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airplane posts

Garmin's new aera series gets you there by air or by land

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 2nd 2009 at 4:27PM

Pilots looking for the hardest-core portable nav unit available tend to flock to Garmin's GPSMAP 696 these days, but there's a problem: the big, bulky tablet doesn't do much good once you're wheels-down and you've got to find your way to the hotel. Enter the new aera series, which you can sorta think of as "nuvi for pilots" with 4.3-inch touchscreens, user-friendly prompts, and dedicated car modes across the board that'll keep casual observers from realizing that your little buddy doubles as a $2,000 beast capable of safely guiding you cross-country at flight level 250. The 696 is still being regarded as Garmin's premier aviation portable, while the four aera models -- the 500, 510, 550, and 560 -- are called "entry or mid-level" with prices ranging from $799 to $1,999 and should finally sunset the aging lower-end GPSMAP models that look like they're straight out of Garmin's GPS III days. The 510 and 560 throw in XM WX weather support while the 550 and 560 feature Garmin's SafeTaxi interactive airport diagrams, integrated AOPA Airport Directory, and high-end car features pulled from the nuvi line like lane assist and speed limit data. All four models are technically launching on the 5th, but appear to be in stock with online retailers now if you're in a rush.

Southwest builds first 'green plane,' Ma Earth shows her gratitude

by Darren Murph posted Oct 25th 2009 at 12:11AM

Southwest Airlines may not own a plane with a headrest infotainment system, but it's still far and away the most enjoyable commercial flight you'll find in the US of A (save for Virgin America, naturally). Granted, we'd like to see in-flight WiFi offered on a few more of its flights (read: 100 percent of them), but hey, we'll take free checked bags and friendly employees any day of the week. We'll also take fuel savings and environment stewardship, both of which Southwest is aiming to give us by creating the planet's first "green plane." By utilizing recyclable InterfaceFLOR carpet, weight-saving seat covers and life vest pouches, a lighter foam fill in the seats and aluminum (as opposed to plastic) seat rub strips, the newfangled Boeing 737-700 ends up some 472 pounds lighter than a conventional one. The savings? 9,500 gallons of jet fuel per year. We're not sure when the bird is expected to take her first voyage, but here's hoping a few others are hatched in the near future.

[Via DailyFinance]

Read - Southwest press release
Read - China View's fuel calculations

Gallery: Southwest builds first "green plane," Ma Earth shows her gratitude

US Airways launching Gogo in-flight internet next year, to show WiFi logo when booking

by Darren Murph posted Jul 23rd 2009 at 10:32AM

Our wildest, most frenzied dreams are coming true, airline by airline. As Aircell steps in to infiltrate yet another legacy carrier here in America, US Airways has finally caved to the pressures of being an airline in 2009 by announcing its intentions to get Gogo on a select few of its planes. Starting in early 2010, Gogo in-flight internet will be added to its fleet of 50 A321 aircraft, and while that's certainly not a jaw-dropping amount, it's better than zilch. Of note, US Airways also has plans to let consumers see if their proposed flight will have WiFi when booking online, and while we can't help but celebrate such an achievement, we're also mighty fearful that this will lead to yet another fee for the privilege of riding on a WiFi-equipped plane. You know -- considering that this airline once refused water to passengers on a 6.5 hour flight last August.

[Via Gadling]

Aircell offers short haul, 24-hour Gogo in-flight internet passes

by Darren Murph posted Jul 15th 2009 at 1:26PM

It's a technology lover's dream come true: in-flight internet. Knowing that all too well, Aircell has decided to expand its pricing options for its Gogo services, which are currently available on select flights from Virgin America, AirTran, Delta and America Airlines. In order to better serve more customers on flights of varying lengths, the company has today announced two new options: a Flight Pass for short haul flights and a 24-Hour Pass for those doing a same-day return or connecting on multiple short haul flights. The former will run WiFi addicts $5.95 for flights lasting approximately 1.5 hours or less, while the latter will provide 24-hour access on a single airline for $12.95 (though it's only available initially on AirTran and Delta). If you're doing an unfathomable amount of cruising the friendly skies, there's even a 30-day unlimited pass for a single airline that'll set you back $49.95. Now, if only Gogo would get going on more planes, we'd happily take advantage.

[Via Gadling]

Video: Antares DLR-H2 becomes planet's first fuel cell-powered aircraft

by Darren Murph posted Jul 9th 2009 at 8:57AM

Fuel cells may have lost some steam of late here in the automotive realm, but they're still going strong at 30,000 feet. Over in Hamburg, Germany, the Antares DLR-H2 has become the first piloted aircraft capable of taking off using only power from fuel cells, which means that it flies with absolutely no carbon emissions. The craft is based on the Antares 20E glider, which boasts a wingspan of just over 65 feet and has a cruising range of 466 miles over five hours. Currently, the propulsion system permits maximum flying speeds of around 105mph, but we're certain those behind the creation are gunning for more. As for its future? It'll be stationed at Lufthansa Technik in Hamburg where it'll act a "flying test platform" for the next three years, and afterwards, we fully expect to see this thing fetch a pretty penny on eBay. Action-packed video is after the break.

[Thanks, Mademoiselle Y]

Gallery: Antares DLR-H2 becomes planet's first fuel cell-powered aircraft

Continue reading Video: Antares DLR-H2 becomes planet's first fuel cell-powered aircraft

Clear shuffles through its last upstanding citizen, tells the rest to fall in line

by Darren Murph posted Jun 23rd 2009 at 9:53AM

Let's face it: no one digs long security lines at airports. But if you reckoned a healthy amount of folks would be willing to pay $128 per year in order to bypass said lines at only a few airports in the world, you'd be wrong. After launching with high hopes back in 2005, Clear has quietly folded after failing to "negotiate an agreement with its senior creditor to continue operations." There's no word on what'll happen to existing paying customers, but we get the feeling they'll be directed towards a somewhat unpleasant creek sans a paddle. Or, you know, that poorly staffed lane to the left with 384 (give or take) cantankerous, shoeless travelers.

[Image courtesy of Airliners]

American bringing in-flight WiFi to over 300 planes

by Darren Murph posted Mar 31st 2009 at 2:26PM

All hail the laggard! With pretty much every other US-based legacy carrier already on board, we were beginning to wonder if American Airlines even got the memo that in-flight WiFi was in serious demand. At long last, the company has made clear that it plans to equip more than 300 MD-80 and Boeing 737-800 aircraft used primarily in the United States with high-speed WiFi capability (over the next two years). If you'll recall, American announced early on that it was game for trialing the tech, but until today, it had yet to make a commitment large enough to make you consider signing up for its credit card and bankrolling those frequent flyer miles. We're expecting more details to emerge soon, but feel free to start pestering its agents with the whos, whats, wheres and whens.

Video: Terrafugia's flying car lifts off

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Mar 19th 2009 at 6:31AM

We've had a lot of fun with Terrafugia over the last year or so, but we weren't exactly holding our breath in anticipation of the Transition's maiden flight. That said, we're definitely psyched to hear that the "roadable aircraft" went airborne in a super-secret test flight that took place in the early hours of March 5th at Plattsburgh International Airport. The vehicle left the ground for a good thirty-seven seconds, traveling some 3,000 feet. At a press conference today, the company's CEO Carl Dietrich remarked that "with this achievement, Terrafugia has set the stage for personal aviation." Which, considering how folks light up I-95 on an average workday, might at first blush seem somewhat unsettling -- but to each his own, right? According to the company, more than forty people have put down the $10,000 deposit for the new aircraft, which -- if all goes according to plan -- will be hitting the road sometime in 2011. Videos after the break.

[Via Slashdot]

Continue reading Video: Terrafugia's flying car lifts off

Australian continues to hone $300,000 flight simulator

by Darren Murph posted Mar 13th 2009 at 9:57AM

Ha, and you thought your HotSeat Chassis was the next best thing to paying way too much to carry an appropriate amount of luggage on your next jaunt to paradise. Australia's own Matthew Sheil has been tinkering on his own personal flight simulator for over a decade now, but the latest iteration is just too good to ignore. Aside from setting a Guinness world record for his efforts, the man has poured over $300,000 into recreating the flying experience of a 747-400, which is dirt cheap compared to the $60 million that professional simulators generally run. Sheil flies virtually with legions of other enthusiasts around the world, and each year he hosts 15 folks as they rotate on an around-the-world flight that Qantas sponsors and where donation money is funneled to the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Hit up the read link to get a real gist of what this thing is capable of, and feel free to go in with stupid high expectations.

High-powered, jet-mounted laser one step closer to flying the terrifying skies

by Laura June posted Feb 26th 2009 at 8:47PM

The jet-mounted laser anti-missile system, brainchild of Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, Boeing and the US Air Force, has been an ongoing project for quite some time. Well, it's progressed into a final test phase, as evidenced by a new video, which shows the plane strapped with a pilot-controlled laser which is able to intercept missiles significantly earlier than other existing anti-missile tech. The project has plans to continue testing throughout this year, but will also need to be approved by the Obama administration if it is to come to fruition. Feel free to insert obligatory Dr. Evil joke in comments. Check out the video after the break, but fair warning: it autoplays.

Continue reading High-powered, jet-mounted laser one step closer to flying the terrifying skies

Ryanair brings in-flight calling to 20 aircraft, but you'll never use it

by Darren Murph posted Feb 20th 2009 at 3:34PM

Oh sure, the idea of having in-flight calling capabilities is pretty awesome, but actually biting the bullet and paying international roaming fees in order to indulge is likely to be a stretch. Ryanair, one of Europe's low-cost airlines, has finally equipped 20 of its planes (all traveling to / from Dublin) with in-flight mobile service after promising it around 1.5 years ago. Ryanair confesses that typical prices will be around €0.50 to send a text message and between €2.00 and €3.00 per minute to make and receive calls. In other words, you'll probably be keeping your conversations to yourself until you touch down, but at least it's there in case of emergency. Or something.

[Via Gadling, thanks Conrad]

Gogo in-flight WiFi taking off in six Delta flights tomorrow

by Darren Murph posted Dec 15th 2008 at 12:20PM

We already knew that Delta was pushing its in-flight WiFi plans ahead, and starting tomorrow, a half dozen MD-88 shuttle flights will be live with internet from 35,000 feet. As with Virgin America, Delta Air Lines will be relying on Aircell's Gogo technology, though it will go down as the first US carrier to initiate a "fleet-wide rollout." Eventually, over 300 domestic mainline aircraft will enable guests to surf the intarwebz from way up high, and you'll know if the one you're boarding is lit if you see one of the above pictured "Wi-Fi Onboard" logos on the boarding door. The launch flights -- which will run from December 16th through the 31st -- will provide gratis access to the web, while standard pricing of $9.95 on flights of three hours or less and $12.95 on flights of more than three hours will presumably kick in on January 1, 2009. Happy trails, and don't forget to give us a visit while you're up there.

[Via Switched]

Delta pushes in-flight WiFi plans ahead, Gogo to hit 2,000 planes in 2009

by Darren Murph posted Dec 10th 2008 at 9:50PM

Here's something that doesn't happen everyday with legacy airlines -- an announcement that something is actually ahead of schedule. After hearing that Delta would equip its entire US fleet with Aircell's Gogo in-flight WiFi in 2009, along comes a release from Aircell that says otherwise. In fact, it proclaims that "Delta Air Lines is expected to launch service before the end of 2008." Furthermore, the company has confessed that "most major US carriers are in advanced discussions with or are already contractually committed to Aircell," which certainly bodes well for avid travelers who take issue with long periods of disconnection. Aircell is hoping to have its in-flight internet tech installed in 2,000 commercial aircraft by the end of 2009 -- talk about making the friendly skies "friendly" again.

[Image courtesy of Gadling]

Cellphone boarding pass gets tested, experience gets journaled

by Darren Murph posted Nov 27th 2008 at 7:04PM

The biggest problem with a new scheme -- particularly one involving you, technology and the TSA -- is the very real fear that introducing something fresh into a traditional system will create more havoc than good. As Grant Martin of sister blog Gadling discovered, there's a reason that belief exists. Upon realizing that he could utilize a mobile boarding pass on his flight from Detroit to New York, he excitedly pulled up a one-time use QR code on his iPhone and shuffled through to security. Upon reaching the checkpoint, he was greeted by a less-than-enthusiastic boarding pass checker who seemed to take entirely too long to send him onward; at the next step, the agent seemed miffed and discomposed by the fact that the passenger couldn't simultaneously rid himself of all electronics and keep his boarding pass on his person while passing through the metal detector. In the end, Mr. Martin concluded that the system holds a lot of promise, but it's still going to take some time before everyone else working at the airport adjusts to the year 2008.

American Airlines getting in on that cellphone boarding pass fad

by Samuel Axon posted Nov 14th 2008 at 7:59AM

American Airlines has joined its peers at Continental in offering boarding pass barcodes that you can download to and display on your BlackBerry, iPhone, G1, or whatever have you. Presently the airline is only offering the option on domestic, non-stop flights departing from O'Hare -- LAX and Orange County will start on the 17th. Some eastern yanks might be asking, "What, no JFK or Logan? Where's the east coast love, AA?" Don't get too bent out of shape, boys and girls -- tech-savvy business travelers love their BlackBerries, so we could see this pop up just about everywhere before long.

[Via Mobilitysite]