Squadron Leader W.G.(Bill) Drinkell,D.F.C.,A.F.C., Rtd.
Served with 50 squadron during 1944/45.
Above: Two distinquished veterans.
VN-T was Bill's 50 squadron aircraft.
Their aircraft was holed by a bomb over Duren and returned on two engines; it was involved in a mid-air collision with a Huricane; the starboard engine was completely destroyed (both incidents were friendly fire); there was no radio reception; and the aircraft also suffered flak damage.
Educated Colchester Grammar School, Colchester, Essex., leaving 1938.
3rd September 1939: joined the RAF at Halton as an apprentice fitter.
With 1500 other apprentices he completed the course and was awarded the Educational Award for that entry.
From there he was posted to 266 Squadron at Wittering, Stamford.
On Tuesday, 12th August, 266 was moved to Eastchurch, Kent.
The next morning, whilst walking to the ablutions hut with other maintenance crew members, Dorniers bombed the station. They threw themselves to the ground as bombs exploded nearby.
The airfield was devastated and 266 was moved the next day to Hornchurch.
As soon as he was 18 he volunteered for pilot training and was accepted, however, he did not begin until January 1942.
Training started at St Andrews, then Perth where he flew Tiger Moths. He flew solo after 7 hours instruction.
Finally he flew the Catalina flying boat with an eventual "flying boat" posting. He then had to do a Reconnaissance Course at Prince Edward Island, Canada, where, on 26th April 1943 he was awarded his wings.
He was then posted back to England, expecting to be posted to a flying boat squadron, however, with Bomber Command suffering heavy bomber crew losses, he was posted into bombers.
Active service with 50 squadron.
All Bomber Command aircrew believed it always happened to the other chap. Bill and his crew being no exception. They regularly practised dingy drill and also clearing the aircraft on the ground. They got it down to 11 seconds from the word 'go'. Bill, as Captain, was always the last one to leave.
Before an operation they made sure that they had their best 'bib and tucker' on, clean clothes and well shaved. First aid escape if shot down; secondly to be well clad if ending up in a prison camp. There was a pecking order for climbing into their Lancaster on every raid. Bill was the first and then others in the same order. Nobody decreed that this should be so, but it was adhered to rigidly, a kind of ritual. Some of the crew had personal superstitions. The mid-upper gunner always carried a medallion that had been given to him. The navigator made a point of never looking out at any target, he always drew his curtain. He always wore water boots when they crossed the North Sea; if it was a short crossing of the Channel he wore shoes. Despite these ideosyncrasies he was an excellent navigator. The bomb aimer always placed his parachute under his thighs during the bombing run.
Bill and crew went solo in a Lancaster on September 5th 1944 and six days later were posted to 50 Squadron at RAF Skellingthorpe. They arrived at 4.00pm and were flying on their first operation that same evening to DARMSTADT, just south of Frankfurt.
In the course of four weeks during January and February 1945, they made three attacks on Oil Refineries at Poltz. Each trip taking up to ten and three quarter hours flying time.
March 5th. oil refinery at BOLEM,
March 7th., another trip to HARBURG. VERY SEVERE FIGHTER OPPOSITION, HOLED BY FLAK IN NOSE AND TAIL.
Their 30th, and last operation was to WURBURG.
Extract from Recommendation for the Distinquished Flying Cross.
FLIGHT LIEUTENANT DRINKELL was detailed to attack Duren in daylight on 16th November, 1943 and whilst on the bombing run, his aircraft was hit by a falling bomb which passed through his mainplane and No. 2 petrol tank. The petrol streaming from the tank immediately caught fire, and with great presence of mind he feathered both starboard engines, and, regaining control of the aircraft carried on with his bombing run and bombed his target successfully. On returning from the target Flight Lieutenant DRINKELL could not maintain height on two engines due to the excessive drag from the starboard wing, and when the aircraft had lost height down to 2000 feet he was faced with the alternative of bailing his crew out thereby losing his aircraft with the grave possibilty that his crew would be captured, or, restarting the starboard engine to give extra power necessary to maintain the aircraft in the air. With the crew standing by with parachutes on and ready to abandon the aircraft if necessary, he restarted the starboard inner engine satisfactorily, and returned without damage to the aircraft making a normal landing.
Flight Lieutenant DRINKELL'S enthusiasm for operations, has always been of the highest order, and has been a great inspiration not only to his own crew but to the whole squadron. For his untiring enthusiasm, courage and skill in the face of the enemy, Flight Lieutenant DRINKELL is recommended for the award of the Distinquished Flying Cross.
signed: ...............(R. C. Pickles)
Group Captain, Commanding Officer R.A.F. Station Skellingthorpe.
Posted to Far East.
From June 1946 F/L Drinkell was employed as lst Pilot on communications duties with No. 1315 Flight at Iwakumi. Whilst serving there he was awarded the AFC .
RAF archives. doc. re. award AFC to Bill Drinkell DFC.
Over Japan recently an RAF Dakota found and "homed" six R.A.A.F. Mustangs threatened with disaster by bad weather. The Mustangs had taken off from Iwakuni in fair weather for Borfu when a severe storm broke over both airfields. Their radio could not be heard but ground stations could be received; thus, it was impossible to help. As darkness approached the Dakota, flown by F/L. W. G. Drinkell D.F.C., was about to land at Iwakuni when he heard the Mustang pilots requesting bearings. He climbed to 6,000ft above rain and cloud, re-transmitted bearings for the Mustangs and instructed them to rendezvous with him. Three were successful and were escorted to Milo. The Dakota then flew back in darkness, and, with the aid of ground bearings and Very lights, managed to rendezvous over Hiroshima with two of the Mustangs, while the third was in sight five miles off. Cloud had now closed over Miho, and the "Dak" descended on instruments, with two Mustangs in close formation. Within a few minutes the last Mustang had made a safe instrument landing.
Bil's marriage was a true love story in itself which started when she sat in the co-pilot's seat of his Dakota. At the time Miss Lilias Blaen, who came from Creo Town, Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland, was an RAF Nursing Sister (Princess Mary's) serving at the main BCAir hospital, at Iwakuni on Honshu Island (only a few miles from Hiroshima).
On a Saturday in June 1946 she was part of a medical team sent to escort a badly injured army officer from Honshu Island to BCAir hospital.
F/L Drinkell was the pilot of the Dakota aircraft used to convey the party to hospital.
With no time for Bill and his crew to rest, clean up or have a meal after the long hazardous flight which they had just completed, they rushed back to their aircraft to carry out this emergency duty. During the flight Sister "Sally" Blaen was invited to take the co-pilot's seat, where she became acquainted with, F/L Bill Drinkell. He recalls: "I don't think she was much impressed by the dishevelled appearance of the crew, nor by the answer to her enquiry as to when we would arrive - "The sandwiches are finished, so we must be almost there", He, however, admired both her aplomb as they landed in the dark on a poorly equipped airfield, and the calm, efficient way she handled her patient. There friendship developed from that beginning and on East Sunday, 6th April, 1947 Sally Blaen became Mrs Drinkell.
They married in Japan where she was given away by Group Captain D. D.Christie AFC, Miho Station Commander.
Miho airmen provided a guard of honour at the Garrison Church, where S/L Rev. G. Mayo Officiated.
The bridesmaid was Sister Sybil Woods and the best man was S/L Warren DFC.
The whole station celebrated their marriage.
Sadly Bill Drinkell passed away on 21st June 2013, just two weeks after attending the 2013 reunion.
Bill Drinkell's story is also included in the International Bomber Command Centre Digital archive. https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/43566


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The cheapest time of year to fly to Kuching from London is January. The most expensive is December.
The cheapest day of the week is usually Monday. The most expensive is usually Friday.
London to Kuching flights are approximately 11% more expensive in the evening than at midday
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Kuching is 6995.9 mi away from London. A reasonable flight in good conditions will take 16h 25m.


Photo credit: Blue Origin
2021 has been a breakthrough year for space tourism. Three different spacecraft carrying tourists have gone into space for the first time: Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo and Blue Origin’s New Shepard carried passengers to the edge of space, and SpaceX’s Crew Dragon carried its passengers into orbit around the Earth. William Shatner’s recent flight on New Sheppard has raised the profile of space tourism even more.
Although many rightly celebrate these impressive achievements, a large number of people in the press and on social media have criticized them, claiming the money spent on these missions would be better spent fighting poverty or climate change. One Evening Standard journalist called the space tourism race an “unedifying ego competition” while Prince William said that billionaires should spend their money solving problems on Earth rather than on trips to space.
These detractors make several major errors. First, the development of space tourism is helping drive innovation in aviation and rocketry that will enormously benefit mankind. Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo is built by Scaled Composites, a company developing a range of revolutionary aircraft designs that are more efficient, pollute less, and fly further than anything in the air today. The two companies’ work on SpaceShipTwo is propelling Scaled Composites’ other projects. Likewise, the engines developed for New Shepard and SpaceX’s Falcon rocket are making access to space cheaper and easier for science projects, communications providers, and Earth-monitoring satellites. Advancing technology like this will benefit goals like fighting poverty and climate change more effectively in the long run than simply putting money into those things will.
On top of these scientific and technological benefits, the recent leap forward in space tourism also represents a crucial step toward a world where the experience of spaceflight will be available to most people, not just the super-rich and those they choose to take with them. New innovations are expensive, and the super-wealthy are usually the first to benefit, but the more these spacecraft fly, the more their designers will be able to improve them, driving down costs. A future where travelling to space is a realistic possibility for most rather than a distant dream is a future worth pursuing.
Thank you to the heroes of space tourism—such as Richard Branson, Burt Rutan, Peter Diamandis, Jeff Bezos, and Elon Musk—for making these phenomenal breakthroughs possible. These people have pursued their dreams for a better world—and for access to others beyond it—and they are making these dreams reality. Let’s celebrate them and their achievement.


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(CNN) — Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg urged airline executives in a non-public dialog on Thursday to evaluation their flight schedules and take different steps to melt the impression of summer season flight cancellations, in response to a supply acquainted with the decision.
The supply mentioned Buttigieg requested CEOs on the decision to speak via plans to stop and reply to disruptions over the July 4 vacation weekend and past.
The Thursday night name got here on the identical day that airways canceled greater than 1,700 flights, in response to flight monitoring knowledge from FlightAware, largely pushed by East Coast thunderstorms.
On this case, there was little airways might do. Air visitors controllers issued floor stops at six airports, together with the three main hubs in better New York Metropolis.
However the disruption rippled into Friday. FlightAware reported that airways canceled greater than 1,250 US flights, many from East Coast airports, as of three:30 p.m. ET.
Particular eye on Florida
The decision additionally addressed air journey to and from Florida, a area dense in business air journey that has caught officers’ consideration.
After carriers raised issues that the Federal Aviation Administration was not correctly staffed for flight numbers, the company mentioned this week it’s “inserting further air visitors controllers at services in Florida to help our long-term technique of staffing to elevated visitors demand.”
Buttigieg thanked the airways for working with the FAA to enhance the state of affairs, together with utilizing various routes to ease congestion, the supply mentioned.
Airways for America, the commerce group representing lots of the individuals, mentioned in a press release that airways and the Division of Transportation have a “shared dedication to prioritizing the security and safety of all vacationers as they reunite with associates, household and colleagues this summer season.”
“US airways all the time attempt to supply a protected and seamless journey, and acknowledge the significance of continued partnership between our business and the federal authorities to make sure aviation stays the most secure mode of transportation on this planet.”
Greater than 2,700 cancellations over the lengthy Memorial Day weekend drew consideration to the problem of rebuilding the air journey system hit onerous by the pandemic.
Union criticizes Delta scheduling
However the union representing Delta pilots launched a protest at an airline enterprise assembly on Thursday and known as the airline’s scheduling “unacceptable.”
“We’ve been engaged on our days off, flying a report quantity of additional time that will help you get to your vacation spot,” Delta’s arm of the Air Line Pilots Affiliation wrote in a message to passengers. “On the present charge, by this fall, our pilots can have flown extra additional time in 2022 than within the entirety of 2018 and 2019 mixed, our busiest years to this point.”
The union representing Southwest Airways pilots says the airline scheduled about 200 extra flights each day in June than pilots to fly them. CNN has reached out to Southwest for remark.
High picture: Vacationers queue up at a safety checkpoint in the primary terminal of Denver Worldwide Airport on Thursday, Might 26, 2022. (AP Photograph/David Zalubowski/File)


Moon Landing Conspiracy A great deal of people believe that the landing on the moon, or Apollo 11, did not happen. People think the U.S. filmed the “landing” in a studio because they were losing in the Space Race. The Space Race was a race to the moon between many, countries including the U.S. and the Soviet Union. At the time the U.S. was losing, so they had to land a person to the moon quicker than the Soviet Union.
We chose the Space Race as our topic of research, because the events of the Space Race became very vital to the space exploration we all know, and are familiar with today. The Space Race is not examined closely enough today for students to get a good grasp of why the events are so important to us today. This is why we thought it would be both interesting and educational to our viewers to learn more about the events leading up to a man on the moon, and also what NASA has and is still accomplishing in more recent
While doing so, he ended up finding a comet-like object that, which he later discovered that it was a planet. This planet became to be known as Uranus. Discovering this wasn 't an easy task, because it required
Firstly, the author claims that because of the many technological advances due to the "Space Race", a commitment to a manned mission to Mars will produce similar results. Although there are many similarities between committing to sending a man to the moon and to sending a man to mars, it false for the author to assume that there will be similar technological and humanitarian advances. The 1960's is a very different time period from today and as a result, it is unknown whether a manned mission to Mars will prove to be a worthy investment. Additionally, a large part of the "space Race" can be attributed to the competition between the USSR and the USA during the Cold War. The competition for becoming the leader in space technology was very fierce and was very politically driven, allowing for huge amounts of money to be invested in space technology.
Therefore, this theme of belief is significant in The Rocket. In conclusion, in Ray Bradbury’s 1950 dystopian novel, The Rocket, there are two main themes. imagination, and belief in yourself.
Herblock makes a perfect attempt on unmasking the negative and poor side of a worldwide victory and success, this proves those coming together (around the world) for a worldwide “phenomenon” but when bigger issues shown in his cartoon, examples of more significant things than the moon landing, in which many are unaware of the issues. To add, one of the first articles, like “Man on the Moon” written by The Times talks about insignificance of the moon landing when it mostly discussed about rocks, a technique of sarcasm, mockery. America misused their money on the highly glorified event shows that those
The Martian Chronicles shows the human lead their own destruction on Earth, people who stays on Mars get chance to start over, but due to their false illusions they refuse accept reality. The Martian Chronicles is a science fiction short story, about how people tried to explore Mars, failed at first, but ended up colonize Mars. After colonizing Mars there a war on Earth, the war on Earth had massive destruction caused by people. Bradbury’s constantly uses examples about how humanity imperfect behaviors keep them from accepting reality, insteading accepting their own imagination. Characters in each short story are shown to have these imperfect behaviors to keep them from accepting reality.
b. The exploration of space will go on with or without the united states and if wish to stay among the world as a power we cannot allow ourselves to not take on this new great adventure. c. We are obligated to pursue space because we cannot afford to fall behind other nations. IV. Transition:
Additionally, if the moon was once wandering aimlessly through space, why is it that other large lunar and planetary bodies have not been found acting in the same way throughout human history? Capture theory could go on to support the Earth having multiple moons which would again negatively impact the tides and thus human civilization on Earth as we know it. Therefore Sister Theory is stronger than
I also started to think about the Drake equation, which I learned about in high school. The Drake equation looks at different things like the formation of stars and the probability of other life-sustaining planets, which in turn gives us a number of civilizations in the Milky Way Galaxy that we can detect electromagnetic emissions from (The Drake Equation). While I thought quite a bit about extraterrestrial life, I also thought about the fact we are stuck on Earth. The first thing that immediately comes to mind with that is how we are going to produce enough food. In the paper we discussed during class on Thursday, the data showed that we are using a significant amount of our natural resources in the production of beef cattle, and my thoughts on this are that we should transition to meats that don’t use as many resources.
You people may think they were real, or you might agree with me. I will show you many reasons why they were real. Like I said, the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landings were faked. Was Neil Armstrong even an astronaut? There is no real way to tell.
There’s also tracks where a Lunar Model has been, and Neil Armstrong 's footprints. Lot’s of other countries including the Soviet Union, and Russia were tracking Apollo 11. Did the war make us feel the need to win the space race? Now time for my rebuttal.
Truthers: NASA 's Images of Pluto Are Another Conspiracy Theory The Pluto flyby mission that issued close images of Pluto raised questions about a possible conspiracy theory as some believe the Pluto Images are fake. The so-called Truthers question the truthfulness of the flyby on the internet. NASA 's New Horizons spacecraft captured photos of Pluto and its moon Charon. The images show differences in the surface material and exaggerated colors which were a consequence of using filters of the craft 's camera.


NG Eagle, an indigenous Airline, is set to embark on its maiden flight from the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport Abuja to the Murtala Muhammadu Airport Lagos on Sunday, December 10.
This marks a new beginning for the airline, which is set to revolutionise air travel experience for the flying public.
Capt. Dare, managing director at NG Eagle in a press statement noted that the airline which was founded in 2019, has prepared meticulously to enhanced connectivity and convenience to travelers.
“The forthcoming inaugural flight of NG Eagle
represents an incredible milestone for us, embodying our dedication to revolutionizing travel experiences while reflecting the rich values of the Naija Spirit. We are thrilled to commence this journey and offer passengers an extraordinary flying experience,” he said.
He stressed that the airline has diligently worked to address the issues, demonstrating a steadfast dedication to transparency and accountability and providing reliable, high-quality air travel services.
He said: “We understand that our initial setbacks may have led to concerns, and we appreciate the patience and support of our valued stakeholders.
“Our team has worked tirelessly to ensure all our systems and processes are in place, and we are thrilled to announce that NG Eagle Airline is now ready to take flight – connecting you to the people and places that matter the most to you, Dare explained.


Today is the 20th anniversary of the destruction of the Challenger. I remember that day quite vividly. I was in college at the time, and the shuttle was still new enough that I set my alarm clock to wake up in time to watch the launch. I remeber seeing the explosion, and knowing instantly what had happened. The TV reporter though didn't. (I believe it was Kent Shockneck) He kept up his routine of mindless chatter about what the mission was going to accomplish, while I was sitting there with tears of rage and grief running down my face screaming at him on the screen. I have always felt a deep and abiding love for the space program. I believe it is our destiny (and our best chance for ultimate survival) to settle the solar system and the stars. I was grieving not only the astronauts just killed, but the damage done to the exploration of space in general. I knew there would be a protracted delay, especially because of the presence of McAuliffe. (She was a civilian, a teacher, who was chosen to fly into space for essentially PR purposes.)
The shuttle program has proven to have been a major mistake. If we had simply maintained our manned rocket program we would have accomplished as much, and as probably more, as we have with the shuttles. In my opinion the shuttle program has set back our progress in space by at least a decade.
I believe that the Air Force has secretively developed a much more effective space plane program. Given both the facts that Rutan has developed an experimental space plane that works (and is currently developing a commercial version) and the retirement of the spy plane program, I think it must be assumed that the Air Force has developed a space plane.
That being said, I firmly believe that the future of space exploration and settlement is in private commercial enterprise. NASA has lead the way, now it is time for a modern Prince Henry to step forward.


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Aviation Photo #0158637
Boeing 747-338 - Qantas
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Del 04/86. "City of Tamworth", featuring in perhaps the wierdest and most unusual picture I have ever taken of a Jumbo. Have a look at this aircraft which is believe it or not in the very first stages of rotation. The tail appears to be lifting before the nose is, in a way similar to the AN-124 or a C-141. The aircraft just lifted off the runway with very little pitching up of the nose. My only thoughts are it was an empty flight and the crew used a lot of flap!
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Airbus has overcome the pandemic at the start of 2022, confirming the most optimistic forecasts. The European aeronautical manufacturer closed the first quarter of this year with a profit of 1,219 million euros, more than tripling those obtained in the same period last year (362 million). The company’s consolidated revenues increased by 15% compared to the previous year, reaching 12,000 million euros, thanks to orders for its single-aisle A320 model.
“These first quarter results reflect a strong performance in our commercial aircraft, helicopter and defense businesses,” Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury said in Wednesday’s earnings presentation. However, the company warns that the forecasts for the year as a whole remain in a risk profile that has become more “challenging” due to the “complex geopolitical and economic environment”. “First quarter results reflect the strong performance of our commercial aircraft, helicopter and defense businesses. Our forecasts for 2022 remain the same, although the risk profile for the rest of the year is accentuated due to the current complex geopolitical and economic environment”, stated the chief executive.
However, the company is optimistic about the future. “Beyond 2022, we see sustained strong growth in commercial aircraft demand, driven by the A320 Family. Therefore, we have started working with our industry partners to increase the production rate of the A320 Family to 75 aircraft per month by 2025. This increase will benefit the global value chain of the aerospace industry”, added Faury.
Gross orders for commercial aircraft to Airbus amounted to 253 aircraft in the first quarter of the year (compared to 39 aircraft in the first quarter of last year), while net orders, discounting cancellations, amounted to 83 aircraft (compared to a negative 61 planes last year). The total order book as of March 31, 2022 reached 7,023 commercial aircraft.
The deliveries of the European manufacturer between January and March amounted to 142 commercial aircraft, compared to the 125 that it delivered at the beginning of 2021, and the sales of this branch have increased their value by 17% in one year. As for helicopters, 39 were delivered, the same as in the first quarter of last year, but turnover has grown by 7% due to the sale of higher-end products and “the growth of service activities.” Finally, the company reports that sales of its Defense and Aerospace division have increased sales by 16% compared to a year ago.
He knows in depth all the sides of the coin.


I was able to find a few photos that I'd overlooked, and I cleaned up a few others. This will be the last batch in this series, but I'll still have a few other stray shots that I'll post every now and again, so you'll just have to keep checking back if you want to see them.
For starters, here's a Mitsubishi A6M2 "Zero" fighter that was found on Papua, New Guinea after the fighting there was over. Crude in that they lacked armor and self-sealing fuel thanks, they were a lot more agile in the sky than anything that we had at the time. This would change before long, however at the Japanese learned the hard way that it was foolish to underestimate America's resolve and ingenuity...at least back then.
This is the North American A-36 Apache low-level dive bomber. Produced for export to England and powered by an in-line Allison engine initially, it was considered something of a dog and wasn't terribly popular.But then someone came up with the bright idea to ditch the dive brakes and mate it to the Rolls-Royce Merlin engines that were going into the British Spitfires and suddenly the P-51 Mustang was born--an aircraft that would one day be considered one of the best piston-engine fighters ever.
The Bell P-63E Kingcobra is painted up as an RP-63 "pinball" training aircraft developed late in WWII. Aerial gunnery students fired at these manned target aircraft using .30-cal. lead and plastic frangible machine gun bullets which disintegrated harmlessly against the target's external armor plating. Special instruments sent impulses to red lights in the nose of the "pinball" aircraft, causing them to blink when bullets struck the plane.Me personally, before flying on one of those missions I think I'd be checking every student pilot's ammo trays to make sure that it contained the special ammo and not the standard mix of ball, armor piercing and incendiary rounds.
This is a Martin B-26G medium bomber. Not to be confused with my personal fav, the Douglas A-26 (and later, B-26).This little hotrod was known as "the incredible prostitute" because they said, it's wings were so short that it had no visible means of support.
It's a plane...it's a boat...it's a...flying boat. This Consolidated OA-10 Catalina PBY amphibious plane was used for Search and Rescue work, snatching downed American pilots out of the water all around the globe.
It isn't terribly well known, but American forces in World War Two flew a number of foreign-made aircraft. Thei British-made Bristol Beaufighter stands as a prime example. USAAF forces flew over a hundred of these as night fighters, hunting down German raiders that flew after dark.This once apparently scored three Jerries.
This is a British Supermarine Spitfire Mk.V, done up nicely in USAAF colors. These were flown by a number of American pilots early in that war, starting with the Eagle Squadrons made up of American volunteers who joined to fight before America entered the war, risking their US citizenship to do so.
A bit later, the U.S. Army Air Forces' 31st and 52nd Fighter Groups flew them first during Operation TORCH, the invasion of North Africa in November 1942.Behind the Spitfire, over it's wing, you can see the American B-17G heavy bomber Shoo, Shoo Baby.
This is a later variant of the Spitfire, the PR. XI, which is a Mk. XI Spitfire modified for photo reconnaissance.The U.S. Army Air Forces' 14th Photographic Squadron of the 8th Air Force operated Spitfire Mark XIs from November 1943 to April 1945, flying hazardous long-range reconnaissance missions over mainland Europe.
Now these aircraft were just cool. The DeHavilland DH8 Mosquito was made of wood--plywood with a balsawood core. They didn't carry guns but they were light and fast and made excellent photo recon planes and night fighters. The US Army Air Force used a batch of them for both roles.This one's still sporting the black and white invasion stripes under it's wings to let allied gunners on D-Day know that it was a friendly plane.
This is a Kawanishi N1K2-Ja Shiden Kai, otherwise known to Americans as a "George". Coming along late in the war, it was every bit the equal of many of our US Navy fighters and posed a credible threat to our B-29 bomber crews. But it was another case of "too little, too late" and only 400 were produced before the end of the war. This is one of just three survivors left in the world.
I found a usable picture of the museum's other F-100, this one a two-seat F100F used as a trainer and a Misty Forward Air Controller (FAC) plane in Vietnam.This particular F-100F (s/n 56-3837), was a Misty FAC aircraft assigned to the 37th Tactical Fighter Wing at Phu Cat Air Base, Vietnam. It was flown in combat by several notable USAF figures, including Gen. Merrill McPeak and Gen. Ronald Fogleman (former USAF chiefs of staff), and Col. Richard Rutan (the chief pilot of the first around-the-world unrefueled flight).
Yay! A usable shot of the F-105G. This beauty flew combat missions out of Thailand for five years, operating as both a fighter-bomber and a "Wild Weasel" strike aircraft that targeted enemy surface-to-air missile launchers. It also knocked down three enemy MiGs while it was over there. Damn, I love the F-105.
And on the "Bad Guys" side of the ledger, a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21F of the North Vietnamese Air Force.
And just because I've got nothing else for now (but keep checking back), here's a dog wearing a parachute.
But if you still want more plane pics, there are a few here from my visit to Florida's Valiant Air Museum last year.


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A first Air Experience Flight for 5 of Lewisham’s newest cadets today at RAF Benson.
2 of our cadets wrote about their Air Experience Flight.
One cadet said of their Air Experience Flight:
“1921 Squadron gave me the oportunity to fly a Grob Tutor aircraft. A great experience! A sensational feeling and all because I’ve decided to join 1921 Lewisham Squadron. I now feel inspired to continue with a career in which I would need all the skills I have learned here. I can’t wait to repeat that magical moment as soon as possible. First time I went flying and I was able to do aerobatics. I was also allowed to take control of the aircraft. Hopefully more people would be inspired to join the Air Cadets and be a part of these adventurous events.”
Another cadet said:
“Chances to go flying can sneak up on you and my first try I had less than a day’s notice. I had no idea how it would be or if I could even make time for it at home. But then I took a plunge into something most people would wish or want to try but can’t.Your everyday life is probably clutered up with timetakeing responsibilities but when you go on an air experience flight you feel distant from stress along with the ground. If you ever get to go to an airbase they will make you go and take a couple of stressful to remember safety procedures before you get in the plane. Once you get suited up and take off you actualy fell relieved. At one point the pilot might ask you if you want to do some aerobatics which most will accept or not and regret it.
The good thing about these types of experiences at air cadets you can ask if you want to do something.”
There you have it. 2 cadets who joined our squadron in January being introduce to what clearly seems to be a very life enhancing experience and a lot of fun.
If you would like to come and join 1921 Squadron (Lewisham) Air Cadets then please contact Lewisham Air Cadets here.


Aircraft Glass Flaw Detection,
ARMY FOREIGN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CENTER CHARLOTTESVILLE VA
Pagination or Media Count:
The author describes an instrument kit proposed by aviators. Transparent polymer materials have enjoyed wide application in aviation as aircraft cockpit windows and for other purposes. Articles made of polymer materials must be evaluated for further operational suitability when defects appear and during prevention maintenance and repair. The kit serves this purpose.
- Test Facilities, Equipment and Methods


Government Shutdown Forces Brief Closure of LaGuardia Airport, Nearby Newark Airport Facing Flight Delays
A ripple effect of flight delays across the U.S. is expected after LaGuardia Airport was closed for a short period Friday morning by the Federal Aviation Administration, due to a lack of air traffic controllers.
Nearby Newark Airport faced significant delays for the same reason, adding to the nationwide air travel difficulties.
The LaGuardia delay, which was scheduled to last until 10:45am ET, according to the FAA website, resulted in flights being grounded for an average of 41 minutes. As of 11:00 a.m, however, the website was still showing the closure as being in effect.
Newark, meanwhile, continues experiencing gate holds and traffic delays averaging between 46 minutes and one hour, and the length is increasing the FAA said late Friday morning.
The action is the strongest signal to date that the ongoing government shutdown is significantly impacting air travel in the country and follows safety warnings from the airline industry’s three biggest unions earlier this week.
Leaders of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, Air Line Pilots Association and Association of Flight Attendants-CWA said, “We have a growing concern for the safety and security of our members, our airlines, and the traveling public due to the government shutdown. In our risk averse industry, we cannot even calculate the level of risk currently at play, nor predict the point at which the entire system will break. It is unprecedented.”
“Our crew members and customers are likely to face extended security lines, flight delays, and even cancellations,” Hayes said. “And the longer this goes on, the longer it will take for the air travel infrastructure to rebound.”
The ground delay, while it was less than an hour long, is likely to put additional stress on the Trump administration to settle the ongoing shutdown. Earlier on Friday, before the FAA took the action, New York governor Andrew Cuomo issued an open letter to Trump urging him to reopen the airport, citing security fears at airports.
“If you do nothing, the situation at our airports will continue to deteriorate and our national security will be further compromised,” Cuomo wrote. “It’s time to stop playing political games with the safety of American citizens.”
Transportation Safety Administration workers and air traffic controllers have now been working for 35 days without pay. Friday was the second pay period where they received no check and more and more are not coming to work as a result. Beyond LaGuardia, some airports are closing security checkpoints to handle the staffing crisis, which is creating further delays for passengers.


*Al Udeid Air Base will be expanded and Doha Air Base will be developed to welcome new aircraft and systems
Deputy Commander of the Amiri Air Force Major-General (Pilot) Ahmed Ibrahim al-Malki has announced the establishment of a new air base named "Tamim Air Base".
In an interview published on Monday in the Altalaya magazine of the Directorate of Defence Communications at the Ministry of Defence, Maj Gen al-Malki said Al Udeid Air Base will be expanded and the Doha Air Base will be developed to welcome new aircraft and systems that have been introduced to the air force.
"These include the French Rafale fighters, American F-15 fighters, Eurofighter Typhoon and other advanced aircraft. In addition, command and control systems will be developed by introducing the latest radar systems and communications," Maj Gen al-Malki said.
He said during the rule of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, there has been a qualitative leap in the development of the air force, where equipment have been doubled and new systems have been brought into service including warplanes, transport aircraft and helicopters.
He also touched on the reorganisation of the Amiri Air Force after introducing modern aircraft systems, highlighting that it is currently under review and will be revealed soon. He said the most important role of the air force is the protection of the air space, deterrence and ground attack.
Maj Gen al-Malki added that the greatest challenge before the airforce is continuous development as modern technology in the field is always updated and the mission of the Amiri Air Force is to assimilate modern systems, which requires modernising human resources.
He said there are organisational projects of strategic nature which will be seen at the Amiri Air Force. He added that in 2018 the force has welcomed the first female batch as pilot candidates.
The Qatari air force has seen significant development after 2014, and Doha has concluded several major deals over the past months.
In December 2017, Qatar signed an agreement with the UK to buy 24 Eurofighter Typhoon jets after two successive agreements with the US to buy 36 F-15QA fighters and with France to buy 12 Rafale fighters.
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Virgin Galactic, founded by British billionaire Richard Branson, and Blue Origin, by Amazon creator Jeff Bezos, are racing to be the first to finish their tests in the pursuit of space tourism.
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Two F/A-18 Super Hornets and two Royal Malaysian Air Force SU-30MKM/Flanker H fly in formation above the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70).
SOUTH CHINA SEA (May. 10, 2015) Two F/A-18 Super Hornets and two Royal Malaysian Air Force SU-30MKM/Flanker H fly in formation above the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) during a bi-lateral exercise aimed at enhancing security ties and partnerships with the Malaysian Armed Forces. The Carl Vinson Carrier Strike group is deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations supporting security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Lt. Jonathan Pfaff) File# 150510-N-ZZ070-004
Aircraft carriers are warships that act as airbases for carrier-based aircraft. In the United States Navy, these consist of ships commissioned with hull classification symbols CV (aircraft carrier), CVA (attack aircraft carrier), CVB (large aircraft carrier), CVL (light aircraft carrier), CVN (aircraft carrier (nuclear propulsion) and CVAN (attack aircraft carrier (nuclear propulsion). The first aircraft carrier commissioned into the United States Navy was USS Langley (CV-1) on 20 March 1922.


DESIGNER'S GUIDE FOR EFFECTIVE DEVELOPMENT OF AEROSPACE GROUND EQUIPMENT CONTROL PANELS.
Final rept., 1 Feb 64-30 Apr 65,
BUNKER-RAMO CORP CANOGA PARK CALIF SYSTEMS EFFECTIVENESS DEPT
Pagination or Media Count:
This guide was developed for use by the practicing designer. It contains a discussion of the system factors to be considered in designing Aerospace Ground Equipment control panels Part 1, a form the Design Information Worksheet to gather and present design information Part 11, steps to be followed in control panel design Part III, and a listing of controldisplay technology presently available to designers Part IV. Particular attention has been paid to the information necessary to analyze panel requirements and to the design implications of human engineering requirements.
- Human Factors Engineering and Man Machine Systems


Medical Air Transport & Non-Emergency Air Ambulance
You may be reading this description as a patient, a patient’s family member, a patient’s friend, or a case manager. Don’t feel overwhelmed, we are here to assist you. If you are in need of a Medical Charter Flight or an Air Ambulance Flight, we can arrange the proper private aircraft.
Some individuals and patients have medical conditions that may call for an Air Ambulance flight while others may not call for such measures. In addition, if needed, your medical charter flight can be stocked with the latest medical equipment so that the medical staff will have what they need to take care of all your needs.
If you have any additional questions or need to book a Medical Flight, Air Ambulance, or Non-Emergency Medical Air Transport, just pick up the phone and give us a call – we are available 24 Hours per day, 7 days per week.
We understand the importance of finding the right Air Ambulance Planes or Medical Charter Planes, and we will work to ensure that your specific needs are taken care of. Contact us for assistance with Non-Emergency, Emergency, Medevac, Medical Charter Flights and Air Ambulance Charters.
There are many reasons that someone may need the accommodations of a Non-Emergency Medical Flight or an Air Ambulance. If a client is in need of a private aircraft with wheelchair accessibility, we have access to a Challenger 604 long-range jet, equipped with a hydraulic lift system for comfortable boarding and a wide cabin for maneuverability.
The photos below are examples of what you may expect from some of the medically configured charter planes, however, each aircraft is different.
Which Type of Medical Flight Is Right For Me?
Below you will find some general information about Non-Emergency Medical Flights along with a comparison between Medical Flights and Air Ambulance services.
Non-Emergency Medical Flights
Illness and Disease: Many patients may have an illness or a disease that complicates their ability to fly, or fly comfortably.
Some are too ill to fly on a commercial airline as they require more space than a commercial airline flight can offer, more privacy, a lying flat surface or may just want a more comfortable scenario. There are certainly a lot of benefits to the above reasons, but in addition, it is more convenient and comforting in a private setting, using a private jet charter, and departing/arriving from a Fixed Based Operator (FBO) terminal.
Person(s) with special needs: Whether the patient is traveling with family members or under the assistance of an Aid or Caretaker, they may find traveling on a Non-Emergency Medical Flight much less stressful than flying in a commercial aircraft setting.
When chartering a private flight, there is no waiting in security or bag check lines, or being surrounded by hundred or even thousands of unknown strangers. Some candidate types may be individuals who have recently undergone a procedure and others may have neuropsychiatric disorders such as Autism or DS.
Reasons to use these types of flights
There are a variety of reasons to charter a medical flight, air ambulance, medevac flights, or non emergency medical air transportation.
- Relocating or moving residences
- Hospital transfers, from your hometown to the hospital of your choice
- Family get-togethers
- Due to illness, there are many families who have not had the ability to travel on vacation with their loved ones in the past, flying privately allows for families to travel together in a less-stressful manor, at their convenience – safely and securely.
Air-Ambulance vs. Non- Emergency Medical Flight
The requirements for these flights change based on a variety of factors, and just like every flight we arrange, each of our clients and their situations are unique.
- Both Air Ambulatory Flights and Non-Emergency Medical flights may be performed in private charter airplanes or private charter helicopters.
- The cabin configuration and seating on an Air Ambulance are specifically designed for patients, whereas a Non-Emergency Medical Flight may not be designed in the same layout.
- If you or your family member are too ill for a Medical Flight, or have an unexpected emergency and need greater assistance, using an Air Ambulance Flight with a medical professional team and equipment may be best for you.
- When using a Non-Emergency Medical Flight, it is your choice to either hire or not hire a medical professional team, nurse, nurse’s aide, or caretaker or have family/friends on board during flight. You also may or may not need special equipment or medications.
- Depending on the condition of the patient, when using an Air Ambulance Flight, the medical staff, equipment, and medications will need to be on board.
Private Jet with Wheelchair Accessibility
Air Charter Advisors has direct access to a beautiful Challenger 604 long-range jet equipped with a hydraulic wheelchair lift, offering the most comfortable and convenient boarding process for our clients.
This unique aircraft and its configuration have made it one of the most requested aircraft we offer. Check out the following link for more information and photographs of the Challenger 604 with a wheelchair lift.
Contact Air Charter Advisors
Our goal is to provide you with the highest level of service possible, including providing answers to all of the questions you may have regarding medical fights. Our team is available for you 24/7 – don’t hesitate to reach out to us and ask!


New DJI Mini 2 SE Drone available for $339 starting today!
DJI, the global leader in consumer drones, has launched its newest mini drone, the DJI Mini 2 SE, which is now available for purchase. Priced at $339, the DJI Mini 2 SE can be bought from the official DJI online store and Amazon.
The latest addition to DJI's family of Mini drones, the DJI Mini 2 SE is designed for users who want a lightweight, easy-to-use drone that falls below the 250-gram weight limit. This weight restriction is significant because recreational users flying drones under 250 grams do not need to register their devices with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Additionally, these drones are exempt from Remote ID requirements and restrictions, making them even more appealing to hobbyists.
Despite its compact size, the DJI Mini 2 SE boasts impressive features that make it an attractive option for drone enthusiasts. With a maximum flight range of up to 6 miles with DJI's O2 video transmission, users can explore vast areas while maintaining control of their drone. Furthermore, the DJI Mini 2 SE is equipped with a suite of intelligent flight modes, enabling users to execute complex aerial maneuvers and easily capture stunning visuals.
The DJI Mini 2 SE is built to withstand winds up to 24 mph (Level 5), ensuring stable flight in challenging conditions. Its impressive 31-minute flight time allows users to spend more time in the air, capturing their surroundings or simply enjoying the thrill of flight.
DJI Mini 2 SE specs
- Under 249 g
- 2.7K/30fps Video
- 4× Digital Zoom
- 10km Video Transmission
- 31-Min Max Flight Time
- Stable Hovering
- Return to Home
- Beginner Guide
- QuickShots, Panorama
- 38kph (Level 5) Wind Resistance
Customers can purchase the DJI Mini 2 SE as a standalone package, including the drone and the RC-N1 remote controller for $339. Or as part of the DJI Mini 2 SE Fly More Combo for $489.
The Fly More Combo offers additional value by including extra accessories such as a shoulder bag, two additional intelligent flight batteries, a two-way charging hub, propeller guard, and extra propellers, providing users with a comprehensive drone package for an enhanced flying experience.
The DJI Mini 2 SE is an excellent option for those looking to enter the world of drone flying. Or for seasoned drone pilots who want a lightweight, easy-to-use drone that doesn't require FAA registration. With its combination of portability, impressive features, and competitive pricing, the DJI Mini 2 SE is poised to become a popular choice among drone enthusiasts.
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In your Feb 8, 2023 article entitled “DJI MINI 2 SE… SE-RIOUSLY THE BEST BEGINNER DRONE,” you stated, “Unlike the DJI Mini 3, the DJI Mini 2 SE has not yet been added to the FAA’s list of Remote ID compliant drones. We expect this to happen before the latest DJI mini drone hits the market on March 22nd, 2023.” It appears this has not happened yet, and I was wondering if you have any intel on whether DJI plans to make this drone compliant for remote ID and when that might happen (hopefully before the Sept 16, 2023 compliance date). Looking forward to your response.
ps… I agree with your assessment about the mini 2 se being the best beginner drone. I just wish they could make it under 250 gms with the prop guards installed for increased safety with beginners.
I don’t have any intel on when it will be added to the FAA list. Chances are the drone is already compliant. We’re waiting for DJI and/or the FAA to complete the paperwork and add it to the list. That is my guess at this point. We will update the post once we learn that the DJI Mini 2 SE has been added. Thank you!


Physicist Helps Lead Drone Mission to Titan
U of I’s Jason Barnes is part of the Dragonfly space mission of a drone-like rotorcraft lander that will explore Titan.
In 2025, a Dragonfly will have the opportunity to hop a rocket from Earth to Titan, Saturn’s largest moon. Named for its insect shape, the aircraft is a drone-like rotorcraft specifically designed to sample Titan’s atmosphere and surface. With eight rotors, the dual-quadcopter will have the ability to fly from site to site on the alien moon, potentially traveling up to 10s of kilometers at a time.
NASA announced in July 2019 that Dragonfly won the agency’s New Frontiers Program competition, beating 11 other teams. The federal space agency will support the mission’s development with a cost cap of $850 million.
University of Idaho Associate Professor Jason Barnes is a founding member of the Dragonfly project. He serves as deputy principal investigator of the international team, which is led by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) and includes 35 co-investigators.
“NASA’s missions of planetary exploration are one of the coolest things that we humans do, as a species,” said Barnes, who is in the College of Science’s Department of Physics. “To have our idea be selected to actually fly is what every planetary scientist dreams about.”
Pictured above: Dragonfly is a dual-quadcopter lander that would take advantage of the environment on Titan to fly to multiple locations, some hundreds of miles apart, to sample materials and determine surface composition to investigate Titan's organic chemistry and habitability, monitor atmospheric and surface conditions, image landforms to investigate geological processes, and perform seismic studies. Photo Provided by Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Why Walk, When You Can Fly?
Titan joins Venus, Earth and Mars as the only places in the solar system with substantive atmospheres and solid surfaces. And compared to Venus and Mars, Titan’s atmospheric properties are closest to Earth. The moon’s dense atmosphere and low gravity actually make flying easier than it is on Earth.
Sending a quadcopter to a distant moon is a fairly daring idea, Barnes said, but he thinks the design will allow researchers to answer questions that would be difficult for a stationary probe or a rolling rover. Titan has a smoggy atmosphere, so researchers don’t know if the terrain would limit a driven vehicle. Flying increases Dragonfly’s mobility, allowing the team to efficiently sample a diverse set of locations across a much greater area, according to Shannon MacKenzie, who serves as a co-investigator on Dragonfly and worked in Barnes’ lab until she received her doctorate from U of I in 2017.
Team Dragonfly has spent the past year perfecting its designs, planning individual investigations and experiments, and incorporating ideas from the proposal’s reviewers. In addition, team members tested some of Dragonfly’s components at Titan temperatures and a half-scale model built by Pennsylvania State University
“Everything has to work the first time,” Barnes said. “You can’t send someone up with a wrench.”
Sidebar: About NASA’s New Frontiers Program
In the early 2000s, NASA created the New Frontiers Program to enhance the exploration of our solar system. The space community has labeled certain exploration objectives as top priorities. New Frontiers missions tackle these goals. A principal investigator, who is often associated with a research institute or university, leads the project, and the team comprises scientists and engineers from small business, industry, government and higher education.
New Frontiers missions are considered medium-sized projects and are larger enterprises than NASA’s Discovery missions. Teams must design projects that balance the high costs of space exploration with the production of new scientific insights.
Dragonfly is the fourth winner of the New Frontiers Program, with past winners being New Horizons’ exploration of Pluto, its moons and the Kuiper Belt; the Juno investigation of Jupiter; and OSIRIS-REx, which will sample an asteroid.
Dragonfly’s Destination: An “Ocean World”
In 2004, the Cassini spacecraft gave researchers their first close look at Titan during its study of the Saturn system. Cassini also sent the Huygens probe to the moon’s surface, where it gathered information for 72 minutes. The moon appeared to have rain, rivers, lakes and seas, although the liquid is likely ethane and methane. Cassini observations also indicate that a layer of ice covers Titan’s surface, and that this icy crust hides a global ocean.
At the equator, gigantic dunes sit atop the ice. Instead of being made of sand, the dunes are likely piles of complex organic compounds called hydrocarbons. The complex hydrocarbons likely form when sunlight breaks apart atmospheric methane and the resulting bits and pieces combine, then fall to Titan’s surface.
Scientists haven’t been able to discern the exact composition of the material on the surface.
“If you were to ask me what exactly is on the surface of Titan, I wouldn’t be able to tell you,” MacKenzie said. “The atmosphere that’s blocking the way is probably the source for much of the organic gunk that’s down there.”
Enter Dragonfly. The quadcopter is designed to sample the icy crust and hydrocarbon sands. It is outfitted with a vacuum to suck up samples, a drill for coring, and instruments that will identify the precise chemical composition of samples. Dragonfly should answer many of the questions raised by the Cassini mission, MacKenzie said.
MacKenzie’s position as a co-investigator on the mission was uncommon for a doctoral student. A member of Dragonfly’s science team, MacKenzie helps determine the mission’s questions and design experiments to answer those questions. Since graduating from U of I, MacKenzie continues to work on Dragonfly in a postdoctoral position with the principal investigator of the Dragonfly mission, Elizabeth Turtle at APL.
There are several possible scenarios where liquid water could periodically come in contact with hydrocarbons at Titan’s surface, MacKenzie said, creating a concoction similar to the primordial soup that led to life on Earth. By studying Titan’s chemistry in action, researchers may be able to answer questions about how the building blocks of life initially formed on Earth.
“One of the high-level goals is to understand what makes a planet or moon habitable and what chemical processes led to the development of life,” Turtle said. “Titan has been doing chemistry experiments for billions of years and basically the goal of Dragonfly is to go down to the surface and collect the results.”
In addition, Dragonfly will take atmospheric chemistry samples, meteorological measurements, and pictures of the landscape. The quadcopter will also carry an onboard seismometer to record any Titan seismic activity.
Far From Home
Landings are always white-knuckle events for researchers involved in space exploration. Like a Mars lander, Dragonfly will fly through space, slam through the atmosphere with a heat shield, and be slowed down with parachutes. While a Mars lander also requires rockets to slow its descent, Dragonfly will ditch its parachute and fly to Titan’s surface. Thanks to observations by Cassini-Huygens, the team has identified safe landing zones, as is done for Mars landers using satellite pictures.
Once within the landing zone, “we have cameras and onboard systems that can look for and identify a safe landing site and put down,” Barnes said. “It has to do all this onboard, because we can’t be joy-sticking it.”
Unlike its insect doppelganger, Dragonfly won’t buzz about continuously. The quadcopter will thoroughly sample each landing site before zipping off to a new location. Moves will likely occur once per Titan day — about every two weeks on Earth.
“We have lots of interesting targets to go next within hopping distance,” MacKenzie said. “We have a plan for what we want to do, but we’re adaptable, which is pretty exciting. We’d be able to explore.”
Dragonfly’s primary mission will last for over two years. However, the nuclear-powered quadcopter could conceivably continue working for much longer. Dragonfly will launch in April 2025 and arrive in December 2034.
“It takes a long time to get to the outer solar system if you are trying to get there on the cheap,” Barnes said with a laugh. “I’ll be 60 by the time the mission is over.”
More information on the Dragonfly mission and U of I’s research in space is available at uidaho.edu/dragonfly.
Article by Leigh Cooper, University Communications and Marketing.
Article published in March 2018. Updated in July 2019


By Rob Coppinger in London
In two weeks the European Space Agency (ESA) will finalise agreement with its member states for a two-year collaborative study with Russia’s Federal Space Agency (FSA) on a manned capsule.
At a meeting this week between ESA’s leadership and its member states' officials, the proposed advanced crew transportation system (ACTS), which could be a four-crew capsule, was discussed.
A meeting scheduled for early July will see talks on levels of financial contribution for ACTS from member states. At this week's meeting, France and Germany offered €15 million ($18 million) for the study. “We made a step forward this week but the member states are hesitant [about ACTS]. A couple of issues still have to be resolved,” says ESA.
A decision on ESA’s involvement with the FSA in developing a manned vehicle was postponed from the December 2005 ESA ministerial council. Then ESA’s proposal to its member states for a €30 million two-year programme of work to develop the winged Kliper vehicle was rejected.
At the ministerial meeting the project only gained pledges of €8 million from ESA members.


Luton Airport flyers face cancellations while passengers out of Stansted Airport also face delays.
Flights due to depart for various destinations around Europe have been grounded as wintry weather takes hold.
Flyers are strongly advised to leave well ahead of time, whether travelling by rail or road to the airport, and regualarly check the status of their flights.
Keep updated with our live updates of flight delays and cancellations below.
If you are caught in delays at either airport, let us know what's going on by emailing email@example.com, tweeting us @HertsMercury, or sending us a message over Facebook.
Flight tomorrow afternoon cancelled
The 2.05pm flight from Stansted to Amsterdam has been cancelled for Saturday (3 March).
7.50pm Amsterdam - expected to depart at 8.20pm
8.30pm Katowice - expected to depart at 11.00pm
8.55pm Craiova - expected to depart at 10.10pm
First Stansted cancellation for tomorrow
The 6am flight to Geneva will not go ahead.
7.00pm Luton to Belfast - estimated to depart at 7.40pm
7.25pm Luton to Riga - estimated to depart at 7.40pm
7.40pm Luton to Sibiu - estimated to depart at 8.50pm
Full list of cancelled flights
Here’s a full list of cancellations at Luton and Stansted.
We’ll be updating it periodically throughout the evening, and will be continuing live updates here.
Flight to Nice cancelled
The 5.00pm flight to Nice from Luton was cancelled.
Waiting around is thirsty work
Of course, it’s not just flights out of Stansted that are affected, but those heading there too.
Poor old Kate has been stuck on a plane in Barcelona for two and a half hours.
More Stansted cancellations
6.45pm to Venice Treviso
7.20pm to Eindhoven
7.25pm to Copenhagen
7.35pm to Nuremburg
The 6.15pm flight from Luton to Edinburgh has also been called off.
The 6.35pm flight from Luton to Paris-Ch De Gaulle is now expected at 7.35pm.
The 7.50pm flight from Luton to Edinburgh.
The 6.25pm flight from Luton to Amsterdam has been cancelled.
Another flight to Bucharest from Luton has been delayed. Scheduled to depart at 5.15pm, it will now leave at around 6.05pm.
Luton Airport flights to Rome (4.35pm) and Stockholm (4.40pm) have been delayed by around 20 minutes.
The 4.45pm flight to Munich, however, faces a delay of around 70 minutes at the same airport.
It's not just about planes at Luton
A safe landing
What Luton looks like in the snow
Nice picture of a plane taking off at Luton by Nick Whittle here
The 5.25 flight from Luton to Milan will be delayed by around 40 minutes.
The 4.05pm to Poznan from Luton has been delayed by around 45 minutes.
Two Luton flights to Katowice and Warsaw have been delayed by around an hour each.
The 8.35pm flight to Bologna from Stansted.
The 7.50pm flight to Frankfurt from Stansted Airport.
The 6.20pm to Amsterdam will not be leaving Stansted Airport.
Two 6pm flights have been cancelled at Stansted Airport - one to Warsaw and another to Krakow
The 5.40pm flight to Lisbon from Stansted has been cancelled.
The 8.45pm trip to Glasgow has been called off, as has the 10.05pm flight to Dublin.
The 8.20pm to Cork from Stansted is also off.
The 7.35pm flight to Edinburgh and 7.40pm to Dublin have both been cancelled at Stansted Airport.
The 7.15pm flight to Shannon from Stansted has been called off.


NASA & BASIS hosts Apps Challenge
The Bangladeshi round of International Space Apps Challenge 2015- the largest hackathon competition organized by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has concluded. After several rounds of assessment, four teams from Dhaka and Chittagong have been selected for competing in the international round of the competition. Moreover, two other teams were also nominated under the People's Choice Category.
1. Winner of the International Space Apps Challenge
3. Coding continues


Taking Pride in Our Past Looking Forward to the Future
Unifi has decades of experience in the aviation services industry. Through the last quarter-century, we’ve adapted to changes in the industry by leaning on our expertise in ground services and security alongside a desire to innovate.
By blending a wealth of experience and a commitment to always look at the industry from new perspectives, we have become well-known and respected by operators, manufacturers, and other service providers worldwide for our commitment to quality, safety, and providing first-rate customer service.
Consistently ranked as the industry’s top provider, we have built the most agile aviation services organization in the world, where local leaders are empowered to make local decisions across a global network.
We Provide Full Scope of Aviation Services With Expertise Including:
Delta Global Services and Argenbright Holdings Combine to Create the Premier Aviation Services Provider
With a shared vision of passion, precision, and innovation, DGS and Argenbright Holdings became one – and Unifi was born.
Under the leadership of the Argenbright team, Unifi created more career opportunities for employees while providing unparalleled service to airline customers as a best-in-class provider of airline-related services, ground support equipment maintenance, security, and more.
Today, Unifi delivers consistently superior services that give customers the operational edge they need for success in today’s competitive air travel industry. We currently handle approximately one million flights each year, representing major U.S. carriers at more than 200 airports.
Our Heritage in Innovation Still Resonates to This Day
The revolution of flight changed the world, and our passionate team of achievers is always on the lookout for the next big thing to expand the breadth and quality of our service offerings. If there’s a barrier, we break it. If there’s a challenge, we overcome it. At the end of the day, we move forward with one goal in mind: to win our customer’s trust and business through teamwork and innovation that builds the service leaders of tomorrow.


A fish-spotting helicopter crashed shortly after takeoff from a purse seiner last week near Nauru, killing both the pilot and a passenger on impact, according an official with the fishing boat's agent in Majuro in the Marshall Islands.
Killed in the accident were American pilot Jeffery Lynn, who was 40, and his Chinese passenger Zhang Youhai, who was 41.
Zhang was a crewmember on the fishing vessel, Jih Yu 868, according to an official with Kendall Micronesia Inc., the fishing company's agent in Majuro.
The helicopter was owned by Vertol Systems, U.S based company that supplies helicopters for fishing vessels in the region.
Vertol runs a maintenance operation for its helicopters at Amata Kabua International Airport in Majuro.


Do you have questions about our editorials? Questions about hot topics in the news? Every week, the editorial team responds to readers Journalism.
Posted at 11:00 a.m.
Don’t you think that these huge rockets that NASA sends into the atmosphere are one of the main causes of pollution? Aren’t we spoiling the atmosphere trying to figure out what’s going on on Mars and the Moon?
NASA’s SLS rocket has been waiting since August 29. It has been postponed a few times and is supposed to take place somewhere in November, if all goes well.
This mission, dubbed Artemis I, is the first of three. The ultimate goal is to send humans – including the first woman – to the moon no later than 2025.
All this is very exciting, but we can still ask ourselves questions about the effects of space travel, especially since wealthy businessmen – along with NASA science missions – wealthy businessmen – Lalibertés, Bezos, Branson, etc. Paying for their own trip to space in the millions of dollars.
Pollutants, these spaceflights?
It all depends on the rocket, says Richard Bauderault, associate professor in the department of chemical engineering at Montreal Polytechnic.
The majority of NASA’s rockets run on hydrogen. Thus, the white smoke that can be observed in its wake is water, quite simply. It is true that water vapor is a greenhouse gas, but these quantities are very limited, according to this expert, which have little effect on global warming.
What about the private rockets for SpaceX, the company founded by Elon Musk that dreams of going to Mars? SpaceX is also preparing to launch the Starship spacecraft, dubbed Super Heavy, equipped with 33 highly polluting engines. Note that Musk would like to share his Starship on NASA’s Artemis missions.
These rockets operate on a mixture of liquid methane and oxygen. When burning methane is released into the atmosphere, it forms carbon dioxide2, a greenhouse gas. Worse still, adds Richard Boderault, the methane that SpaceX buys in the US may come in part from shale gas extraction. So it’s more polluting, because exploiting methane generates leaks during its journey. This manufacturing process exhaust is 86 times more harmful than CO2 emissions2. However, Professor Bauderault points out that methane produces far fewer greenhouse gases than burning gasoline or diesel.
For comparison, it is estimated that a transatlantic flight using kerosene produces about 1 ton of carbon dioxide2 for each passenger. You should know that kerosene produces 4 to 16 times more greenhouse gas emissions than methane. If we agree that an average flight includes 300 people (passengers and crew), the total emissions would be somewhere between 1,200 and 6,000 tons of CO2-eq.2. A SpaceX rocket launching? About 1000 tons!
So the missile’s impact on global warming is less than it does in a single transatlantic flight on a full jumbo jet.
We can hope that the knowledge that space exploration generates a large offset for its emissions.
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Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.
Start by marking “Saturn V Flight Manual” as Want to Read:
Saturn V Flight Manual
Designed by Wernher von Braun and Arthur Rudolph at NASA s Marshall Space Flight Center, the Saturn V rocket represents the pinnacle of 20th Century technological achievement. The only launch vehicle in history to transport astronauts beyond Low Earth Orbit, the Saturn V delivered 24 men to the moon. To this day it holds records as the tallest (363 feet), heaviest (nearly ...more
Paperback, 262 pages
Published June 18th 2011 by Periscope Film LLC
(first published February 28th 2005)
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PB&W will be attending the 68th annual NBAA (National Business Aviation Association) convention and exhibition. NBAA is the world’s largest business aviation industry event and will feature over 1,000 exhibitors and 100 aircraft on display. The conference will be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada from November 17th through the 19th.
The Timken Company (NYSE: TKR) has announced the divestiture of its subsidiary company Timken Alcor Aerospace Technologies, Inc. (“TAAT”) to Kaman Corporation (NYSE: KAMN). Headquartered in Mesa, Arizona, TAAT is a designer and supplier of aftermarket parts for fixed wing aircraft and helicopters and sells to support businesses conducting maintenance, repair, and overhauls in the aerospace market. TAAT will become part of the Specialty Bearings & Engineered Products division of Kaman Aerospace Group.
Important factors in Kaman’s decision to acquire TAAT from Timken include organic growth opportunities, the robust quality system, engineering expertise, and strong relationships with engine MROs and fleet operators. Kaman expects TAAT to achieve further growth through Kaman’s strong global sales channels.


3D printing and additive manufacturing company, Stratasys, has signed a three-year technical partnership agreement with Boom Supersonic to bring the commercial airline one step closer towards routine supersonic aviation.
The agreement aims to shape the future of supersonic aviation, with Stratasys FDM 3D printing technology expected to help Boom fast-track the development of advanced tooling and production-grade aircrafts parts.
By leveraging the design freedom, production speed, and heightened cost efficiencies of additive manufacturing, Boom plans for the first flight of XB-1, its supersonic aviation demonstrator, to take place next year.
The company is deploying Stratasys FDM-based Fortus 450mc and F370 3D Printers — both designed to produce on-demand parts leveraging production-grade thermoplastics, as well as advanced manufacturing tools that perform even under aviation’s most challenging environments.
Boom’s supersonic airliner will reportedly fly 2.6 times faster than any other aircraft on the market today. Accelerating to 1,451mph, the planes could reduce typical New York to London flight times of seven hours to just over three.
Founder and CEO of Boom, Blake Scholl explained: “Supersonic flight has existed for over 50 years, but the technology hasn’t existed to make it affordable for routine commercial travel. Today’s significant advances in aerodynamics, engine design, additive manufacturing, and carbon fibre composite materials are transforming the industry at all levels.”
Nov 15-16, 2107 – Exhibition Centre Liverpool
The UK’s biggest showcase for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) – a revolution in manufacturng agility, innovation and thinking.
Highlighting the best solution providers and technology offerings, this unique FREE event is for manufacturing business leaders keen to adopt the relevant tools and knowledge to drive business growth.
New for 2017:
- Buyer Lounges – matching buyers and sellers
- Tech Zones – Industrial IoT, Automation & Robotics, Additive Manufacturing, Digital Transformation, and Big Data
- Solution Theatres – engaging expo attendees with case studies and cutting-edge developments
- Mentor Clinics – find the answers to your questions
- Innovation Alley – growing the expo ecosystem with hardware start-ups


After two delays this week, Orbital Sciences Corp.'s Cygnus cargo spacecraft was successfully launched aboard an Antares rocket from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in eastern Virginia at 1:07 p.m. Thursday.
The cargo delivery will reach the International Space Station Sunday morning with its 2,800 pounds of cargo, including supplies, parts and science experiments. It will remain attached to the space station until Feb. 18, when it will return loaded with 2,800 pounds of disposable cargo that will burn up on re-entry.
This is the first of 18 cargo delivery missions for Dulles-based Orbital under a $1.9 billion NASA contract. It will deliver a total of 44,000 pounds of cargo to the space station through late 2016.
"Our team has put in a lot of hard work to get to the point of performing regular ISS cargo delivery trips for NASA," said Orbital CEO David Thompson. "It's an exciting day for all of us and I'm looking forward to completing this and our future CRS missions safely and successfully for our NASA customer."
Orbital (NYSE: ORB) completed a successful demonstration mission to the space station in October.
This week's launch was delayed Tuesday by extremely cold weather and again on Wednesday because of unusually high space radiation.


With the contribution of the LIFE programme of the European Union - LIFE14 ENV/GR/000611
The fourth Copernicus sentinel satellite, Sentinel-1B, was successfully launched!
The fourth Copernicus sentinel satellite, Sentinel-1B, was successfully launched from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana on 26th April at 23:02 Brussels time (22:02 GMT). The 2.3 tonne unit lifted off on a Soyuz rocket that delivered the European Union satellite into orbit at a height of 693km. Sentinel-1B is now orbiting around the Earth, with a 180° orbital phasing difference with its twin brother, Sentinel-1A, which was launched 2 years ago.
This mission provides key data to the European Union Copernicus Programme and benefits numerous services, for example, those relating to the monitoring of Arctic sea-ice extent, routine sea-ice mapping, surveillance of the marine environment, monitoring land-surface for motion risks, enabling forest, water and soil management, and mapping to support humanitarian aid and crisis situations.
Copernicus is a European system for monitoring the Earth coordinated and managed by the European Commission. The development of the observation infrastructure is performed under the aegis of the European Space Agency for the space component and of the European Environment Agency and the Member States for the in situ component.
Copernicus consists of a complex set of systems which collect data from multiple sources: earth observation satellites and in situ sensors such as ground stations, airborne and sea-borne sensors. It processes these data and provides users with reliable and up-to-date information through a set of services related to environmental and security issues.
Source: Copernicus programme website
The LIFE GYM [LIFE14 ENV/GR/000611] project is co-funded by the LIFE programme, the EU financial instrument for the environment.
The sole responsibility for the content of this report lies with the authors. It does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Union. Neither the EASME nor the European Commission are responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.
Start Date: 15 September 2015 – Duration: 35 months


Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), the global leader in satellite navigation, and Jeppesen, a leading provider of aeronautical charting and navigation services, are pleased to announce PilotPak™, a new bundle pricing program for databases on select Garmin panel mount avionics. PilotPak provides a more affordable single aircraft pricing structure and simplifies the database purchase process by offering a one-stop shop experience.
“Garmin and Jeppesen are continuing to make it easier and more affordable for pilots to keep their aviation databases up-to-date,” said Gary Kelley, Garmin’s vice president of marketing. “We know that pilots depend on these databases for safety and convenience, and we’re pleased to work together to offer customers a single and comprehensive purchase and support solution.”
PilotPak provides all the databases within the selected package to be used with any combination of GTN™, G600, G500, G500H and G3X installed in one aircraft, all for a single annual price. Each bundle option includes Garmin’s popular SafeTaxi®, Obstacle, Terrain and Airport Directory, and customers are able to choose between bundle options that include Jeppesen NavData, Jeppesen JeppView and/or Garmin FliteCharts®.
With a PilotPak Standard Americas subscription, a pilot can enjoy 20 percent savings on databases for a single GTN or 60 percent savings with the inclusion of a G500 when compared to purchasing annual subscriptions to each database individually. When Garmin’s FliteCharts are included, the savings on databases for a single GTN 750 amount to over 30 percent and when combined with a G500, the customer saves over 70 percent. Whether a pilot has one or more of the qualified avionics, they pay a single, affordable price for the selected package.
The databases have been bundled into several different packages:
The Lite, Standard and Standard with Garmin FliteCharts PilotPak options are available from www.flygarmin.com. The Standard and Standard with Jeppesen JeppView options are available at www.jeppesen.com/gtn.
Garmin International Inc. is a subsidiary of Garmin Ltd. (Nasdaq: GRMN), the global leader in satellite navigation. Since 1989, this group of companies has designed, manufactured, marketed and sold navigation, communication and information devices and applications – most of which are enabled by GPS technology. Garmin’s products serve automotive, mobile, wireless, outdoor recreation, marine, aviation, and OEM applications. Garmin Ltd. is incorporated in Switzerland, and its principal subsidiaries are located in the United States, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. Garmin, FliteCharts and SafeTaxi are registered trademarks, and PilotPak and GTN are trademarks of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries.
- EBACE – Eurocopter launches EC175 with VIP/executive interior
- NZ heliski firm fined $6,000
- Vector Aerospace showcases GEMS engine management program at EBACE
- SHG receives its 70th Eurocopter
- Bristow Group Announces 25% Dividend Increase
- FLIR Systems wins $23M US Coast Guard order
- Swiss air ambulances at war – Rega v TCS
- Air Methods Reaches Highest Level in FAA’s Safety Management System Program
- CAE-built Lynx full-mission flight trainer celebrates 25 years of service
- Universal Avionics Expands International Repair Capabilities for the EFI-890R/890H
- Soloy sells 12 Honeywell engine kits for Chinese AC311 helicopter
- CALSTAR appoints new Chief Pilot
- Universal Avionics Announces New Warranty Program
- Barco unveils new US Training/Simulation Demo Center
- UK Apache Hellfire missiles restocked in £15M deal
- Branding Iron hires new PR/Marketing Coordinator
- Register Update – USA – week to 19 May 2013
- New Helicopter Base in Valdosta Aimed at Saving Lives
- UK – Castle Air opens new base at Biggin Hill
- Ka-226T completes test EMS missions for Winter Olympics in Sochi


Fantasy of Flight Museum Photos Page 1
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These photos were taken at the Fantasy of Flight Museum in Florida. True walk arounds were difficult due to the ropes and other aircraft that got int he way.


Flight Havana - Holguín
Duration 1 hour and 20
Monday 6.00 h
Thursday at 6.00 h
Monday 8.40 h.
Havana Hotels - Havana Airport
Holguín Airport - Holguín Hotels
Holguín Airport- Guardalavaca Hotels
Unless otherwise stated, these rates include the fuel charge, which applies to domestic flights.
The reservations confirmed for the Varadero - Cayo Largo flight and that have to fly via Havana, will have a transfer fee of € 25.
Customers must be at the airport 2 hours before the departure of the flight.


BEACON TRANSCRIPT – If you thought you had a great week, wait until you hear how Elon Musk’s went down. The multi-billionaire responsible for Tesla Motors, PayPal, Solar City and SpaceX has finally signed a deal with NASA.
Besides being invited to make a guest appearance on The Big Bang Theory – one of the highest rated TV sitcoms – Musk saw his space transport services company SpaceX become the first private aerospace manufacturer to get in business with NASA.
Elon Musk is notoriously a less-than-friendly figure, but guest starring in the Thanksgiving episode of the sitcom gave him a chance to show a warmer side of the self-made businessman. But this accomplishment faded in the shade of the key NASA contract that allows SpaceX to ship astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS).
According to NASA’s announcement on Friday, Musk’s company was awarded four missions to carry astronauts, in addition to some more missions awarded to Boeing. Even though the announcement was somewhat expected, it showed last year’s disastrous rocket crash did not cancel the deal.
After retiring the Space Shuttles four years ago, NASA relied on the Russian Federal Space Agency for the transportation of personnel to and from the ISS; not only NASA, but also the other 16 nations involved in space programs.
But the seat the Russians provided did not come at a low price. The SpaceX and Boeing spacecraft are more than welcomed to start their flights, given that the seats on Russia’s Soyuz rockets cost not less than $82 million each. However, the Russians still have monopoly on the situation for two more years.
Considering the gradually deteriorating international relations with Vladimir Putin’s government, these two years – during which NASA will pay Russia roughly half a billion dollars – will not be easy for the U.S.
Until then, Musk’s legendary drive is reflected in the SpaceX’s tenacity to become an important player in the American space program. The company will serve both in the military department, as well as in ISS flights. The South African-born entrepreneur’s stern ambition was, however, dialed down a bit during his Big Bang Theory apparition.
Musk appears as a humbler version on himself, meeting with Howard Wolowitz (played by Simon Helberg), an engineer and one-time astronaut. They cross paths while they’re both volunteering at a homeless shelter, allowing Elon Musk to show off his softer side, which we don’t get to see all that often.
Image Source: CBS Static


Azorra welcomes the newest member of our Team!
Oko J. Nelson is joining Azorra as an Analyst with responsibility for conducting pricing and financial analysis related to aircraft acquisitions and sales, as well corporate forecasting. He has recently graduated from Embry-Riddle with a Master of Business Administration in Finance and has held various internship roles at Northrop Grumman, Boeing and First Financial Group of America.
We are excited to welcome Oko to our growing Azorra Team!
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OSIRIS-REx's Spacecraft, Up Close and Personal
The UA's Dante Lauretta has been on a lengthy mission to design, build and launch a spacecraft to a near-Earth asteroid to collect a sample and return that sample to Earth.
LITTLETON, Colo. — For a dozen years, Dante Lauretta has flown to and from his home in Tucson to Littleton, Colorado. Now, on a snowy spring morning at Lockheed Martin’s sprawling Colorado compound, Lauretta is talking with a group of visitors about the impetus behind his frequent trips here.
He and his colleagues from around the world have been on a years-long mission to design, build and send a spacecraft to a near-Earth asteroid to collect a sample of that asteroid and return it to Earth for analysis. The mission’s aim would be to better understand asteroids — and the origins of the solar system.
And so was born OSIRIS-REx. The final opportunity for outsiders to see and photograph the mission's 9-square-meter spacecraft before its scheduled Sept. 8 launch came Friday in a six-hour media gathering hosted by NASA and Lockheed Martin. During a tour of Lockheed's facilities, reporters and social-media representatives were able to observe the spacecraft receiving its finishing touches. It will be transported by an Air Force C-17 cargo plane to Cape Canaveral, Florida, on May 20.
In addition to Lauretta, the group heard from Jason Dworkin, a NASA scientist; Richard Kuhns, Lockheed program manager for OSIRIS-REx; and Scott Messer, a program manager for United Launch Alliance.
The spacecraft for OSIRIS-REx — the Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer — must pick up a pristine sample of an asteroid’s regolith, the loose soil and rocky material found on its surface.
"I’m really interested in the role these bodies have played or potentially play in the origin of life on Earth and the establishment of the habitability of our planet," says Lauretta, professor of planetary science and cosmochemistry at the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory and principal investigator for OSIRIS-REx.
"We’re really going back 4.5 billion years in history," he says. "We’re getting rocks that record the processes that were taking place right at the dawn of our solar system, when the planets were being born and the materials that would go into those planets were being formed.”
The spacecraft was designed and built at Lockheed Martin in Littleton, and within days scientists and technicians will be wrapping up the testing phase there.
To capture a sample of the regolith, the spacecraft will hover over a carefully chosen area on the asteroid’s surface and then "will be sent down at a very slow and gentle" 10 centimeters per second to make five seconds of contact with the asteroid’s surface to vacuum up the regolith, Lauretta says.
The precise maneuvering of the spaceship around the asteroid — or proximity operations capabilities, as it is known — was one of the greatest challenges involved in developing OSIRIS-REx.
"That’s a real important capability for any mission that’s going to interact with asteroids in the future," Lauretta says.
The asteroid involved in the mission is not just any old asteroid.
This one is known as Bennu, one of more than 700,000 in our solar system. It was chosen for many reasons, but chiefly because it’s one of the most accessible carbonaceous asteroids in our solar system and one of the most well-characterized ones. Scientists have a good read on the radar data and telescopic data that tell about its orbit and composition.
"When you know a lot about an object, it really helps you plan the mission," Lauretta says.
Data show that Bennu, provisionally known as 1999 RQ36, has a polar diameter of 508 meters and mean diameter of 492 meters. It also has a spinning-top shape; that is, it sports a bulge along its equator, a common feature among near-Earth asteroids.
"What we think this means is that this is a rubble-pile object," Lauretta says.
That means Bennu is probably made out of many boulders tens to hundreds of meters across.
"(The boulders) are loose, and they’re responding to the forces of the asteroid spinning, and material is migrating from the pole of the asteroid and accumulating at the equator and building up a ridge," Lauretta says. "That’s the theory. The good news is that we’re going to get out there and take a good look at the asteroid, and we’re going to test that theory, and we’re going to try and figure out why so many asteroids have that spinning-top shape."
No matter the reason, Bennu is in an unstable orbit, which means it probably won’t last more than 10 million years before it collides with Earth or another planet, or falls into the sun, Lauretta says.
Which is of concern to Lauretta and other scientists. In fact, Bennu is considered a potentially hazardous object and has a relatively high probability of impacting the Earth. So scientists are interested in understanding how asteroids’ orbits evolve.
Key to that evolution is something known as the Yarkovsky effect.
"Which is simply that an asteroid receives energy from the sun, turns that energy into heat, and as it rotates into the afternoon throws that energy back into space as thermal energy, and that acts like a thruster and changes the orbit of the asteroid slowly but surely over time," Lauretta says. "If you want to know where an asteroid is going to be in the future, particularly in our future, then you want to know about the Yarkovsky effect."
Likewise, if you want to know what an asteroid is made of, take a look at its spectroscopic data.
"With spectroscopy, we look at how asteroids reflect light and how they emit light," Lauretta says. "That tells us something about the temperature on the surface and something about the composition, especially the minerals that make up the surface of the asteroids.
"We have samples of (asteroids) on Earth in the form of meteorites. But we have a really hard time linking the spectral properties of the meteorite with those of an asteroid so that we can say what the distribution of compounds in our solar system is.”
That's why getting a pristine sample of the regolith is imperative.
In addition to a touch-and-go sample acquisition mechanism and a sample return capsule, the spacecraft will carry a laser altimeter; a suite of cameras to which the UA contributed; spectrometers; and lidar, which is similar to radar, using light instead of radio waves to measure distance.
"I never dreamed I’d be in charge of a program of this magnitude and this significance and this much fun," Lauretta says. "I’m anxious to get through the launch phase and into space and change our mode of operation, because we’ve been building this thing and designing it for so long.
"Getting to fly it is going to be a new and exciting challenge."
TopicsScience and Technology
University of Arizona in the News