back, then they get bigger again. 3. Flying isn’t dangerous. Crashing is what’s dangerous. 4. It’s always... 

Commercial airlines prohibit the carry-on of mercury thermometers because of the way mercury reacts with aluminum. If such an thermometer were to break and spill on a plane, even a tiny amount of mercury could badly damage the plane’s aluminum frame. Aluminum is used in the frames of airplanes because it is light and strong. Unfortunately, it... 

Starting in June of 2011, British Airways will be offering first class seats on flights to Las Vegas. British Airways will operate a four-class B 747 that will provide 124 additional seats, with 14 of them, in first class. The service to Las Vegas was first launched ion October of 2009 and quickly became one of British Airways most success launches... 

The Mikoyan MiG-29 (Fulcrum) is a 4th-generation Soviet jet fighter aircraft. Developed by the Mikoyan design bureauin the 1970s, it entered service with the Soviet Air Force in 1983. Click on the images below to see a larger view Polish Mikoyan Mig-29 by Henrik "The Viper", on Flickr MIG 29 Fulcrum Nosecone German Air Force MIG 29 MIG 29... 

The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet was designed to attack ground targets and to perform dogfighting maneuvers. The Hornet is used by several military departments in the US. The United States Navy uses them as well as the Marine Corps. Several other countries also possess large numbers of these lethal aircraft. Click on the images below to see a larger... 

The Republic Aviation Corporation’s F-84 ThunderJet was one of the first air superiority fighters, powered by a jet engine, in the United States Air Force (AF) arsenal. It was also one of the most intriguing experimental platforms ever designed. Between 1952 and the fall of ’57, no less than two hundred tests of various systems involving... 

Reaching a top speed of Mach 0.92, the Cessna Citation X has earned the reputation of being the fastest business jet in history, having flown the equivalent distance of at least four trips to the sun. Known as one of the most fuel-efficient mid-size corporate jets, the aircraft saves up to an hour’s travel time over other business jets on transcontinental... 

The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird was an long range Mach 3+ reconnaissance aircraft developed in the 1960s. Its best defensive weapon was it’s ability to reach supersonic speeds. To counteract a missile attack, it would simply just speed up. SR-71 Blackbird in flight SR-71 Instrument Panel NOse view of the SR-71 Blackbird SR-71 Blackbird Refueling ... 

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), used mainly for the military, are aircraft that fly without a human crew on board. UAV’s are different from cruise missiles in that they are re-used for future use where as a cruise missile is intended to be fired just the once, and therefore considered a weapon. Click on the images to see a larger view. Unmanned... 

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is a single seat, single-engine stealth fighter. It is the most sophisticated fighter aircraft in the world today. The F-35 is capable of VSTOL (very short take-off and landing) operations. The F-35 is a direct descendant of the X-35, a product of the JSF program. F-35 Lightning II – F-35 Take-Off - F-35...