The flight took off Wednesday May 22nd at 04:47AM MST (UTC-7) from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and is scheduled to land at 01:00AM CDT (UTC-5) at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. The total distance covered will be 868 miles (1396.8 km) – and as you might be aware, the speed at which this plane travels this distance isn’t exactly speedy – you can drive between these spots much quicker.

But that’s not the point – instead it’s traveling this distance without fuel – without non-sustainable energy, rather. Have a peek at our in-flight interview here and read all about it below – and stick with SlashGear for more information on this flight as it continues across the USA.

A Sustainable Energy Movement

AB: It’s an unbelievable feeling to see how this technology works. You have to imagine that I am sitting in an airplane, I will be flying in it all day – I will be climbing to 27,000 feet, and at the same time I will be filling up the batteries.

AB: We believe that these technologies have a great future – to develop new products, to develop new jobs, to develop new industries.

The flight today is a step toward making flight around the world possible. It was important to test this airplane in different kinds of weather, different weather systems in the United States – I mean, you saw what happened in Texas [in the tornado on the 15th] and Oklahoma [in the tornado on the 20th] as it’s not easy to steer such an airplane in difficult conditions. So that is for us a first important goal.

On Media Connections and the In-flight Interview

AB: It’s a good opportunity to discuss with media, and also with partners – and with schools. I had many discussions with schools where children could ask questions and we could discuss what we are doing and why we are doing it.

The arrival in Dallas will be challenging, because it’s windy. It’s windy on the ground and it’s windy around the airport, so getting to this approach phase, we will not be able to give interviews.

What’s Next?

AB: This airplane is fully sustainable, but the big challenge is to make the pilot sustainable. That’s why we are constructing a second airplane – which is being constructed in Switzerland – and this second airplane will be designed for travel over long distances, over the ocean, and we plan to do the next trip 5 days and 5 nights, non-stop, with one pilot onboard only – with this second plane.

With this one, we limit ourselves to 24 hours because the airplane has to be manually steered all the time.

You can continue to watch Borschberg make this flight live at Solar Impulse Live – tell him we say hello!

Interestingly enough, the 787 Dreamliner’s first flight in the US was also from Houston to Chicago, so it seems that United is essentially starting all over again from the beginning with its flight schedule. United Airlines tweeted the news today, along with a photo saying, “I’m back by popular demand,” referring to the 787 coming back from its four-month hiatus. However, we’re not sure a lot of passengers are going to be too crazy about boarding a plane that was once grounded for malfunctions.

The Dreamliner’s lithium ion battery had overheating issues in multiple planes, leading to emergency landings and then eventually to a fleet-wide grounding by the FAA in order to further investigate the issue and fix the problem. The FAA grounded all 787 aircrafts back in January, and the planes were then clear to fly again in late April.

As for what the future holds for the 787, let’s hope the battery fixes hold up, or else Boeing will face even more scrutiny. It’s not unheard of for the same aircraft fleet to experience multiple issues, but we’re sure that Boeing and airlines flying 787s don’t want to have to deal with such a problem again, especially with such a new plane that comes with new technology.

The fix for the 787s was estimated at $23.5 million for the entire fleet, which the airlines themselves didn’t necessarily have to pay for, but we’re guessing United Airlines and others lost a bit of money due to canceled flights and the need to reschedule future flights that were planned to take the Dreamliner to their destination.

The X-47B is fully autonomous, meaning that it’s controlled automatically with computer software so that there doesn’t need to be a pilot to fly it, although someone could take control if need be. The new prototype drone is also designed specifically for aircraft carriers, and it’s made to take off and land just like a normal fighter jet would on an aircraft carrier.

The drone has a maximum altitude of over 40,000 feet with a range of more than 2,100 nautical miles. As for the speed of the drone, the Navy doesn’t disclose exact figures, but simply refers to its top speed as “high subsonic.” However, the drone is the size of a full-size fighter jet, and looks quite similar to a Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk.

There has been increasing controversy over drones, though, and some countries say that the drone strikes are causing widespread civilian deaths since they operate with little human interaction, but that doesn’t seem to be stopping the US military for advancing the program and sending out more drones overseas. Plus, people here in the US are even concerned themselves over the privacy issues that drones create.

In any case, the next step for the X-47B drone is to land on the aircraft carrier, which is a much more difficult task than taking off, but there’s already video proof of the new prototype drone making a test landing on the ground to see if it could land on such a short runway on an aircraft carrier, and from the looks of it, a landing looks very much possible at this point.

VIA: CBS News

SOURCE: Navy Live

Of course, this isn’t the first time Terrafugia has waved around a flying car, having first done so way back in late 2006 with the Transition, a work-in-progress that was said to function as both a car and a personal air vehicle. Not surprisingly, the Transition isn’t zipping around our skies, but that hasn’t stopped the company from unveiling its latest ambitions, the TF-X.

The TF-X is said to be a VTOL (Vertical Takeoff and Landing) vehicle with four-seats and a plug-in hybrid system under the hood. According to the announcement, Terrafugia has already discussed the vehicle with the FAA, which it says is agreeable to the technology. It also goes on to say that the Transition is “nearing” production, with the TF-X concept eventually going a step farther.

Said Terrafugia’s CEO Car Dietrich: “This is the right time for us to begin thinking about the future of the company beyond Transition® development. We are passionate about continuing to lead the creation of a flying car industry and are dedicating resources to lay the foundations for our vision of personal transportation.”

[via Terra Fugia]

Solar Impulse has a wingspan of 207 feet, which is 2/3 the length of an American football field and the same wingspan as many commercial jets. The plane also sports 12,000 solar cells and 900 pounds of batteries to keep it going for a prolonged period of time. The team of two tested-flew the plane in 2010, and it was able to stay in the sky for 26 hours straight.

However, only Piccard will be making the journey across the country, but it won’t be as fast as what a commercial jet could make the trip in. Solar Impulse has a top speed of around 50 miles per hour, so it’s expected to take a few days for the plane to reach New York, whereas a jumbo jet could make the trip in just a few hours.

If the Piccard name sounds familiar, than you’re on to something (no, not Star Trek). In 1999, Piccard circled the globe in a gas-powered balloon, and his father, Jacques Piccard, was the first person to descend to the bottom of the Mariana Trench in 1960. After Piccard completes the flight across the US, his next goal is to take the plane around the entire world, just like he did with the balloon.

[via Smithsonian Magazine]

This approval follows the FAA’s statement, with Japan’s Transport Minister Akihiro Ohta saying: “We have reached a conclusion that there is no problem with the judgment by the FAA. We believe all possible safety measures would be taken to prevent recurrence of similar problems.” Before the planes can take to the skies, batteries must be changed and an approved system must be installed that will keep the lithium ion batteries from overheating and potentially catching fire.

This is particularly good news for the two Japanese airlines who have the Boeing jets. A total of 50 787 Dreamliners are in service across the globe, with nearly half of them being located in Japan. According to the Associated Press, Japan Airlines has seven 787 Dreamliners and All Nippon Airways has 17 of them, making a total of 24 grounded jets.

On top of the requirements that have been set forth by the FAA, Japan is also making the two aforementioned airlines do some additional changes, which includes a new system that allows those on the ground to monitor the voltage of the batteries on the plane. Estimates have it that the jets will be sky-ready by summertime, with All Nippon Airways saying it’ll take about one week to repair a single plane.

[via Yahoo News]

However, before airlines can get the planes back up in the air, Boeing first needs to replace all the batteries in the fleet of around 50 planes, something that probably should’ve been done before the FAA lifted the official ban, but either way, the aircraft manufacturer says the project will be done in a couple of weeks.

The FAA says that repairs to just United Airlines’ six 787 Dreamliners will cost around $2.8 million, which means that fixing the entire Boeing 787 fleet could cost as much as $23.5 million. However, it seems Boeing will be footing the bill, as it’s technically their problem and not the airlines’ per se.

Plans for a new battery design for the 787 began in February shortly after the defunct ones were discovered, and the first test flights following the incident occurred later that month. It was later announced that Airbus would go back to using the traditional nickel-cadmium batteries found in most planes after they heard about Boeing’s fiasco with the new lithuim-ion batteries. In short, we’re not surprised by Airbus’s decision.

[via Reuters]

Before the FAA will lift the ban, however, they will be publishing a set of instructions for operators to follow in order to implement the design changes in all of the 787 Dreamliners currently out there. And while the FAA will lift ban sometime next week, this doesn’t necessarily mean that airlines will start flying the planes again, as they will have their own protocol as to when they decided to get the Dreamliners back up in the air.

As for the changes that operators will need to make, the FAA says that they will need to “install containment and venting systems for the main and auxiliary system batteries, and to replace the batteries and their chargers with modified components.” Once the changes are made to the planes, they’ll be free to fly again.

Plans for a new battery design began in February, with the first test flights following the incident occurring earlier that month. It was later announced that Airbus would go back to using the traditional nickel-cadmium batteries found in most planes after the manufacturer heard about Boeing’s fiasco with the new lithuim-ion batteries.

The airline announced on Twitter that they’re having issues with their computer system. Originally, the airline thought that there were issues with the Sabre booking tool, but it seems to only involve the airline’s reservation system. The latest report is that all American Airlines flights are grounded until 4pm CT.

It’s said that American Airlines runs over 3,300 flights per day, and that somewhere around 100,000 people are being affected by the ground delay. It’s also worth pointing out that American Airlines operates over 600 aircrafts that travel to around 260 countries, so based on that information, that’s certainly a lot of flights being grounded.

American Airlines stopped dispatching new flights, stopped boarding new flights, and stopped allowing people to check in starting at around 11 am CT, so the delay will last around six hours, according to when the airline first tweeted the issue. We’re not sure how they’ll manage to get everything back on track, but we’re guessing that employees will be working overtime for the next few days in order to get caught up.

UPDATE: American Airlines says that their “systems have been fully restored,” but as expected, there will be “continued flight delays and cancellations throughout the remainder of the day.”

[via CNBC]

According to Tesco, an airplane could be hijacked because two aviation systems, the Automated Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast and the Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System, are unauthenticated and unencrypted. He acquired flight code software off eBay and a radio transmitter, and got to work with creating his plane hijacking method.

Tesco used the code to find vulnerabilities in virtual aircraft, and via these problems he used his Android app called PlaneSploit to take control of a Boeing jet in autopilot mode. Rockwell Collins, which is a company that make the systems that were hijacked, says the problem is that Tesco is using a virtual plane, and that such a method wouldn’t work with a real aircraft. The FAA agrees, publishing a statement that says:

“The FAA is aware that a German information technology consultant has alleged he has detected a security issue with the Honeywell NZ-2000 Flight Management System (FMS) using only a desktop computer … The described technique cannot engage or control the aircraft’s autopilot system using the FMS or prevent a pilot from overriding the autopilot. Therefore, a hacker cannot obtain ‘full control of an aircraft’ as the technology consultant has claimed.”

[via The Register]

It turns out that two important aviation systems — the Automated Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) and the Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS) — are completely unencrypted and unauthenticated, allowing anyone with the right tools and a little know-how to access the system remotely without too much trouble.

Teso simply hit up eBay for “actual flight code software” that’s normally used for training pilots, as well as nabbing a radio transmitter. During the demonstration, Teso audited real aircraft code by searching for vulnerabilities on a fleet of virtual aircrafts (using real airplanes in this case would obviously be unethical and quite illegal. Along with an Android app called PlaneSploit (which won’t be hitting the Google Play store), Teso was able to control the steering of a Boeing jet, as long as the plane was in autopilot mode.

Teso has been working in the IT industry for 11 years now, and before that he was a trained and licensed commercial pilot for 12 years. His 23 years of combined experienced with the two professions has led him to teach the public about the state of the security of aviation computer systems and communication protocols, which are actually not that secure, as Teso demonstrated.

[via Help Net Security]

Travel website Gadling got a sneak peek inside of an American Airlines cockpit where the iPads are just starting to roll out. The iPad Electronic Flight Bag essentially replaces 40 lbs. worth of flight manuals and other paperwork with one single iPad, as well as a HyperJuice external battery that acts as a backup battery to extend the iPad’s battery life an extra 24 hours if need be.

The iPad replaces a slew of manuals and books, including all the Jeppesen approach plates, company manuals, and operations manuals that pilots had to haul around all the time. All of that gets stuffed into an iPad, and the tablet gets attached to a mount that sits right beside the pilot for quick and easy access during a flight.

However, there’s still one manual that pilots will be required to carry around, even with the iPads, and that’s the Quick Response Handbook, which provides information on emergency procedures. However, it’s not that big of a manual, so pilots won’t see it as a big deal, especially since they’re getting rid of 40 pounds worth of paperwork already.

So far, American Airlines has approved the iPad for the Boeing 777, 737, and McDonnell Douglas MD-80, while approval for the 757 and 767 is forthcoming. iPad have to go through a series of tests from the FAA, just as rapid decompression in a hypobaric chamber, as well as testing of the iPad mounts.

[via Gadling]

During an analyst event, JetBlue announced that they will be calling their in-flight WiFi service “Fly-Fi,” a clever play on words with “Fly” and “WiFi.” The service will be powered by Exede Internet, which is owned by ViaSat. JetBlue hasn’t given a launch date yet, but they hope to have their first WiFi-enabled flight take off sometime later this year.

JetBlue also teased the new service, by releasing a video that demonstrates the speed of their new WiFi service compared to other top WiFi providers like Gogo, Row 44, and Panasonic’s own service. Of course, JetBlue boasts that their Fly-Fi option surfs the web at a much quicker rate than the other three providers.

The airline says that there’s still a lot of testing to be done, and the FAA still needs to come in and do a series of certification tests before the service can be put to public use. Currently, a large number of airlines have WiFi available, but you usually have to pay a small fee in order to get it. JetBlue will be one of the few airlines to offer free WiFi on board.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is currently looking for more details regarding the unidentified drone and its operator. The drone is said to look similar to the Aeryon Labs “Scout” modeled drone in the picture above. John Giacalone, the Special Agent in Charge, stated, “The FBI is asking anyone with information about the unmanned aircraft or the operator to contact us. Our paramount concern is the safety of aircraft passengers and crew.”

This brings up the security concerns that the Government Accountability Office warned Congress about last year. A report submitted by the GAO stated that pushing for drones to become commonplace in the U.S. airspace could result in issues in privacy, security, and worse, GPS jamming and spoofing. One major issue brought up is that a lot of drones don’t have “elaborate on-board detection systems” which are supposed to help them avoid crashes in the air. Serious problems could incur if drones are allowed to be in the same airspace as airplanes.

The FBI is encouraging anyone with information about the unidentified drone to call them at 212-384-1000. Anyone with a tip will remain anonymous. Air traffic controllers have already warned other planes near the JFK International Airport about the drone spotting, but none have come across it yet. The FAA set a limit for drones, and remote-controlled airplanes, controlled by hobbyists to be only flown at a maximum of 400 feet, so whatever this drone was doing wasn’t legal.

[via Wired]

On its Google+ page, JetBlue posted up a few concept images of what traveling could look like through Google Glass, with the caption, “we would continue to help the world view air travel through a whole new lens.” With Google Glass, you could check the status of your flight, get directions to baggage claim, look up taxi fare estimates, and even see where a good place to park would be.

Of course, $1,500 is quite a bit of money, and while a wearable computer like Google Glass could be worth every penny, most consumers won’t want to pay that kind of cash, especially when their handy-dandy smartphone can do the same kinds of functions. Then again, it seems Google Glass is all about the convenience factor and not having to carry around a smartphone at all.

Either way, JetBlue’s concept is actually really stellar, and it makes us want to get a pair for ourselves to make traveling easier. The airline’s Google Glass concept is a part of Google’s own marketing campaign that asks users to tweet or post the hashtag #ifihadglass and explain what they would use Google Glass for.

[via Business Insider]

However, Airbus says that the reason for not using these unpredictable lithium-ion batteries has nothing to do with safety concerns, but rather scheduling and the possible delay of the A350 aircrafts, which are expected to ship to airlines sometime during the summer next year. Airbus says that they don’t want the ongoing battery investigation to interfere with their production schedule.

Airbus will switch back to traditional nickel-cadmium batteries in the A350, mostly because the technology has been proven solid over the years, and they believe in the safety of the tried-and-true batteries. Of course, Boeing’s bold step toward lithium-ion technology was unprecedented and an ultimate game-changer, but it was a risk that ended up turning sour for the airplane manufacturer.

Airbus expects its new A350 to make its first test flight sometime this summer, and it will then undergo further test flights over the year. The manufacturer plans to seek certification from European aviation authorities by early 2014, with an expected launch date of summer 2014, where the new plane will finally be ferrying passengers around the world.

[via WSJ]

According to Reuters, Boeing said that the test flight was “uneventful,” meaning that the two-hour flight didn’t experience any problems, and the lithium-ion batteries seemed to hold up. The plane took off from and landed at Boeing Field in Seattle, WA, and the test crew on board were there to collect detailed information on the batteries while in-flight.

In the meantime, Boeing is redesigning the batteries as a temporary fix until a permanent solution is thought up. While a “temporary fix” might make some flyers queazy, Boeing notes that numerous tests will be run to make sure the redesigned batteries are in 100% working order before they put the planes back up in the air.

It doesn’t look like Boeing will be doing any test flights today, but it’s guaranteed that the company will be conducting numerous test flights over the next few weeks to get to the bottom of the issue. The battery problem has cost airlines tens of millions of dollars, and that number may continue to increase as long as the birds are left on the ground.

[via Reuters]

This deal is being penned by Signature Aviation and Blue City Holdings, the latter company being the one that currently represents the Google fleet. At the moment Google has a set of aircraft owned and operated by the company, each of them used for private Google flights – CEOs and the like. The memo this week would include a 29-acre plot made to house the planes as well as a main airport ticketing/baggage/general boarding area.

The lease with Signature and Blue City Holdings would have them using the area for “at least 50 years” where standard airport leases, according to Mercury News, tend to last between 20 and 30 years. Currently it’s at the Moffett Federal Airfield that Google aircraft are housed on the whole. Aviation Director Bill Sherry spoke up on the matter this week saying that all the way back in 2005 Google has approached the San Jose airport for a similar facility, but that back at that time, not enough space was to be had.

The proposal will be seen by the San Jose city council later this month, specifically by the council’s Airport Competitiveness Committee. This will be the first step in a series of reviews which will be completed by a full city council vote this Spring.

Sound like a fabulous sort of situation to you? It’s not just private Google employees that will be riding out on the Google flights flying out of San Jose. Would you ride a Google Airlines aircraft? Or are you move of a Virgin Airlines sort of traveler?

[via Gizmodo]

The battery redesign would minimize the risk of a meltdown happening, thus reducing the risk of a fire on board, which is what was suspected of happening in the past on the new planes. Again, it’s not Boeing’s permanent solution, but they say it’s the quickest way to get the planes back up in the air the safest way.

The redesigned batteries will have more space and separation between cells, and Boeing is also planning to add enhanced heat sensors. Plus, the company also plans to make the battery cells more rigid to keep them from moving around. We’re not sure if the cells were prone to moving around beforehand, but either way, it looks like Boeing is fully committed to using lithium-ion batteries in the 787, rather than nickel-cadmium batteries found in most other planes.

Boeing has hundreds of engineers and other experts working around the clock to resolve this issue, but there’s no word one when the new planes will be ready to fly again. The last we heard, investigations were going smoothly, but there was no rush to get the aircrafts back in service, so it could be a while before we see them in the air again.

[via WSJ]

Reuters reports that the investigations into the failed batteries are going well so far. Kelly Nantel, spokeswoman for the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, says that “investigators are moving swiftly and we are making progress.” Authorities from the US, France, and Japan are all investigating into the matter.

However, according to Bloomberg, US Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood (who recently just stepped down from the position), says that investigators are “not feeling any pressure,” and mentioned that the team is “going to get this right,” meaning that they’re not taking any shortcuts whatsoever in order to get the planes back in the air.

However, this means that there’s no specific timeframe when Boeing and the FAA will have the 787 Dreamliners flying again. Tom Haueter, aviation investigations chief at the NTSB, said that the investigation could take years to complete, based on the complexity of the evidence found during the battery failures. In the meantime, airlines are making due without their new 787s in service, and you can bet that Boeing is paying dearly for this incident.

The new logo and livery will be introduced on the airline’s new and upcoming Boeing 777-300 airplanes at the end of the month, and have ordered hundreds of other new planes that will be delivered throughout the coming years. Many of the new planes will be made of composite materials to make them lighter. However, they must be painted over, making the iconic unpainted silver look of current AA planes no longer an option. Instead, though, the airline plans to paint them using silver mica paint that will at least maintain AA’s long-lasting heritage.

The new planes will features redesigned first- and business-class seats, and every seat on the new planes will feature all-new in-flight entertainment systems, as well as power outlets and WiFi access. The entertainment systems will feature a huge selection of movies, TV shows, music, and games.

Flight attendants will be equipped with Samsung Galaxy Note Tabs to better assist passengers, and pilots will be given iPads to “fly more efficiently” and to cut down on paper products to save on fuel costs. Gate agents at the airport will also be given mobile devices to help passengers check-in quicker by speeding up the boarding pass process and checking-in luggage.

[via Gizmodo]

Flying is already enough of a hassle without having to wait in line at the counter or kiosk to get a boarding pass. Printing out the pass at home is slightly more convenient, but not as much as having it automatically appear on your smartphone, no effort needed. The service achieves this by poking through your email for flight confirmations and automatically brings up a digital boarding pass based on what it finds.

To use it, flyers must check-in online with their airline like normal. Once checked in, Google Now will automatically retrieve a digital boarding pass, complete with a barcode, on your behalf. The digital boarding pass displays everything you get on a printed boarding pass: terminal, gate, and seat number.

At the gate, the flyer simply shows the digital boarding pass, which displays a QR code that is scanned. The service only works with certain airlines at the moment, and as of right now, Google has not stated which airlines these are, although we’ll presumably be hearing specifics in the coming days. Users must be running Android 4.1 or higher.

[via Android Community]

According to some critics of the current process, the hassle involved in obtaining licensing for in-flight wireless Internet is the reason why it is not more widely available. According to the FCC’s Chairman Julius Genachowski, once the application process is in place, the amount of time it takes for an airline to get in-flight Internet approval will be cut in half.

The Federal Aviation Administration requires in-flight wireless Internet to be thoroughly tested for possible navigation/piloting interference. Says the Washington Post, while the FAA acknowledged that the FCC’s application process will indeed speed up the time it takes to get an in-flight wifi system in place on planes, it did not specify anything pertaining to its own involvement and requirements.

This comes at a time when the FAA has been reviewing its regulations about the use of certain devices that do not interfere with the safe operation of an aircraft, such as ereaders. Internet and gadgets are becoming a staple of society, and as such, both airlines and government agencies are being forced to adjust to keep pace. Says the FCC, “Whether traveling for work or leisure, Americans increasingly expect broadband access everywhere they go.”

[via Washington Post]

Boeing must check that onboard wireless signals don’t interfere with navigation and communication systems, and in order to get the best possible results, they use what they cleverly call SPUDS (Synthetic Personnel Using Dielectric Substitution) to help replicate how airborne signals are bounced and absorbed by real-life passengers, but without the need for Boeing to go out and find real people who will sit for hours on end.

Boeing spokesman Adam Tischler said that the sacks of potatoes accurately replicate the way human passengers reflect and absorb electronic signals. Furthermore, this strange method has dramatically shortened testing times for Boeing. What usually took two weeks now only takes a few hours, thanks to SPUDS.

It turns out that there are a lot of considerations for optimizing WiFi in an aircraft. The company explains how signal variations can shift dramatically even in a small area, and there’s also the difficult task of finding the best WiFi signal strength for passengers without interrupting critical communication systems in the cockpit.

[via LA Times]

Image via Flickr

The free content on the channels will include: H+ The Digital Series from Warner Bros., Crash Course and Written by a Kid from Geek and Sundry, Blue from WIGS, and The Key of Awesome from Barely Political. In making this content available, YouTube is expanding its audience and presenting its content offerings to a larger demographic of users, who may not be aware of the content it currently offers.

This reflects on Virgin’s stated goal of increasing the number of videos it offers four-fold, something it would do in conjunction with increasing the size of its 9-inch rear seat displays, which are available on a quarter of its US flights. This is in addition to the in-flight wireless Internet it offers on many of its flights.

Virgin already offers a variety of in-flight video content via other deals, bringing fliers content from Vevo, Funny or Die, Red Hour Digital, Stoodpid Monkey Productions, Barry Katz Entertainment, AEG, Vice, Rogue, Relativity Media, and more. Back in July, we reported that Virgin American was rated the top domestic airline for the fifth time straight.

[via Variety]

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski write a letter to acting administrator of the FAA, Michael Huerta, calling on the administration to “enable greater use of tablets, e-readers, and other portable devices” during flights. In the letter, Genachowski also said that he would be willing to work with the FAA, airlines, and manufacturers to make his proposal a reality.

Genachowski’s reasoning is something that all passengers can agree with. He says that “mobile devices are increasingly interwoven in our daily lives. They empower people to stay informed and connected with friends and family, and they enable both large and small businesses to be more productive and efficient, helping drive economic growth and boost U.S. competitiveness.” We certainly can’t argue with him on that, but the reason behind the electronics ban during flights is much deeper than what’s on the cover.

While you can still technically use electronics once the aircraft hits cruising altitude, usually you’re required to keep them in airplane mode unless the airline offers WiFi. However, it’s always been a strict rule that all electronics are supposed to be completely turned off during landing and takeoff. Hopefully the letter from Genachowski will help the FAA aim in the right direction.

[via The Hill]

Image via Flickr

The Federal Aviation Administration said that the fuel leak issue could have caused the planes to run out of fuel, experience an engine-power loss, or even start a fire. Once the 787 Dreamliner landed in New Orleans, fire crews went ahead and immediately inspected the plane, but found no evidence of discoloration or other indications of heat, fire or smoke, either from the possible fuel leak issue or the initial electrical problem.

The FAA estimates that each inspection will take around 10 hours and will cost about $2,700. Inspections of all 787 Dreamliners should be complete within three weeks from now. The FAA didn’t specifically identify the Dreamliners that had the issue, but they did say that affected planes weren’t flown by US carriers.

The 787 had already been through three and a half years of delays before finally making its commercial debut last year. Boeing struggled with the composite materials and the new manufacturing system that relied more on suppliers. The FAA says that the fuel leak issue was traced back to a manufacturing fault.

[via Bloomberg]

This massive airship Zeppelin Eureka has been flying with “history-making successes” as well as a rather good history of safety – so says AirShip Ventures. Despite these perfectly legitimate notions, operations will be ceased immediately. We know you had your hopes up, up and away, but it’s just not going to be possible – no balloon rides on the great Zeppelin Eureka for you.

“Operating this unique aircraft has been an inspiring experience and it is with a very heavy heart that we’ve come to this point requiring us to cease operations and ground Eureka. Our team is the best at what they do and their dedication to Eureka, our passengers and our dream of flying a Zeppelin in the USA has been remarkable. I’m beyond sad to disband their talents and leave Moffett Field, our friends and fans without an active airship.” – Airship Ventures CEO Brian Hall

This operation started all the way back in 2007 and began passenger flights in 2008 down in the California Bay Area – Silicon Valley, Oakland, and San Francisco. They brought with them the latest in “high-technology” right along with the “golden age of aviation” in zeppelins for all. They made the Zeppelin NT (New Technology) to the USA for the first time and aimed for flightlyseeing, media, science missions, and advertising operations.

Click above image for full-sized view

This group accomplished several things before they had to take their big balloon out of the sky, including the following list. You’ll find that they trained the first female Zeppelin pilot in history and made it through four years of passenger operations before they had to pull the plug – and that’s not even the best of it!

• Created the first large scale passenger airship operation in the US since the 1930s.

• Welcomed the 20,000th passenger during a flightseeing tour over San Francisco in 2012.

• Celebrated four years of passenger operations in 2012.

• Completed a history-making, six-month coast to coast cross country tour in 2011.

• Covered 459.3 miles and broke the standing Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI) airship distance record in 2010.

• Provided aerial coverage for the Rose Bowl Game, ESPN’s College Game Day, the Farmer’s Insurance Open, Zurich Classic, US Open of Surfing, Dew Tour, and Red Bull Flugtag

• Partnered with NASA and SETI on meteorite seeking missions over Sacramento and Sonoma, California, and with SETI on the study of extremophiles in the bay area salt ponds.

• Acted as a training vessel for the U.S. Air Force’s test pilots.

• Hired and trained both the first female Zeppelin pilot and first American female Zeppelin pilot

• Certified and demonstrated the use of Raymarine Radar and FLIR Systems infrared systems for use in the roles of Maritime Patrol and Search and Rescue with the airship.

• Did the first skydive over downtown Los Angeles from an airship in support of a major media event, and the first wingsuit jump from an airship over downtown San Francisco during a major technology conference

• Launched a social media campaign displaying the world’s largest Twitter hashtag as a decal on the airship.

Anyone that’d up until this week been planning on hitting up the airship and had already purchased tickets will be able to receive full refunds from the company post-haste. To do so, head over to the AirShip Ventures website and check out their contact form. Good luck, and let’s hope this isn’t the first sign of the zeppelin apocalypse!

The official launch began with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Bush Intercontinental Airport before the 787 Dreamliner took off at 7:20 AM for its first US domestic flight. The aircraft touched down two and a half hours later at O’Hare International Airport, greeted by a water cannon salute and applause from the passengers and crew.

The Boing 787 Dreamliner first landed on American soil back in April, when the aircraft flew from Tokyo, Japan to Boston, MA on a Tokyo Airlines flight. However, yesterday marked the first day that the 787 entered its US domestic service with United Airlines. The airline is the first US airline to fly the Dreamliner, and they have ordered a total of 50 Dreamliners to add to their fleet over the next couple years.

The new 787 Dreamliner may not be the biggest commercial aircraft (the Airbus A380 still holds that crown), but the Dreamliner is unique because it’s the first commercial aircraft to use a lightweight composite fuselage, which saves on fuel costs tremendously. Plus, It features extra comforts for passengers, such as bigger windows, larger overhead bins and better ventilation. Currently, there are around 30 Dreamliners built, with over 800 orders yet to fulfill.

[via Chicago Sun-Times]

The test was carried out by the Boeing Phantom Works team and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory Directed Energy Directorate team members, as well as members from the high-powered microwave supplier Raytheon Ktech. The target was a two-story building filled with desktop computers and electronics. The missile fired a burst of microwave awesomeness at the building, at which point every electronic thing inside died. Throughout the test, seven targets were hit using the missile.

Said Keith Coleman, the CHAMP program manager for Boeing Phantom Works, “This technology marks a new era in modern-day warfare. In the near future, this technology may be used to render an enemy’s electronic and data systems useless even before the first troops or aircraft arrive.” He followed this up by stating, “Today we turned science fiction into science fact.” The success of the test is, according to the Boeing statement, a big step in non-lethal warfare.

According to James Dodd, VP of Advanced Boeing Military Aircraft, there is a need for this type of weapon. “We know this has some capabilities and some impact, we’re really trying to engage the customer to see if there is a way we can actually get this fielded and implemented sooner than later.” For now, Boeing is taking a look at the data and telemetry from the completed mission.

[via Boeing]

At present, NASA is merely throwing the possibility of a challenge out there, requesting proposals no more than five pages in length that comment on the expected rules and guidelines, state intention to take part, or give feedback on what an autonomous drone should be able to do. “The approach being considered would require competitors to maintain safe separation from other air traffic while operating their UAS in congested airspace, under a variety of scenarios” NASA says. “This will be accomplished through the use of sense and avoid technologies.”

If NASA decides to go ahead with the challenge, the first trials would take place in 2013. The first part – Level 1 – would allow the assumption that all other devices in flight would be equipped with the same Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) system, used to communicate exact positioning between aircraft.

However, Level 2 would remove that crutch, and demand that ADS-B equipped systems also be able to operate safely around aircraft that weren’t so upgraded. The drones must also be able to communicate verbally with air traffic control, in such a situation that the ADS-B might fail.

Drones are already widely deployed in military situations, but usually simply divorce the controller from being physically aboard the craft itself. Rather than being autonomously navigated, such drones can generally maintain their position but require remote piloting to actually move around.

Of course, any eventual system that results from the challenge wouldn’t just be useful for drones. Unmanned needn’t mean passenger-free, and while Jetsons-style flying cars are still probably some way off, ADS-B systems could be a first step toward independent self-flying vehicles that could safely navigate the skies above crowded highways.

Unmanned Aircraft System Airspace Operations Challenge preliminary guidelines:

The Level 1 Competition (L1C) would focus on a competitors ability to fly 4-Dimensional Trajectories (4DT) to provide a reasonable expectation that they will be where they are supposed to be, when they are scheduled to be there, successfully employ Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B), maintain safe separation from other ADS-B equipped air traffic, and operate safely in a number of contingency situations.

The Level 2 Competition (L2C) would extend the requirements in each of these areas while adding a requirement to maintain safe separation from air traffic not equipped with ADS-B and a requirement that the vehicle be able to communicate verbally with the Air Traffic Control system under lost link conditions. Competitors would be required to have a working Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulation (HiLSim) for their flight vehicle.

[via Network World]

Passengers aboard Boeing’s 747-8, massive 787 Dreamliner, and 777′s will soon be able to use their cell phones according to the company and CNET. Back in July when Boeing unveiled their new 787 Dreamliner they were showing off their Android-based entertainment systems on board — but apparently that wasn’t the only Android and smartphone usage they had in mind.

Here in the US however, the FAA has a ban in place that probably will never allow for such activity. So the uses for this new technology and improvements isn’t really known at this point. Whether other countries and officials will allow the use of cell phones is an entirely different situation. Yes we have on-flight WiFi, but making calls is another level.

Along with cell phone use, WiFi as usual, and more, Boeing also states they’ll have actual live TV, and even wireless media streaming by sometime in 2014. If you need to have a video conference while sky high — Boeing will have you covered. Many still think smartphone usage on planes is no big deal and of no security concern, just ask Alec Baldwin.

[via AndroidCommunity]

The following note comes from a source providing The Verge with what appears to be a situation that’s rather positive for JetBlue’s future. This JetBlue representative mentions ground-to-air service Gogo and satellite-based services like Row 44 or Panasonic as competitors. Their contention is that no matter what services people are using at the moment out there in the field, they’re always slow – too slow, at least, to compete with the service JetBlue is about to offer.

NOTE: This deal was first spoken about in April of 2011 – looks like it’s the real deal!

JetBlue notes that they’ll be working with LiveTV partnering with ViaSat, and the results thus far – testing, that is – have been great. It’s noted that ViaSat staff members have been able to load 10 webpages through JetBlue’s new satellite service in 1 minute, 18 seconds. The competition, they say, took over 8 minutes to work out the same task. JetBlue also notes that they’ve got a lovley Ka-band satellite up in space right this minute, ready for action, ready to connect with flights at altitude.

I’m writing to you from London, where I’m about to reveal some of the details of our Wi-Fi product to the World Low Cost Airlines Conference. I want to make sure you hear it first, of course, so please read on!

Currently, Wi-Fi on board is a competitive advantage. Customers, especially those traveling for business, with everything else being equal, will choose the airline that offers connectivity, even if the service is spotty or expensive.

Understanding how important inflight connectivity is to Customers forces airlines that don’t have Wi-Fi to get in the game, quickly. Airlines can choose ground-to-air services, like Gogo, or satellite-based services like Row 44 or Panasonic. Although the technology is different, the Customer experience is very similar – s l o w.

According to a recent FlightView survey, only a small percentage of Customers are satisfied with the Wi-Fi service models currently offered in-flight and at airports.

The challenge for us was building a Wi-Fi product that broke this slow, frustrating and ultimately unsatisfactory mold. We wanted to find a way to deliver faster and less expensive service that would result in greater satisfaction. With LiveTV partnering with ViaSat, I think we found the sweet spot.

Our Wi-Fi will be lightning fast. In a series of tests, ViaSat’s staff was able to load 10 web pages through our satellite service in an average of 1 minute, 18 seconds! The second-fastest service, commonly deployed by our competitors, took as long as 8 minutes, 42 seconds! Customers are going to know that JetBlue’s Wi-Fi is faster – word will definitely get around.

But to make sure Customers appreciate the difference, we also decided to make the baseline connectivity free, at least until the first 30 aircraft are equipped with our service. If the speed doesn’t get them talking, the free part should!

The difference is in the technology. The Ka-band satellite we launched last October is the latest generation, with capacity equal to 100 last-generation Ku-band satellites. It’s smarter, newer, cheaper and better than anything on the market today for commercial aviation. This technology had only been available to government and private aviation, in fact. We plan to make JetBlue the very first commercial airline to offer this product on board, at altitude.

Our first foray into connectivity, with BetaBlue in 2007, was a great learning experience and I don’t regret it for one minute. It wasn’t easy for anyone to endure the questions and demands for good Wi-Fi from our Customers, but it was the right decision. LiveTV will begin installing ViaSat on our aircraft in the first quarter of 2013 – so stay tuned for more information as it rolls out. I know it will be worth the wait.

The first launch of this wireless product will be pushed in the first quarter of 2013 and will be launching for free. This free launch will include baseline connectivity and will be good to go “at least until the first 30 aircraft are equipped.” Get in quick and download away up in the air! Have a peek at the email appearing this week (above), and stick around for the final real confirmation of this service soon.

I’m no aeronautical engineer, but that sounds even more difficult than creating a spacecraft. The announcement came when Musk was talking about some of his plans for the future. He stated that he was considering whether it would make sense to create a parent corporation to own stock, presumably in an aircraft manufacturing company. The comment was made to the automotive website Jalopnik and Musk admitted that he wasn’t sure if it was feasible or sensible, that he was only considering it at this time.

It’s worth noting that aircraft able to take off and land vertically are difficult to maintain and create. There are only a few jet aircraft currently capable of taking off and landing vertically and all of them are military aircraft. The new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter has a version that will land vertically but requires a short runway to take off. That aircraft has been plagued with failures in critical components supporting vertical landings.

One true vertical landing and vertical takeoff jet is the Harrier, still being used by both British and American militaries to this day. However, that aircraft isn’t considered supersonic. Battery packs would have to, very long way to be able to power an aircraft exclusively. Presumably, Musk is likely talking about some sort of hybrid aircraft. It will be interesting to see if Musk moves on with his plans for an aircraft.

[via The Register]

TIGHAR has scoured the island many times in the past, including during this most recent expedition in July. Though the latest search of the island turned up nothing, it’s what hides beneath the waves that has researchers interested this time around. Using an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle to scan and a Remote Operated Vehicle to record high-definition video, TIGHAR searched the waters off the coast of Nikumaroro. At first, it seemed that the search of the ocean didn’t turn up anything, but after analyzing about 30% of the video that was brought back from the expedition, TIGHAR forensic imaging specialist Jeff Glickman told Discovery News that he had discovered an “interesting debris field” in the footage.

The image above may not look like much, but Glickman says that in the debris field there appears to be “the fender, possibly the wheel and possibly some portions of the strut.” There’s a chance that what was discovered by TIGHAR is the same object that was pictured in an image of the island from 1937, just three months after Amelia Earhart went missing. Taken by Eric R. Bevington, the picture of the island shows a man-made object jutting out of the ocean, which some believe could be a part of Earhart’s plane.

TIGHAR will continue analyzing the data from the expedition, and then if more analysis backs up this initial hypothesis, they hope to pull the objects up from the debris field and examine them closer. This is definitely a very exciting development in the search for any sign of Amelia Earhart, and if TIGHAR has discovered what its hoping for, it may not be that much longer before the 75-year search comes to a close. Stay tuned.

This is the second Waverider test flight to end in failure. During the first test of the aircraft in 2010, everything went according to plan, but in another test last year, a flaw caused the engines to shut down prematurely, which in turn sent the aircraft into the ocean. Now there’s only one X-51A left, and the LA Times says that the Air Force hasn’t decided when this last Waverider will fly.

During this particular test, the Waverider was dropped from 50,000 feet, free-falling for four seconds before the rocket it was attached to engaged. After being propelled by the rocket, the Waverider was supposed to break away and use its own engines to fly, but the control fin failure meant this didn’t happen. Instead of flying, the Waverider simply fell into the ocean. “It is unfortunate that a problem with this subsystem caused a termination before we could light the Scramjet engine,” said Air Force Research Laboratory program manager Charlie Brink, adding that all of the Air Force’s data showed that the team had the right conditions for a successful flight.

Unfortunately, failure is something you have to get used to if you’re testing hypersonic aircraft. We’ve been attempting hypersonic flight for decades now, and the number of failures is far greater than the number of successes. There is a ray of light to be found in that first Waverider test from 2010, however, so here’s hoping that the Air Force gets the results it’s looking for if it eventually tests this fourth and final Waverider aircraft.

Though Yates had flown gasoline-powered aircraft before this record-setting week, he only started to fly electric powered aircraft here and now. The unit Yates used to break the record is a Long-ESA, closely related to the model Long-EZ, a machine designed by previous record-holder Burt Rutlan. The machine that up until this week held the record for electric aircraft clocked at the fastest speed was a tiny electric Cri-Cri.

Yates made his flight after several test runs and after capturing the record, a failure of a cell inside the machine killed propulsion and the pilot was forced to make a dead-stick landing. No worries, though, he’s fine, and quite a bit more than just fine as he struts around this planet with a “fastest man alive” sticker on his chest.

The next mission Yates is planning on is a flight across the Atlantic ocean with a new aircraft system based on the development platform he flew this week.

[via Wired]

The Thales TopSeries Avant IFECs had been integrated with the Qatar Airways 787 Dreamliner, featuring two classes, economy and business. They’ll have 7-inch and 10-inch touchscreen IFECs with hardware stored in the seat-back unit. A STMicro dual-core ARM processor, 1GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD also come with each IFEC.

Android handsets will be equipped with the Thales TopSeries Avant IFEC, presumably for running applications not built for the large screen will be. Although not specified yet, it’s expected that the Android version used on the system will be either Android 2.3 or Android 3.0.

[via ExtremeTech]

The series of apps, called “FlySmart with Airbus” is basically an alternative to the current PC-based EFB software, which will allow pilots to access Airbus flight manuals and compute performance calculations right in the palm of their hand. The apps have been tested by Airbus pilots so it complies with current Airbus EFB standards.

Of course, not just anybody will be able to download the new Airbus EFB apps from the App Store when they become available. The aircraft manufacturer made it clear that licenses for the EFB apps will only be available exclusively to Airbus customers.

[via Airbus]

Maybe it’s the one-of-a-kind mood lighting within the cabin, or it could be the touch-screen food and drink ordering system. All of these factors, along with of course the fact that Virgin America has just about the most modern fleet in the country, are what caused Travel + Leisure magazine to pick the nascent carrier, yet again, for its coveted top spot.

“We are honored to have won top marks from Travel + Leisure readers for the fifth year in a row,” said Virgin America President and CEO David Cush. “There are many awards that rank airlines that are paid or that include only the largest airlines, so it is a real distinction to win the top quality ranking in an independent survey of thousands of some of the most discerning travelers out there. As we mark our fifth year anniversary this summer, this award is a testament to our unique product,” the airline said in a statement.

[via Sacramento Bee]