Model Airplanes

A handful of high-fliers are discovering the joys of single-engine aircraft.

For hobby pilots in Pune, nothing compares to the magic of being airborne in a single engine aircraft. The pure joy of defying the pull of gravity to fly into clear blue skies is an experience they wish to relive over and over again. But in India, where recreational flying is yet to catch on, the hobby isn’t so easy to pursue.

“Even getting a pilot’s license can be a struggle,” rues Vikas Achalkar, an architect in his 40s. Achalkar decided to give the activity a try two years ago, and soon got hooked. He remembers the time he flew a Cessna 172R solo for the first time last year. “I had to overcome my vertigo to achieve the feat,” says Achalkar, who got goosebumps while taking off from a runway in Baramati. Achalkar learnt flying from the Baramati-based Academy of Carver Aviation.

In aviation, the ultimate test for a rookie pilot is to successfully fly an aircraft solo for the first time. However, only after spending considerable amount of time and money was Achalkar confident enough to fly a plane singlehandedly.

His confidante in the pleasures and challenges of piloting an aircraft was fellow city-based recreational flying enthusiast, Sameer Belwalkar. Before they got a chance to sit inside a cockpit, Achalkar and Belwalkar had to familiarise themselves with air law, rules and regulations.

Moreover, both had to make their way through reams on meteorology, navigation and aeronautics. “Imagine

Article source: http://www.punemirror.in/others/sunday-read/On-cloud-nine/articleshow/46004947.cms

The measles outbreak in California is getting worse: There are at least 59 cases of the disease in the state, of which 42 have been linked to “Disneyland or Disney California Adventure Park in Anaheim, California,” according to the California Department of Public Health. People who have been vaccinated against the disease should be fine to visit, public health officials tell CNN. (CNN, AP, and California Department of Public Health)

The NTSB has recommended that airlines improve their on-board tracking systems so that airliners can be more easily recovered in the event of a crash. “Parts of the safety board’s 13-page package of recommendations—particularly the proposals to make key systems tamper-proof and routinely transmit flight data—go well beyond what the industry deems necessary, and would involve costly efforts to retrofit some airline fleets,” reports Andy Pasztor. (WSJ)

Gary Leff follows yesterday’s Wall Street Journal piece about money-saving airfare tips with eight of his own strategies for getting value-priced flights. Some of his best advice: “Don’t stress about the deal you could have gotten; pounce when the deal is good enough.” (Boarding Area)

Uber will “tweak” its business model to comply with regulators in Delhi, where the company’s operations had been shut down. (Quartz)

Skift ranks the world’s best economy-class cabins, and the results will probably not surprise you. But the methodology is interesting! (Skift)

Abercrombie Kent says it has added five

Article source: http://www.cntraveler.com/stories/2015-01-23/morning-news-disneyland-measles-outbreak-spreads

LAKELAND, Fla. – The NTSB and the FAA are beginning an investigation to what led to a plane to crash in Lakeland on Thursday.

Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are expected to continue looking into the reason a small plane crashed into a chemical warehouse in Lakeland on Thursday.

Tailwheels Flight School made a statement Friday afternoon, view the statement in its entirety in the video player above

Meanwhile, Lakeland’s Fire Department continued an “all-night drenching operation” which involves rotating trucks out every couple hours in an attempt to keep dangerous chemicals safe.

MORE: See the original story and hear the 911 calls – http://shar.es/1byWp0.

According to officials with the Lakeland Fire Department, an “environmental mitigation” crew is planning to clean up the chemicals at the warehouse on Friday.

The plane crash occurred around 8:20 a.m.  Thursday morning at 5300 Allen K Breed Highway, a former plastics factory.

The plane crashed into a building owned by Key Safety Systems which manufactures automotive components. The building was being used to store chemicals and powdered aluminum. It was unoccupied at the time of the crash and fire.

One of the chemicals is Nitroguanidine, which is used in automotive airbags; when dry, it is explosive.

Key Safety Systems says they had about 4,000 canisters of Nitroguanidine at the warehouse in addition to about 650 lbs of powdered aluminum.

Propane tanks were also stored outside the warehouse, said fire officials.

Because of the chemicals, firefighters were not able to enter the building after the blaze was contained.

Polk County hazmat crews were

Article source: http://www.abcactionnews.com/news/ntsb-faa-to-investigate-lakeland-plane-crash-on-friday