British European Embraer 195 G-FBEA

McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle 91312

Balkan Tupolev Tu-154B LZ-BTJ

American Airpower Heritage Museum (CAF) Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress N9323Z

Avro Vulcan B.2 XH558

Iberia Airbus A340-300 EC-HGU

Runway 9R Action @ Miami International Airport - June 2011

Lufthansa A380 - D-AIMA

Atlas Air Boeing 747-400 - N459MC

Atlas Air Boeing 747-400 - N459MC

Atlas Air Boeing 747-400 - N459MC

Qatar Airways Airbus A330-300 A7-AEO

Insel Air McDonnell Douglas MD-82

Air France Airbus A340-300

UK - Air Force Panavia Tornado GR.4

Lockheed P-38 Lightning

Republic P-47D Thunderbolt

North American P-51D Mustang w/ Skyraider

Eurocopter TH89 Cougar

Beech 1900C-1

Douglas AD-4NA Skyraider

B-25 Mitchell

Today's Top News

§  Grounding of F-22s might be due to carbon monoxide, sources say
Carbon monoxide entering the cockpit of the Air Force's F-22 Raptors might be the cause of their prolonged grounding, sources said. The fighters were grounded on May 3 after more than a dozen incidents in which their pilots suffered "hypoxia-like symptoms." "The safety of our aircrews is paramount, and the Air Force continues to carefully study all factors of F-22 flight safety," said Major Chad Steffey, a spokesman for the Air Force. Defense News (7/21)     

§  Boeing says F-35 partner nations seek plan B for fighter

Chris Chadwick, president of the military aircraft division at Boeing, said the nine F-35 partner countries are watching the cost of the program rise and are seeking a plan B. However, the nations will wait until the total cost of the Joint Strike Fighter program is calculated before taking action. "Where is it going to end? Is it going to end?" Chadwick said. "I think that will drive the decisions by the international customers." AOL Defense (7/20)     

Final Shuttle

Man tries to kill mom with kamikaze flight into house

By

Alex Sundby

Topics

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(Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

"Are you home mum? I'm just about to drop in."

Those words Konrad Schmidt said over the phone to his mother, Rosemary Schmidt, Sunday were possibly the last ones he ever said. He was calling from the cockpit of a twin-engine small airplane, which he flew into the window of her first-floor bedroom, killing himself, the British newspaper The Telegraph reported.

Rosemary Schmidt survived what police characterized as an attack on the house in Oberhallau, Switzerland. Konrad Schmidt, a qualified pilot, had been feuding with his mother for a long time after his parents' marriage ended, which was followed by his father's death from cancer, the police told The Telegraph.

Bag handler gets trapped in plane's cargo hold
Man drops wet toilet paper on school from plane
Body reportedly drops from sky in south Jersey

Konrad Schmidt suffered from depression and also had financial problems, the police said.

The mother's neighbors told the Swiss newspaper Blick that the 47-year-old man flew past the house three times as though he was practicing for his final descent, The Telegraph reported.

Blick quoted one neighbor saying, "It was like seeing a mini rerun of 9/11."

§  American splits jet order between Boeing and Airbus
American Airlines announced plans to split an order for 460 jets between longtime supplier Boeing and European manufacturer Airbus. American ordered 200 737-class jets from Boeing, as well as 260 A320 aircraft from Airbus. "We'll have the youngest fleet among our U.S. peers within five years as a result of this deal," said Tom Horton, the president of American Airlines' parent company. CNNMoney.com (7/20), USA TODAY/The Associated Press (7/20), The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (7/20)     

Inside The Cockpit Of The New 747-8 Intercontinental

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Cosmonaut: Soviet space shuttle was safer than NASA's - space - 07 July 2011 - New Scientist

Cosmonaut: Soviet space shuttle was safer than NASA's - space - 07 July 2011 - New Scientist

When Airliners Retire Some Get Made into Buildings

By David Parker Brown, on July 12th, 2011 at 8:00 am

McDonald's in Taupo, New Zealand, uses an old DC3 to attract visitors

It is sad when an airliner reaches the end of their life and is scraped. Some lucky ones make it to a museum or are in some way preserved for a bit longer. Rarely a business or individual will take an airplane and make it part of their home and business. The website DarkRoastedBlend.com recently took a look at some of the best airplanes on display in places you wouldn’t expect to find them.

Someday I wouldn’t mind having an airliner sitting in my lawn, but I am not sure what my neighbors might think. Do you know of any other old aircraft that are now used in interesting and creative ways?

Thanks Michael for pointing this out!

Biplanes

A pair of Vintage Fokker Dr I triplanes and a Nieuport biplane fly.

Location:

Geneseo, New York, United States of America.

Photographer:

PETE RYAN/National Geographic Stock

Location:

Geneseo, New York, United States of America.

Photographer:

PETE RYAN/National Geographic Stock

Lufthansa A380 - Miami

Lufthansa's giant A380 cruises over Downtown Miami. July 4th, 2011. (Photo: Pete Alvarez)