Oshkosh provides a platform to introduce the world to many new and wondrous things in the world of aviation. For those that have not heard of Oshkosh, it is a city in the state of Wisconsin that once a year hosts the EAA or Experimental Aircraft Association convention now known as EAA AirVenture. Aviation enthusiasts from all over the world come to celebrate their love of all things flying. It is the largest such event of its kind and one can quickly become overwhelmed through sensory overload as you try to take in all that is AirVenture Oshkosh.
I was able to see that latest advances in technology, from aircraft that would fly using electric motors as those being developed by Yuneec, to the new Airbus A380 the largest commercial passenger plane soon to take to the skies. The A380 is amazing and the demonstration flight was remarkable to watch. With the exception of one hard landing, the pilot really put on a show and really made me marvel at the progress that has been made over the years. To think that that plane can be configured to carry up to 850 passengers and do so much quieter than the planes of yesterday and today tends to boggle the mind.
Yuneec on the other hand is introducing electric motors to ultralights and powered paragliders. The desire to find new or rather alternative sources of energy has broadened the spectrum of what is available to the world of aviation and although electric motors seem appropriate in the automobile industry and more and more accepted with the introduction of hybrids, aviation was not one of the places that I thought battery power would show itself so soon beyond the novelty stage. Though they are still not the ideal candidate for long cross country flights, thanks must be given to companies like Yuneec, Sonex, and the ElectricFlyer for proving that the battery powered aircraft is a reality that can be enjoyed today. They may not be the first to create electric flight but they are certainly raising the bar.
If you get tired of hanging around terra firma, Oshkosh even inspires man to break from the bounds of gravity completely with the introduction of White Knight 2. Richard Branson teamed up with Burt Rutan to develop an aeronautical package that will deliver paying customers that chance to experience outer space. White Knight 2 is the launch vehicle that will take Spaceship 2 to a high enough altitude to enable it reach outer space under its available power. They proved it could be done winning the X Prize with the first generation and are proving it again with this 2nd generation, all without government sponsorship. Although in the air it looks like 2 airplanes holding hands you can’t help but be impressed watching it fly overhead.
The fun of Oshkosh is more than just the technology as you can tell it is also about the people behind the technology and all the people that have a love of aviation. I would like to share with you a story of an amazing person. Her name is Jessica Cox and though I missed seeing her I saw her aircraft at Oshkosh this year. I didn’t realize how amazing she was until I saw a little article about her in the local Milwaukee paper. I didn’t fully appreciate it until I happened onto this interview she did with AVweb. Check it out and I am sure you will be impressed also. It is amazing what mankind can accomplish when they don’t look at the world through the eyes of limitations.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fK0LvmurKbU&feature=channel
This was just the tip of the airshow known as Oshkosh. A quick search will let you see just how vast the world of aviation has become. It easily captures my imagination and with all the wonderous new inventions being introduced it inspires me to work on my creativity and see if there isn’t just a little bit of that imagination still residing within. The dreams of flight still remain and I will continue to latch on at every chance.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
Showing posts with label flying. Show all posts
Showing posts with label flying. Show all posts
18 August 2009
02 May 2009
A Voisin good time
I just ran across a fun web site with a wonderful video presentation of a trip to Oshkosh for the large EAA Air Adventure fly in 2008, made by two gentlemen in their home built World War I aircraft replicas. I wish there was more footage from the air but this is more from the point of view of the ground support team that got them there and back. It gives some wonderful insight into some of what makes these flights possible. All though not all the footage was perfect, they chose to leave it in rather than leave it on the cutting room floor. I am glad they did because it made it all the more real. Although I lost audio for part four I enjoyed the whole thing immensely, especially the funny bits. Thank you Gary, Chad, Bryan, Ralph andCorey for taking the time to share your dream come true with us.
From http://www.voisin35.com/voisin35/ just click on the link to the 2008 Airventure videos. There is also a great diary of the adventure and the origins of the aircraft called Voisin.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
From http://www.voisin35.com/voisin35/ just click on the link to the 2008 Airventure videos. There is also a great diary of the adventure and the origins of the aircraft called Voisin.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
14 February 2009
Hi TED
As I was surfing the other day I came across an interesting site that I had come across some years ago. It is http://www.ted.com/ and it is well worth a visit. To use their own words, “TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from those three worlds. Since then its scope has become ever broader.
The annual conference now brings together the world's most fascinating thinkers and doers, who are challenged to give the talk of their lives (in 18 minutes).” Also as they say TED is ideas worth sharing.
You might have heard of Bill Gates releasing mosquitoes on a group he was giving a talk to. This is the place where it happened. You can see the video of this and many other talks on the TED web site. If you have never had the chance to hear Bill Gates speak, this is an easy and inexpensive way to see him in action. His talk covered Malaria awareness and creating better teachers and education which fell under is topic of “How I’m trying to change the world now”.
Concerning the education system, Bill has some charts and some interesting observations on the current effectiveness of the schooling system. I also have some ideas in this area. Bill, if you are listening, get with me. I have had an idea running in the back of my mind for some years now that would harness the power of technology to increase education on a national scale that could easily go global but it would take someone with your resources to pull it off. Where you are talking about reforming the system, I am talking about bypassing the system and getting right to the heart of the matter.
Money is part, but knowledgeable technicians and effective teachers are the other. It involves creating an on-line school that is affordable (free) and available to all. Borrowing from some other successful models such as game sites, you tube, and social sites, education could be brought to a whole new world of individuals that are not served well with the current system as well as providing continuing education to the world of people that thirst for knowledge. I can’t do it from where I sit but you could, if you truly believe in this. What the rich were to public libraries in the past, Bill Gates could be for education in the here and now.
Bill Gates was not the reason I came to re-discover the TED site. As I said the other day, aviation is a passion for me and I came across a talk that Paul MacCready gave on aerodynamics and flight entitled ‘Paul MacCready flies on solar wings’. MacCready is the person that gave rise to the human powered aircraft, the Gossamer Albatross, that flew across the English Channel and then went on to create the solar powered unmanned aircraft called the Helios which broke the SR-71’s altitude record. He is an amazing man with a creed of “Do more with less”. This interesting video can be found at http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/176.
There is a myriad of topics and talks to be found here. I intend to delve deeper as I get the chance. Where it only takes 20 minutes I should be able to find the time. What I have seen so far just whets my appetite for more. After all, education can and should be a lifelong process. The thirst for knowledge should be unquenchable. Enjoy yours.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
The annual conference now brings together the world's most fascinating thinkers and doers, who are challenged to give the talk of their lives (in 18 minutes).” Also as they say TED is ideas worth sharing.
You might have heard of Bill Gates releasing mosquitoes on a group he was giving a talk to. This is the place where it happened. You can see the video of this and many other talks on the TED web site. If you have never had the chance to hear Bill Gates speak, this is an easy and inexpensive way to see him in action. His talk covered Malaria awareness and creating better teachers and education which fell under is topic of “How I’m trying to change the world now”.
Concerning the education system, Bill has some charts and some interesting observations on the current effectiveness of the schooling system. I also have some ideas in this area. Bill, if you are listening, get with me. I have had an idea running in the back of my mind for some years now that would harness the power of technology to increase education on a national scale that could easily go global but it would take someone with your resources to pull it off. Where you are talking about reforming the system, I am talking about bypassing the system and getting right to the heart of the matter.
Money is part, but knowledgeable technicians and effective teachers are the other. It involves creating an on-line school that is affordable (free) and available to all. Borrowing from some other successful models such as game sites, you tube, and social sites, education could be brought to a whole new world of individuals that are not served well with the current system as well as providing continuing education to the world of people that thirst for knowledge. I can’t do it from where I sit but you could, if you truly believe in this. What the rich were to public libraries in the past, Bill Gates could be for education in the here and now.
Bill Gates was not the reason I came to re-discover the TED site. As I said the other day, aviation is a passion for me and I came across a talk that Paul MacCready gave on aerodynamics and flight entitled ‘Paul MacCready flies on solar wings’. MacCready is the person that gave rise to the human powered aircraft, the Gossamer Albatross, that flew across the English Channel and then went on to create the solar powered unmanned aircraft called the Helios which broke the SR-71’s altitude record. He is an amazing man with a creed of “Do more with less”. This interesting video can be found at http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/176.
There is a myriad of topics and talks to be found here. I intend to delve deeper as I get the chance. Where it only takes 20 minutes I should be able to find the time. What I have seen so far just whets my appetite for more. After all, education can and should be a lifelong process. The thirst for knowledge should be unquenchable. Enjoy yours.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
06 March 2008
A day spent with Delta
I just got back from a flight to the east cost the other day on Delta Airlines. Of course we had to go through Atlanta, which isn’t too bad until you are delayed by the weather. If you find yourself in the Atlanta airport with a little time to kill be sure to check out the African sculptures on exhibit in the lower connecting tunnel between Terminals A and T. It really is some amazing art work.
So Delta, what’s the deal? Are you guys so hard up that you have to overcharge for crappy food just to make a buck? I remember when they used to give you the ‘whole’ can of soda with your cup of big block ice. Now you get what ever is drizzled over that little cup of big block ice. I’m sure they get about three servings per can that way. Then you want to charge $3 for a half can of Pringles. And why would you charge us $8 for something that was only barely eatable when it was free? Why are you charging us at all on a flight that is four hours in length? I have to admit that the free cheese crackers were good, but you could have given us two and left the can to wash it down with.
Why is it that we have all this cool new technology on the plane to keep us distracted for the duration of the flight such as built in TV’s in the seat back in front of you but only a portion of it is useable? There were supposed to be 24 channels of Dish network television broadcast live into the plane. The most I had working at any one time was 6. Well that isn’t completely true. There were times when about 10 of the other channels were coming in but they all were showing the same thing, how to work you new dish network. The channels that were supposed to be there, the ones I wanted to watch, were replaced with this lousy instructions video for new users. The others channels were either blacked out or said lost signal. A guy can only watch so much HGTV. If this was an effort to sale me on the Dish network I would definitly be looking at cable.
Movies were available but for $5 bucks apiece. Even old TV shows from HBO were $2 an episode. There was one free trivia game available, the rest costing $5 apiece. Add another $2 for headphones and you would think that something should work right.
Sometimes I like ala carte, sometimes I don’t. This just feels cheap and abusive on your part. I am not expecting great things, or wonderful things. I am talking about simple little things that can make a big difference. The TSA has made it a pain to go to the airport, you should be doing what you can to make it less of a pain once we have crossed over to the other side. With competition what it is in the airline industry, you would think that you would be doing what you could to differentiate yourself. It doesn’t have to take much, when little things mean a lot.
Now least you think I am just a nitpicker, let me say that I have been on commercial aircraft since the 70’s and I know that aircraft have gotten a lot better in that time. From take off to touch down and all points in between, the rides seem to be smoother. The moving map GPS that lets you know were you are, were you are headed, how high up you are, how fast you are going and when you are expected to arrive is one of the coolest inventions to be added. The fact that you can personalize your entertainment to taste is remarkable. And though the speeds have not increased greatly in the last couple of decades, you still cover ground faster than any other alternative choice. Flying commercial is still a pretty nice way to travel, all in all. It’s just that it could be so much better. I hope we haven’t given up trying. After all, we love to fly, so let it show.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
So Delta, what’s the deal? Are you guys so hard up that you have to overcharge for crappy food just to make a buck? I remember when they used to give you the ‘whole’ can of soda with your cup of big block ice. Now you get what ever is drizzled over that little cup of big block ice. I’m sure they get about three servings per can that way. Then you want to charge $3 for a half can of Pringles. And why would you charge us $8 for something that was only barely eatable when it was free? Why are you charging us at all on a flight that is four hours in length? I have to admit that the free cheese crackers were good, but you could have given us two and left the can to wash it down with.
Why is it that we have all this cool new technology on the plane to keep us distracted for the duration of the flight such as built in TV’s in the seat back in front of you but only a portion of it is useable? There were supposed to be 24 channels of Dish network television broadcast live into the plane. The most I had working at any one time was 6. Well that isn’t completely true. There were times when about 10 of the other channels were coming in but they all were showing the same thing, how to work you new dish network. The channels that were supposed to be there, the ones I wanted to watch, were replaced with this lousy instructions video for new users. The others channels were either blacked out or said lost signal. A guy can only watch so much HGTV. If this was an effort to sale me on the Dish network I would definitly be looking at cable.
Movies were available but for $5 bucks apiece. Even old TV shows from HBO were $2 an episode. There was one free trivia game available, the rest costing $5 apiece. Add another $2 for headphones and you would think that something should work right.
Sometimes I like ala carte, sometimes I don’t. This just feels cheap and abusive on your part. I am not expecting great things, or wonderful things. I am talking about simple little things that can make a big difference. The TSA has made it a pain to go to the airport, you should be doing what you can to make it less of a pain once we have crossed over to the other side. With competition what it is in the airline industry, you would think that you would be doing what you could to differentiate yourself. It doesn’t have to take much, when little things mean a lot.
Now least you think I am just a nitpicker, let me say that I have been on commercial aircraft since the 70’s and I know that aircraft have gotten a lot better in that time. From take off to touch down and all points in between, the rides seem to be smoother. The moving map GPS that lets you know were you are, were you are headed, how high up you are, how fast you are going and when you are expected to arrive is one of the coolest inventions to be added. The fact that you can personalize your entertainment to taste is remarkable. And though the speeds have not increased greatly in the last couple of decades, you still cover ground faster than any other alternative choice. Flying commercial is still a pretty nice way to travel, all in all. It’s just that it could be so much better. I hope we haven’t given up trying. After all, we love to fly, so let it show.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
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