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Near collision with airliner prompts US to crack down on drone use
The FAA might not have full legal authority to regulate drones just yet, but it at least has some evidence to support its case for tighter restrictions. The administration's Jim Williams has revealed that an unmanned vehicle nearly smacked into a US Airways jetliner in Florida this past March; it came so close that the pilot was initially convinced there would be damage. While the remote-controlled aircraft was already violating rules by flying at 2,300 feet (it had to stay below 400 feet), Williams used the incident to argue for a better-safe-than-sorry approach to drone rules. It could be "catastrophic" if one of these vehciles gets sucked through an engine, he said.
Alaska Airlines and US Airways join list of companies allowing almost gate-to-gate gadget use
More and more airlines are adopting the FAA's new (and more relaxed) gadget policy, and the latest ones joining the fray are Alaska Airlines and US Airways. Both carriers now allow you to keep your eyes glued to phones or tablets even during takeoff or touchdown. In Alaska Airlines' case, it's even slated to debut its first plane equipped with USB and 110-volt power outlets next month to make sure travellers' devices are juiced up. Of course, mobile devices have to be used in airplane mode, but you can make in-flight phone calls via Gogo's WiFi service, if available. While you still have to stow laptops and heavier electronics during departure and landing, you can at least continue playing Candy Crush to keep your aerophobia in check.
Gogo launches next-gen in-flight internet, with better speeds and more capacity
Gogo is pretty much the standard for in-flight internet. But, as much as it's saved our workaholic butts on a number of occasions, we've always said there's room for improvement. Speeds are often on the low side and connectivity can be unreliable on a plane packed with fellow web addicts. (For example, say a flight to Vegas for CES.) ATG-4 is the company's next generation of in-air service that should drastically increase capacity and improve speeds. The connection will have a theoretical peak bandwidth of 9.8Mbps, more than three times the current network and uses EVDO rev.B as part of its backbone. ATG-4 is being rolled out on 25 craft to begin with, including planes operated by Virgin, Delta and US Airways. There's a few more details in the PR after the break and we'll be back soon with a hands on to let you know if Gogo's new network lives up to the hype.
Gogo WiFi lands in more US Airways Airbuses and Embraers, intros Gogo Vision
Gogo isn't just tossing its mid-air wireless goodies toward Virgin and American, with US Airways being the latest to join the extra perks party. Per today's announcement, the airline is stuffing Gogo WiFi in a few more planes, including the Airbus A319 and A320. Other shorter (and much smaller) aircraft, the Embraer 170, 175 and 190, are also getting the in-flight WiFi treatment. Meanwhile, a quick peek at the PR below reveals Gogo is quietly launching its Vision service, allowing passengers to watch movies, shows and have access to "exclusive" shopping deals -- though, you'll have to shell out $1 to $6 more for the privilege. Maybe now you'll actually want to seek out Express flights rather than avoid them, since you'll have far fewer passengers to fight for bandwidth.
US Airways finally secures Gogo in-flight WiFi, adding to all A321's by June
We heard last summer that 2010 would be the year for US Airways to gain in-flight internet, and sure enough, America's worst legacy airline has made good on said promise. As of now, a grand total of five Airbus A321 planes are equipped with Gogo, and if you're lucky enough to end up on one, you'll get a single free session through June 1st provided that you're a first-time Gogo user. Speaking of early June, that's when all 51 of the outfit's A321's will be lit with WiFi, and better still, you'll be able to see right away if your flight will be wired (or unwired, as it were) at the time of booking. There's no mention of expansion plans beyond that, and we still haven't received an apology for refusing us a gratis glass of water on a 6.5 hour flight in August of 2008. No, we're not bitter. At all.
US Airways launching Gogo in-flight internet next year, to show WiFi logo when booking
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]
Sully's Flight on the iPhone
The flight simulator X-Plane is generally acknowledged to be among the best on either a Mac or a PC. Surprisingly, X-Plane [App Store link] made it to the iPhone as one of the first apps available. That was quite an accomplishment, and while the iPhone version is not as sophisticated as its big brother, it has a lot of the accurate flight physics bundled in to give you a pretty compelling flight simulator experience on your iPhone or iPod touch. Now, Laminar Research has done it again, bringing a simulation of Chesley Sullenberger's January 15th USAirways landing in the Hudson River saving all the passengers and crews from what could have been a very deadly accident. You can relive the experience with Sully's Flight [App Store link, U.S. $0.99] and you don't have to even have X-Plane installed to run it. You start out on Runway 4 at LaGuardia Airport, in similar weather conditions to the real event. You take off, and to follow the original flight path, there are rectangular hoops displayed for you to fly through. To make the sim even more realistic, you get the actual air traffic communication with the stricken airliner. It gives you an appreciation for just how cool Sullenberger was that day, matter-of-factly telling air traffic control he wouldn't be trying to make a landing at another airport, but was going to land in the Hudson River instead. I've tried the sim a few times, and pretty consistently I land too fast... I need more work on flaps and the aircraft speed when I get closer to the water. Normally, I might say a game like this is in questionable taste, but it is more a simulation than a game, and, of course, no one was seriously hurt in real life. It would be good to know something about flying before trying this app, because with no engines the plane goes down pretty rapidly. The average person trying it won't be able to escape the physics of the simulation, so if you're looking for a full flight sim, this is not for you. Like all X-Plane products, there will likely be some updates, but I did not see any bugs when running the sim. And remember, Sully's Flight is not a standard flying game. No matter what you do, you will hit the birds, and your engine will fail, so don't plan on just flying around Manhattan. %Gallery-48291%
Man files $1 million lawsuit against US Airways for lost Xbox 360
A Yale student is suing US Airways for $1 million in compensation for his lost Xbox 360 and the emotional toll of attempting to recover it. He claims he had an Xbox 360 with a "specialized hard drive" and other fancy components worth more than $1,000 (is that the kind with the really, really loud drive noise?) in his checked luggage, and when he went to pick up his luggage it was considerably lighter than before, with the Xbox 360 and components found as the only thing missing. Sounds like no-fun-at-all, and the "run-around" he got with speaking to five different airline employees sounds equally painful, but we're not sure how that all adds up to $1,000,000 -- the maximum allowable by law in his state. US Airways says that not only does the federal limit of liability for lost luggage top out at $3,300, but that electronics checked in luggage are specifically excluded from liability. How kind.[Via Joystiq]
