Modern

Ever wondered how an ejection seat works, or how to ride a hot air balloon? This section explores modern jet mechanics and aircraft operations and components.

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With 36,000 workers, it has its own fire department, banks, day care facilities, medical clinic and water treatment plant.

By Patrick J. Kiger

Airlines keep cramming in more and more seats, making flying nearly unbearable for some. But does that also make it unsafe?

By Dave Roos

You better know the rules before you get out and fly your drone or you could end up violating FAA regulations.

By Kristen Hall-Geisler

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HowStuffWorks explains how physics helps animals get airborne.

Pilots on international flights use aviation English, a stripped-down, specialized version of the language, to communicate with air traffic controllers.

By Patrick J. Kiger

Commercial flight is extremely safe. But could it be even safer if airplanes had shoulder harnesses instead of lap belts?

By John Donovan

The Department of Homeland Security announced it is extending the REAL ID full enforcement date by 19 months to allow states time to get up and fully operational after the COVID-19 pandemic shut down many licensing offices.

By Cherise Threewitt

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What does Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport's massive power failure tell us about U.S. infrastructure and vulnerability?

By John Donovan

Camera-equipped commercial drones are cheaper and require less training. Is it time to say goodbye to your local eye-in-the-sky traffic reports?

By Patrick J. Kiger

And in less than a decade they could save you from being stuck in heavy traffic.

By Tracy Staedter

It's happened to all of us. You're at the front of the line, about to board, when you realize you can't find your paper boarding pass. Or it won't pull up on your phone. Facial recognition technology could change that — and help with security, too.

By Tracy Staedter

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Predicting turbulence isn't an exact science, but airline pilots use a variety of tools both high-tech and low before asking you to buckle up.

By Patrick J. Kiger

A drone bird's the word at Canada's Edmonton International Airport.

By Tracy Staedter

Honeybees could get help pollinating crops in the future from an unlikely source: drones.

By John Perritano

It used to be that air travelers complained about not having enough legroom. But with airlines jamming more seats into planes, there’s less room for their heads, too.

By Patrick J. Kiger

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And it could be even faster and quieter than all you jet-setters are used to.

By Jonathan Strickland

As "Sully" debuts in U.S. movie theaters, we ask aviation folks how exactly a pilot can successfully and safely land a plane on water.

By Kate Kershner

Land mines can pose a threat long after a conflict they were part of is over. A new drone project could offer a way to safely and inexpensively eliminate the explosives.

By Holly Frey

Falconry has a long history in Dubai, but that doesn't mean they won't embrace new technology to improve their birds.

By Christopher Hassiotis

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Disney was recently rumored to be taking out spy drones in order to protect "Star Wars: Episode VIII" shooting locations. Is that legal in the U.S.?

By Jonathan Strickland

Using brain-computer interfaces, 16 University of Florida engineering students piloted drones using only their focused thoughts — and some computer programming.

By Christopher Hassiotis

What's to blame for instances of air rage? A new study suggests dividing classes on a plane increases tension and likelihood of problems.

By Christopher Hassiotis

Choosing your seatmates through social media? Facial recognition technology to match you and your luggage? The airline industry has the ideas... but will it adopt them?

By Patrick J. Kiger

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Using low-tech solutions for high-tech problems, falconry may prove beneficial in combating all the wayward drones flying where they ought not to fly.

By Christopher Hassiotis

There are so many tweaks we wish airlines would implement, especially if future seat configurations mean stacking passengers with butts suspended above heads.

By Julie Douglas