The Seamaster Airplane

A jet that takes off and lands from water? Filled with nuclear bombs? What could go wrong?

Wikipedia page.





Source of foto.

Posted By: Paul - Sat Aug 25, 2018 - Comments (1)
Category: Oceans and Maritime Pursuits, Technology, War, Weapons, Air Travel and Airlines, 1950s

Miniature horses allowed

Southwest Airlines has announced it's adopting new rules, beginning September 18, about the animals it will allow on-board its aircraft. From their website:


They also have a list of the animals they won't allow on-board:


Personally I wouldn't care if someone brought their horse on-board. But I can't imagine where it would sit or stand during the flight.

Posted By: Alex - Tue Aug 21, 2018 - Comments (10)
Category: Animals, Air Travel and Airlines

The Stewardesses

Posted By: Paul - Mon Apr 30, 2018 - Comments (6)
Category: Ineptness, Crudity, Talentlessness, Kitsch, and Bad Art, Movies, Exploitation and Grindhouse, Sex Symbols, Air Travel and Airlines, 1970s

Aeroflot Advertisement

Posted By: Paul - Sat Apr 07, 2018 - Comments (4)
Category: Business, Advertising, Air Travel and Airlines, 1970s

The Oshkosh Snozzle

I am trying to picture being a passenger on a flaming airplane when the Snozzle thrusts its tip thru the wall and starts spraying.

Homepage here.

Posted By: Paul - Mon Oct 30, 2017 - Comments (1)
Category: Disasters, Technology, Air Travel and Airlines

Parachute Plane

Apparently this thing did fly. It was designed by Steven Nemeth in the early 1930s. He boasted that it was so simple to fly that a person who had never been off the ground could learn to fly it in 30 minutes. Plus, it could be housed in a hangar not much larger than an average garage.

There was only one prototype ever made, and it's not clear why the plane was never developed further. Disciples of Flight speculates that "the design’s low aspect ratio wing may have meant a lot of additional drag."

Newsweek - Mar 31, 1934

Posted By: Alex - Mon Sep 11, 2017 - Comments (3)
Category: Air Travel and Airlines, 1930s

Doesn’t notice plane crash

If a plane crashes in your yard and you didn't heard it, did it make a sound?

Arizona Republic - Apr 24, 1993

Posted By: Alex - Mon Aug 07, 2017 - Comments (1)
Category: Accidents, Air Travel and Airlines, 1990s

Fill ‘Er Up—and De-ice the Wings!

Source.

Posted By: Paul - Thu Aug 03, 2017 - Comments (1)
Category: Air Travel and Airlines, 1950s

Turkish Airlines Safety Video

I traveled to Rome on Turkish Airlines, and found their safety video very amusing.

Posted By: Paul - Tue Jul 04, 2017 - Comments (3)
Category: PSA’s, Air Travel and Airlines, Asia

Around the world on commercial airlines

In 1979, two Vancouver businessmen, Orst Perry and Adolf Schiel, set a world record for traveling around the world on commercial airlines. They started in Vancouver and ended up in Vancouver. They did this in 54 hours, 42 minutes. It cost them $7000 each.

I can think of a lot better ways to spend $7000 than sitting on a plane for several days. But it seems that others have pursued this same record. A press release from Nov 2016 says that Brother Michael Bartlett set a new record for flying around the world on commercial airlines by doing it in 57 hours, 17 minutes.

That's slower than the time set in 1979, but I'm guessing that Bartlett must have adhered to stricter rules. It says that he had to "cross the equator and land at points that are approximately 108 degrees apart and roughly on the same north–south longitude."

Notre Dame Observer - Feb 28, 1979

Posted By: Alex - Sun Apr 30, 2017 - Comments (3)
Category: World Records, Air Travel and Airlines, 1970s