Air Transportation | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/air-transportation/RSS feed for Air TransportationenThu, 09 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0000What's Inside America's Lost Luggage? These Travelers Abandoned a Samurai Sword, a Meteorite and a Robot With a Mysterious Purposehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/whats-inside-americas-lost-luggage-these-travelers-abandoned-a-samurai-sword-a-meteorite-and-a-robot-with-a-mysterious-purpose-180988507/Unclaimed Baggage sells lost belongings at a 50,000-square-foot store in Alabama. An annual report explores how objects packed in 2025 reflect cultural trendsThu, 09 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/whats-inside-americas-lost-luggage-these-travelers-abandoned-a-samurai-sword-a-meteorite-and-a-robot-with-a-mysterious-purpose-180988507/Eight Fascinating Scientific Discoveries From 2025 That Could Lead to New Inventionshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/eight-fascinating-scientific-discoveries-from-2025-that-could-lead-to-new-inventions-180987916/By studying the natural world, scientists find blueprints for innovations that can improve human lives—in the genes of a shark, the fur of a polar bear and the flipper of an extinct reptileTue, 30 Dec 2025 13:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/eight-fascinating-scientific-discoveries-from-2025-that-could-lead-to-new-inventions-180987916/How the Disappearance of Flight 19, a Navy Squadron Lost in 1945, Fueled the Legend of the Bermuda Trianglehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-the-disappearance-of-flight-19-a-navy-squadron-lost-in-1945-fueled-the-legend-of-the-bermuda-triangle-180987759/Eighty years ago, five planes vanished during a training run off the Florida coast. A patrol plane sent to search for the men went missing, too, giving rise to a host of conspiracy theoriesFri, 05 Dec 2025 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-the-disappearance-of-flight-19-a-navy-squadron-lost-in-1945-fueled-the-legend-of-the-bermuda-triangle-180987759/Ethiopian Volcano Erupts for the First Time in Nearly 12,000 Years of Scientific Recordshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ethiopian-volcano-erupts-for-the-first-time-in-nearly-12000-years-of-scientific-records-180987764/The plume from the Hayli Gubbi volcano drifted east over the Arabian Sea and extended roughly 2,200 milesWed, 26 Nov 2025 20:58:36 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ethiopian-volcano-erupts-for-the-first-time-in-nearly-12000-years-of-scientific-records-180987764/Remains of Bomber Pilot Identified 80 Years After His Plane Went Down During World War IIhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/remains-of-bomber-pilot-identified-80-years-after-his-plane-went-down-during-world-war-ii-180986139/Herbert G. Tennyson was a U.S. Army pilot on a B-24 nicknamed "Heaven Can Wait," which crashed into the ocean in early 1944Mon, 03 Mar 2025 18:01:22 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/remains-of-bomber-pilot-identified-80-years-after-his-plane-went-down-during-world-war-ii-180986139/The Enduring Mystery of a Plane That Vanished in the Icy Canadian Wilderness With 44 People On Boardhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-enduring-mystery-of-a-plane-that-vanished-in-the-icy-canadian-wilderness-with-44-people-on-board-180985878/Seventy-five years ago, a Douglas C-54D Skymaster disappeared en route from Alaska to Montana. No trace of its crew and passengers, including a pregnant mother and her young son, has ever been foundThu, 23 Jan 2025 12:15:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-enduring-mystery-of-a-plane-that-vanished-in-the-icy-canadian-wilderness-with-44-people-on-board-180985878/On This Day in 1785, Two Men Braved Death When They Flew Across the English Channel in a Balloonhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/on-this-day-in-1785-two-men-braved-death-when-they-flew-across-the-english-channel-in-a-balloon-180985724/Jean-Pierre Blanchard and John Jeffries' harrowing journey was the first aerial crossing between France and BritainTue, 07 Jan 2025 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/on-this-day-in-1785-two-men-braved-death-when-they-flew-across-the-english-channel-in-a-balloon-180985724/A Brief History of the Goodyear Blimp, Which Celebrates Its 100th Anniversary This Yearhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-brief-history-of-the-goodyear-blimp-which-celebrates-its-100th-anniversary-this-year-180985772/The tire company's iconic "lighter-than-air" craft debuted in 1925 and began providing aerial coverage of events across the country in 1955Mon, 06 Jan 2025 21:45:44 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-brief-history-of-the-goodyear-blimp-which-celebrates-its-100th-anniversary-this-year-180985772/How British College Students Convinced Authorities That Flying Saucers Were Invading the U.K.https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-british-college-students-convinced-authorities-that-flying-saucers-were-invading-the-uk-180985442/To raise awareness for a charity event, aspiring engineers planted six UFOs across southern England on a single day in 1967Fri, 15 Nov 2024 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-british-college-students-convinced-authorities-that-flying-saucers-were-invading-the-uk-180985442/The Top-Secret World War II Mission That Killed Joseph P. Kennedy Jr., the Heir Apparent to the Political Dynastyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-top-secret-world-war-ii-mission-that-killed-joseph-pkennedy-heir-apparent-political-dynasty-180984857/In August 1944, the older brother of Robert and John F. Kennedy died while piloting a drone aircraft over England, leaving his younger siblings to fulfill their father's dreamsMon, 12 Aug 2024 11:15:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-top-secret-world-war-ii-mission-that-killed-joseph-pkennedy-heir-apparent-political-dynasty-180984857/