Len Varley

Following nature’s example, Lufthansa and BASF have jointly developed a drag reducing surface film called “AeroSHARK” for commercial aircraft. The film was actually modelled on the microscopic structure of shark skin and is applied to the aircraft’s outer skin.

A report from the Congo this week twelve years ago marked perhaps one of the most unusual aircraft accidents I have reviewed. A twin-engine Laircraft operating on a domestic flight on 25 August 2010, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo crashed on an otherwise normal approach to a regional airport. There was only one survivor, and the root cause of the accident was finally reported as an escaped crocodile. But did it really happen?

If we were to look closely at any of the key points in humanity’s social and cultural progress, perhaps the one common thread which runs through all of them is the presence of music. Music is arguably one of the most powerful forms of expression available to us, and it forms a virtual soundtrack to our lives — underpinning the highs and the lows.

We have accorded ourselves the pedigree of angels, in ignorance of the fact that we share 98% of the DNA of the great apes.

The iconic 747, dubbed the ‘Queen of the Skies,’ revolutionized air travel as the world’s first twin-aisle airplane and enabled more people to fly farther, faster and more affordably than ever before. As Boeing prepares to farewell it’s final production 747 aircraft, here are 10 amazing shots of the iconic “Queen of the Skies” as captured by the AviationSource photographic team.

The Boeing B-17 ‘Flying Fortress’, perhaps best known for the critical role it played in the US Army Air Force daylight bombing campaign in the European theatre of war during the 1940’s, is facing a new challenge in 2023. The problem, stated quite simply, is one we will all ultimately face - old age.