What does the world look like to a bird? As a child, all I wanted to do was fly or float above the world, going from place to place and seeing all the amazing sights there are to see. Indeed birds are lucky in that regard: up high, far from the noise of those pesky humans, they soar and see the world as it truly is. Here are some beautiful photos of that stunning world birds get to see.
The opera house in Sidney, Australia
Surfing the highest waves in Australia
The Mojave Desert in California, USA
family of elephants walking through Botswana
The Great Barrier Reef
Fuji Mountain on Honcho Island, Japan
The Anapolis submarine during a training exercise in the Arctic
Noise is an issue at many airports, including Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport.Source: Getty Images
TWO years ago, Dutch land artist Paul de Kort was given a tough brief.
Administrators at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) had long been looking to address the levels of aircraft noise that affected those living near the airport.
So, taking inspiration from the ground, de Kort created a landscape that has had a significant effect on dampening the roar of planes for those living near one of the world’s busiest airports.
But long before de Kort broke ground, researchers from the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) had already been studying the noise level at AMS. They noticed that in the fall, after the fields surrounding the airport had been ploughed, noise levels decreased significantly.
It turns out that the furrows created by ploughing helped to absorb, deflect and mute aircraft noise.
The labyrinth design. Picture: Schiphol GroupSource: Supplied
Working off these findings, de Kort collaborated with architectural firm H+N+S Lanscapearchitects and scientists from the TNO to create Buitenschot Land Art Park.
Located to the southwest of AMS, just off the edge of the runway, this huge green space is laid out in an interlocking system of ditches and trenches.
While its primary purpose is to dampen the ground noise created by passing aircraft, the park also features bike paths, sports fields and even sculpture to create a space that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing.
To create this mazelike park, de Kort also drew heavily on the past and was particularly inspired by the work of Ernst Chladni, a 17th century German physicist. The scientist’s Chladni patterns served as the inspiration for the furrows and ridges now seen at AMS.
Completed in October 2013, this collaborative project has since been viewed as a renowned success. The creation of Buitenschot had an immediate effect, cutting the decibel level of aircraft noise down by half, the Smithsonian reported. And it has continued being a success since then.
De Kort, however, has one regret. Speaking to Hansman, he explained that, “The ground sound spreads behind the plane that’s taking off, so in fact you fly away in the other directions. You won’t be able to actually see the area from the air.”
Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport is one of the world’s busiest.Source: Getty Images
A tardy couple ran onto the tarmac in hopes of stopping their flight from taking off without them.
The pair of travelers, Matteo Clementi (left) & Enrica Apollonio (right) — Times of Malta
This Italian couple learned the hard way that you can’t hail down a moving aircraft similar to a departing bus or taxi. The Times of Malta reports the pair was forced to pay over $2,600 in fines after chasing after their departing aircraft down the tarmac before being apprehended by airport authorities.
The situation reportedly began when Enrica Apollonio, 23, and Matteo Clementi, 26, got delayed on their way to Malta International Airport (MLA), where they were scheduled to catch a Ryanair flight back to Italy. By the time they arrived at the airport, it was too late: the doors to their flight had closed and the two were not allowed to board.
MLA official say that although the incident was out of their control, they are glad it ended without major incident. “MLA staff and partners responded to this situation immediately and effectively, ensuring that the passengers were apprehended and passed on to the police,” an airport representative told the Times of Malta. “MLA regrets that a holiday to Malta had to end in this way but reminds passengers that safety and security are of the utmost importance at any airport and such issues cannot be dealt with lightly.”That’s when the couple took matters into their own hands. Airport officials say the two ran to another gate, opened an emergency fire exit and ran onto the tarmac. The couple hoped they would be able to prevent their Ryanair flight from taxiing and somehow board the aircraft. Instead, the two were apprehended by security staff, and charged with violations of Matla’s Airports and Civil Aviation Security Act.
Both persons were ultimately convicted and will be forced to pay over $2,600 in fines. An attorney for the pair said they were looking forward to celebrating Apollonio’s birthday on the island, “but instead spent it in a cell.” Ryanair did not offer a comment on the incident.
It’s not the first time Qatar has claimed the top spot. It won in 2011 and 2012 and has twice been voted runner up. It also took home best airline in the Middle East and best business class seat.
The presitigous Skytrax awards are judged by 18.9 million passengers in 110 countries around the world who vote on factors such as comfort, friendliness of cabin crew and in-flight food.
Qatar CEO Akbar Al Baker told CNN it was a reflection of their staff.
“It’s a very clear accolade on behalf of the staff — they are the real recipients, I’m just their leader”, he said.
AirAsia won the best low-cost airline category for 2015 despite the tragic and fatal crash of flight QZ8501 last year.Source: Getty Images
The top ten airlines included Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Turkish and Emirates. Qantas came in at number 10 on the list.
In the low-cost airline category AirAsia was voted the world’s best for the seventh year in a row, despite the tragic accident in the Java Sea last year that killed all 162 people on-board flight QZ8501.
Reported in CNN, co-founder and group CEO Tony Fernandes said the award “meant a lot, after all we’ve been through. I wouldn’t normally say the airline industry is sweet, but today it felt sweet.
“We’ve won it seven times, but this one means the most, because of what happened in the early part of this year.”
Other awards included Garuda Indonesia for best cabin crew, Air France for most improved airline, EVA Air for cleanest aircraft cabins and Cathay Pacific for best transpacific airline.
The list of the world’s top 100 airlines for 2015 can be viewed here.
In the lead-up to the Paris Air Show, which begins on June 15, Boeing has set the bar high after releasing a video of its newest version of the Dreamliner aircraft — the 787-9 — performing some impressive aerial moves.
But it’s the takeoff which has everyone talking as the passenger jet makes an almost vertical ascent seconds after leaving the ground.
The steep climb looks impressive, though it has its doubters.
Boeing 767 pilot Patrick Smith told CNN: “It looks like the takeoff is at a near vertical 90 degree angle — trust me it’s not.”
He said a 787 with passengers making a 20 degree pitch-up on takeoff would be pretty strong.
“Presumably the plane was very light because it wasn’t carrying any passengers, probably had a very light fuel load, no freight, so it would have been able to perform a steeper than normal ascent — but not to the extent the video seems to show,” Smith said.
That’s steep … the Boeing Dreamliner 787-9 takeoffSource: Supplied
A Texas A&M University professor and his team in Qatar have a mathematical theory about why search crews have found no trace of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 more than a year after it went missing.
Dr. Goong Chen, whose research on this theory was published in the American Mathematical Society’s journal, argues that the plane could have nosedived into the Indian Ocean at a 90-degree angle and remained somewhat intact as it sank to the bottom.
At 1:30 a.m. on March 8, the plane carrying 239 people dropped off air-traffic-control screens, less than an hour into a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
One of the biggest mysteries surrounding Flight MH370 is the fact that, despite experts tracking the plane’s satellite pings to the southern Indian Ocean, searchers have never found a debris field or oil slicks from the supposed crash.
Texas A&M noted that in the case of Air France Flight 447, crews recovered thousands of pieces of floating debris from the Atlantic Ocean just days after the plane crashed in 2009.
Chen explains that if the plane were to enter the ocean at another angle, it would have created a large “bending moment” from the external force of hitting the water, causing the fuselage to break up.
In this type of situation, there would likely be a field of floating debris on the surface of the water.
But a vertical entry would be much smoother, with a smaller “bending moment.” The plane’s wings would have likely broken off immediately, but since they’re heavy, they probably would have sunk to the bottom of the ocean.
So if the plane nosedived into the ocean, it could have sank somewhat intact and landed belly-up on the ocean floor, according to the research paper.
The ocean’s current would have guided the plane to its resting place at the bottom. Lightweight debris like seat cushions and passenger belongings probably wouldn’t be able to float to the ocean’s surface if the plane’s body sank intact.
The plane stalling from a steep climb, aircraft mechanisms malfunctioning, and the plane running out of fuel could have caused MH370 to plunge into the ocean at a sharp angle, according to the research paper.
Chen and his team created simulations of what the descent might have looked like:
Texas A&M University at Qatar / Notices of the American Mathematical Society
The plane entering the water at this angle wouldn’t have created the same large waves as an entry at a lesser angle. Big waves would have likely caused more break-up of the plane at the surface.
The animation below shows the supposed distribution of pressure. The paper notes that aviation experts say that how a plane enters the water determines how it breaks up.
Texas A&M University at Qatar / Notices of the American Mathematical Society
In other scenarios Chen and his team looked at, the plane’s angle of entry would have created bigger waves and more pressure, which likely would have caused the plane to break up more near the water’s surface.
Texas A&M University at Qatar / Notices of the American Mathematical Society
Illustration showing a diving water entry.
Texas A&M University at Qatar / Notices of the American Mathematical Society
Illustration showing a rolling water entry.
Chen and his team concluded that based on the various scenarios they mathematically examined, a nosedive is the mostly likely explanation of what happened to the plane. If the plane had entered the ocean at a different angle, the paper notes, search crews would have likely found debris by now.
Texas A&M University at Qatar/Notices of the American Mathematical Society
“This particular assertion is speculative but forensic,” the paper concludes. The team noted that they based this theory on computed data, aviation precedents, and atmospheric and ocean surface conditions.
The disappearance of MH 370 is one of the most bizarre and tragic aviation mysteries of all time. Investigators have not offered any conclusive explanation as to what happened to the plane after it disappeared from radar.
Australian officials announced last month that teams are expanding the MH370 search area in the Indian Ocean. They said that if the plane isn’t found there, they’re not sure where else to look.
There’s a belief that computers do all of the work in the cockpit, but this amazing video shows British Airways pilots conquering one of the most challenging runways in the world.
With cameras mounted in the flight deck, the clip shows a pilot’s-eye view as a BA plane approaches and touches down on the runway in Funchal, on the Portuguese island of Madeira.
It may seem like a routine event, but captains Ally Wilcox and Ian Mills had to contend with high winds and were unable to rely on the plane’s instruments as they landed at an airport nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and a hill dotted with home
click and watch the video clip below…
Captains Ally Wilcox and Ian Mills had to contend with high winds as they approached the runway
Footage from the cockpit provides a perspective that most passengers will never see as they arrive on the stunning island for a relaxing holiday.
It can be a turbulent landing, and after an extension was built in 2000 part of the runway is on stilts over the sea.
Captain Wilcox narrated the video, which was shot on a recent flight from London, telling viewers Funchal is a unique airfield because pilots cannot land a plane there unless they have special approval from Portugal’s civil aviation authority.
He said BA and Airbus have developed a bespoke plan that has been approved by authorities, which includes using banana sheds as a waypoint to navigate the ‘tricky terrain’ to the left of the runway.
Footage from the cockpit provides a perspective that most passengers will never see
In order to land in Funchal pilots must undergo training and be approved by Portuguese aviation authorities
Only 20 BA captains are permitted to fly into Funchal, and each one had to pass a two-hour simulated training session.
Captain Wilcox said: ‘The island is very tricky because of the terrain … it means we have to fly around the bay and very close to the terrain before completing a curving approach onto the runway.’
As the airport does not have an instrument landing system, pilots must navigate around the bay visually using good judgment, he added.
Funchal is frequently included in lists of the ‘scariest’ runways in the world due to its challenges
High winds add to the degree of difficulty.
He tells viewers: ‘As it’s out in the Atlantic the wind is often strong and very variable in nature.
‘As with this approach we faced exactly that challenge with the head wind becoming a cross wind pushing us towards the terrain and here ending up as a tail wind as we landed on the runway.’
Given its location and turbulent winds, Funchal is frequently included in lists of the ‘scariest’ runways in the world.
அமெரிக்க தொழிலதிபரான ராக்ஃபெல்லர், முதுமையிலும் கடுமையாக உழைத்தவர். ஒருமுறை, விமானத்தில் பயணித்தார். அப்போதும் ஏதோ வேலையாக இருந்தவரைக் கண்டு அருகில் இருந்த இளைஞர் வியப்புற்றார். அவர், ”ஐயா, இந்த வயதிலும் இப்படிக் கடுமையாக உழைக்கத்தான் வேண்டுமா? ஏகப்பட்ட சொத்து சேர்த்து விட்டீர்கள்… நிம்மதியாக சாப்பிட்டு, ஓய்வெடுக்கலாமே?!” என்று ராக்ஃபெல்லரிடம் கேட்டார்.
உடனே ராக்ஃபெல்லர், ”விமானி இந்த விமானத்தை இப்போது நல்ல உயரத்தில் பறக்க வைத்து விட்டார். விமானமும் சுலபமாகப் பறக்கிறது. அதற்காக… இப்போது எஞ்ஜினை அணைத்துவிட முடியுமா? எஞ்ஜினை அணைத்துவிட்டால் என்னவாகும் தெரியுமா?” என்று கேட்டார்.
இதைக் கேட்டுப் புன்னகைத்த ராக்ஃபெல்லர், ”வாழ்க்கைப் பயணமும் இப்படித்தான். கடுமையாக உழைத்து உயரத்துக்கு வர வேண்டியுள்ளது. வந்த பிறகு, ‘உயரத்தைத் தொட்டு விட்டோமே…’ என்று உழைப்பதை நிறுத்தி விட்டால், தொழிலில் விபத்து ஏற்பட்டு விடும். உழைப்பு என்பது வருமானத்துக்காக மட்டுமல்ல, உடல் ஆரோக்கியம் மற்றும் மன நிம்மதிக்காகவும்தான்!” என்று விளக்கம் அளித்தார்.
My friends laugh at me when I ask for a window seat. You’re an airline pilot, they say. You have the window seat all the time.
True enough. But the cockpit, well, that’s work. As a passenger I’m actually free to enjoy the experience—to listen to music or a long-postponed podcast while gazing out at the world below, to remember that it’s still a wonder to look down, not up, at clouds. The window seat is like the best table in a café on a busy street, except that instead of people-watching, entire cities, oceans, and mountain ranges parade past.
Still, every once in a while something interferes with that view. Maybe it’s the forehead smudges left by your seat’s previous occupant. Or the little hole that appears in the lower portion of a typical airliner window.
Hole in the window? The little one, near the bottom, that you perhaps only notice when a hollowed-out snowflake of frost forms near it. This tiny hole is called a breather hole or a bleed hole, and it serves an important safety function.
If you look closely at a typical passenger cabin window, you’ll see three panes, typically made of acrylic materials. The purpose of the innermost pane—sometimes called the scratch pane, but I like to call it the smudge pane—is merely to protect the next one.
The middle pane (with the breather hole in it) and the outer pane are more important. Generally speaking, as an aircraft climbs, the air pressure drops in both the cabin and the outside air—but it drops much more outside, as the aircraft’s pressurization system keeps the cabin pressure at a comfortable and safe level. This means that the pressure inside the aircraft during flight is typically much greater than the pressure outside.
The outer two cabin windows are designed to contain this difference in pressure between the cabin and the sky. Both the middle and the outer panes are strong enough to withstand the difference on their own, but under normal circumstances it’s the outer pane that bears this pressure—thanks to the breather hole.
As Marlowe Moncur, director of technology for GKN Aerospace, a leading passenger cabin window manufacturer, put it to me via email: “[T]he purpose of the small bleed hole in the [middle] pane is to allow pressure to equilibrate between the passenger cabin and the air gap between the panes, so that the cabin pressure during flight is applied to only the outer pane.”
In the extraordinarily unlikely event that the outer pane fails, the middle pane takes over. And yes, in that case, there would be a small leak of air through the breather hole—but nothing the aircraft’s pressurization system couldn’t easily cope with.
Bret Jensen, an aerospace engineering guru at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, told me about a separate but related function of the hole: to release moisture from the air gap and stop (most) fog or frost from forming on the window. So when you’re looking out at the clouds and planetary wonders crossing below you, take a moment to give thanks for the breather hole.
There’s still the matter of that small but lovely pattern of frost that can form near the breather hole on a long flight. At cruising altitude the temperature of the outside air can be minus 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The frost, according to Moncur, “is caused by condensation of water when cabin air contacts the cold window surface.”
But what causes that telltale frost pattern? The physics behind it are an interesting question, he says. “The circular pattern must be a function of window surface temperature, humidity of the cabin air and flow rate through the bleed hole.”
Take off with Natarajan 