Curiosities
2,005 news found
AerospaceDecember 11, 1972: last man on the Moon
It was the Apollo 17 mission
First is always the most important, but also the last one should not be underestimated in certain circumstances: this speech fits perfectly for an anniversary that falls just today. On December 11, 1972,... more
AirlinesUSA: all ready for commercial Christian carrier flights
Passengers will be mostly missionaries
Unique more than rare: air carrier that an American religious organization wants to launch in a short time is unprecedented in the history of civil aviation, given that we are talking about the first Christian... more
AirlinesCarriers. Thai Airways seeks buyers for unsold goods
These products were used on board
Reinventing: this may be one of the watchwords that the international airline industry must make its own at the time of the coronavirus. The Thai Airways carrier seems to be at the forefront, as evidenced... more
AerospaceNovember 3, 1957: mission to space of the dog Laika
63 years ago the launch of Sputnik 2
A "sacrifice" in the name of science. The date of November 3 is one of the most important in the history of space, since exactly 63 years ago the second ever artificial satellite, Sputnik 2, was launched... more
AirlinesNew South African carrier has an official name: Lift
On-line contest registered 25 thousand suggestions
Wakanda Air, DjyRyNie and Lekker Airlines: these are some of the suggestions that South African citizens proposed online for the new national carrier (read also the article published by AVIONEWS). Eventually... more
CuriositiesOctober 23, 1934: Francesco Agello's unbeaten speed record
His seaplane flew 86 years ago in Desenzano
A record still unbeaten almost nine decades later: this clarification would be enough to understand how incredible the feat of Francesco Agello on October 23, 1934 was, precisely 86 years ago. It was 2:56... more
CuriositiesRussia, discussions on video of Su-57 without roof
Pilot of military plane had a special suit - VIDEO
A video that left half the world speechless: in the last few hours a video has spread showing a Russian military pilot while on board a Su-57 plane without any roof and at a speed that is not exactly indifferent.... more
CargoPhoto. New ambassador for Lufthansa Cargo's social commitment
A B-777F airplane with a particular livery
Photo. Ever since the Cargo Human Care e.V. aid organisation was founded by Lufthansa Cargo employees 13 years ago, the freight crane has been supporting the organisation's sustainable aid in Kenya. As... more
Airlines"Grounding" of Swissair on October 2, 2001
It was the beginning of the end for this carrier
A real shock: exactly 19 years have passed since October 2, 2001, the day when air carrier Swissair suddenly stopped, suggesting that the following days would be the last for such a prestigious brand,... more
AirlinesLufthansa Cargo: its ninth B-777F airplane in Frankfurt
With the name "¡Buenos días México!"
On Tuesday, September 29, at 11:19 am local time, the carrier's latest B-777F landed for the first time at Frankfurt Airport (FRA). The freighter with the registration D-ALFI was in flight as LH8145 for... more
AirlinesJapan Airlines ditches "ladies and gentlemen" from ads
Carrier doesn't want to discriminate sexual minorities
A phrase that every passenger is used to and that is about to disappear, at least in the case of an Asian carrier. Japan Airlines made official today, Monday 28 September 2020, the cancellation of classic... more
CuriositiesSeptember 24, 1852: first flight of a powered airship
The inventor exploited hydrogen and carbon coke
Airship is destined to exert a timeless charm for a long time to come and today is the perfect opportunity to deepen a piece of its history. On September 24, 1852, exactly 168 years ago, the first motor-driven... more
AirlinesSouth Africa, citizens will choose the name of new carrier
The idea is to take a cue from Uber
No one will know my name: unlike in "Turandot" by Giacomo Puccini, the name of new carrier of South Africa must be revealed quickly and for this reason it was decided to entrust to the city. In the last... more
AerospaceSeptember 17, 1976: entire world discovers Space Shuttle
The very first spacecraft was the Enterprise
Today's date is one of the most important in history of space flights. On September 17, 1976, exactly 44 years ago, Space Shuttle was presented to the public for the very first time. NASA proudly announced... more
Civil aviationThere is an airplane that became a tourist accomodation in Wales
A-319 flew for Etihad and Air Canada
The most glamorous camping that you can find: glamping is a very recent evolution of tourism in contact with nature in which camping has nothing to do with tents to be planted. Outdoor relax and the classic... more
CuriositiesOn 7 September 1997 debut flight of the F-22 Raptor airplane
The world's first fifth generation military aircraft
A record to remember: today's date is very important for what concerns military aviation, given that on 7 September 1997, exactly 23 years ago, first F-22 Raptor aircraft made its debut flight. It is the... more
AirlinesLufthansa Cargo continues aircraft fleet modernization
Carrier welcomes its eighth B-777F plane in Frankfurt
A brand-new B-777F aircraft landed at Frankfurt Airport (FRA) today on Monday, 31 August, at 7:26 local time. The cargo with registration D-ALFH was in flight for 9 hours and 24 minutes after its take-off... more
AirportsSuccess for first flight AG-50 light sport aircraft
New plane got off the ground for 12 minutes -VIDEO
First time can be never forgotten: at 8:38 am (local time) yesterday, Wednesday August 26, 2020, the Lingyan AG-50, the Chinese-made new generation light sports aircraft, took off. The maiden flight was... more
AirportsSwitzerland, first launch in history from an electric plane
World record also concerns carbon dioxide emissions
There is always a first time and the one in which Raphaël Domjan became the protagonist is really curious. The name is that of the founder of SolarStratos, a project aimed at flying a solar-powered plane... more
Civil aviationB-747 aircraft still use old floppy disks
They are used to update the databases -VIDEO
Many generations certainly cannot forget it even if it is obsolete to say the least. Floppy disk has positively marked the history of computers and today it is obviously useless. As in every area, however,... more
Civil aviationDan Friedkin's great passion for airplanes
He just became the new owner of AS Roma
During last hours, AS Roma football team had a new owner: the president is Dan Friedkin, 187th richest man in United States and number 504 in the world. In addition to his new passion for football (on... more
CuriositiesWinners announced in "2020 FAI Young Artists Contest"
In Junior, Intermediate and Senior categories
The FAI (World Air Sports Federation) has announced the winners’ list of the 2020 FAI Young Artists Contest, an international air sports-themed art competition for youngsters between the ages of six a... more
Civil aviation99 year old woman is the oldest in the world to fly a plane
The Guinness World Record has made the singular record official
Almost a century of life: Robina Asti is a 99 year old lady who conquered a singular record in the last few hours. As certified by the Guinness World Record, she is the oldest person in the world capable... more
CuriositiesThere is an airplane transformed into a supermarket in China
The aircraft was produced in ex-USSR and hosts a cafeteria
Shopping at the supermarket can be also on board. The inhabitants of Oucheng Garden, one of the main areas of the Chinese city of Chengdu, know this perfectly. It's here that an old plane was transformed... more
AirlinesAirplanes: Russia wants to invest in ekranoplans
Project consists in production of some ground-effect aircraft in Far East
Russian government agency referred about Orion society that wants to produce some ekranoplans. This aircraft is considered the joining link between seaplanes and hydrofoils, able to move few meters above... more
CuriositiesAircraft and record. FAI: ninety years ago, the Hunter brothers spent 23 days in flight without landing
John and Kenneth were the pilots, while Albert and Walter worked as the refuelling crew
FAI (the World Air Sports Federation) communicates that ninety years ago on 11 June 1930, the four Hunter brothers began their journey to break the world record for Duration in an airplane with a flight... more
CuriositiesPhoto and Covid-19. If the borders are closed, why do planes fly?
A tweet explains why, despite the restrictions and close connections
We came across a tweet that we share with you, a curiosity that we publish to play down the moment, which sees the map of the skies closed to air transport widen hour after hour, increase the number of... more
CuriositiesAir France-KLM: billboard in South Korean to prevent toilet use
Public apology following allegations of discrimination
According to "Reuters", Air France-Klm, a carrier born of a French-Dutch holding company, publicly apologized today after a passenger expressed outrage on-line. During a flight, the airline would use a... more
CuriositiesUV light: could it help contain coronavirus?
Boeing has already designed for its self-cleaning toilet planes that use ultraviolet rays
According to an article published on February 10 by "American Council and Science Health", an idea to contain the spread of infectious diseases, also considering the coronavirus emergency, could be to... more
CuriositiesPrince William visits military training in Kuwait
Accepted at the airport by an honor guard
Prince William went to Khasab airport in Oman for the second leg of his four-day visit to the Middle East to attend the joint British and Kuwaiti exercises held twice a year for four weeks, in a draft... more
CuriositiesA pig for therapy at the San Francisco Airport
It's part of a project to reduce passenger stress - VIDEO
For the first time in the world a pig is used for airport therapy and is located at San Francisco Airport. "LiLou", this is its name, is part of the "Wag Brigade" project, a "pet therapy" program that... more
CuriositiesAir Guilin, the Chinese carrier, pilot fired
He had allowed a passenger to enter the cabin
Chinese Air Guilin fired a pilot who had allowed a traveller to enter the cockpit. The image of a woman without a uniform in the cockpit of a passenger plane, published with the caption "many thanks to... more
CuriositiesFraport: testing hybrid aerial vehicle in passenger terminals
The H-Aero combines the advantages of a balloon, airplane and helicopter in a single system
The H-Aero is a small, helium-filled hybrid aerial vehicle. From October 28 to 31, passengers at Frankfurt Airport were able to see it floating almost silently through Halls D and E in Terminal 2. Fraport... more
CuriositiesMi-24 "Hind" helicopters found in an Australian landfill
They were buried following a diplomatic scandal
Today two Russian-made Mil Mi-24 "Hind" helicopters have been found in a Darwin landfill. The discovery took place at just over 330 km from their former depot at the Tindal base of the Royal Australian... more
CuriositiesHelicopter fails to rescue man stuck at 90 meters high
Salvage operations are underway in England
According to a "Dailymail" report, a rescue operation has been running since this morning for a man who has been stranded hanging from the top of an industrial chimney over 90 meters in North West England... more
CuriositiesKLM makes tools for aircraft from PET bottles
In particular for repair and maintenance -VIDEO
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is one of the first carriers in the world to recycle PET bottles to make tools for repairing and maintaining its aircraft. Empty bottles are collected at the end of every flight... more
CuriositiesNasa: a "helical engine" to reach the speed of light
Engineer David Burns is the creator of the project - ATTACHMENT
A Nasa engineer has devised a latest-generation accelerator called the "helical motor" that can potentially propel a spacecraft "close to the speed of light" without the need for fuel. David Burns, proposed... more
CuriositiesThe secret story of the "Spitfire" plane
Women and children built the pieces helping them win World War II - VIDEO
A campaign was launched in England for the construction of a memorial in honor of women and children who built more than 2,000 Spitfire aircraft in secret to help win the Second World War. It was a little-known... more
CuriositiesAustralia: campaigns against forced marriages in airport toilets
Action plan to combat the practice of "baby wives"
Australia is starting today a special campaign to prevent forced marriages: posters and communications describing the illegality of the practice will be shown in the Sydney airport toilets: in the last... more
CuriositiesPlane pilots film alleged USA ballistic missile launch
From the cabin of a Mexican Airlines passenger aircraft -2 VIDEO
Curiosity from the web: the alleged launch, witnessed by a video released on youtube, according to the Russian press and an American portal, would have happened at the beginning of last September more
CuriositiesAt Abu Dhabi airport the oldest man ever existed in the world
Surprise of airport staff to check documents
Abu Dhabi airport staff in the United Arab Emirates was very surprised yesterday at the passport verification of a passenger bearing the date of birth "August 8, 1896". If the date was true, the man, born... more
CuriositiesA new android from Russia after "Fyodor"
It will be able to imitate human emotions - VIDEO
After the Russian robot "Fyodor" also called "Skybot F-850" launched in space to assist the astronauts (see AVIONEWS), but revealed precisely because of its physical characteristics not particularly functional... more
CuriositiesA black hole tears apart a star to pieces
Rare phenomenon captured by NASA telescope - VIDEO
NASA has captured, through its "TESS" (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) telescope, images of a supermassive black hole that breaks up a star the size of our Sun in the center of a galaxy called 2MASX... more
CuriositiesAustralia: student pilot lands after instructor passes out
Perfect execution but it was his first Cessna flight
Max Sylvester, a flight pilot student in Australia, managed to make the landing after his instructor passed out. With professionalism and a cool head he made an emergency call to the Perth airport controllers... more
Curiosities"Heathrow Pause": activists threaten to stop aircraft by drones
They would like to block the London airport from September 13
"Heathrow Pause" is a sub-group of British activists belonging to the wider "Extinction Rebellion" organization (abbreviated as "XR"), a non-violent social-political movement in the United Kingdom that... more
CuriositiesUS researcher would have discovered radioactive spills in North Korea
Possible serious environmental and health crisis
While the world is in alarm following the worrying loss of radiation from the Russian military base in the village of Nenoksa (see AVIONEWS), according to an article published today on August 21 by "Dailymail"... more
CuriositiesMIA just got a little more “Miami”
Some of its most famous voices welcome passengers and visitors at the airport
Miami International Airport’s (MIA) passengers and visitors will soon receive a warm welcome from some of its most recognizable voices.World-renowned artists, athletes and local personalities have lent t... more
CuriositiesEd Bastian (Delta's CEO): "I didn't meet Trump for a family vacation"
The absence at the White House meeting irritated the US president
The President Donald Trump met in July the main US companies at the White House. A meeting called for by US carriers United, American Airlines and Delta to demand action in response to what they say is... more
CuriositiesHarry and Meghan accused of hypocrisy for disproportionate use of private jet planes
The singer Elton John defends them
Environmental activists attacked Harry and Meghan to pollute too much given the disproportionate use of private planes: in just four days the royals would fly four times. While the Swedish Greta Thumberg... more
CuriositiesA peanut allergy would have blown up an Air Asia flight
The passenger would not have signed the release of liability release
According to reports from the "Dailymail", an English couple, Jade Cosgrove a student of 21 years, and Dave King 23 years old, would be prevented to take on a plane Air Asia directed to Bali. They wo... more