Lufthansa 747 operates first transatlantic biofuel flight to US
Lufthansa has concluded its long-term biofuel study by operating the first biofuel-powered transatlantic commercial flight.
Flight LH 418 landed at Washington Dulles Jan. 12 after an 8-hr. and 20 min. flight from Frankfurt (FRA). The Boeing 747-400 carried approximately 40 tons of biofuel mix. LH said carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions were reduced by about 38 tons.
The top 10 tech-friendly U.S. airlines
Look around the airport these days and you’ll see that a majority of travelers have their heads down working on laptops, using e-readers or chatting on their mobile phones. While the airports are responsible for providing places where the travelers can work, airlines often drive these airports to put in amenities such as electrical outlets, wi-fi, and work desks. PC World has put together a list of the top ten tech-friendly airlines.
1. Delta
Delta has upgraded about 20 of the airports where it operates with Delta-branded charging stations. Those stations have made a huge difference in the number of available outlets and USB ports at the gates. And Delta’s iPad installations at New York’s JFK and LaGuardia airports, and (soon) at Minneapolis-St. Paul International are truly impressive.
Tragedy in the skies
In 1960, United Airlines flight 826 collided with Trans World Airlines flight 266 in mid-air as each was descending to Idlewild (JFK) and LaGuardia airports. The resulting tragedy rained debris and carnage in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Park Slope and a military airfield nearby. The Daily Mail (UK) has put together a photo essay of this tragedy (viewer discretion is advised).
But out of the tragedy, a new era of airline safety measures was instigated, including the way flight recorders – commonly called black boxes – are used to investigate airline crashes.
Shortly after 10.30am that morning, the [United Airllines] DC-8 crashed into the quiet Park Slope neighbourhood of Brooklyn, which was in the midst of preparing for the upcoming holidays.
Residents were horrified to see a passenger jet’s plane wing careening down a narrow street. Next, there was an explosion, as the plane crashed to the neighbourhood, demolishing the Pillar of Fire church as well as several houses. The explosion as well as flying debris blew out many nearby windows.
