World class hang-glider pilot Matjaž Klemenčič successfully executes a touch-and-go landing on the wing of a sail plane flown by Nejc Faganelj as the two soar over the Soča valley in Slovenia. In a post on Red Bull, Matjaž says the biggest challenges were speed and timing. Be sure to check out the embedded video below of the daring feat.
For more information visit Red Bull.
The Antonov An-225 Mriya is a cargo aircraft that was designed by the Soviet Union’s Antonov Design Bureau in the 1980s. It is powered by six turbofan engines and is the longest and heaviest airplane ever built, with a maximum takeoff weight of 640 tonnes. It also has the largest wingspan of any aircraft in operational service. Only one An-225 was ever built and the behemoth transporter is still in service today.
Photograph above by Vasiliy Koba
The first and only An-225 was completed in 1988 after four years of construction. The An-225 first flew on 21 December 1988 with a 74-minute flight from Kiev. The Antonov An-225 was originally designed to airlift the Energia rocket’s boosters and the Buran space shuttle for the Soviet space program.
After successfully fulfilling its Soviet military missions, it was mothballed for eight years. It was then refurbished and re-introduced, and is in commercial operation with Antonov Airlines carrying oversized payloads. An increased-capacity landing gear system with 32 wheels was designed, some of which are steerable, enabling the aircraft to turn within a 60 m (200 ft) wide runway. [source]
The pressurized cargo hold is 1,300 m3 (46,000 cu ft) in volume; 6.4 m (21 ft) wide, 4.4 m (14 ft) high, and 43.35 m (142.2 ft) long—longer than the first flight of the Wright Flyer. The airlifter holds the absolute world records for an airlifted single item payload of 189,980 kilograms (418,834 pounds), and an airlifted total payload of 253,820 kilograms (559,577 pounds). It has also transported a payload of 247,000 kilograms (545,000 pounds) on a commercial flight. [source]
The An-225 has since become the workhorse of the Antonov Airlines fleet, transporting objects once thought impossible to move by air, such as locomotives and 150-tonne generators. It has become an asset to international relief organizations for its ability to quickly transport huge quantities of emergency supplies during disaster relief operations. [source]
Mriya has set up 240 world records including transportation of the heaviest cargo with mass of 253 tons, the heaviest single piece of cargo with mass of 186.7 t as well as the longest cargo having length of 42.1 meters (138 ft).
On 11 August 2009, the heaviest single cargo item ever sent via air freight was loaded onto the Antonov 225. At 16.23 metres (53.2 ft) long and 4.27 metres (14.0 ft) wide, its consignment, a generator for a gas power plant in Armenia along with its loading frame, weighed in at a record 189 tonnes (417,000 lb).
On 11 June 2010, the An-225 carried the world’s longest piece of air cargo, when it flew two new 42-meter test wind turbine blades from Tianjin, China to Skrydstrup, Denmark.
Crew: 6
Length: 84 m (275 ft 7 in)
Wingspan: 88.4 m (290 ft 0 in)
Height: 18.1 m (59 ft 5 in)
Wing area: 905 m2 (9,740 sq ft)
Aspect ratio: 8.6
Empty weight: 285,000 kg (628,317 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 640,000 kg (1,410,958 lb)
Fuel capacity: 300,000 kg
Cargo hold – volume 1,300m3, length 43.35m, width 6.4m, height 4.4m
Powerplant: 6 × ZMKB Progress D-18 turbofans, 229.5 kN (51,600 lbf) thrust each
Maximum speed: 850 km/h (528 mph; 459 kn)
Cruising speed: 800 km/h (497 mph; 432 kn)
Range: 15,400 km (9,569 mi; 8,315 nmi) with maximum fuel; range with maximum payload: 4,000 km (2,500 mi)
Service ceiling: 11,000 m (36,089 ft)
Wing loading: 662.9 kg/m2 (135.8 lb/sq ft)
Thrust/weight: 0.234
Low hanging fog has made this large container ship appear to be floating on a cloud. The photo was taken from an airplane window by reddit user gameadd1kt, somewhere near Tacoma, Washington. Aside from that, details are sparse but it’s an interesting optical illusion!
Seen here is a view of Washington’s Mt Rainier at sunset. The photo was taken by reddit user -rabid-, who captured the east side of the mountain from his window seat on an airplane.
Mount Rainier is a large stratovolcano located 54 miles (87 km) southeast of Seattle. It is the most topographically prominent mountain in the contiguous United States and the Cascade Volcanic Arc, with a summit elevation of 14,411 ft (4,392 m).
This is why you always ask for the window seat! For 27 more reasons why, check out this post from last year.
In this fantastic capture by @sharpmagunda on Instagram, we see Chicago from high above with skyscrapers soaring above the clouds. Chicago is the third most populous city in the United States after New York and Los Angeles. This is just another reason to always get the window seat when flying!
The IXION Windowless Jet Concept was created specifically for the 2013 NBAA Business Aviation Show. Created by Technicon Design, it was also a recent winner at the 2014 International Yacht & Aviation Awards in the Exterior Design category.
The idea is to remove all windows, instead turning the interior cabin into a giant screen, using “existing or very near future technology to display the exterior environment to the inside surfaces of the cabin via external cameras.”
Check out the concept video below along with additional images and information.
[Technicon Design Press Release via IFLS]
Gareth Davies, Design Director at Technicon’s French Studio
“The ethos of the project is simple, to challenge current thinking, and propose something a little different, but not just a fantasy. It has to be credible and relevant, yet provoke discussion”.
“We quickly settled on the controversial yet interesting idea of removing the windows from the cabin and using existing or very near future technology to display the exterior environment to the inside surfaces of the cabin via external cameras. Removing the windows allows for weight reduction, simplifies construction and opens up an enormous spectrum of possibilities for interior design. We wanted to couple this with amorphous solar panels which power the low voltage systems on board and thus offer a unique visual dynamic for the exterior.”
“The user experience is greatly enhanced by directly engaging the passengers with the environment outside, to the point of exhilaration by giving an unhindered panoramic view from the inside. Parallax barrier technology allows the passengers to see different views at the same time on the same screen. A myriad of potential cabin moods and themes open up by tailoring the images or ambiance that is displayed, even by mimicking a more traditional interior if desired.”
[USAF June 11, 2014] A B-2 Spirit from Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., performed air refueling with a KC-135 Stratotanker from Royal Air Force Mildenhall June 11, 2014, over Cornwall, England. Whiteman AFB is participating in familiarization training operations while deployed to RAF Fairford. (U.S. Air Force Senior Airman by Christine Griffiths/Released)
Last week two fighter jets escorted the Netherlands’ first commercial Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. The country’s first Dreamliner was welcomed by two F-16’s from the Royal Netherlands Air Force Demo Team. The plane is owned and operated by Arkefly, the Dutch charter arm of TUI.
The RNLAF F-16 Demo Team 2014-2015 is based at Leeuwarden Airbase. The home base of the RNLAF F-16 Demo Team shifts between Volkel and Leeuwarden Airbase every two years. The RNLAF F-16 Demo Team 2014-2015 is comprised of personnel from the 323 and 322 Squadrons. The team consists of one display pilot, four display coaches, eight technical specialists and a webmaster. Captain Jeroen “Slick” Dickens is flying his first season as the display pilot for the RNLAF F-16 Demo Team.
Two U.S. Air Force Thunderbird F-16 Fighting Falcons execute a precision acrobat technique known as a Calypso Pass for a crowd March 23, 2014, at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida. The Thunderbirds performed for more than 185,000 during the MacDill AFB presents Tampa Bay AirFest 2014.
The Calypso Pass is when two planes flying at high-speed perform a mirror image. Interestingly, the Guinness World Record for closest Calypso Pass belongs to Major Scottie Zamzow and Major Brian Farrar of the 2005 Thunderbirds. They were a mere 18 inches (45 cm) apart! The feat was accomplished on 12-13 November 2005 at the Aviation Nation Air Show in Nellis, Las Vegas. [source]
The Thunderbirds are the air demonstration squadron of the United States Air Force (USAF). The Thunderbirds are assigned to the 57th Wing and are based at Nellis AFB, Nevada. Officers serve a two-year assignment with the squadron, while enlisted personnel serve three to four years. As the squadron performs no more than 88 air demonstrations each year, replacements must be trained for about half of the team each year, in order to provide a constant mix of experience. [source]
Seen here is the small runway/airport known as the Farrenberg aerodrome (FAR1). It sits atop a hill of the same name in the Baden-Württemberg region of Germany. You can see the tiny airport and runway on Google Maps by entering the following coordinates: 48°23’8.49″N 009°04’37.76″E (interestingly, in the Google Maps link you can see a handful of sailplanes preparing for launch)
Due to Farrenberg’s elevation, it is often above the cloud ceiling and makes for dramatic pictures like these when viewed from above.
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