Model Airplanes

Wearing a pair of high-tech goggles, Bob Umerkulov guided his drone through the hangar at Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology, zooming through a makeshift obstacle course.

One wrong move, though, and the drone veered into the protective mesh, sending student workers scrambling to retrieve a ladder and untangle the remote-controlled device from the netting.

“It’s way easier when you fly with the goggles than just with line of sight,” Umerkulov said. “But here it’s a little tricky. I had a lot of noise on my video.”

The Brooklyn man’s demonstration was part of Saturday’s “International Drone Day” at Vaughn College’s campus in East Elmhurst, in the shadows of LaGuardia Airport, where visitors learned to build drones in free student-led workshops and practiced on flight simulators.

They also heard an expert panel talk about the current state of the remote-controlled machines, which have soared in popularity in

Article source: http://www.qchron.com/editions/queenswide/the-fun-and-future-of-drones-in-queens/article_87c2ef6b-d27d-5cf2-82d6-f4d242a69c73.html

Serial inventor Dezso Molnar is a man of many opinions – and strong ones at that. In fact, one short California road trip Loz Blain took with Dezso looks like it will stretch out to span five in-depth interview articles. Start out by reading about Dezso’s background as an inventor, rocket scientist and musician, then check out his philosophical take on where flying cars should be going, and now for part three, Dezso speaks off the cuff about his favorite and least favorite flying car designs that are out there right now.

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  Article source: http://www.gizmag.com/dezso-molnar-best-flying-cars-worst-roundup/43306/

By: Eric Auxier / Published: May 11, 2016

Many improvements in aviation safety have come off the backs of airline accidents, and lessons from the ValuJet 592 tragedy are no exception.

A ValuJet McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32, similar to the one involved. (Credits: Aero Icarus)

On May 11, 1996, Flight 592’s McDonnell-Douglas DC-9 crashed into the Everglades a mere eleven minutes after takeoff from Miami, killing all 110 people on board. On takeoff, improperly packaged and labeled oxygen generators in the cargo compartment caught fire, which quickly spread throughout the plane.

The NTSB stated as the Probable Causes: the failure to properly package and identify unexpended chemical oxygen generators; the failure of ValuJet to properly oversee its contract maintenance program; and the failure of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to require smoke detection and fire suppression systems in class D cargo compartments.

Valujet 592 ATC Recording:

While the bulk of the blame went to contract maintenance company SabreTech, the tragedy left ValuJet’s public reputation in tatters. Even before 592, however, ValuJet had already earned a poor reputation. In its quest to capture the low cost market and maximize profits, the company paid its pilots, crew and other employees rock bottom wages. Planes and equipment were purchased second-hand, and much of the maintenance was farmed out to third-party vendors, including SabreTech. What’s more, ValuJet had been under scrutiny

Article source: http://airwaysnews.com/blog/2016/05/11/the-legacy-of-valujet-592/

Suddenly and completely, like a Honda Civic, bicycle season is upon us. It is a time of great confusion. Squealing 10-speeds leap from sidewalk to street without signal or interruption. Phalanxes of silent, spandexed professionals choke every road. Children wobble forth from every shaded drive and retirees on recumbents lurk in your blind spots. You literally cannot start your car without a cyclist flying into your windshield, and that makes driving a stressful ordeal.

I feel your anxiety. You can’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs, and you can’t drive back and forth to the pharmacy all summer without hitting a few bicycles. It’s inevitable. You’re going to run over a family in the next few months, and the mature person accepts that. But no one likes to watch torso after lifeless torso slide off the hood of his car, so even the boldest drivers can get a little overcautious this time of year. As a cyclist, I only ask that you remember one simple rule:

If I have come to a complete stop, do not also stop.

I know what you’re thinking: I’m about to jump my bike off the yield sign and into the grill of your car, my bones and ligaments snapping apart like a model airplane kit. But I see you. My feet are off the pedals, and I am balanced in a stationary position. It may look like I am about to ricochet off your front bumper in a spray of spokes and teeth, but I

Article source: http://missoulanews.bigskypress.com/missoula/just-go-on/Content?oid=2891569