Results tagged “airplane” from 60 Second Science

France offers "zen-zones" on its high-speed trains, Vienna just ordered public transit users to keep the phone on silent, and more and more U.S. states are banning cell phone use while driving.

Emirates Airlines, though, is giving obsessive communicators another place to gab: coach. Beginning in March, the airline rolled out technology designed to let users operate cell phones at low enough levels to avoid completely futzing up the plane's navigation and ending the conference call with a bang.

Now in the U.S., we look at the Arab world and say, "You can take your excessive freedoms and shove it. We're on a banning spree."

Continue reading 'Congress on cell phones in planes: "We have the technology, but it'd be reaaaaal annoying."' >

Last month when American Airlines flew its pampered pentad of passengers from Chicago to London, the carbon footprint left by burning 22,000 gallons of fuel during a virtually empty flight more resembled a carbon foot in Mother Nature's ass.

Environmentalists flew, presumably fossil fuel-free, through the roof. Defenders of the industry loudly countered by pointing out the harsh pragmatics of airline scheduling. Others, sensing opportunity, derided the likes of Al Gore and similar activists for hypocritically jet-setting across the globe to deliver messages of environmental responsibility.

American Airlines, which lost about $60,000 on the much-maligned voyage, won’t have to worry about such fiascos starting at the end of this month. On March 30, the Open Skies agreement takes effect, allowing any US and EU airline to make transatlantic flights between all destinations on both sides of the pond. London’s Heathrow airport will be opened for full competition from foreign carriers with an expected monthly increase of 524 flights to the States as well as 5,853 new trips throughout Europe. Until mankind builds the first trans-oceanic bike path, we’re going to have untold millions more tons of CO2 floating around the friendly skies.

Continue reading 'The high cost of cheap air travel' >

...in as much as the German airforce was a pioneer in using alternative fuels to power its planes.

Continue reading 'U.S. Airforce wants to be more like Hitler' >

Who among us hasn't wondered that? While munching on stale peanuts, I've concocted entire scenarios to prepare myself for survival — my plan always involved simply holding on to the door's edge and pulling myself back in, but then again, maybe you don't have forearms resembling tightly coiled, steel pythons like I do.

A woman on a flight from Orlando to Dallas with an unfortunate attack of adult-onset crazy decided to test this action-movie staple in midair, but she luckily didn't succeed. You see, airplane doors open inwards, and the pressurized air in the cabin keeps the door from opening. The air pushes hard enough that it's practically impossible to open the door at 30,000 feet (except for me — pythons, remember?), which is surely a comfort to nervous air passengers everywhere. The crew had to restrain her and make an emergency landing in Houston. You can bet that lady didn't make any friends on that flight.

Still, I can't help but feel a bit of sadness at the passing of another Hollywood cliche. Next thing you know, we'll learn that Steven Seagal doesn't have any actual martial arts skills, and that's a truth I can't handle.

Woman tries to open aircraft door midair (The Age)

Via Gadling