One of aviation’s endearing characteristics involves the abundant myths surrounding aircraft operation: Do this, that or some other thing and your airplane will carry more, fly faster on less fuel and land on a dime. Such myths are great hangar-flying fodder, but most of them fall down when confronted with the real world.
 
One such myth involves “the step,” the mystical and mysterious airplane attitude that, when established only by virtue of a pilot’s superior skill and experience, allows a higher cruise speed.
 
It can be second only to “lean of peak EGT will cook your engine” or “never spin a Tomahawk” as a solemn truism whispered from pilot to pilot.
 
Similar aviation myths are handed down to less-experienced pilots like old headsets. And, like many myths, they may have some basis in fact. But a close examination and a quick demonstration flight can dispel many of them, and give you something else to talk about at your next hangar-flying session. So it is with “the step.”

Beautiful Bugatti plane designed 75 years ago is just weeks away from its maiden flight

An engineering labour of love to bring Bugatti’s ‘Veyron of the skies’ to life is reaching the end of its journey.

The beautiful replica 100P aircraft, dubbed Reve Bleu or the 'Blue Dream', is expected to make its maiden flight ‘a few weeks from now’.

The plane is based on a design which had to be concealed from the Nazis during World War II and that would have made it the most advanced aircraft of the conflict.

The beautiful replica 100P aircraft, dubbed The Blue Dream, is expected to make its maiden flight ‘a few weeks from now.

Photo: The Qantas jumbo lands at Illawarra airport in 2015 when it was delivered to become a tourist attraction. (Wikimed Saturday marks the 30th anniversary of Qantas' bold, record-holding, 747 jumbo jet continuous flight from London to Sydney in what was a marathon journey featuring specially-made fuel and covert planning.

It was an ambitious plan to push a new aeroplane further than it had been pushed before — part publicity stunt, part celebration of how far aviation had advanced.
 

A Terrafugia video posted to YouTube on July 20, 2015 has garnered more than one million views in just two weeks. It is easy to see why. The TF-X is Terrafugia’s “vision for the future of personal transportation.”
 
“The TF-X will be a four-seat, vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) hybrid electric aircraft that makes flying easier and safer than ever before.”
 
Just as I watched this TF-X video, I happened across a photo essay titled, “1890-1968 Flying Cars“.
 
With every technological step forward, we come closer to a “flying car” reality. I just wish the finishing line would stop moving further out as well.
 
 
(source: GA News)

"Call me Mr Brown," the man said, as though he was in a conference call, not making a bomb threat.
 
Video: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-23/10813038
 
Qantas flight 755 from Sydney to Hong Kong was carrying a explosive, he warned. And it was set to detonate as the plane came in to land.