These nano quadrotor robots can fly in sophisticated formations, though given their angry bee-like buzz, “swarms” is really a better term. The quadrotors were developed by KMel Robotics, and the flying formation experiments are by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania’s GRASP Lab.

via Rob Sheridan

photo via KMel Robotics

“The Boneyard Project: Return Trip” is an art exhibition of scrapped military aircraft that have been repurposed as canvases for contemporary artists. Created by Eric Firestone and organized by curator Carlo McCormick, the exhibition features work by more than 30 artists including Shepard Fairey, Andrew Schoultz, Faile, and Nunca. The exhibition is on display at the Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona, through May 31. The Flop Box has many wonderful photos of the exhibition and the artists at work.

via Archie McPhee’s Endless Geyser of Awesome & My Modern Metropolis

photos 1 and 3 via Eric Firestone Gallery, photos 2, 4, and 5 by The Flop Box

“Passing Cloud” by architect Tiago Barros is a design concept for a giant cloud-shaped balloon aircraft made up of a bundle of spherical balloons. The aircraft would harness prevailing winds to leisurely transport passengers on random journeys around the United States.

This project envisions a distinct approach towards moving around the United States being also a revival of the act of traveling. Why traveling at high speed? Why having the final destiny always defined? And why always departing and arriving on a tight schedule? Nowadays, everything is set and everyone is always running around. It is time to reconsider the act of traveling and start enjoying it accordingly.

via Inhabitat & The Awesomer

Red Tails is a new action-packed flick from Lucasfilm about the Tuskegee Airmen, the African-American Army Air Corps underdogs that fought “against all odds and became heroes” in World War II. Interesting side note, the Airmen’s aerial dog fights are what inspired George Lucas to create the Star Wars space battles. The movie, directed by Anthony Hemingway and starring Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Bryan Cranston, opens in theatres on January 20, 2012.

1944. To help win the war, the Pentagon brass has no choice but to consider the untested African-American pilots of the experimental Tuskegee training program.

Just as the young Tuskegee men are about to be shut down and shipped back home, they are given the ultimate chance to show their courage. These intrepid young airmen take to the skies to fight for their country – and the fate of the free world.

USA Today recently talked with executive producer George Lucas on why it took 23 years to make this movie and why it’s self-financed:

Delta Air Lines sent a hardcase with six outward-facing video cameras as checked baggage aboard a flight from Atlanta to New York City to show the behind-the-scenes journey of checked baggage.

via Hipmunk

Prompted by the unfortunate experience Lori Dorn had with TSA along with many other similar experiences, TSA has announced the launch of their new TSA Cares Helpline to assist passengers with disabilities and medical conditions prior to their flights. According to TSA they “established this new helpline because we are committed to treating each passenger the way they deserve to be treated – with dignity and respect.”

Starting today, travelers can call the toll free helpline number for TSA Cares before traveling if they have questions about screening policies, procedures or what to expect when they arrive at the airport security checkpoint. This line is available not only to passengers with disabilities and medical conditions, but also to their family members and travel companions who can speak to a knowledgeable representative from the TSA Cares helpline to answer questions about airport security prior to travel.

Air travelers can call TSA Cares toll-free at 1-855-787-2227, Monday through Friday, 9am-9pm EST.

Flyboard is an amphibious water-powered jet pack that propels the wearer up to 30 feet in the air (demo video). A large hose channels high pressure water to the Flyboard from a nearby jet ski. Two large jets at the wearer’s feet provide the propulsion, with two smaller handheld jets providing control. Flyboard was designed by French jet ski racer Franky Zapata of Zapata Racing.

via Gizmodo

“Jetman” Yves Rossy recently flew in formation over the Swiss Alps alongside two jet aircraft from the Breitling Jet Team. We’ve written previously about some of Rossy’s other feats, including his crossing of the Grand Canyon and his aerial acrobatics.

via Daily Picks and Flicks & The Daily What

photos via Breitling

Team Black Sheep created this impressive video of a remote-controlled, camera-equipped plane performing stunts around the University of Virginia, Charlottesville campus.

via The Awesomer

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Pleated-Jeans presents this extremely accurate Airplane Seating Chart.

In late October, Thomas Senkel completed the first manned flight of an electric multicopter. The 16 rotor, battery-powered e-volo was designed and built by Senkel and the e-volo team in Germany.

via The Verge

Japan’s Ministry of Defense has developed a 16″ diameter remote-controlled spherical flying drone that can hover, fly horizontally at 40 mph, and even roll across the ground (see a video of the craft by DigInfo).

via TechCrunch

photo via DigInfo

On an evening in April of 2010, St. Louis resident Justin Stouder made the mistake of pointing a green laser pointer at a police helicopter flying a mile from his house. This cockpit video posted by the FBI shows the dangerous blinding effect of the laser and the Stouder’s quick arrest by police. Besides being dangerous to pilots and their passengers, dazzling an aircraft with a laser pointer is a Federal felony with a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The FAA reports that “laser incidents” have been doubling each year since they were first tracked in 2004. In 2010, pilots reported 2,836 incidents.

via Gizmodo

My wife Lori Dorn, who has breast cancer, tells her story about a TSA agent at JFK on Thursday who required her to submit to a pat down due to her breast implants after she went through a backscatter X-ray scanner. She had an identification card for the implants that is used to prove that the implants are an actual medical device, but the TSA agent would not let Lori show her the card. The TSA agent was extremely rude, humiliating her in front of other travelers and showing zero compassion for her situation.

Here’s Lori’s write-up about the incident and a couple of lively discussion is taking place on Google+ here and here.

Lori has been posting updates on her twitter account: @HRLori

UPDATE 1: TSA has responded to the issue on the TSA Blog and has issued an apology to Lori.

UPDATE 2: Lori has posted an update on her blog.

More Coverage:
- New York Times (interviewed Lori)
- Associated Press
- Daily News
- ABC News
- NBC New York
- Daily Mail
- MSNBC Overhead Bin
- The Globe and Mail
- Boing Boing + follow-up
- Gizmodo
- The Huffington Post
- Daring Fireball
- Jezebel
- The Consumerist
- Techdirt
- Gothamist
- The Lookout – Yahoo! News
- The Hill’s Transportation Report + follow-up
- Drew Olanoff
- Drew Carey
- Reason
- The Stir
- Elliott
- Amy Alkon on MND

Air Command Water Rockets is a group of hobbyist rocketeers, led by Australian George Katz, who build incredibly sophisticated high pressure water rockets constructed mainly from plastic soda bottles. Their most elaborate rockets have reached altitudes of more than 800 feet (video) and feature multiple stages, cameras, and parachute reentry systems.

via Make

photos via Air Command Water Rockets

Chinese farmer Shu Mansheng built his own hovercraft that is powered by eight motorcycle engines. In a tethered test flight, the craft flew for ten seconds at an altitude of about three feet.

via Boing Boing

photos via Reuters

The TrayVu by Seattle-based SkyCast Solutions is an airline in flight entertainment system integrated into the seatback tray table. TrayVu is powered by a Samsung Galaxy tablet running the Android OS. According to the manufacturer, the system is lighter weight and less expensive than its competitors.

via Übergizmo

Google has just launched their new Flight Search feature that helps you explore air travel options to plan trips.

via Search Engine Land & Geekosystem

Perhaps you are better served having an adventure in Minneapolis, but oh, don’t mind the terrified cherry about to be flung by the sad mustached spoon into the burning city. Other than the bomb, the crashed plane and a city engulfed in flames, this is a great place to visit.

Oprah is supposed to be the ultimate carpooling buddy according to this article but now she and Bono are in some kind of Grand Prix motor race complete with waving flags and the number 25 emblazoned on their car’s exterior. And flames! They are driving through fire!

Companies should listen better, especially this particular one who hired the very dangerous gun-for-hire “Bob”. Beware of the grenades in his pocket and the weapons by his side but don’t look into his eyes, oh wait, you can’t! Dark glasses always mean ‘danger’. What’s that? “Bob” has been stabbed? And so close to his patriotic American flag patch too.

I believe this man was trying to communicate and/or fight with “Bob” with his telltale headset and the double swords he’s packin’. At first I thought he had a cloud of bad breath until it was pointed out to me that he has grown an “air beard”. This guy’s got something explosive up his sleeve: dynamite!

Just when you thought it was safe to come back from lunch, this Neanderthal in a Viking helmet is waiting in the staff lounge with his spiked club ready to toss you in the Body-Box with your unfortunate co-worker.

Kick off your flip flops, come and enjoy paradise, you deserve it!!! Just watch out that the giant fire-breathing sea monster doesn’t wreck all the laptop-using fun you were having at this beach paradise.

Northwest Florida beaches certainly are lovely places to go boating, swimming, scalloping and actively avoiding the giant man-eating sting ray known to hang out in this area.

Little devil Beth Howard is not only a “pie hustler” but has taken a pitchfork to the small animal that dared to try and steal that angry anthropomorphic pie. Don’t even ask how much that house is for sale, they’ll just “LOL” at you.

Finally, whenever I think of Grant Wood’s American Gothic, I am reminded of the quintessential American everyday life of stoic lady pirates holding children hostage in their attic while standing by their pie-stabbing bandaged husbands. “Go, Tiolets, Go!”, indeed.

Complimentary copy of Spirit magazine absconded by Rusty Blazenhoff

scans by Ken Dashner

CNN anchor Anderson Cooper broke down in a fit of giggles during a pun- and joke-laden wacky news RidicuList segment on Gerard Depardieu’s airliner urination incident. The hilariously adorable giggle fit begins at the 2:30 mark and takes up almost a minute of air time before Cooper recovers his anchorly poise.

via Mediaite

In the animation “Dreams of Flight,” scientists respond to children’s fanciful predictions about the future of air travel. The video is part of the GE Show, a series promoting GE technologies, by The Barbarian Group.

For decades, aviation experts have spent countless hours imagining impossible new ways to meet the growing demands of passengers, increasingly congested skies and rising fuel prices. But even in the complicated world of aviation, sometimes all it takes is the open mind of a child to spark conversation about the amazing potential for aircraft. Watch how even the wildest imaginations of children relate to the innovative ideas being explored by GE Experts Dale Carlson and Steve Fulton.

The pilot and co-pilot are struck ill with food-poisoning. The only man on board with any flying experience is a veteran who is haunted by a fatal mistake he made the last time he flew a plane. Lives hang in the balance. The crew on the ground nervously try to talk him through safely landing the plane in a horrible storm as his fuel supply dwindles.

If the plot of this 1957 film seems familiar, it’s likely because the comedy classic Airplane! parodies it in detail. The makers of the 1980 comedy actually bought the rights to Zero Hour, so they could use the script as the basis for their film. In fact they left many lines in verbatim from the original screenplay–which you can find online here. The video above shows a shot-by-shot comparison between scenes from the two films. Below are the trailers for your contrasting amusement:

The trailer for Zero Hour:

The trailer for Airplane!:

Washington Post humor columnist Gene Weingarten created this handy card that you can print out and give to the inconsiderate person sitting in front of you on the plane who reclined their seat all the way back giving you as little space as possible.

via The Washington Post Style

Richard Branson’s Airplane Safety Video on CollegeHumor

Terence Chang shot some beautiful long exposure photographs of planes taking off and landing at San Francisco International Airport.

via Telstar Logistics

photos by Terence Chang