The largest collection of antique shipwrecks ever found in Norway has been discovered under mud at the building site for a new highway tunnel in Oslo, Norway. Jostein Gundersen, project’s lead archeologist said at least nine wooden boats, the largest being 17 metes long, were found well preserved nearly 400 years after they sank at Bjoervika, an Oslo inlet near the new national opera house.
The wrecks were remarkably well preserved because they had been covered in mud and fresh water, where river waters run into the sea. It was believed that the wrecks have sunk sometime after a massive fire swept the wooden buildings of old Oslo in 1624. After that disaster, Danish-Norwegian King Kristian IV ordered the city center moved before reconstruction started.
The discovered boats were moored at the old port which became a remote area after the city was moved. It was assumed that the boats may have been 30 or 40 years old when they sank. The wreckage will be moved as quickly as possible, so construction of the undersea tunnel can continue.
The military cargo plane C-130 Hercules of the Philippine Air Force crashed after takeoff in the Southern Philippines, specifically on its way to Iloilo City to pick up members of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) last August 27. The plane crashed and sank 4 km. off the shore of Barangay Bucana in Davao City within the vicinity of Samal and Talikod Islands. Nine people aboard sank 600 ft. underwater, too deep for divers to reach, reported by the Philippine Navy.
Navy Capt Rosauro Gonzales said the wreckage of the aircraft was located 2.5 nautical miles southwest of Samal island, a short distance from Davao International Airport, from where the plane took off Monday evening. It was reported that fishermen found body parts, a torn uniform, combat boots and other debris. However, radio station DZBB reported that underwater camera found no trace of the nine crew, which included 2 pilots. Philippine military officials are still on their mission to search for the remains of the 9 crews.
Philippine Air Force speculated that lightning could have caused the crash of the C-130 despite the fact that it was equipped with a lightning arrester. Eyewitnesses said that a lightning struck and saw the plane into flames before it crashed.
PAF Chief Lt. Gen. Pedrito Cadungog went to Davao to personally attend to the grieving family of the pilot Maj. Manuel Zambrano, co-pilot Capt. Adrian de Dios and other seven crewmembers.
The C-130 is one of only two operated by the Philippine Air Force. PAF cheif Cadungog said the PAF’s remaining C-130 Hercules plane is now grounded and being prepared for inspection at the Mactan Air Base in Lapu-Lapu City.
QinetiQ Group PLC, a British defense technology company, claimed on Sunday, August 24, that its ultra lightweight plane has broken the world record for the longest lasting unmanned flight.
According to QinetiQ, the aircraft, which is called the Zephyr, flew for 83 hours and 37 minutes straight. That is more than twice the official world record set by Northrop Grumman’s Global Hawk back in 2001. It is also longer than the Zephyr’s accomplishment last year, which was 54 hours of continuous flight.
QinetiQ, however, will not be celebrating anytime soon. The reported flight time of the Zephyr may not get into record books, because it did not meet the criteria laid down by the world’s air sports federation, which is the body responsible for measuring and verifying air and space records.
“We were concentrating more on the flight than the record,” said QinetiQ spokesman Douglas Millard.
The Zephyr, which has potential in the fields of reconnaissance and communications, is built from carbon fiber and features paper thin solar panels. It weighs 30 kilograms (66 pounds) and was launched by hand on July 28 in the Arizona desert in the United States. The aircraft was flown by autopilot and via satellite to an altitude of over 18,000 meters (60,000 feet), QinetiQ said.
During the day, the ultra lightweight was powered by the sun. At night, it relied on its rechargeable lithium-sulphur batteries.
QinetiQ stated that the Zephyr’s more than three-day flight was witnessed by US and British defense officials. Still, it does not change the fact that the record is likely to remain unofficial.
The wonders of the combination of reduced acoustic, infrared, visual and radar signatures that stealth bombers do, making them difficult for defenses to detect, track and engage might soon be a thing of the past. These days, invisibility is no longer regarded as mere imagination and occult or supernatural. With the latest technology developed by the Army scientists and researchers, fantasy is slowly becoming a reality.
Dr. Richard Hammond, a theoretical physicist working in Optical Physics and Imaging Science at the U.S. Army’s Research Office, discussed with bloggers the developments in the field of negative index materials research and meta materials. Developing research in these areas is making light reflect with extraordinary effect. Hammond said:
“Meta materials are artificial materials with versatile properties that can be tailored to fit almost any practical need.” These versatile properties enable it to go beyond the capabilities of natural materials, including control of the light at an unprecedected level.
“Similar to general relativity, where time and space are curved, transformation optics shows that the space for light can also be bent in an almost arbitrary way.”
Army researchers have paired with Purdue University, the University of Colorado, the University of Berkeley and Princeton University in a multi-university research initiative. Providing new capabilities to Soldiers in the battlefield is the motivation behind the research, and benefits from meta materials have an impact in both the short and long term.
“If you’re out on the battlefield and you see a cloud coming, or you suspect that there might be an aerosol chemical or biological warfare being used against you, it’s very difficult to detect what the material is, said Hammond.”
With the new meta materials being developed, however, the ability exists to see see things smaller than the wavelength of light – something that has never been done before, according to Hammond. Utilizing meta materials in the creation of a new lens may allow Soldiers to be able to see pathogens and viruses that are currently impossible to detect with any visual device.
“So this would be enormous – an enormous improvement and not just on the battlefield, but it would allow us to make all kinds of materials, what we call nanomanufacturing,” said Hammond, “Which could go into distance sensors to other kinds of sensors.” In the longer terms, the possibility for cloaking materials exists, which would provide “invisibility” by redirecting light around a cylindrical shape.
“One of the most exciting applications is an electromagnetic cloak that can bend light around itself, similar to the flow of water around a stone,” said Hammond. “Making invisible both the cloak and an object hidden inside.”
The research surrounding meta materials and creating tiny particles with unprecedecented properties has met the “proof of principle” according to Hammond. What researchers and scientists will eventually accomplish, has yet to be seen, however, as that principle is developed and finds new applications, he said.
“This experiment was performed in 2006 and it was almost like a chain reaction,” Said Hammond. “The field of transformation optics and meta materials and negative index materials exploded with this. But, as I say, the proof of principle has a long way to go before we can see that on the battlefield.”
A Spanish airliner bound for the Canary Islands at the height of the vacation season crashed, burned and broke into pieces Wednesday while trying to take off from Madrid, killing 153 people on board, officials said.
When it comes to air travel, the rich and famous fly in their own private jets. Fitted with luxurious interiors to suit their affluent taste, these private planes such as Boeing, Cessna, or Convair, make the trips their wealthy owners more comfortable and enjoyable.
10. Donald Trump – Boeing 727-23
Originally operated by American Airlines, this 1968 vintage jet was reconfigured to hold 23, with pale leather armchairs, gold plated seatbelt buckles, oil paintings, and Waterford crystal lamps. The “Trump” logo on the side of the aircraft is 30 feet long, 4 feet high, and made of 23 carat gold leaf.
9. Roman Abramovich – Boeing 767-33A
This 767 may look ordinary on the outside, but its interior is reportedly outfitted with chestnut and decorated with gold. The aircraft can often be spotted at Luton Airport some 40 miles north of London, where Abramovich spends much of his time.
8. The Sultan of Brunei – Boeing 747-430
The Sultan bought this 747 brand new for at least $100 million and had it fitted with a special interior and features such as washbasins of solid gold and Lalique crystal at an additional cost of some $120 million. The Sultan has several other aircraft, but this is his largest.
7. Jimmy Buffett – Grumman HU-16 Albatross
This former military Grumman HU-16 Albatross amphibian aircraft owned by singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett is named “The Hemisphere Dancer”. In 1996, it was shot at in Jamaica by local police who suspected it of carrying drugs.
6. Air Force One
The aircraft used to transport President George W. Bush on important state and domestic visits, Air Force One is a Boeing 747-200B that has been heavily modified with secure communications systems, electronic equipment, a self-contained baggage loader, front and aft air stairs, and the ability to refuel in-flight.
5. Mark Cuban – Boeing 767-277
Billionaire Mark Cuban, who owns the Dallas Mavericks NBA basketball team, reportedly had custom-made seats installed on the aircraft that are large enough to accommodate the team’s tallest players.
4. Elvis Presley – Convair 880
Named “Lisa Marie” after Elvis’ daughter, this Convair 880 was customized with 28 seats instead of the usual 110. The tail of the now preserved jet was painted with The King’s personal “TCB” logo, which stands for “Takin’ Care of Business”.
3. Bill Gates – Bombardier BD-700 Global Express
Owned by Challenger Administration LLC on Bill Gates’ behalf, this jet can carry eight people at a cruising altitude of 51,000 feet for a distance of 6,500 nautical miles, a range that permits nonstop Tokyo-New York or Los Angeles-Moscow flights.
2. Wayne Huizenga – de Havilland Canada DHC-6-320 Twin Otter
One of the most rugged and reliable utility transport aircraft ever built, the unpressurized Twin Otter can carry up to 19 people and take off from and land on rough strips as short as 100 yards. This aircraft appeared in a seaplane chase scene in the James Bond film “Casino Royale”.
1. Harrison Ford – Cessna 525B CJ3 Citation Jet
Harrison Ford pilots his own CJ3, which can carry six people in comfort for some 1,900 nautical miles. Ford is considered so good a pilot that the FAA asked him to be the spokesman for the runway incursion awareness and prevention campaign that the agency started in 2001.
Aviation has been and will always be one of the greatest breakthroughs in technological development. Aviation has been the backbone of many industries and has played key roles too for many years.
10. Broadcasting – Broadcasting journalism has benefited greatly from the aviation industry, with the advent of the “news chopper,” providing live traffic updates to viewers and listeners.Stations employed helicopters to provide unique views of breaking news events.
9. Public Displays – Air racing has been a spectacular and dangerous high-speed aerial display.Outside of air racing, pilots also display their skills in aerobatic displays and military demos, like those held at the EAA AirVenture air show held annually at Oshkosh.These events also host experimental and home-made aircraft.
8. Aerial Photography – The military world made way for aerial photography, capturing great bird’s-eye-views.During the 20th century, cartographers, archaeologists and film makers benefited from an eagle’s-eye view.NASA utilized the Ikhana unmanned craft since 2007, photographing wildfires in California to aid firefighters.
7. Agriculture – Hot-air balloons were also utilized in the practice of top dressing.In the 1940s and 1950s, converted World War II aircraft became the standard for crop dusting and farmers benefited on the low-flying planes.In the 1960s, the Piper Pawnee series which was specially designed for agricultural work, came into general use.Today, ag planes come equipped with GPS technologies and can cover more acres per flight than ever before.But crop dusting remains among the more dangerous aviation professions.However, Yamaha’s remote-controlled miniature helicopters solved this problem and thousands are currently used in Japan to cultivate rice paddies.
6. Aerial Firefighting – Aerial firefighting started with creative techniques.Water-filled wooden barrels and hoses were the first tools to fight wildfires from above.Eventually, firefighters began dropping retardants such as borate salts.Today, ammonium sulfate and ammonium polyphosphate are emitted from large airtankers.
5. Business – By the 1950s, business trips were a major source of commercial air travel and airplanes allowed professionals to have face-to-face meetings around the country, across the world and more often than was previously possible.Today, business/private aviation is growing and in-demand field.
4. Search and Rescue (SAR) – SAR efforts are conducted around the world in urban areas, in mountains and forests and in oceans, on foot, in aircraft, by ski patrols and even canines.When the Coast Guard came to have its own aviation division, it pioneered the use of helicopters for SAR.SAR air teams have played key roles in disaster relief efforts.
3. Military – Military forces were using aviation to track the movements of their enemies.War brought urgency to the development of military aircraft such as bombers and fighters, which played key roles in every war.
2. Emergency Medical Services – Aviation’s one of the most indispensable uses is the transportation of the sick and injured needing medical attention.Helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft alike are used in air emergency medical services.
1. Air Travel – Air travel allowed access to even the most remote parts of the earth and it became indispensable to connect and bridge the gap between people and places.
The National Aviation Day, celebrated on the 19th day of August, is a United States national observation that celebrates the development of human flight. The aforementioned holiday was established by a presidential proclamation in 1939, which designated the anniversary of Orville Wright’s birthday to be National Aviation Day.
The President may issue each year a proclamation
designating August 19 as National Aviation Day;
calling on United States Government officials to display the flag of the United States on all Government buildings on National Aviation Day; and
inviting the people of the United States to observe National Aviation Day with appropriate exercises to further stimulate interest in aviation in the United States.
The Gulfstream I or GI, the very first Gulfstream aircraft, took its maiden flight five decades ago on August 15. Sitting in the cockpit of the twin-engine turboprop that day were Grumman Aerospace test pilots Carl Alber and Fred Rowley.
With Alber and Rowley at the controls and fellow Grumman pilot Bob Smyth following behind in an F8F Bearcat, the GI flew over Bethpage, New York, where Grumman Aerospace was based. Afterwards the aircraft underwent about 800 hours of additional testing. It received FAA certification on May 21, 1959.
The GI was the first aircraft specifically designed for business travel. However, it also saw service with five US government agencies and all branches of the armed forces. When Grumman was selected by NASA to produce the Lunar Module, a GI was outfitted with a cargo door to help transport some of the assemblies.
“The creation of the GI would not have been possible 50 years ago without the dedicated and innovative people working at Grumman Aerospace,” said Joe Lombardo, president of Gulfstream. “Fifty years later, our employees still make the difference in manufacturing the safest, most reliable and most technologically advanced business jets in the world.”
In addition to setting the standard for future Gulfstream models, the GI established a benchmark for executive travel. Today, approximately one third of the 200 GI aircraft Grumman built are still flying, registered in some 15 countries.
WASHINGTON – The Federal Aviation Administration said Thursday it is seeking $7.1 million from American Airlines for continuing to fly airlines after safety problems were reported and for drug-testing violations.
The Texas-based airline delayed repairs on two MD-80′s after problems were reported with their autopilot systems and flew them 58 times in violations of federal regulations, the FAA said.
“The FAA believes the large total amount of the fine for these violations is appropriate because American Airlines was aware that appropriate repairs were needed, and instead deferred maintenance,” the agency said in a statement. “In intentionally continuing to fly the aircraft, the carrier did not follow important safety regulations intended to protect passengers and crew.”
The largest fine FAA has ever proposed against an airline was $10.2 million against Southwest Airlines in March for flying airplanes without performing mandatory inspections.
The FAA is also seeking fines against American for violating drug and alcohol testing procedures involving several dozen flight attendants and other employees, only one of which was a pilot, Dorr said.
The airline also did not make timely inspections of its emergency lighting systems inside aircraft for several years, the agency said.
American is one of the world’s largest airlines, with 60,000 flights a month.
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