Insights, updates, and aviation stories.
Most people wonder at some point how airplanes are able to fly but have you ever wondered what material are planes made of? The materials used to make planes, wings, body and skin make a big difference when it comes to their reliability and learning about these materials can be interesting and fun. What Are […]
Although they aren’t exactly known for speed, helicopters can fly at higher speeds than most people realize. If you’re flying in a helicopter, you might be surprised by how fast it is going, especially if you compare it to driving a car or train. In this article we’ll lay out some average speeds for common […]
When you get behind the wheel of a car, you have seatbelts and other devices to keep you safe while you’re on the road, so why don’t airplanes have the same advantages? Although parachutes can save lives, the fact is that none of the commercial airliners have parachutes onboard for their passengers. You might be […]
Helicopters come in many sizes and can accommodate numerous tasks from delivering heavy bricks to a construction site to providing assistance in times of civil unrest. For this reason, people in charge of projects such as this often want to know how much the helicopter can lift, i.e., carry in the chopper. How Much Can […]
When you’re on an airplane, you sometimes notice how high the plane is flying because the pilots always mention this information over the loudspeaker. If you pay attention, you’ll notice that the planes get to a certain altitude and then stop. You may wonder how high planes fly and why they fly at that particular […]
Most people have taken a “red eye” flight before, so airplanes flying in the dark is nothing new to them. If you’ve ever wondered what type of headlights airplanes have that allow them to see well at 35,000 feet, you might be surprised to learn that they aren’t headlights at all! Do Airplanes Have Headlights? […]
It’s a common question and a natural one to ask: do airplanes have keys? After all, cars need keys to start the ignition, so why not planes? Can you just walk up to any airplane, step into the cockpit, turn the ignition and take off? Interestingly enough, the answer to that question is, it depends […]
You’re sitting in a plane on the runway waiting to take off and you hear a toot-toot sound that seems to be coming from a horn. Do airplanes really have horns? And, if so, what are they there for? You may have wondered this yourself at times. Today we answer these questions and some more! […]
Most helicopters can fly about 250 to 400 miles on a single tank of fuel, staying airborne for roughly 2.5 to 5 hours before they need to refuel. Larger, long-range models can do considerably better — a Sikorsky S-92 covers more than 600 miles, and the all-time unrefueled distance record stands at 2,213 miles, set […]
From small planes that are used for stealth missions to huge planes used to transport cargo and soldiers, military planes tend to capture people’s imagination. This is a guide on the different types of military airplanes in use today. When you think of the armed forces, what is the first thing that comes to mind? […]