Queen of the Skies: The Boeing 747 is playing a hero’s role during Covid-19 crisis
50 Years after the first 747 went into service, the groundbreaking wide-body jet may be having its finest hour.
Meet Janet, the Most Mysterious Airline in the World
"Janet" is a callsign shrouded in mystery, for an airline that really isn’t an airline, with a fleet that bears no logos, based in plain sight at Las Vegas’ McCarran International Airport.
Six reasons why its cool to be a pilot
The magic of flight has fascinated us for well over a century. There are those who are content to sit on the ground and watch aircraft soar overhead. Many of us are excited to be passengers, modern-day jetsetters who travel the globe. But for some, the passion for flight is overwhelming, and the need to fly becomes a lifelong obsession. CNN Travel spoke to six pilots, who told us why it's cool to be a pilot.
Setting the Scene: James Bond’s Role in Setting Travel Trends
Writer Ian Fleming’s Agent 007 burst onto the movie screen in 1962’s Dr. No, in an era when the glamor and cachet of jet travel had permeated the public psyche. Long before social media, the idea of connecting the world through high-speed air travel was popularized by the movies, television and magazines of the time. The rich and famous were featured flying to far-flung destinations in what seemed to be the blink of an eye.
Help From Above
Tune into the TV news in Vancouver, and one might see a story about a hapless hiker who’s lost in the local mountains, or a senseless snowboarder who rode out-of-bounds into a ravine. Invariably, to get the story, the reporter interviews one of the back-country rescue specialists at North Shore Rescue (NSR), with a bright yellow helicopter belonging to Vancouver-based Talon Helicopters hovering in the background. If the rescue is successful, the video might show people dangling on a long-line below Talon’s TwinStar helicopter as they drop gently into a parking lot. Sometimes, though, the rescue becomes a recovery mission. And in the 20-year relationship between NSR and Talon, rescue specialists and pilots have seen their share of both.
Charting Out the North Pole
The iconic Jeppesen approach charts are filled with the information pilots need to complete a safe approach and landing. The format of the charts has also inspired a series of more than 80 commemorative maps recognizing Jeppesen employees, and honoring pilots such as Jimmy Buffet and Harrison Ford, and events such as Apollo 13 and the Miracle on the Hudson. In 2013, Jeppesen added Santa Claus to the list of honorees with the release of its North Pole Village chart.
Jeppesen Plots Uncharted Territory with Commemorative Maps
The recent release of Sully sheds light on the major accomplishment of the crew of US Airways Flight 1549 on January 15, 2009. But Clint Eastwood wasn’t the first to honor the “Miracle on the Hudson.” Navigation solutions company Jeppesen captured the event on a commemorative chart – its most popular to date.
It’s Show Time!
People love to watch airplanes. That’s why airshows are one of the world’s most popular spectator events. Aviation enthusiasts will risk sunburn and dehydration to stand at an airport, sunglassed eyes scanning the skies, to watch pilots demonstrate their planes’ performance. Fast-moving and incredibly noisy military jets will make them reach down to cover their kids’ ears, and they’ll haul kilos of photo gear around to “get the shot.”
Nostalgia Trip
OK, I’ll admit it. I’m the one who arrives at the airport hours early. But I’m not worried about missing my flight, since I checked in online and know that it’s only going to take me a few minutes if I go through security on the mezzanine level at YYZ. No, I’m here because I love airports, aircraft and the process of travel. I’m a prepared passenger. I know my airport codes and airline abbreviations, and where in the plane I’ll be sitting.
Aspirational Aeronautics
The Aviation High School opened in 2004 in its first temporary quarters, with a freshman class of 100 students. Gilman became the school’s first principal and led the drive to find a permanent home. “It took us almost a decade to get the funding,” she says. $43.5 million was raised from public and private sectors, including the State of Washington, the Port of Seattle, Boeing, and Alaska Airlines. Recognizing the major contribution of Sherry and James Raisbeck of Seattle’s Raisbeck Engineering, the new school opened in fall 2013 and was renamed Raisbeck Aviation High School (RAHS).