US pilot believes he's found wreckage of missing airliner after searching through thousands of satellite images online

Is this MH370? US pilot believes he's found wreckage of missing airliner after searching through thousands of satellite images online - right where the flight vanished seven weeks ago
Michael Hoebel, from Tonawanda, New York spent hours trawling through pictures on TomNod.com, a website that shares satellite images
He has found images of what he believes to be the intact aircraft just off the northeast coast of Malaysia days after the crash

He has contacted the FBI and NTSB to share his findings
The search for the missing flight, which vanished on March 8, will now focus on the ocean floor, authorities have said

By LYDIA WARREN

PUBLISHED: 10:12 EST, 28 April 2014 | UPDATED: 11:45 EST, 28 April 2014

A pilot from New York believes he has found the wreckage of the missing Malaysia Airline Flight 370 off the coast of Thailand after searching thousands of satellite images online.

Michael Hoebel, 60, spent hours trawling through the images made available to the public on a crowd-sourcing website, TomNod.com, before coming across what he believes is the doomed plane.

The recreational pilot from Tonawanda said he was shocked to discover that the aircraft, which vanished two months ago, appeared to be in one piece beneath the water off the northeast coast of Malaysia, just west of Songkhla in Thailand. The image was taken days after the crash.





Is it the wreckage? Michael Hoebel is pictured showing an image of what he believes is the wreckage of missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. He found the image on a website that shares satellite images




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'The perfect size': He said he used a scale given by the website and compared it to the specifications listed on Boeing's website - and discovered that the figure in the water was the right size




Discovery: He said that the lighter markings on the image matched up with the design of the plane

He told WIVB that he used the scale at the bottom of the map on TomNod and compared them to the specs on Boeing's website to establish that the white figure he saw was the perfect size.


'I was taken aback because I couldn't believe I would find this,' he told the news channel.


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Where is the plane? A map shows where Hoebel believes the plane is, compared to its intended flight (red line) and suspected flight path (in blue)

He pointed to the image on his computer as he explained why he thought it was the missing airliner.


'The lighter skin where the wing attaches to the fuselage - you see that lighter skin,' he said, comparing the grainy image to a photograph of the make of plane.

And when WIVB reporter Ed Drantch questioned if the shadow could be a shark, Hoebel responded: 'That's a 210ft shark.'


TomNod allows members of the public to go through millions of satellite pictures in a bid to help investigate the crash.

It also allows other users to rate whether or not they agree with another user's theory - and so far, no one has disagreed with Hoebel's, he said.


No one else has noted finding the wreckage at the same spot, he added.

He said that he started searching for the plane because he wanted to aid the investigation to help the families who had lost loved ones.

He added that he has contacted the NTSB and the FBI with what he found - but so far they have not contacted him in response.

This weekend, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said surface search efforts for the plane have been scaled back because it is 'highly unlikely' clues will be found on the surface.




Certain: Hoebel said he looked through thousands of satellite images to find the potential wreckage



Hobby: The recreational pilot, 60, said that he felt deeply for the families who have lost their loved ones

Obama: Lessons must be learned from missing Malaysia flight



Instead, the search will enter a new phase with the focus on the ocean floor - despite there being no 'pings' from what was earlier hoped were the aircraft's black boxes.

Mr Abbott said that as the aircraft, which had 239 people on board, has been missing for 52 days, if there had been any debris from the aircraft it would have now sunk.

Malaysia's Prime Minister, Mr Najib Razak, has also conceded that investigators have made no substantial progress since March 8 - the date that the plane is believed to have crashed.


'That's all we have until today,' Mr Najib told the Wall Street Journal.




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No signs: Royal Navy submarine HMS Tireless concluded its work searching for the black box on Friday




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Are they looking in the right place? A map shows the planned search areas just west of Australia



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No answers: Relatives of some of the Chinese passengers on board the Malaysia Airlines flight comfort each other as they continued their sit-in protest outside the Malaysian embassy in Beijing


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2614932/U-S-pilot-believes-hes-wreckage-missing-Malaysia-flight-searching-satellite-images.html#ixzz30E6biIFo
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Cool Commercial - Turkish Airlines

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Remembering John Houbolt, NASA's Voice In The Wilderness

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Saudi Prince's $500 Million Airbus A380 Will Blow Your Mind

When people who are just a little bit rich travel, they fly first class. When you're really rich, you rent a private jet. When you're insanely rich, you fly on your very own private jet with your name painted on the wings. When you are a multi-billionaire Saudi Prince, you fly on a mind blowingly lavish$500 million customized Airbus A380. Recently it was revealed that Saudi Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal, who has a net worth of $18 billion, purchased a $300 million Airbus A380 and is spending an additional $200 million remodeling the plane into a flying palace that makes Airforce One look like a hunk of junk….


Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal

Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal is one of the wealthiest people in the Arab world. Thanks to thousands of extremely shrewd investments, the Prince was able to turn a modest fortune into more than $18 billion. Through his investment firm Kingdom Holding, Prince Alwaleed has bought up large stakes in companies like News Corp, Apple, Citigroup, Twitter and more. He owns luxury hotels like The Savoy in London, the Fairmont in San Francisco, the Plaza in New York and the Four Seasons. He owns several yachts, more than 200 cars and three incredible palaces that cover a combined 5 million square feet. When Prince Alwaleed takes delivery of his $500 million Airbus, it will be one of four massive private jets. It will also be the largest and most expensive private plane in the world.


$500 Million Airbus A380

The base Airbus A380 costs $300 million and normally fits around 800 passengers. Prince Alwaleed's Airbus A380 is being completely stripped and remodeled with the following mind blowing luxuries:
- One parking space for his Rolls Royce
- Concert hall with grand piano, seating for 10 and stage for private entertainment
- Marble tiled steam room with spa treatments
- A "wellbeing" room complete with flat screen TVs on the walls and floors that shows passengers what they are flying over
- Five master bedroom with king sized beds, private bathrooms and showers
- 20 smaller private rooms
- Private elevator that connects the master bedroom to the tarmac for quick entrances and exits
- Boardroom with holographic monitors
- A prayer room with computer monitored prayer mats that automatically adjust to face Mecca






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B-17 Skydiving

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Properly Tracked and Monitored Boeing 777s Do Not Disappear, or Do They?

Properly Tracked and Monitored Boeing 777s Do Not Disappear, or Do They? By Staff April 11, 2014

 Garcia / Published April 11, 2014


Photo courtesy Aero Icarus, Creative Commons

A Boeing 777 in cruise flight, maneuvering and even at low altitude, transmits a robust, crisp, and clear primary radar signature to both civilian and military radars for almost two hours or perhaps even longer. This signature was evident to Thai, Malay and Indonesian radar operators, civilian and military the night and early morning of March 8th, 2014. As I write this piece, over one month has elapsed since this plane “vanished” or “disappeared” from radar as international media persuasively quotes.

It is factual that MH370 transponders, communications equipment (digital and voice) failed. Such an unusual event triggered an immediate alert from the men and women in the airline’s operations control center and the civilian air traffic control radars centers who, until then, were routinely tracking the flight. The presence of a primary radar signature should have also triggered an immediate chain of communications between the airline, civilian air traffic-radar controllers and their military counterparts. In fact, it seems that such actions were not taken or were not assertive enough to have triggered a military radar tracking and intercept, as prescribed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Document 9433, Manual Concerning Interception of Civil Aircraft. This is a globally accepted and mandated standard operating procedure for “strayed” aircraft, especially since the tragic events of 9-11 in the USA.

Yet Malaysian Airlines MH 370 flew unchallenged with enough freedom, range and capability to have diverted, overflown, or crashed in very dense city centers such as Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Phuket, Bangkok, Jakarta and Singapore. Millions of innocent people were unbeknownst of the events transpiring literally over their heads.

I have flown a similar B 777-200 on the same route, airway and time of the night many times. I know the aircraft well and indeed, it does have the capability to fly fast and maneuver vertically with vigor. Yet, it cannot outrun an attentive military radar controller, much less a fighter jet on a well executed tactical intercept mission. A well monitored, tracked and intercepted, if necessary, Boeing 777 does not mysteriously vanish or disappear into vast uncontrolled oceanic airspace under the cover of the night.


—–
Oscar S. Garcia, Chairman and CEO of Interflight Global, is an expert advisor and consultant in the areas of strategy, business and economic development, organizational design and industry forecasting. He was formerly a pilot with major airlines in the US and Asia, flying several aircraft including B777-200/300 and B747-400.

He can be reached at: oscargarcia@interflightglobal.com

© 2014 all rights reserved. All photos are the property of Chris Sloan, unless otherwise noted, and may not be reproduced without consent.
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A man who was forced to give up his dreams of becoming a pilot has spent 15 years building a replica Boeing 747 cockpit in his bedroom

Monday, Apr 21st 2014

Boeing in my bedroom: Man who was forced to give up his dream of becoming a pilot spent 15 years and £20,000 building a replica cockpit in his home
John Davis, 54, constructed the Boeing cockpit at £92,000 Coventry home
Former graphic designer spent 15 years and £20,000 on amazing simulator
He now makes up to £3,000 a month hiring out the simulator
Available to plane enthusiasts, nervous flyers and even pilots to practise in
Replica features light deck panels, passenger chairs and auto-pilot system
Also includes six-foot screen with two monitors, creating panoramic view

By SOPHIE JANE EVANS

PUBLISHED: 10:45 EST, 21 April 2014 | UPDATED: 12:06 EST, 21 April 2014

A man who was forced to give up his dreams of becoming a pilot has spent 15 years building a replica cockpit in his bedroom.

John Davis, 54, forked out a staggering £20,000 constructing the life-sized Boeing 747-400 simulator at his £92,000 terraced home in Coventry.

But the amazing replica is not only for display as it is available to other plane enthusiasts, nervous flyers and even professional pilots to practice in.

Scroll down for video



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Amazing: John Davis has spent 15 years building a life-sized Boeing 747-400 replica cockpit in his bedroom




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Detailed: He forked out a staggering £20,000 constructing the simulator, which features a six-foot screen


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Terraced home: He built the incredible replica at his terraced home (centre) in Coventry. But it is not only for display as it is available to other plane enthusiasts, nervous flyers and even professional pilots to practice in


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Inside the cockpit: Luckily, Miss Mabey (right) does not have a problem with the lack of space in the bedroom

Mr Davis, who developed his aviation obsession as a child, said was forced to give up his wish to become a pilot as he was not good enough at mathematics.

Instead, he spent his time and money building the precise replica cockpit by hand - crafting it into the space he had in his spare bedroom at his two-bedroom home.

The Boeing 747-400 has now 'flown' at least 47,000 miles around the world - with Mr Davis earning up to £3,000 a month.

The former graphic designer, who mans the simulator full-time, said: 'I always longed to be a pilot but now I have the next best thing.

Take a tour around the replica Boeing in John's bedroom





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Realistic: Mr Davis, who developed his aviation obsession as a child, said was forced to give up his wish to become a pilot as he was not good enough at mathematics. Above, the replica cockpit in his bedroom




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Ready to fly: Instead he spent his time and money building the replica cockpit by hand. Above, the controls




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Complex: The Boeing has 'flown' at least 47,000 miles around the world. Above, different parts of the cockpit

'The simulator is so life-like that I have lots of commercial airline pilots coming for a flight. I get to rub shoulders with professional pilots and it’s great that they are so impressed by my simulator.'

Mr Davis, who actually owns only a gliders licence, charges £75 for an hour-long flight, or £125 for two hours.


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Couple: Mr Davis , pictured with his partner, Allyson Mabey, charges £75 for an hour-long flight

He said customers visited his house up to seven days a week - saying: 'The simulator is very popular and we often have couples come for the experience.

'It’s amazing how the ladies respond to it. Many women come with their partners and bring a book, but by the end of the flight they want to have a go themselves.'

Luckily, Mr Davis's partner, Allyson Mabey, does not have a problem with the constant stream of visitors,, nor the lack of space in the bedroom.


'I will admit I was surprised when John first told me about the simulator,' said the 53-year-old nurse.


'It is very unusual and it’s not every day you meet someone who has a plane in their back bedroom.

'I was astounded when I first saw the simulator in real life. To look at John’s house you would never guess there was a plane in the back room.'

She added: 'I haven’t flown it myself as there are a lot of things to learn - I leave that to John as he is so passionate.

'But I have sat in it a few times and every time I am just fascinated by the simulator, because it’s so technical and intricate.'

In order to build his pride and joy, Mr Davis studied photographs of Boeing 747-400 cockpits online - and he managed to order most of the parts for the aircraft off the internet.

The light deck panels are made out of MDF wood, while the pilot and two passenger chairs are made out of old leather car seats.

He spent a large amount of his budget for the simulator on the electronics and high-tech equipment.




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Popular: Mr Davis said customers visited his house up to seven days a week - saying: 'The simulator is very popular and we often have couples come for the experience.' He added: 'It's amazing how ladies respond to it'

There is an auto-pilot system and a six-foot screen with two 19inch monitors - creating the all-important panoramic view of the simulated landscape.

'For me it is important to make the flight feel as lifelike as possible so I have invested in a great sound system with a subwoofer which vibrates so my passengers can get the experience of take-off and landing,' he said.


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At work: Mr Davis even uses his simulator to help people with a fear of flying, by letting them sit through a realistic flight experience

Mr Davis, who always wears his full pilot uniform when taking a flight, even carries out in-flight announcements telling passengers to 'fasten their seatbelts'.

'My passengers can fly from Birmingham International or London Gatwick to Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport to on their first flight and then progress further afield to the Canary Islands if they fancy,' he said.

'It does take a while to learn your way around the cockpit as there are 90 different switches and three sound systems.

'It has taken me thousands of hours in man power to create this craft and even more in money, but I am pleased to now be earning a living from it. It’s the best job in the world - after being a real pilot.'

Mr Davis even uses his simulator to help people with a fear of flying, by letting them sit through a realistic flight experience on his £125 two-hour flying awareness course.

'The aim is to help people who are nervous about flying by letting them get used to the feel and sounds of a real plane,' he said.


'Many customers want to browse my simulated airport database to find their holiday destination, and fly there on their own.'

The cockpit's software uses includes different landscapes from around the world, including the Alps and the New York skyline - and Mr Davis has a list of international airports that customers can fly to.

'Because I’m not a trained pilot I can’t actually teach people how to fly, but I can help flight enthusiasts feel like a pilot in control of their own jumbo jet and I get to be a captain every day, all from the comfort of my home,' he said.

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Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 now clearly a government cover-up.

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 now clearly a government cover-up: All evidence contradicts official story.


Monday, March 24, 2014
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
Editor of NaturalNews.com (See all articles...)
Tags: Malaysia Airlines, official story, government cover-up


(NaturalNews) The "official" story of what happened to Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 is now a blatant cover-up. After an endless stream of wild incompetence from the Malaysian military and government concerning the radar signature of the missing flight, we are now told by the Malaysian government that the flight "went down over the southern Indian Ocean" and that all lives are lost.

This explanation smacks of an obvious cover-up for several crucial reasons, all of which are now being utterly ignored by the conventional press:

#1) If the plane went down in the ocean, it would have broken up on impact and debris would be easily spotted

A Boeing 777 does not -- and cannot -- survive impact with the ocean and remain intact. It simply does not have the structural integrity to survive such an impact, which is a lot like hitting a cement wall at terminal velocity.

If Flight 370 hit the ocean, it would have been broken into tens of thousands of pieces, many of which obviously float on water (such as the seat cushions) and would be witnessed washing up on regional shores or easily spotted by search teams.

The lack of such debris is strong support that Flight 370 did not crash into the Indian Ocean as we are now being told.

#2) The plane continued broadcasting data to Boeing for 4 - 7 hours

Remember the fact that the airplane was broadcasting data for at least 4 hours after the transponder was turned off? This fact is now suddenly being dumped from history and from our memories as if it never happened.

We already know Flight 370 flew for 4 - 7 hours after diverging from its planned flight course. We already know this could have taken the plane to Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran or even North Korea. (Click here to see my map showing possible destinations.) The fact that the plane broadcast this data for hours is not in dispute!

Wall Street Journal: "U.S. investigators suspect that Malaysia Airlines 3786. Flight 370 stayed in the air for up to four hours past the time it reached its last confirmed location, according to two people familiar with the details, raising the possibility that the plane could have flown on for hundreds of additional miles under conditions that remain murky."

The Guardian: "MH370: Missing plane could have kept flying four hours after disappearing, US investigators say... Engine data shows plane could have kept flying for four hours after disappearing"

Washington Post: " the plane may have flown for at least four hours after it dropped from civilian radar, U.S. officials said Thursday. A senior U.S. official said the information came from data sent via a satellite communications system by Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370. That data has convinced U.S. officials that the plane’s engines continued to run for at least four hours after all other communication was lost."

So how does the Malaysian government now explain this? They don't. They simply gloss over this fact and hope we all forget it. They claim the plane went down in the Indian Ocean without flying very far at all. This makes no sense whatsoever and cannot be reconciled with the flight broadcast data received by Boeing.

#3) There is ZERO evidence the flight crashed into the Indian Ocean

What is the Malaysian government's evidence that Flight 370 ended in the Indian Ocean and "all lives are lost?"

They have no evidence. They have no bodies. They have no debris, no flight recorders, no sightings and no radar signatures that would put the aircraft in the Indian Ocean.

They have zero evidence. So they are now floating a cover-up to try to put this issue to rest in order to distract from their own incompetence and their bizarre failure to track the radar signature of an aircraft flying well within the range of their radar.

In fact, the only debris floating around right now is made of all the fragments of the Malaysian government's inept cover-up attempts that smack of a true "rookie attempt" to roll out a cover-up that's full of holes.

This utter lack of evidence did not prevent the Malaysian government from announcing, "we have to assume beyond any reasonable doubt that MH370 has been lost and that none of those on board survived." (USA Today)

#4) Another crucial fact: It's clear that the transponder was manually turned off in order to hide the plane's new flight path

If the pilot of Flight 370 was suicidal and wanted to fly the plane into the ocean, there would be no need to switch off the transponder before doing so.

In fact, there would be no need to make all the complex, intentional flight maneuvers which Flight 370 clearly took as has been widely reported.

The fact that the transponder was manually disconnected followed by the plane making deliberate maneuvers that put it on a new flight path is near-absolute proof that the persons controlling the aircraft had no intention of flying the plane into the ocean. It's also strong evidence that they did not want governments to track their new flight direction and destination.

Without question, they intended to take the plane somewhere else and land it somewhere else, which is exactly why the aircraft continued broadcasting flight performance data to Boeing for 4-7 hours.

The Malaysian government is now hoping you forget all these facts in believing their bizarre cover-up explanation.


Malaysia's 9/11 official storyFlight 370 is now Malaysia's 9/11, complete with nonsense "official" stories and attempts to memory hole all the facts that originally came out in the mainstream media.

We are soon going to be told outrageous lies like "Oh, Boeing never received any flight data broadcasts from the aircraft, didn't you know?"

Anyone who now cites all the facts which have already been reported in support of the theory that Flight 370 continued on to another destination will be called "conspiracy theorists" and kooks.

The mainstream media will start scrubbing stories and retroactively altering its reporting to match the "official" government story. We've seen this before. It's how governments and media outlets sweep 239 lives under the rug and try to discredit anyone who asks skeptical, scientifically-sound questions based on the actual evidence.

In truth, the Malaysian government's bizarre new claim that Flight 370 "ended in the Indian Ocean" is the biggest conspiracy theory of all. It's sheer lunacy to reach such a conclusion without compelling evidence to support it, especially in light of all the other evidence that Flight 370 continued on for hours after the transponder was intentionally disabled.


Most likely explanation at this point: The aircraft is being turned into a weaponBased on the Malaysian government's obvious cover-up attempt (which is incredibly transparent and childish as far as cover-ups go), it now seems increasingly likely that the Flight 370 aircraft has, indeed, been delivered to a rogue nation where it is being transformed into a weapon.

Malaysia has already proven that it is so incompetent that it cannot track huge aircraft flying across its airspace. This means a weaponized Boeing 777 is essentially a "stealth aircraft" to the Malaysian military -- a shocking revelation about military incompetence and lack of national security readiness in that nation.

Apparently, this same Boeing 777 can also fly undetected across the airspace of other nations -- most likely by "shadowing" existing flights while turning off its own transponder.

Whoever took control of Flight 370 now has a massive stealth weapon which an incredibly long flight range. This aircraft can now be outfitted with nuclear weapons and dispatched to almost any desirable target anywhere in the world, including cities like New York and Washington D.C., unfortunately.

I was the first journalist in the world to suggest that Flight 370 had been captured and turned into a weapon. That same story was also the very first story to suggest Flight 370 passengers may still be alive.

I still believe Flight 370 passengers may have survived the flight and the landing at the new destination, but now that world governments are rolling out their "official" stories, there is no question in my mind that they will do anything to support those official stories, even if it means discarding the lives of all the passengers. Sadly, I am now forced to recalculate the odds of Flight 370 passengers being found alive at no better than 1 in 5. (It was previously as high as 1 in 2.) But it is not zero! There is a realistic chance the passengers are being kept alive as some sort of international bargaining chip.

You can now expect the governments and media outlets of the world to start scrubbing their archived stories and statements, altering the "news history" to fit this new Malaysian government cover-up.

I wouldn't even put it past these people to now secretly sink some aircraft debris in the Indian Ocean so they can "find it" and thereby complete the cover-up.

If there's one thing I've learned in all my years as an award-winning investigative journalist, it's that you should never trust official stories... especially when they contradict all the earlier evidence.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/044430_Malaysia_Airlines_official_story_government_cover-up.html#ixzz2wzW6YeZA

New VTOL X-Plane Prototypes in the Works

The X-Plane revealed: US military concepts that can fly like a plane and hover like a helicopter
Four companies have been chosen to develop concepts
A winner is expected to be chosen in 2015 - with the first test flights scheduled for 2017
Will be able to fly as fast as a conventional plane, but land anywhere like a helicopter

By MARK PRIGG

The US Military has revealed plans for a radical new type of military aircraft - which can take off and land like a helicopter, but fly like a plane.

Called the VTOL X-Plane, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has awarded four firms contracts to develop concept planes.

It is hoped they will begin flight tests in 2017, and be able to fly as fast as a conventional plane, but also land anywhere like a helicopter.

+4

Phantom Swift, built by Boeing, features two large lift fans ¿ inside the fuselage ¿ that provide efficient vertical lift. Once the aircraft transitions to cruise mode, the fans are covered. It also features smaller ducted fans on the wingtips that provide forward thrust, and provide additional lift and control in hover.




WHAT CAN THEY DO?



Although final specification shave not been decided, Darpa says the concepts will:

Achieve a top sustained flight speed of 300 kt-400 kt

Raise aircraft hover efficiency from 60 percent to at least 75 percent

Present a more favorable cruise lift-to-drag ratio of at least 10, up from 5-6

Carry a useful load of at least 40 percent of the vehicle’s projected gross weight of 10,000-12,000 pounds

'For generations, new designs for vertical takeoff and landing aircraft have remained unable to increase top speed without sacrificing range, efficiency or the ability to do useful work,' the agency said.

'DARPA’s VTOL Experimental Plane (VTOL X-Plane) program seeks to overcome these challenges through innovative cross-pollination between the fixed-wing and rotary-wing worlds, to enable radical improvements in vertical and cruise flight capabilities.'

Darpa has awarded prime contracts for Phase 1 of VTOL X-Plane to four companies: Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation, The Boeing Company Karem Aircraft, and the Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation.

'We were looking for different approaches to solve this extremely challenging problem, and we got them,' said Ashish Bagai, DARPA program manager.



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'The proposals we’ve chosen aim to create new technologies and incorporate existing ones that VTOL designs so far have not succeeded in developing.


'We’re eager to see if the performers can integrate their ideas into designs that could potentially achieve the performance goals we’ve set.'

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Karem Aircraft's VTOL X-Plane Concept was also selected to progress to the next stage.




The next major milestone for VTOL X-Plane is scheduled for late 2015, when the four performers are required to submit preliminary designs. At that point, DARPA plans to review the designs to decide which to build as a technology demonstrator, with the goal of performing flight tests in the 2017-18 timeframe.


'Proving these capabilities in a single aircraft has been the holy grail for tactical military aviation," said Dan Newman, Boeing Phantom Works Advanced Vertical Lift capture team lead.


It's Phantom Swift was one of the four designs chosen.

'We're confident that Phantom Swift could be the solution.'

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The Sikorsky VTOL X-Plane Concept which integrates ¿fixed wing aerodynamics and advanced rotor control to provide a low complexity configuration capable of meeting the challenging DARPA program goals.' The company expects it will first fly in the fourth quarter of 201.





Through a $17 million agreement with DARPA's Tactical Technology Office, Boeing intends to continue developing its technology for an aircraft that takes off and lands vertically, hovers and efficiently flies at speeds up to 400 knots.

'Designing an aircraft to perform a vertical takeoff, while maintaining adequate low-speed control, is challenging.


'Sustaining efficient hover is also difficult, and adding a high cruising speed is even more challenging,' Newman added.

After a 22-month effort involving several competitors, Darpa plans to select a model for fabrication and flight demonstration.





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DARPA has awarded prime contracts for Phase 1 of VTOL X-Plane to four companies: Aurora Flight Sciences, Boeing, Karem Aircraft and Sikorsky. Three of the four¿Boeing (top), Karem Aircraft (middle) and Sikorsky (bottom)



Phantom Swift features two large lift fans – inside the fuselage – that provide efficient vertical lift. Once the aircraft transitions to cruise mode, the fans are covered.


It also features smaller ducted fans on the wingtips that provide forward thrust, and provide additional lift and control in hover.

Last year, Phantom Works used rapid prototyping and additive manufacturing techniques, such as 3-dimensional printing, to quickly design, build and fly a scaled-down Phantom Swift.



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2586576/The-X-Plane-revealed-UU-military-concepts-fly-like-plane-hover-like-helicopter.html#ixzz2wl4E1Io0

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Delta Plane Loses Wing Panel During Flight

Delta Plane Loses Wing Panel During Flight


A panel on one of the wings on a Delta aircraft fell off during a flight from Orlando, Fla., to Atlanta, Ga., on Sunday, according to the airline.

The detached panel did not impact the aircraft's ability to fly or land, Delta spokesman Anthony Black said of Flight 2412.


"The crew, knowing that, followed procedure by declaring an emergency to air traffic control as they were landing, which gave them priority clearance to land and alerted ground crews," Black said.

The aircraft landed uneventfully at 7:30 p.m. Sunday and taxied to the gate. None of the 179 passengers and six crew members aboard the flight was injured.

The airline is inspecting the plane to determine why the panel came off.

First published March 16th 2014, 11:50 pm


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Hacker Claims Airplanes Vulnerable at 30,000 Feet

Hacker Claims Airplanes Vulnerable at 30,000 Feet
Text Size Published: Monday, 3 Jun 2013 | 1:05 PM ET
By: Scott Cohn | CNBC Senior Correspondent


Hacking the Skies?Monday, 3 Jun 2013 | 1:31 PM ET
Computer security specialist Brad "Renderman" Haines says he has proof a plane can be hacked mid flight, reports CNBC's Scott Cohn.


Cyber hackers have already shown what damage they can do, but this may be the scariest hacking story yet, if it came true.

What if they could hack into the air traffic control system? It's frightening to imagine, you're at 30-thousand feet and suddenly your pilot is flying blind or taking evasive action to avoid another plane.

Brad "Renderman" Haines, who works in IT support for a small company in Canada by day and is a hacker by night, told CNBC that he has proof that the air traffic control system can be hacked.

(Read More: Cyber Threats Escalate as Banks Go Paperless)

The Federal Aviation Administration's next generation air traffic control system, which, when it's fully in place by the end of this decade, is supposed to make flying "more convenient and dependable."

According to Haines, what it really does is make the whole system vulnerable to hackers because the system uses GPS (Global Positioning System) data instead of just radar.

"No good is gonna come of this," he added.

The problem with this is that the signals they are using are unencrypted and unauthenticated. And because it's unauthenticated, you can't prove that this actually came from the real plane.

In theory, that means a hacker could wreak havoc on the system by generating flights that don't exist.

"You could theoretically ground everybody," Haines said.

Haines and a fellow hacker put data that would be used in the FAA system, known as NextGen, into a flight simulator to show what could happen if the system is hacked.

"We were able to create a flight…we were able to take off from SFO [San Francisco] circle back over the bay, come back and buzz the tower," Haines explained.

The consequence of putting a ghost flight on the air traffic controller's panel could be disastrous.

"If I suddenly injected 50 extra flights onto their radar screen that they hadn't expected, they're going to be panicking trying to figure out what's going on," he said.

(Read More: Hacker Claims He Can Hijack Any Airplane Using a Mobile App)


Helen H. Richardson | Denver Post | Getty Images
Inside Denver's TRACON or Terminal Radar Approach Control center at DIA.


University of Texas professor Todd Humphreys is an expert on navigation systems, and thinks Haines is onto something.

"It ought to be obvious to the FAA. This is an obvious problem. This is something that's using antiquated technology from the 1980s," said Humphreys.

(Read More: CNBC's Ongoing Coverage of the Cyber Threat)

Haines said he brought his evidence to the FAA, but claimed they ignored him.

CNBC reached out to the FAA about his claims, and a spokesman said the agency has a thorough process in place to identify and mitigate risks in the system...the process is ongoing...and there are backups to ensure safe operations.

In the statement, the FAA declined to say what risks it has identified, saying that information is "security sensitive."

—By CNBC's Scott Cohn; Follow him on Twitter @ScottCohnCNBC


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Redondo Beach man continues quest to build perfect Pan Am Boeing 747 model

Redondo Beach man continues quest to build perfect Pan Am Boeing 747 model
Redondo Beach resident Anthony Toth has built a replica of a Pan Am 747 in a City of Industry warehouse. Initially he had a smaller version of this in his garage, but he outgrew the space. After collecting parts, supplies and memorabillia for over 20 years Anthony has replicated the interior first class cabin, clipper cabin and upper lounge of a Pan Am 747. File photo. Jan. 12, 2013. (Stephen Carr / Staff Photographer)


By Brian Sumers, Daily Breeze


POSTED: 02/24/14, 8:25 PM PST |
Anthony Toth's replica of the Pan Am 747 cockpit. (Submitted photo)

It was a year ago, and Redondo Beach resident Anthony Toth was seemingly putting the finishing touches on his life’s dream.
He had rented a warehouse in the City of Industry, hired a contractor, spent more than $100,000 of his savings and built an exact replica of a large chunk of a Pan American World Airways Boeing 747.

Yes, a 747. The man dreams big.

From the outside, it didn’t look like much. But inside, it was perfect. In addition to an upper deck lounge with tables and yellow and orange chairs, Toth had a first-class section, complete with 18 seats, along with 26 powder blue seats in what the airline called Clipper Class, a premium economy-class section. And Toth had all the soft goods — the branded napkins, the drink stirrers, the headphones, the glassware — to go with it.

Twenty-five years ago, a few years before Pan Am folded, Toth had made nightly trips to an airline warehouse filled with the stuff, loading his Honda Civic with forgotten Pan Am-branded loot in the hope that he would someday re-create his favorite airplane.

Now he had achieved it. Former Pan Am flight attendants would marvel at his attention to detail. Sometimes, a few would come by and serve dinner to Toth and guests. The cabin was so familiar they knew what to do, remembering exactly how they served from the carts.

“It was just like the old days,” a former Pan Am flight attendant said after one dinner party.

Some people might have stopped there. They might have said that $100,000 was enough. They might have simply basked in the attention that comes with building a model of such impressive proportions. (Just about every television station in Los Angeles did a story on him last year.)

Not Toth.

Since he was last profiled a year ago by the Los Angeles News Group, Toth has been a busy man. He spent $6,000 on a cockpit, then took a week off work and spent another several thousand dollars hiring crews to transport and install it. While continuing to work as an executive at United Airlines, Toth also started renting out his aircraft interior for photo, film and television shoots.

The highlight of the past year? It might have been a one-week shoot by Playboy. There were a dozen naked women hanging out on board for seven days. “It was a shocking week for me,” he said.

Or it might have been a call from the AMC television show, “Mad Men.” He’s not allowed to say much about what he provided the show — that could give away a plot point for the notoriously secret program — but he was asked to provide specific props from a certain time period.

Whatever he gave “Mad Men” would have to be accurate. No corners could be cut.

“They want everything to be validated,” Toth said. “They are true to their craft. They re-create vintage aviation in the way I want it to be recreated.”

Toth now partners with Air Hollywood, a Pacoima company devoted to providing aviation props and sets to movie and television studios. He is considering moving his plane to the Air Hollywood headquarters, a switch that, while logistically difficult, would solve two main problems. For one, it could resolve tension at his city of Industry warehouse, where his neighbors sometimes seem puzzled about the catering trucks and other trailers that set up in the parking lot. For another, it would give him enough room to build a full 747 — nose to tail.

“If I want to play in this space,” he said, “I’m going to need a bigger airplane.”

In the past year, he has also had better luck renting out his ample collection of flight attendant uniforms. They include duds from a bunch of carriers, including Eastern Airlines, TWA, Braniff, Pan Am and British Airways. Renting uniforms is good for Toth’s bottom line, as acquisition costs are considerable.

A Pan Am uniform hat? That runs $700 to $800, he says. A Pan Am uniform? Toth says he recently bought two — for $1,000 apiece.

The uniforms are particularly tough to find. Pan Am was a special job for most of the flight attendants who worked there in the 1960s and ’70s.

“These are women in their 60s and 70s,” he said. “They don’t want to let go of them.”

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UPS pilots complained of fatigue before fatal crash

UPS pilots complained of fatigue before fatal crash
By Mike Ahlers, CNN
updated 4:58 PM EST, Thu February 20, 2014

A UPS cargo plane crashed just short of the Birmingham, Alabama, airport last August, killing both pilots.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Two pilots talked about rest; transcript of cockpit conversation released at safety hearing
Pilot fatigue one of the hottest issues in commercial aviation; cargo pilots want one rest standard for all
The National Transportation Safety Board did not find any mechanical problems with Airbus jet
Plane crashed in August just short of runway in Alabama; both pilots killed


(CNN) -- Before boarding the last flight of his life, UPS cargo pilot Capt. Cerea Beal Jr. confided to a colleague: "These schedules over the past several years are killing me."

Just before takeoff, his co-pilot also expressed concern about fatigue.

In a conversation captured by the cockpit voice recorder, First Officer Shanda Fanning told Beal that she had just gotten a "good sleep," but she was still "so tired."

Both Beal, 58, and Fanning, 37, died last August when their plane, an Airbus A300, crashed just short of the Birmingham, Alabama, airport just before dawn.

Details of the conversations were revealed Thursday during a National Transportation Safety Board public hearing.

The board released documents around its investigation and heard testimony from UPS officials, pilots, and other experts.

Until Thursday, the issue of fatigue had received little attention in the UPS accident.

But with the release of the cockpit transcript and interview records, the crash of UPS flight 1354 is now part of one of the hottest debates in commercial aviation: pilot rest.

'One level of safety'

In January, the Federal Aviation Administration enacted new rest rules for all airline pilots. But the rule excludes cargo crew.

Cargo pilots say the FAA should have "one level of safety" for all pilots -- a sentiment expressed in the doomed cockpit -- and say government and industry should place the same value to cargo pilot's life that they give to airline pilot and passenger lives.

Cargo pilots have special rest needs, they say, because they typically fly "on the back side of the clock" -- at night -- which raises havoc with sleep rhythms and contributes to fatigue.

UPS argues that it gives pilots ample opportunity to sleep, that it has a non-punitive system for pilots who say they are too tired to fly, and that work hours have been largely negotiated with the pilots' union.

Finally, they stress that pilots share responsibility that they get adequate rest and are fit to fly.

Cockpit conversations

Even though the NTSB is months away from determining the probable cause of the accident, the rest issue erupted in full Thursday.

It was raised, in this case, by the ill-fated pilots themselves, their haunting words captured on the cockpit voice recorder.

As the plane cruised toward Birmingham, Beal noted the two-person crew would have two extra hours off-the-clock on the ground, and pointed out their rest period during a previous leg was cut short by a 30-minute ride to the hotel.

"This is where, ah, the passenger side (passenger airline pilots) ... they're gonna make out," he said.

"I mean I don't get that. You know, it should be one level of safety for everybody," he said.

Fanning agreed.

"It should be across the board to be honest. In my opinion, whether you are flying passengers or cargo or, you know, box of chocolates at night, if you're flying this time of day..." she said.

"The, you know, fatigue is definitely," she added, her voice becoming unintelligible.

"I was out and slept today. I slept in Rockford. I slept good," she said. "And I was out in that sleep room and when my alarm went off, I mean, I'm thinkin' 'I'm so tired,'" she said.

"I know," Beal responded, saying cargo companies "got a lot of nerve."

'They told us'

The union representing the 2,600 pilots who fly for UPS took note of the cockpit conversation.

"Pilots rarely get to speak for themselves from beyond the grave in these cases," said Brian Gaudet, a spokesman for the Independent Pilots Association.

"I'm going to take their word at face value. They told us what was going on at the beginning of that flight," he said.

UPS said its rules are within FAA requirements, and that it had a FAA-mandated fatigue risk management program.

A typical UPS pilot is on duty 70 hours a month, and flies less than half of that time.

UPS said both crew members were coming off extended time off. The captain had been off for eight days before beginning his final trip, and the first officer had flown just two of the previous 10 days.

Beal had flown 41 hours in the previous 30 days; Fanning had flown 31.

UPS representative Capt. Jon Snyder said that "a majority" of the company's flights occur at night, so the company can keep its commitment to deliver packages by 10 a.m.

"That's the nature of the business," he said.

Last year, he said, pilots flew 123,000 flights, and on 138 occasions called in to report they were too tired to fly.

In 96 cases, the company determined that the pilot was within his or her rights, and in 42 cases it deducted days from their sick days after concluding the pilots could have managed their rest periods better.

IPA representative Lauri Esposito said pilots are reluctant to call in tired.

"Members view it (the company's response) as being punitive; they get dinged for it."

At the hearing, experts testified Beal and Fanning missed numerous cues that the plane was descending too rapidly.

NTSB investigator in charge Dan Bower said he has found no indication that the plane had mechanical problems.

Democratic legislation proposed last year in the Senate proposes to align rest rules for cargo pilots with those of their passenger airline counterparts..


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