MetaFilter posts tagged with flight and travel

Fly the biofuel skies…

Artw — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 10:21:53 -0800

Today Boeing completed the first test flight of a commercial jet-liner using a mix of conventional jet-fuel and a fuel created from algae and the african weed jatropha. Boeing hopes that biofueled flights will be common in just three years.

Vintage Flight Attendant Photos

brain_drain — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 09:07:58 -0800

Remember when air travel was viewed as glamorous and exciting? Of course you don't. So check out this collection of vintage flight attendant photos: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

You and I were/weren't meant to fly....

never used baby shoes — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 11:48:50 -0800

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is proposing new rules regarding passenger pre-screening both domestically and internationally. Interestingly, this includes flights that overfly the continental US without ever touching the ground. Overflying the Continental United States. This proposed rule defines ``overflying the continental United States' as departing from an airport or location outside the United States, and transiting the airspace of the continental United States en route to another airport or location outside the United States...In this proposed rule, flights ``overflying the continental United States' are a category of ``covered flights' for which TSA would conduct passenger watch list matching in order to protect the airspace over the continental United States and prevent individuals on a watch list from taking control of an aircraft...From the proposed rule. The rule does not cover flights that originate in one country, overfly the US, and land again in the originating country. For example, a flight between Toronto and Vancouver would be exempt. Since Transport Canada has already implemented a no-fly list, ATAC is questioning the purpose of this. Others wonder about different effects on the travel habits of Canadians and Americans.

Is the aircraft half-empty or half-full?

fenriq — Sun, 16 Apr 2006 11:45:19 -0800

Free Air Transport for Cancer Patients
The Corporate Angel Network puts cancer patients and half empty corporate jets together for travel to treatment centers for free. Win meets win.

beth — Wed, 17 Jul 2002 07:02:28 -0800

Paranoia or prudence? You decide. Seven people from an American Trans Air Chicago to New York flight were questioned by police, then released after a fellow passenger alerted flight attendants when she saw them "passing notes and changing seats". The plane was escorted to La Guardia by F-16's. Does this sound like safeguarding our freedom or are we getting rather creepy here?

Real9 — Thu, 31 Jan 2002 18:43:37 -0800

Mileage Run! Not sitting at the front of the Airbus? Then maybe you need to pack a light bag, book a tight itinerary and rack up those miles. Here's a nice tool for finding efficient flights. Otherwise the terrorists have already won.. ha!.

Postroad — Sat, 22 Sep 2001 14:10:34 -0800

the passengers on our planes should have the right to bear arms Is this guy, a former pilot, suggesting that we have a constitutional right to carry weapons aboard planes so we can defend ourselves? Is an uzzi ok or a bayonet?