Search

The article focuses on a new U.S. program for human space flight . The U.S. President, George W. Bush wants astronauts back on the moon by 2020 at the latest, and this time they're staying over. According to numerous space experts, NASA's best option for a moon mission and beyond is to revive ideas used in the Apollo missions of the 1960's and 1970's. Like the command and service modules, the crew exploration vehicle (CEV) would be launched into low-Earth orbit on top of a rocket, and at the end of the mission the remaining section of it would re-enter Earth's atmosphere and splash down into the ocean. INSET: BLAST FROM THE PAST.

The article features astronauts in the U.S. who are rediscovering the joys of flying airplanes. These include Leroy Chiao who flies Grumman AA-5B, Bill Anders who finds the North American P-51 fun to fly in formation, David Wolf who is flying Christen Eagle, and Tom Henricks who owns a restored Boeing PT-17 Stearman.

The article features five places to see, hear or travel to for live music by boat in the U.S., including The George Amphitheatre in George, Washington, The Newport Waterfront in Newport Rhode Island and Susquehanna Bank Center in Camden, New Jersey.

A biography of black pilot William Powell is presented. It discusses Powell's upbringing in Chicago in the early 20th century, and his poor health during his youth. He was a successful entrepreneur and veteran, and was interested in aviation from a young age. Powell had difficulty finding a flight school due to the restrictive segregation in 1920s America. Powell's career as an aviator and his role in encouraging African Americans to pursue interests in aviation are also addressed.

An article discussing the construction of a runway by U.S. airmen trapped in Yugoslavia during World War II is presented. The author explains the details of the time the American soldiers spent hiding in Romania, noting the hospitality shown to U.S. soldiers by the Chetnik villagers. The organization of the evacuation effort and the political relationship between Yougoslav liberation fighters Josip Tito and Draza Mihailovich are also addressed.

The article discusses U.S. military efforts, following World War II, to uncover the aviation technology behind the Messerschmitt Me-262, the first-ever jet-propelled fighter airplane. The effort to repair and fly the remaining Me-262s in Germany, led by Colonel Harold Watson and assisted by Lieutenant Robert Strobell and Lieutenant Robert Anspach, is discussed in detail.

An interview with members of the Commission on the Future of Higher Education in the U.S. is presented. The Education trust director Katie Haycock believes that she was selected for paying attention to low-income and minority students. David Ward notes that several commission members were concerned about privacy. According to American Enterprise Institute adjunct scholar Richard Vedder, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is much longer than the income tax form.

Presents information on how several U.S. military pilots survived after being shot down in war. Details of how Japanese soldiers treated U.S. pilot William E. Price during World War II; Percentage of U.S. prisoners of war who died in the Pacific; Aircraft used by Edward Izbicky when he was shot down during the Korean War.

Provides information about buoys, focusing on Buoy Number 3 in the Hudson River.

Assesses the implications of the development of the Small Aircraft Transportation System on aviation industry in the U.S. Conditions under the proposed system; Expectations from the proposed system; Details of how the system works. INSETS: SHORTCUTS IN THE SKY;YOU CAN GET THERE FROM HERE.

This article focuses on the development of equipment to keep astronauts clean while on space missions. As a systems manager for flight crew equipment at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Stephanie Walker remains keenly aware of the limitations of life in space. We can send a human to the moon, but we cannot ensure that astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) stay fresh for their six-month missions. Future manned flights will demand extended togetherness: a round-trip to Mars should last at least 18 months. Higher-tech hygiene might be possible. NASA astronauts have tried two T-shirts woven with silver thread. The metal inhibits bacterial growth. Last year NASA began testing silverlaced bedsheets, blankets and other items in its Aquarius underwater habitat, off the Florida coast.

The article looks at ways to reduce the noise of sonic booms from fast lying aircraft. Aeronautical engineers at Edwards Airforce base say that although they haven't busted the sonic boom, at least they've taken a swing at muffling it. The boom from a straight-flying craft is actually two booms in one. A supersonic jet forms a shock wave at its nose, which claps back together after its tail. This pressure suddenly spikes a couple of pounds per square foot over ambient atmospheric pressure, then shoots below ambient by about an equal amount, spiking again before returning to ambient pressure. We cannot change the energy of the aircraft flying through the air," says Edward A. Haering, the Dryden Research Center's Shaped Sonic Boom Demonstration (SSBD) principal investigator, "But we can redistribute it to decrease the pressure changes." It might be possible to quiet the boom without modifying the aircraft. Manufacturers could be ready to unveil quieter supersonic jets within the next 10 years.

Reports on the introduction of FutureFlightCentral, a 360-degree virtual-reality air-traffic control tower that can be programed to run takeoffs and landings. Desire for the technology at San Francisco International Airport, which is too small to allow for parallel approaches; Ability to test the incorporation of structures, runways, or new airlines with the existing infrastructure.

Reports on an air traffic monitoring system which may replace the existing Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) in the United States. Problems with the TCAS; Benefits of the replacement, Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B); Possible effects on 'Free Flight' and air efficiency.

Presents New York City as the living museum of the Golden Age of the Skyscraper. American style of architecture according to Judith Dupre, cultural historian and author of Skyscraper; Characteristics and features of skyscrapers, according to John Tauranac, architectural historian; Different skyscrapers in New York and the story behind its creation; Characteristics and features of the different skyscrapers in New York. INSET: The skyscrapers of New York..

Focuses on the popularity of television news helicopters in New York City, New York. Features of the news helicopters; Reference to the competition which exist between television station to cover large news stories; Details on the competition as regards technology among the stations; Identification of television news stations with news helicopters.

Describes some of the work done by American pilots in Germany, after World War II. Listing of officers and their experiences in Germany; Information on some of the equipment used by German's armed force; Reference to articles written in the `Journal of the American Aviation Historical Society.'

Reports on new attention to space debris by the space exploration community. The oldest known hunk of junk which is the Vanguard 1, launched by the United States in 1958; How in the forty-six years since then, the number of known orbital objects 10 centimeters wide or more has grown to nearly 11,000 with only a few hundred of them being operational satellites; Ideas from NASA on how to deal with the floating debris; Suggestion of ground-based laser to deflect it out of a spaceship's path; Design of a passive system or shielding; How the space station has hundreds of custom made shields to protect it; How the space station has to be moved in its orbit to avoid big piece of debris; Finding that not all pieces can be avoided or protected against. Some of the events which left debris in orbit. INSET: NEED TO KNOW: TRASHING SPACE.

World War II footage has that familiar black-and-white scene: a heavily damaged war bird lands out of control on the stern of a straight-deck carrier and crashes into a steel cable net, which prevents it from ramming into aircraft waiting to take off. Volunteer firefighter Matthew Gelfand was watching one such documentary in 1993 when a lightbulb went on above his head. He had heard about an accident in which a car struck a train, then another vehicle whizzed past the crossing and hit a firefighter. The result is GRAB, for ground retractable automobile barrier. Essentially, it is a tennis net made from Kevlar strips, with two metal stanchions on either side. Remote sensors or a manual push button shoots the net up from a two-inch-wide recess in the ground in as little as three seconds. As the vehicle hits the net, the energy is absorbed by pistons in the stanchions and the net--not unlike the barriers on the WWII aircraft carriers, whose nets had cables that folded down onto the deck and were connected to energy-absorbing stanchions. Gelfand, who received $650,000 from the state of New York to develop GRAB through his new company, Universal Safety Response, envisions the system installed not only on railroad crossings but also at tunnels, bridges and security gates on government buildings.

Reports on the development of Robonaut, an android being designed by the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Idea of maintenance robots; Plan of NASA to use Robonaut for missions to the International Space Station; How the Space Station would require astronauts to spend more time in space as the station progresses in development; Hope that Robonaut would cut down on the time spent by astronauts in space. INSET: ROBONAUT'S VITAL STATISTICS.

Comments on the development of radar systems to prevent accidents on airplane runways. United States Federal Aviation Administration's development of a system that detects an object and calculates its intended path for air-traffic controllers; Opinion that relying on human controllers for action is too passive a strategy for such events; Development of the Runway Incursion Prevention System (RIPS) by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

The article focuses on Pan Am airplanes from air carrier company Pan American World Airways. It talks about the obsession of airline executive Anthony Toth for Pan Am 747 aircraft and states that he has been collecting Pan Am items such as uniforms, carts, dishes, silverware, and seats. Topics discussed are restoration of Pan Am 747, deregulation in the U.S. airline industry in the late 1970s, and setting of Boeing 747 aircraft's design inside Pan Am flight.

The article focuses on the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration's plan to donate extraneous equipment to government agencies, museums, universities, and schools. It states that equipment being donated includes an Apollo moonsuit, a 1/10th-scale of a Gemini space capsule, and the space shuttle orbiters. It mentions that organizations receiving equipment needs to pay for shipping and handling costs.

The article discusses the U.S. National Aeronautics & Space Administration's Full Scale Wind Tunnel, which was originally located at the Langley Research Center in Virginia, received the designation National Historic landmark and has been leased to Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia since 1985. The tunnel's capabilities and January 2010 demolition are discussed.

The article reports that the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) paid Arnold Aviation of Cascade, Idaho $46,000 annually to deliver the mail. For 34 years Ray Arnold has patrolled 6,900 square miles of Idaho wilderness in his Cessna 185 airplane, delivering mail and supplies to as many as 100 customers in the summer and as few as 20 in the winter.

The article reports that an intellectual property attorney in New York, John Lane has reorganized the Wright v. Curtiss patent infringement case for a mock retrial in an inns of court. Attorneys for the Wright brothers, Melvin Garner and Robert Morgan, and Curtiss' attorneys, Gary Butter and Kevin Murphy, argued the definition of "aeroplane."

The article provides information on the Commemorative Air Force's (CAF) World War II fighter planes. A brief historical overview of the F-82 Twin Mustang, the only flyable aircraft which made a rough landing that damaged the landing gear and propeller is presented. It relates how the U.S. Air Force reacts when they heard about the swap of the Twin Mustang over the flayable P-38 in an agreement between CAF and Jim Fry.

The article features the airship Zeppelin NT (New Technology) in the U.S. and profiles entrepreneur Brian Hall. The Zeppelin NT uses triangular carbon-fiber trusses and floats with helium. It carries a dozen passengers and more like a tour boat that reached 1,000 feet. Hall who maintains the Zeppelin, became fascinated with old-time aviation as a kid. In the mid- 1990s, he learned that Zeppelin was starting to build the NT in Germany and decided to bring same business to the U.S.

Features George Aldrich, senior odor evaluator at the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Number of objects that have rocketed into orbit under his approval; Use of mice in evaluating odors; Items sniffed by Aldrich during his 31 years on the job.

Focuses on the restoration of the de Havilland D.H. 106 Comet airplane featured at the Museum of Flight in Everett, Washington State. Investigation into the explosion of the aircraft; Characteristics of Comet like other pressurized aircraft; Aircraft design.

Features the Hudson Corridor, the famous flight path for private pilots in New York City. Illustration of the Hudson Corridor; Closure of the corridor to uncontrolled flights after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks; Impact of the decision of the Federal Aviation Administration to close the corridor on air pilots.

Focuses on the incidence of airliners offloading drunk and disorderly passengers in Bangor International Airport in Maine. Comments from Jeff Russell, marketing manager for the airport; Why the airport is often chosen by airliners when unloading violent passengers; Background of the airport.

The article offers information on how to purchase a lighthouse being offered for sale by the U.S. government.

Informs about the discovery of the world's oldest hanger by the archaeologists, built by the Wright brothers on their flying field at Huffman Prairie outside Dayton, Ohio, near the Simms Station trolley stop. Note on historic features of the hanger; Excavation at the site of Wrights' flight operations.

Reports on plans to moor the helicopter carrier USS Guadalcanal to the pier of the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum in New York city. Lawrence Sowinski's research on the ship; Conversions in the ship.

A list of various tsunami debris that showed up on the beaches of Alaska and Oregon is presented including a 16-foot skiff, a 20-foot open boat and a fishing trawler.

The article focuses on the proposal by archaeologist Alice Gorman of Flinders University in Adelaide, South Australia for the 10,000 satellites orbiting Earth to be declared World Heritage Sites. Gorman asserts that thousands of the satellites have historic significance. She also opposes the plan of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Space Agency to destroy the satellites.

The article focuses on the decision of doctors to adopt the safety techniques used by pilots to prevent hospital accidents in the U.S. LifeWings Partners LLC had been hired by the Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Tennessee to make hospitals as safe as an airliner's flight deck. It cites the advantages of adopting the technique.

The article reports on the creation of a Web site by Paul Freeman, an aerospace engineer for Rockwell Collins which features abandoned airports in the U.S. His discovery of the remains of an old airport and other abandoned airports compelled him to develop the site. The site includes information on approximately 1,400 former airfields.

Interviews Lt. Commander John Gerken of Trident submarine USS Maine regarding his responsibility in the submarine in the U.S. Description of Gerken's submarine; Number of lieutenants under the command of Gerken; Job responsibilities of Gerken.

Interviews Mal Bunting, captain of the Maid of the Mist VII ship in Niagara Falls, New York. Career highlights; Worst day of Bunting; Duration of the tour.

Interviews Greg West, a commercial diver in Honolulu, Hawaii. Problem that may have been encountered during the dives in sewers; Knowledge and training of the diver about underwater sewer repair; Other notable underwater activities that the diver have been involved with.

Reports on the proposal rejected by Florida voters on the conversion of St. Petersburg's Albert Whitted Municipal Airport into a beach front park. Reason people rejected the proposal according to Sheri Weaver, airport operations supervisor; Brief background on the scheduled airline flights of the airport.

Provides information on New York City's Red Bull Flugtag, a five-hour competition among three dozen teams, each piloting an aircraft. Motive for organizing the event; Basis for the design of the aircraft, Superfunkadactyl; Requirements for participants in the event.

Interviews Randy Nichols, a charterboat captain from Florida Keys, Florida. Length of experience in running charters; Reasons for moving to the Keys; Downside of being a captain of a charter boat.

Presents information on the Air Force Armament Museum at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. Aircraft displayed at the museum.

Provides information on the computerized female voice featured in the cockpit communication box of airplanes built by SCI Systems Inc. in Huntsville, Alabama. Digitization of the voice of Erica Lane; Difficulty encountered by the company engineer in refining the voice of Lane; Reason for the selection of a female voice as caution for aircraft emergencies.

Focuses on the homage paid by the watch store Tourneau TimeMachine in New York City to aviation. Watch displays in its museum; Types and features of watches displayed.

Features Tom Silliman of Electronics Research Inc., the man responsible for changing the burned-out flashing red aviation light in New York City's Empire State Building, designed to ward-off low-flying aircraft. Importance of aviation lights in preventing aircraft accidents; Process of Silliman in changing the red light; Amount of time required to change the light bulbs; Other buildings under Silliman's care.

Reports on the dispute between North Carolina and Ohio over their use of the Wright brothers and their Flyers on the reverse of their commemorative state quarters. Design of the quarters; Views of Stephen George, executive director of the commemorative quarter committee of Ohio.