Aviation Blog - Page 28

Airport arrival gift ideas to welcome someone home: 25 small, easy-to-carry picks, from flowers and coffee to refresh kits, lei and route maps.

The worst plane crashes in history, ranked by death toll. Tenerife 1977 tops the list at 583 deaths. See all 20, what caused them and what changed.

Marine One is any Marine Corps aircraft carrying the president. Which helicopters fly it in 2026, how fast and far they go, and how they get overseas.

Bomber planes come in 12 types, from strategic and stealth bombers to dive, torpedo, and fighter-bombers. What each does and which still fly in 2026.

DEFCON levels explained: what DEFCON 5 through DEFCON 1 mean, why the current level is never made public, and every confirmed time the US raised it.

How long does it take to become a pilot? A private license takes months, but an airline seat takes two to three years. The licenses are the fast part.

Is there a pilot shortage? The FAA counted 887,519 US pilots in 2025. What airlines run short of is captains, and federal rules make them slow to build.

Airport breakfast ideas for early flights: 25 practical meals to make, pack, or buy after security, from oatmeal and egg wraps to fruit boxes.

A320neo jets are being scrapped at just 3 years old. A Pratt & Whitney GTF engine shortage means two spare engines out-earn the whole jet they came from.

US airlines that disappeared after 9/11: five of the 10 biggest in 2001 are gone, four absorbed by American, United and Delta after each went bankrupt.