Bits of the Concorde to be Auctioned Off

by Neil Woodburn on

Were it not for the iconic bent, needle nose, the Concorde would probably have been just another airplane. Sure, it flew at supersonic speeds and featured only First Class, but it was that funky bent nose that really hammered this extraordinary plane into the public psyche.

The Concorde, however, was finally retired in 2003 and with it disappeared a little piece of aviation history.

But not entirely.

Like any vestige of history these days, nostalgia has its value. Airplane enthusiast will be happy to learn that bits and pieces of the plane are to be auctioned off to the public; air speed indicators, oxygen masks, and landing gear, are just a few of the items for sale. Gadling readers will be excited to learn that a Concorde toilet seat will see the gavel as well. Sorry, but the needle noses were already sold a few years ago.

America’s Most Miserable Airports

by Willy Volk on

US News & World Report recently looked at the 47 largest hub and non-hub airports in America. After analyzing data that included on-time performance and average load factor (i.e., how crowded the airplanes are), they assigned an “Airport Misery Index” to each airport. The more tardy the airport and the more crowded the airplane, the higher the Misery Index.

Guess which airport is the most miserable:

This list represents only the top 10 “most miserable” airports in the US. For the entire list, see US News & World Report. Some things of note about the results:

  • JFK ranks as the airport with the greatest percentage of flights delayed.
  • Honolulu is the best at maintaining on-time departures.
  • Honolulu has the highest average load factor.
  • Houston’s Hobby Airport has the lowest average load factor.

Smoother Ride On Planes Of The Future

by Jonathon Morgan on

A new turbulence detection system is being developed that may help pilots avoid weather disturbances. According a National Geographic News report, this NASA initiative could “prevent injuries and save airlines millions of dollars.”

There’s two systems in the works — the first of which is a modified version of the radar pilot’s currently use, called E-Turb. This informs pilots of potential sources of turbulence, making them easier to avoid. The second is used when a plane has already encountered turbulence — creating instant reports which allow ground crews to spot any maintenance issues, while also alerting nearby aircraft to the disturbance.

These new technologies could give pilots an additional several minutes of warning before they hit severe weather — time which, according to NASA engineer Jim Watson, is “enough time to get everybody seated and carts stowed if you’re in the meal phase of the flight.”