Airplanes

Wilson works to band waterfowl in the summer to help track the birds. Hunters that harvest banded birds will report their harvest to state wildlife officials.

This Biologist Defies Gravity (and Glass Ceilings) to Document the Effects of Climate Change

As one of five American women in this role, Heather Wilson blends aviation and birds to bolster climate change records

How to FedEx a Giant Panda

On February 21, the United States says #ByeByeBaoBao

Does This Scenario Explain JFK Jr.'s Plane Crash?

A distracting radio issue, a hazy night, and a new pilot unsure of his instruments. According to investigators, these were some of the possible factors

This paper plane could one day change the way the U.S. military handles one-way supply missions.

Why the Military Is Investing in Paper Airplanes

Disposable drones could save lives—and money

How the Crash of Flight 4590 Destroyed Concorde's Mystique

The Concorde was once the peak of cutting-edge aircraft design and a status symbol for the world's elite travelers

An illustration from "Bessie, Queen of the Sky," a forthcoming children's book about Bessie Coleman.

The 'Queen of the Sky' Is Finally Getting Her Due

On her birthday, we're remembering Bessie Coleman's incredible achievements

An early B-52.

In 1957, The U.S. Flew a Jet Around the World to Prove it Could Drop a Nuclear Bomb Anywhere

The B-52 bomber that made the flight was part of a new bomber class that was still proving its worth

The Heinkel He-280, the world's first jet fighter, was developed in Nazi Germany during World War II.

Since First Successfully Used More Than 75 Years Ago, Ejection Seats Have Saved Thousands

The faster an airplane is moving, the harder it is to get out of: that's why ejection seats are so important

A modern flight data recorder, a.k.a. a "black box." Despite the name, these recorders are typically painted orange.

On This Day, The Black Box Proved Its Worth

The Park Slope plane crash was a tragedy, but it proved the importance of the flight data recorder

Boeing N2S

Take to the Skies in One of These Restored Vintage WWII Airplanes

Earn your wings and experience a slice of aviation history from the cockpit of a historic aircraft

Obi the parrotlet

How a Goggle-Wearing Parrot Could Help Future Robots Fly

By flying through a haze and lasers, Obi the parrotlet helped researchers figure out how much lift birds produce

The Sikiorsky JRS-1 "was right in the middle of it,” Robinson says. “She went out along with other airplanes from the (Navy) Utility Squadron One searching for the Japanese fleet.”

At Pearl Harbor, This Aircraft Risked It All to Find the Japanese Fleet

The Sikorsky JRS-1 flew right through the middle of it on December 7, 1941

An FBI photo of the airplane D.B. Cooper hijacked.

You Can Help Try to Track Down D.B. Cooper’s True Identity by Digging Through FBI Files

A crowdsourced project is trying to identify the infamous skyjacker once and for all

Don't be like this guy. Read our roundup of tips on the best ways to prevent and reduce stress during your airplane trip.

The Science of How to Fly Stress-Free Over the Holidays

From getting to the airport to avoiding lost luggage, a little research can help you have a stress-free plane trip

The process involves speeding up the fermentation of wood sugars. The resulting alcohol is then converted into jet fuel.

Could Wood Scraps Fuel Planes?

Alaska Airlines powered a cross-country commercial flight using a new biofuel derived from wood waste

OK Go for launch: Andy Ross, Tim Nordwind, Damian Kulash Jr. and Dan Konopka

How OK Go Has Revolutionized the Music Video

To pull off one of their most daring videos, they needed a borrowed Russian transport jet, spreadsheets and calculus, and a lot of motion-sickness medicine

In the team's new approach, the whole shape of the wing can be changed, and twisted uniformly along its length, by activating two small motors that apply a twisting pressure to each wingtip.

NASA’s New, Super-Efficient Airplane Wing Comes With a Twist

The agency and several universities have designed a flexible wing that could reduce the cost of building and fueling airplanes

A replica of the lost Mark IV nuclear bomb at the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada

Diver Found Possible Inactive 1950 Nuke Off the Coast of British Columbia

The purported bomb was discovered by a man searching for sea cucumbers

A 1933 Oil painting of the ill-fated aviator by Howard Chandler Christy.

What to Make of Renewed Claims That Amelia Earhart Died as a Castaway

Reexamination of data from a 1940 skeleton, suggests that the long forearms may match those of the missing aviator

Cornelia Fort was one of 1,074 women to fly for the Army Air Forces in the war.

A Pearl Harbor Disappearance May Finally Have Been Solved

Flight instructor Cornelia Fort faced a close call on that infamous day, but her plane was thought to have been lost to history

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