The holiday season and the year ended, so, we can take a look back at couple interesting stories and news from 2019. Stay with us in 2020!
Straight from Sydney to London
Qantas Airways is trying out new direct flights from Sydney to London and New York. These are quite long trips that take about 19 hours. However, the technology has reached the necessary level to make ultra-long-haul flights possible, these flights can be wearisome for us, people. That’s why the test involved employees with devices that kept tracking how they slept, ate and moved during the flight. In addition, the pilots’ brain wave patterns and alertness were also monitored during and after the flight. We like being in the air, but 19 hours seems pretty long in one sitting.
The most spectacular of all
Singapore’s Changi Airport opened last year with a 130 feet tall waterfall, making it the world’s tallest indoor waterfall. The airport became one of the busiest airport and one of the biggest transportation hub in Asia. It got so popular that police needed to take action against people who visited the airport but didn’t intend to fly. Due to security and capacity issues, you cannot enter the airport without taking a flight. Even if you have a valid boarding pass, you can face fines of up to $14,300 or a two-year prison term. If you go there, definitely take a look around!
Instructor passes out in the air
You probably all know the story of Max Sylvester. He was the guy whose instructor passed out during a lesson in the air. It actually was his first lesson in a Cessna 152 and his third overall. Long story short, the cooperation between the student and the tower was flawless, so he landed the plane successfully. He was interviewed afterwards and told: “My study kicked in, of actually reading my study books. That definitely saved me.” We like this story because it’s so unusual and shocking at first. However, everyone knew what they needed to do and so, everything worked out well.
ADS-B requirements
Finally, to bring some news that has an actual effect on this year as well. FAA has made ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) mandatory for all aircrafts operating in airspace with a Mode C transponder from 1 January 2020. It will help tracking planes through satellite navigation that makes both sides’ (pilots, tower) job easier. However, there are pros and cons against it, we are curious how it is going to work out.
If you have any stories to share, feel free to leave a comment and tell us your favorite story of 2019!
