Transportation
Many of us take public transportation or fly in airplanes on a regular basis, but have you ever wondered how all of these things work? This collection of transportation articles help explain how people get from place to place.
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The Boeing 737 first flew into the world a half century ago. Here's the scoop on Boeing's fastest-selling airplane.
A blanket and pillow can transform a long, uncomfortable flight into a sleepfest, but not all airlines still hand them out. When they do, are they clean and safe to use?
Cleaning an airliner for the next flight is a complex undertaking that must be carried out rapidly. And it's even more important now during the coronavirus pandemic.
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Pilots on international flights use aviation English, a stripped-down, specialized version of the language, to communicate with air traffic controllers.
With 36,000 workers, it has its own fire department, banks, day care facilities, medical clinic and water treatment plant.
Train crashes are in the news lately, but are our fears justified?
Writing a legible message on paper requires a steady hand; writing one in the sky requires a steady everything.
By Julia Layton
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In 2015, the U.S. population numbered 320 million, but less than 10 percent of those people rode the rails. So who does?
By Julia Layton
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?
Would you risk the mother of all jet lag if you could cross the U.S. in less time than it takes to pass through airport security? After all, your time is precious, and haven't supersonic and hypersonic technologies been around for decades now?
Why would a pilot ever want to eject an airplane's fuel intentionally? And why would it happen during a flight? Although it sounds alarming, a fuel dump is a safe procedure.
By Jane McGrath
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It's hard to look up in the sky on a clear day and not see a "cloud" trailing from an airplane. They're called contrails, though some refer to them as "chemtrails" and have odd explanations for their existence.
The loops, rolls and rocketlike maneuvers these stunt pilots perform are astounding. What's the history behind aerobatics and how do they perform those tricks in the sky?
Going through airport security is the worst part of flying for most people. Now you may be asked to turn your cell phone on in the security line. Why do you have to do that? And does it really keep us safe?
By Beth Brindle
Commercial flight is extremely safe. But could it be even safer if airplanes had shoulder harnesses instead of lap belts?
By John Donovan
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Contrails are those long white clouds that form in the wake of an airplane flying at altitude. What causes these contrails and what are they made of? Learn the answer to this question in this article from HowStuffWorks.
Ever sat on an airplane and wondered how your laptop works at 30,000 feet?
Oil tankers carry massive amounts of oil, gasoline and other petroleum products between ports. However, crewmembers must guard against explosions, pirates and more.
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.
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Imagine whipping through the sky at thousands of miles per hour. This special type of jet engine can do exactly that.
A radial engine has a unique setup that makes it ideal for certain applications. Find out what makes radial engines different, how they operate and where they're used.
How does a speedometer in an airplane work?
Although it doesn't happen often, large passenger jets crash for many reasons, from mechanical failure to pilot error.