A fat lady visiting Ferihegy Airport
On 24/10/2011, in Picture stories, by steve
It is not so rare any more that one comes face to face with an Antonov An-124 but she remains an impressive bird nevertheless. Here is a series of pictures kindly shared by our contributor Lajos: An-124 arriving.
Click here to read the full article
War effort
On 18/04/2011, in Picture stories, by steve
One of the biggest industrial efforts ever undertaken was that of the United States during World War II. Aircraft and other materiel was being produced at prodigious rates and with most of the men gone to the battle front, women took their places working day and night to keep the war fighters supplied. Here is a nice set of archive photos, re-mastered in glorious HD, to give to-day’s young generation a feeling of what was involved.
We are all equal in the face of nature’s fury
On 18/03/2011, in Picture stories, by steve
The recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan was a tragedy of biblical proportions and our hearts and prayers go out for victims and survivors alike. They will prevail but their suffering is great and they need all the help they can get.
This picture shows the scale of the devastation and also that we are all equal in the face of nature’s fury.
The numbers game
On 28/02/2011, in Picture stories, by steve
I would like to share with you a video that is not about air traffic management but its message is extremely relevant for global ATM as well as for many other fields. Although the video is apparently not completely new, its numbers are a revelation and very thought provoking.
Click here to watch.
Desperation
On 23/02/2011, in Picture stories, by steve
A while ago in a previous article I wrote that airports were “dream factories”. I still think that to be the case but on occasion they can also be the cause of extreme frustration.
I caught this little girl crying desperately as she sunk exhausted to her knees in Madrid Airport last night. Help was close at hand and her mom rushed to set her back on her feet again but I guess the damage was done.
Airports are such horrible places was what her tearful little eyes said…
I hope in time she will learn otherwise!
With an F-16 over Alaska
On 18/02/2011, in Picture stories, by steve
For fans of the F-16, here is a great set of pics from Ted Carlson made over Alaska. Enjoy!
Click here to read the full article
Fluid Flow
On 16/12/2010, in Picture stories, by phil
The wind and the general flow of air and ocean currents around our planet is of great importance to aviators and sailors alike. It is often hard to visualise exactly what is going on. Satellite pictures can show us a lot, not only for illustrating the weather forecasts we all see on TV, but sometimes also for helping us to visualise what is happening.
I was looking through a few satellite pictures recently and was struck by how similar fluid flow looks in different scales, whether it is in the atmosphere or in the oceans. We are all used to looking at the water in rivers and streams and seeing all the little eddies but we are not so familiar with what happens on a larger scale.
The first four satellite photos below show what is happening in the sea. In the first two the swirling currents are made visible by the plankton in the water, and in the second two by the drifting ice. For those of us who sail, it explains the odd changes of current a boat can be subjected to despite what the tide tables say.
Click here to read the full article
FAA video on NextGen
On 08/12/2010, in Picture stories, by steve
If you go to the FAA’s NextGen web-site, a wide banner tells you that this is about “Giving the World New Ways to Fly”. The banner is of course the link to the NextGen 101 Video. I clicked and watched for the next ten minutes or so… At the end of it I could not but wonder: who commissioned this thing and who accepted this product?
Boooooring is the understatement of the century if the term is applied to this “video” which is in fact little more than a rather poorly constructed series of slides with little movement and even less impact. The voice over says all the right things although that too could have been made at least half way exciting… but it wasn’t.
Of course seeing something as low quality as this video, one can start all kinds of mental games. What did they have in mind when they created this video? Who was the target audience? OK, big bosses need simple explanations but this is rather overdoing it…. Kids in kindergarten need more action or they will fall asleep. The population in-between? No, they do not watch this kind of video.
What about the company who made it? Did they get a specification that had called for the most unimaginative presentation in the world? If so, they have succeeded brilliantly. If they did not, did they decide all on their own to propose this horror to the FAA? How did they convince the guys with the money that this was exactly what you needed to promote NextGen?
Did the company not feel obliged to tell whoever was ordering this product that it would need to be something vibrant, fresh, innovative and informative, something different from all that has gone before… but in a positive sense of course.
Luckily this not the only NextGen video and the others are markedly better. Just as well, NextGen deserves better!
Watch the video here.
The birth of an Airbus 380
On 07/11/2009, in Picture stories, by steve
Building any aircraft is always a fascinating process that leaves a lasting impression on those who have the good fortune of being able to witness it. Building a remarkable machine like the Airbus 380 magnifies the element of wonder by virtue of its own incredible dimensions.
In the distant past, aircraft factories were exactly that. Places where aircraft were made. These days an Airbus or a Boeing plant is an assembly operation, putting together the diverse parts manufactured to incredibly precise tolerances elsewhere. The parts travel by air, barge and semi-trailers, creating transport logistics problems all their own. But in the end, the miracle never fails to happen: a new aircraft emerges, ready to take to the air.
In the slide series you can download from here courtesy of Airbus, they have assembled the gestation process of the first Airbus 380 showing moments of the prenatal life of this oversized baby most of us have probably never seen before. The birth of a child is always a wonder. The birth of an aircraft is a very close second…
Note: We gratefully acknowledge the copyright of all photographers and authors involved.
Runways, runways, runways…
On 24/10/2009, in Picture stories, by pbn
Someone has taken the trouble to collect a number of truly stunning aerial runway views which we would like to share with you. Click here to download. We were not able to ascertain the source of the pictures but we gratefully acknowledge the work of all photographers involved.
Split second decisions… nanosecond pictures
On 20/10/2009, in Picture stories, by steve
Pilots and controllers are regularly called upon to make split-second decisions. That is a pretty damn short time to make up your mind… Nanoseconds are even shorter. Check out these slides to see what happens in a nanosecond.
Free flight
On 19/10/2009, in Picture stories, by pbn
Birds are not subject to air traffic management… May be that is why they are a smile in the sky.
Oh those nice old days…
On 16/10/2009, in Picture stories, by steve
Cast a look back into the history of flying with these wonderful images.
Bird strikes. No laughing matter…
On 16/10/2009, in Picture stories, by steve
Birds are sturdy beasts and have no respect for aircraft. Download this presentation to see a chilling account of the results…
