Aviation – Page 56 – Take off with Natarajan

Aviation Giants….Super Sized Planes !!!!!

May 8, 2013Natarajan1 Comment

Biplane behemothThe biggest plane of World War I was the Zeppelin-Staaken R.VI. Made of wood, each plane required a ground crew of 50.

Boat with wingsAnother German giant was the Dornier Do X, a flying boat powered by 12 engines which could carry up to 100 passengers. It weighed a massive 56 tonnes.

Super-sized SovietTupolev’s ANT-20 was a propaganda tool, an airliner with a radio station, cinema and photo lab – and a huge engine above the fuselage to help it fly

Iconic bomberWorld War II’s biggest aircraft. Boeing’s B-29 Superfortress dropped the atomic bombs on Japan and ushered in a new age of giant, long-ranged bombers.

Millionaire’s follyEccentric industrialist Howard Hughes’ H-4 Hercules has the largest wingspan of any plane; but the giant ‘Spruce Goose’ flew only a handful of times.

Cold War giantThe Convair B-36 Peacemaker was the world’s first intercontinental bomber, and needed a mix of propellers and jet engines to get its vast bulk airborne.

Jet veteranBoeing’s enormous B-52 Stratofortress remains one of the biggest jet aircraft ever made, only getting into the air thanks to eight powerful engines

Russian record-breakerThe world’s heaviest combat aircraft, Tupolev’s Tu-160 has a maximum take-off weight of some 275 tonnes; it’s the biggest swing-wing plane ever made.

Outsized airlinerWhile the Boeing 747 was the first to be referred to as a Jumbo Jet, Airbus’ A380 is even bigger – it can carry 850 people. Can airliners get any bigger?

source::::bbc.com..future

Natarajan

Breathtaking Images Captured By Canadian Astronaut From ISS !!!

May 5, 2013May 5, 2013Natarajan4 Comments

Morning has broken: Breathtaking image of the first light of dawn creeping over the horizon is captured by astronaut
Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield has wowed Twitter with his pictures taken from the International Space Station
His latest image is of dawn breaking over the south west of the United States last week.

A breathtaking image of the moon rising above the United states as dawn breaks have been posted on Twitter by an astronaut on the International Space Station.

The stunning shot, which bears striking resemblance to the beginning of the opening credits of a Universal film, was posted by Canadian Chris Hadfield who has gained a cult following on Twitter for his images of the Earth from space.

The image was shot over southwestern America and will be one of Hadfield’s last tweets from space after he announced that his return to earth will commence later this month.

One of Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield’s latest pictures from the International Space Station shows a darkened south-eastern United States just before dawn, with the moon rising above

Some of the snapshots of Astronaut Chris Hadfield…..

Snapper: The stunning image of the Earth at dawn was the latest picture from space captured by Commander of the International Space Station Chris Hadfield

Beautiful: Chris Hadfield has posted dozens of pictures from space online since he arrived at the ISS in December including this taken over Africa

Seaside shot: Most of Commander Hadfield's pictures of the UK were taken at night, but this one shows the beautiful blue sea surrounding the coast of Bournemouth in Hampshire

Emerald Isle: The silhouettes of Ireland and Wales were captured in this beautiful picture taken from the ISS by Commander Hadfield

Green green grass: It may look tiny, but this expanse of UK land encompasses Exeter and Cornwall all the way to Land's End

Down under from up above: The astronaut tweeted this shot of what he described as the 'endless beaches of Australia', adding 'That's where I'd go for Australia Day!'

'In the lee of the rock - protecting an island of humanity in a sea of orange sand.' Some of the pictures look as if they are from a different planet

Unmistakable: The Thames can be clearly seen snaking its was through the giant urban sprawl of London in this picture

Unmistakable: The Thames can be clearly seen snaking its way through the giant urban sprawl of London in this picture

Commander of the International Space Station, Chris has gained an army of followers on Facebook and Twitter with his daily updates from space which feature beautiful pictures and news on the progress of the various missions he and his colleagues carry out.

Hadfield has been taking the Twitterverse by storm from aboard the ISS, which orbits the Earth at 8km a second, since he arrived back on December 21.

The astronaut, who has also posted a variety of amusing videos showing what it is like to shave, vomit and brush your teeth in space, uses a long lens camera to capture the stunning detail of the Earth.

Among his favourite places to photograph is the Sahara in Africa and he explains that he waits until the sun is directly over the desert to get the best shot.

He says: ‘The beauty of space station, though, is if it’s not here this time, tomorrow it might be, or maybe a month from now.

‘There’s not a race to get a picture. You can be patient, like a hunter.’

He says that it’s not Instagram, it’s ‘Space-a-gram’ and that the key steps are: ‘Focus, frame, and fire’.

He added: ‘We orbit 400km above the earth, so if you want to get a good detailed picture of something you need a long lens. I have one velcroed to the wall.’

Chris uses a special setting on his camera to deal with the bright glare of light from the Earth against the pitch black backdrop of space.

He takes pictures in as high a resolution as possible, so his camera’s memory card gets full very quickly.

The first Canadian to walk in space, Commander Hadfield, 53, a former air force fighter pilot, has previously flown two Space Shuttle missions in 1995 and 2001.

Hadfield has amassed 226,000 fans on Facebook and 740,000 followers on Twitter.

He announced that his ‘fiery fall’ to earth will commence on May 13 after the arrival of a new Russian commander.

source::::mailonline

Natarajan

Boeing…..A Retrospective Look !!!

May 5, 2013NatarajanLeave a comment

A Pan American Airways flying boat aircraft passing over a clipper ship on the Spanish coast. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images). January 1938

Colonel Roscoe Turner, the pilot of an American Boeing plane, showing his wife a model of the plane, at the airfield in Mildenhall. (Photo by R. Wesley/Fox Photos/Getty Images). 19th October 1934

The Boeing B-17-C-type Flying Fortress, known to the RAF as a Fortress I bomber, in flight. (Photo by Three Lions/Getty Images). Circa 1950

Three Boeing B-29 Superfortress bombers dropping bombs over North Korea. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images). 1952

The Pan-American World Airways clipper “Flying Cloud”, the first of a fleet which will fly between New York and London. (Photo by Topical Press Agency/Getty Images). 1949

Interior of a giant Boeing 707 jet airliner which can take up to 165 economy class passengers. Owned by Pan-Am she is carrying a service crew for noise test flights over Britain. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images). 8th September 1958

A Boeing 720 crash lands on a runway with a faulty nosewheel. (Photo by Stroud/Getty Images). 1962

The hijacked Boeing 707 of Lebanon’s Middle East Airlines, with the safety chutes down, at Lydda Airport, Israel. The plane was hijacked by a whisky-drinking Libyan, armed with two pistols, soon after its take-off from Nicosia, Cyprus, en route to Beirut, and diverted to Israel. Israeli commandos stormed the plane and rescued the 109 passengers and 10 crew. (Photo by Daniel Rosenblum/Keystone/Getty Images). 17th August 1973

A Pan-American 747 jumbo jet on the tarmac at Heathrow Airport, where it touched down after carrying 380 people, a new world record for the number of people ever to fly in one aircraft. (Photo by Dennis Oulds/Central Press/Getty Images). 12th January 1970

After completing its second successful mission into space, the STS-2 Orbiter Columbia begins its return flight to the Kennedy Space Centre aboard the Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images). 1981

source:::avaxnewsnet

Natarajan

Images of The Week !!!!

April 27, 2013NatarajanLeave a comment

Plane sailingThe sun-powered Solar Impulse is pictured flying over the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco as it carries out a trip across the US. (

Fire drillPyrotechnics explode during a disaster drill at Los Angeles’ LAX airport. More than 100 people were involved in a test of the airport’s emergency responses.

source::::bbc.com

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Image For The Day !!!!!

April 18, 2013NatarajanLeave a comment

This NASA handout image captured by Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield on board the International Space Staion(ISS) on April 1, 2013, shows that even in space the astronauts have a sense of humor on April Fool's Day. This image shows a 'Flying Saucer' making a 'visit' to the Space Station

This NASA handout image captured by Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield on board the International Space Staion(ISS) on April 1, 2013, shows that even in space the astronauts have a sense of humor on April Fool’s Day. This image shows a ‘Flying Saucer’ making a ‘visit’ to the Space StationPicture: NASA

SOURCE::::The Telegraph UK

Natarajan

Questions Before All Airlines After Lion Air Crash …..

April 18, 2013NatarajanLeave a comment

Lion Air Boeing 737

Indonesian rescue workers help remove a section of a Lion Air Boeing 737 four days after it crashed into the sea near Bali

For all the headline-grabbing stories about security breaches, intoxicated pilots and faulty equipment, sometimes a commercial plane’s worst enemy is Mother Nature.

That appears to be the case for a new Boeing 737, operated by Indonesian budget carrier Lion Air, that crashed into the shallow waters off the coast of Bali on 13 April, just short of the runway at Ngurah Rai Airport. At the helm was an experienced pilot who managed to save all 108 passengers and crew, but told Reuters it felt like his aircraft was “dragged” down by wind as he fought to regain control. The crash – and the pilot’s alarming comments – are renewing fears about the chilling phenomenon known as windshear.

A windshear or “microburst” is a sudden change in wind speed and direction that can cause planes to rapidly lose altitude. They are often caused by storms creating strong downdrafts of wind.

Airplanes rely on wind speed and direction to control takeoff and landing, typically doing so in the direction of the wind. But sudden shifts in wind speed and direction can cause planes to lose control, especially during takeoff and landing, when they are low to the ground and have reduced engine power and little room to manoeuvre.

How likely is it that Lion Air’s crash was caused by a windshear? Officials from a bevy of agencies – including Indonesian state officials, the US National Transportation Safety Board, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), theMeteorological and Geophysics Agency and Boeing – are investigating the incident and expect to release their findings within a month. But initial tests show that the pilot was experienced, was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and the plane, a brand new Boeing 737, had no technical issues, all of which rules out pilot or plane error.

What’s more, weather reports indicate a strong storm and driving rains were developing as the plane attempted to land, which lends support to the idea of windshear as the culprit.

But the surprising – and unnerving – point is that aviation officials consider windshear to be a problem that was solved long ago. Between 1964 and 1985 windshear was responsible for some 26 civil aircraft crashes in the US, leaving about 500 fatalities and about 200 injuries, according to NASA. The most famous incident involved a Delta Airlines Lockheed Tristar, which crashed in 1985, killing 134 passengers and crew near the Dallas-Fort Worth airport.

Since then, windshear-related incidents have dropped considerably, thanks to FAA- and NASA-developed technology that warns pilots of oncoming storms. The Predictive Windshear System, available below 700m, warns pilots some 10 to 40 seconds ahead of windshear to go around the bursts.

But for now, a lot of unknowns remain, including whether the Lion Air crash was caused by windshear, whether the windshear warning system was functioning on the aircraft and perhaps the biggest question for the airline industry – whether windshear may again become a serious concern.

Most Unusual Landings Of Aircrafts !!!!

April 18, 2013NatarajanLeave a comment

A Lion Air plane is seen in the water after it missed the runway in Denpasar, Bali.

Navy officers and firemen work in the rescue of a private aircraft of aerial company Ocean Air which fell on Guanabara Bay upon landing at Santos Dumond airport on August 12, 2010 in Rio de Janeiro,

Emergency services attend to the scene of a Turkish Airlines Boeing 737-800 plane which crashed on landing at Schiphol airport on February 25, 2009 in Haarlem The Netherlands.

A Saha Airlines Boeing 707 is seen where it finished its skid after careering off the runway at Tehran Mehrabad Airport April 22, 2005 in Tehran, Iran.

A handout photo provided by Russian news agency Agentstvo-Novostei TV2 and taken on July 11, 2011 shows the wreck of Antonov-24 passenger plane, floating on the Ob River in Siberia shortly after the plane’s emergency landing. The plane belonging to the Angara airline was forced to make an emergency landing on the Ob River in Siberia on July 11,2011.

NEW YORK – JANUARY 15: Rescue boats float next to a US Airways plane floating in the water after crashing into the Hudson River in the afternoon on January 15, 2008 in New York City. The Airbus 320 flight 1549 crashed shortly after take-off from LaGuardia Airport heading to Charlotte, North Carolina.

A Falcon Grand Air cargo jet sits amid the tombstones of Mt. Olivet Cemetery after skidding off the runway at Detroit City Airport during an emergency landing August 28, 2001 in Detroit, Michigan.

Police and fire department personnel, including Hindustan Aeronautics Limited officials, gather near a Schweizer helicopter that made an emergency landing on the rooftop of a residential building in Bangalore on April 12, 2012. A trainee helicopter pilot made an emergency landing on the rooftop of an apartment building in a busy residential district in southern India on Thursday after developing engine trouble.

A Peruvian Navy helicopter which was transporting humanitarian aid for the victims of the 7.9-magnitude earthquake that rocked Peru on Wednesday, is seen on the roof of an uninhabited deposit in Ica, more than 400 km south of Lima, 17 August 2007, after it’s pilot made an emergency landing. The pilot looked for the safest place possible to attempt a landing, after the chopper apparently lost height.

A helicopter lands on the Tiradentes Avenue, after being forced to do so due to the heavy rain, on December 14, 2010 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

A China Airlines aircraft Boeing 737 lies in ruins at Naha Airport August 20, 2007 in Okinawa, Japan. The aircraft’s left engine exploded after landing following it’s flight from Taiwan. Despite the resultant fire destroying the plane all 165 people on board escaped safely.

Picture taken 29 October 2007 shows the wreckage of a helicopter that crashed into a tanker as it was attempting an emergency landing at Rudskogen near Rakkestad, southeastern Norway, 29 October. A private helicopter with three people on board crashed into an oil lorry in southeastern Norway 29 October, narrowly avoiding disaster as it rammed the cabin and not the full tank, police said. No one was injured in the accident, which occurred as the pilot was trying to carry out an emergency landing.

A photo taken by a local resident, shows the wreckage of a helicopter next to the wall of the compound where according to officials, Osama bin Laden wss shot and killed in a firefight with U.S. forces in Abbottabad, Pakistan on Monday, May 2, 2011.

source:::::yahooindianewsnet

Natarajan

World”s Most Stylish Airports !!!

April 17, 2013NatarajanLeave a comment

The world's coolest airports

The distinctive Worldport terminal at New York’s JFK Airport is earmarked for demolition. It was orignally known as the Pan Am terminal, and with its flying saucer shape, has appeared in a number of films, including Live and Let Die. Its impending demise has upset many, who see it as an important relic of the air travel’s glamorous heydey, and a campaign group is fighting to have it saved.

The world's coolest airports

TWA Flight Centre, JFK

Highlights: recently refurbished, stylish exterior (designed by Robert Stern) made to resemble a bird landing, impressive interior with “passenger tubes”, aviation museum.

The world's coolest airports

Changi Airport, Singapore

Highlights: butterfly garden, orchids, five metre “Green Wall”, handles 46.5 million passengers a year, has won over 390 awards.

The world's coolest airports

Dubai International Airport, UAE

Highlights: £3 billion Terminal 3, very cool elevators.

The world's coolest airports

Madrid-Barajas Airport, Spain

Highlights: trendy Terminal 4, designed by Antonio Lamela and Richard Rogers, has won awards and is one of the world’s largest.

The world's coolest airports

Samui Airport, Thailand

Highlights: relaxing departure lounge feels more like a hip bar than an airport

The world's coolest airports

Marrakesh Menara Airport, Morocco

Highlights: stylish exterior covered in arabesques blends modernity with tradition

Los Angeles International Airport, US

Highlights: distinctive “Theme Building” resembles a flying saucer on four legs – a restaurant is suspended beneath

Denver International Airport, US

Highlights: Teflon-coated fibreglass roof resembles the Rocky Mountain views, artwork often displayed inside, solar powered

The world's coolest airports

King Abdulaziz International Airport, Saudi Arabia

Highlights: Hajj terminal built specifically for pilgrims visiting Mecca covers 100 acres and is known for its tent-shaped roof

The world's coolest airports

O’Hare International Airport, Chicago, US

Highlights: one of the world’s busiest airports, regularly voted America’s best

The world's coolest airports

Wellington International Airport, New Zealand

Highlights: sleek, relaxing terminal interiors – useful as the airport is noted for crosswinds and turbulent landings.

The world's coolest airports

London Heathrow Airport, UK

Highlights: Terminal 5 building (designed by Richard Rogers), Gordon Ramsay restaurant, colossal number of shops

The world's coolest airports

Hong Kong International Airport, China

Highlights: built on an island, handles 53.3 million passengers annually, contains a golf course and 3D cinema

The world's coolest airports

Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Malaysia

Highlights: eye-catching architecture, water fountain, free wifi

The world's coolest airports

Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok, Thailand

Highlights: only opened in 2006, artwork often on display, sophisticated design

The world's coolest airports

Bilbao Airport, Spain

Highlights: The signature flourishes from its world famous designer Santiago Calatrava (also instrumental in the regeneration of Valencia). Look out for its curves, generous light, and a viewing gallery that allows your loved ones to see you as you collect your baggage.

The world's coolest airports

Munich Airport, Germany

Highlights

The airport’s much praised glass-and-steel Terminal Two, which includes a massage room, prayer room with fir floors, and Plexiglass walls, a Bavarian deli, and even a brewery (between terminals one and two).

The world's coolest airports

Incheon International Airport, Seoul, South Korea

Highlights: Built on reclaimed land, this arc-shaped construction – intended to suggest the ancient Korean temples – is the country’s largest building. Architects have noted its feeling of warmth and welcome, and there has been widespread praise of the airport’s design and clean lines. The airport has been voted best in the world several times.

The world's coolest airports

Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport, Canada

Highlights: Its main terminal was designed by world renowned architect César Pelli in association with Stantec Architecture Ltd. It was the first airport terminal to be certified for its environmental friendliness, and notable for its ultra-modern look and energy efficiency.

source:::: The Telegraph UK…

Natarajan

Lion Air Jet Crash…. What Next ?

April 17, 2013April 17, 2013NatarajanLeave a comment

Indonesian workers prepare to remove the wreckage of a Lion Air jet after it crashed into the sea.

AN Indonesian salvage team is using a crane to haul seats and baggage out of a plane that crashed in Bali, as investigators probe what caused the jet to go down.

The Lion Air plane missed the runway as it came in to land on Saturday, slamming into the sea and splitting in two. Dozens of the 108 people on board were injured, but there were no fatalities.

Terrified passengers swam to shore or were plucked to safety by police in rubber dinghies. Witnesses and experts have suggested the crash could have been caused by a freak storm, although no official reason has yet been given.

The salvage team hauled the seats and baggage out of the Boeing 737-800, and were aiming to begin cutting the fuselage of the plane into pieces later in the evening, Bali army commander Colonel Anton Nugroho said.

Indonesian boys carry pieces of a Lion Air jet a day after the aircraft crashed into the ocean, at Jimbaran beach, in Bali, Indonesia on Sunday, April 14, 2013. All 108 passengers and crew survived after the new Lion Air jet crashed into the ocean and snapped into two while attempting to land Saturday on the Indonesian resort island of Bali, injuring up to 45 people. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)

However, local navy commander Lieutenant Colonel Edi Eka Susanto said the operation had to be carried out very carefully, as the plane “is not yet stable, and we fear there are still oxygen bottles inside that could explode”.

After the plane was cut up, the team planned to lift the parts by crane onto a truck, and from there they would be taken to a nearby beach, said Nugroho.

If that was not possible, then the parts would be pushed through the water using balloons to an area of coast where it was easier to lift them, he said.

This handout photo released by the Indonesian Search And Rescue Agency (SAR) on April 14, 2013 shows the aircraft cabin of a Lion Air Boeing 737 lying submerged in the water after skidding off the runaway during landing at Bali’s international airport near Denpasar.

The 70-strong team, made up of military, rescue agency, airport and Lion Air personnel, hoped to be finished by tomorrow.

The cockpit voice recorder was found wedged between a wing and the body of the aircraft on Monday, and was being flown to Jakarta on Tuesday, Masruri, from the national transportation safety committee, which is probing the crash, told AFP.

Indonesian workers prepare to remove the wreckage of a Lion Air jet in Bali, Indonesia on Tuesday, April 16, 2013. The new Lion Air jet that slammed into the sea as it tried to land on the Indonesian resort island of Bali over the weekend remains stuck in shallow water and must be cut into pieces for removal, vividly underlining the challenges facing the budget airline as it races to expand in Asia. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)

“The black box will be cleaned and checked for damage and hopefully we will be able to extract the data in it,” said Masruri, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, adding he would not comment further on an ongoing investigation.

Five passengers were still in hospital on Tuesday following the crash, said Lion Air airport service director Daniel Putut, although he said he did not have details of their conditions.

Indonesia rescuers remove the seats of a partially submerged Lion Air Boeing 737 three days after it crashed while trying to land at Bali’s international airport near Denpasar on April 16, 2013. The pilot and co-pilot of a Lion Air plane that crashed at Bali’s airport have passed initial drug tests, an official said on April 15, as investigators probe the causes of the accident that left dozens injured but no fatalities.

Government officials and the airline said at the time of the crash the weather had been fine, but the transport ministry has since said the jet flew through thick cloud and witnesses have spoken of torrential rain before the crash.

Indonesia, which relies heavily on air transport to connect its sprawling archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, has one of Asia’s worst aviation safety records.

source:::news.com.au

Melbourne Airport…New Domestic Terminal ….Ready for Take Off By 2015 !!!!

April 17, 2013NatarajanLeave a comment

Artist’s impression: Melbourne Airport’s new terminal extension.

A NEW domestic terminal at Melbourne Airport will ease congestion and help drive economic growth, the federal government says.

The terminal, capable of handling up to 10 million passengers a year, is part of the $400 million first stage development of the airport’s long-term southern precinct project.

The project, due to open in mid-2015, will include 17 new aircraft parking bays, extra car parking, ground transport facilities and road upgrades.

Approving the development on Tuesday, federal Infrastructure and Transport Minister Anthony Albanese said expanding airports is necessary to connect Australia to the world and drive economic growth.

He said increasing capacity will help the airport deal with an expected doubling of its annual number of passengers to 64 million by 2033.

“What that means is jobs and economic growth and positioning Australia in the Asian century,” he told reporters in Melbourne.

Melbourne Airport chief executive Chris Woodruff said the development will create jobs and provide a boost to the Victorian economy.

He said the expansion was driven by strong domestic passenger demand and will provide for further growth.

The works will focus on the area south of terminal 3 and around terminal 4.

source::: news .com.au