News and other tidbits that Chad Cloman finds interesting enough to share
Here are some really neat pictures of the recent eruption of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull volcano. Brings back memories of Mount St. Helens, although I don’t remember the US shutting down its airspace like Europe has done.
Thanks to Josh for the link.
Link: http://www.boston.com/…
I’ve never put much thought into what it take to repossess commercial airplanes. The linked article is about Nick Popovich and his repo company, Sage-Popovich, Inc. Some of the repossessions require significant planning and a large team of people.
Link: http://www.airspacemag.com/…
(via Neatorama)
When falling great distances, the primary survival mechanism is luck. But don’t forget to clench your butt.
Link: http://www.origin.popularmechanics.com/…
(via Digg)
Airlines have had e-tickets for some time now, but it’s still necessary to get a printed boarding pass. Well, even that is on the way out. My friend Josh sent this screen print of his iPhone. It’s a “mobile boarding pass,” and the airline accepts it from the phone display.
The linked video footage shows the path of the airplane that veered off the runway and burst into flames on Saturday. Note the building that it narrowly missed—which happens to be a fire station. Apparently the quick fire response was a significant factor in everyone safely exiting the burning plane.
Link: http://www.truveo.com/…
Here’s a way to get a two-for-one deal on airline seats. It appears that Canada officially considers obesity to be a disability.
Thanks to Josh for this topic.
Link: http://www.reuters.com/…
A woman got belligerent and physically violent on a JetBlue flight, causing it to be diverted so she could be de-planed and arrested. She claims that she was in an alcohol-induced blackout and doesn’t remember the incident.
Link: http://www.examiner.com/…
(via The Consumerist)
Let’s see… a long flight, a bored computer hacker. Yup, it’s going to happen.
Link: http://www.wired.com/…
(via Engadget)
Smokers rejoice! Starting Aug. 4th, you can take cigarette lighters on an airplane. According to the article, 22,000 lighters are currently confiscated each day by airport security officials.
Link: http://consumerist.com/…
PayPal—it’s not just for eBay anymore.
Link: http://money.cnn.com/…
US and Australian scientists have successfully tested a scramjet, attaining a speed of Mach 10. This technology has the potential to revolutionize international travel, should it ever make it to commercial use. I’ve read about suborbital flights in a variety of science fiction novels, and it would be neat to see it become a reality.
We’ve all seen airplane contrails, but here’s what they look like up close. Wow.
Link: http://www.airliners.net/…
(via digg)
