The “Cornfield Bomber” Landed Itself Without A Pilot
Today in 1970, an Air Force pilot had to eject from his fighter jet during a training exercise. So the plane just sort of got itself back onto the ground, mostly successfully.
The First Skywriting Was, No Surprise, For Advertising
On or around this day in 1922, a pilot wrote the first skywriting message in the United States. It was a way to demonstrate an advertising technique that would be a big part of business for the next few decades.
Incubus, The Esperanto-Language Movie Starring William Shatner
Today in 1966, the official release of "Incubus," the only Esperanto-language movie starring a pre-Star Trek William Shatner. The movie had such bad fortune some people actually thought it was cursed.
Boeing Once Used Potatoes To Test In-Flight WiFi
It’s National Aviation Day and National Potato Day, and amazingly, there's a story that brings them both together. Boeing used sacks of potatoes in place of humans when it began testing in-flight WiFi.
Before There Was CGI, There Was Special Effects Master Ray Harryhausen
Ray Harryhausen was a pioneer of special effects in movies in the days before computers, whose influence is still all over the world of movies today.
Turning Plastic Into Jet Fuel, In About An Hour
Researchers at Washington State University have found a way to convert plastic waste into jet fuel that takes only an hour. And it's also less energy-intensive, which could make recycling plastic more cost-effective and more common.
Harriet Quimby, The Pilot Who Became “Queen of the Channel Crossing”
Aviation pioneer Harriet Quimby isn't as well known as Amelia Earhart or Bessie Coleman but, as the first woman to fly across the English Channel, she definitely made an impact.
How A Pedal-Powered Airplane Crossed The English Channel
Today's the anniversary of a pretty unusual moment in the history of human flight: on this day in 1979, an airplane flew over the English Channel that was entirely powered by its pilot.
Does A Book With 1,250 Endings Ever Really End?
I grew up reading Choose Your Own Adventure books, some of which had dozens of possible endings. But a new book from a celebrated Sri Lankan children's author had a world record 1,250 endings!
The Life And Flights Of Jerrie Cobb
Today is the birthday of Jerrie Cobb, who could have been the first woman in space but ended up flying to great heights nonetheless.