Curiosities
1,964 news found
CuriositiesMichael Jackson doesn't pay rental for his jets?
Los Angeles, USA - According to allegations he owes USD 50,000 for an air-transfer
Travel agent Cynthia Montgomery, who has been organizing Michael Jackson's transfers on board of small airplanes for three years, has sued the star - who has notoriously been having intense relations with... more
CuriositiesSpace Burial office opens in Taiwan
Taiwan, China - Celestis open a new office
Celestis, U.S. society operating since 1997 in space burial, opened a new office in Taiwan. This new office will take in charge all the orders of rich Chinese that would like to sand their ashes into space.... more
CuriositiesF-16 and Mig-29 follow F/A-18 in on-line auction
Washington, Usa - After the F/A-18 offered on tender on Ebay, even F-16 and Mig-29 appear
Auction of military airplanes seems now to be in vogue. After the Ebay’s announcement for a F/A-18 Hornet (see for details AVIONEWS), it has been the time of a F-16 Fighting Falcon two days ago. This a... more
CuriositiesManufacturing a helicopter? The Web and an old truck engine are sufficient
Hanoi, Vietnam - A Vietnamese farmer would have succeeded in it but authorities have confiscated his chopper
A Vietnamese farmer would have succeeded in manufacturing a helicopter by himself by using notions found on the internet. Nevertheless, authorities have prevent this brave 'engineer' from carry on his... more
CuriositiesHornet on Ebay for the highest bidder
Washington, USA - An F/A-18A for 'merely' USD 1m
A US Navy acrobatic squad F/A-18A Hornet (the Blue Angel) is being sold on the well known bidding provider on line site, Ebay. The company which has put it up for sale, Landa and Associates, states it... more
CuriositiesRace between an airplane and a motorbike, the latter wins
Madrid, Spain - Original competition takes place in Spain with an un unexpected result
250cc world champion Fonso Nieto, driving his Aprilia RSV 100R, challenged and defeated a C-101 airplane of the Spanish Air Force on a 1000 meters distance. The unusual challenge has taken place at the... more
CuriositiesThe Pacific hot-air balloon long-distance flight attempted by a Japanese person has failed
Tokyo, Japan - His balloon has landed on water at more than 1000 km distance from Japanese northern coast.
The oceanic long-distance flight attempt by a 54 years old Japanese (Michio Kanda) has failed (an attempt which has been already described on AVIONEWS ). His hot-air balloon, called "Milky Way 2", has... more
CuriositiesPaul McCartney is learning to fly an aircraft
London, England - It has been reported in "The Sun" magazine
The English singer, a former Beatles member, Paul McCartney is learning to fly an aircraft. In fact, he attended a pilot school in Lydd airport, Kent. The English star, according to his friends, is really... more
CuriositiesTwinning between Bari and New York under Saint Nicholas protection
New York, Usa - Ground Zero small church rebuilding project
Less than one week after 11th of September victims memorial exhibition, Mayor of Bari, Simone di Cagno Abbrescia, and Mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg, have met again thanks to the project to... more
CuriositiesUS Airways pilot mistook the airport
Pittsburgh, Usa - The carrier: no comment
The US carrier says "No comment" about its pilot, who taking-off from Pittsburgh and heading to State College, University Park airport on a daily flight, actually landed in the close by Mid-State Regional... more
CuriositiesBush Senior will parachute himself for the last time
Washington USA - For his 80th birthday
George Bush Senior 41st President of USA and father of the current one, announced in front of the National Museum of Naval Aviation public, Pensacola - Florida, that in June, he will parachute himself... more
CuriositiesEnglish granny survived a heart attack on board of an aircraft
London, Great Britain - 15 cardiologists arrived to rescue her
After a long convalescence the granny from Liverpool can now tell what happened to her a month ago, while she was flying to Florida to pay visit to her nephews. Last November Dorothy Penman, 67 years old,... more
Curiosities71 years ago there was the world record of height for tourism aircraft
Rome, Italy - In Rome, at Littorio airport
At Littorio airport (Rome), currently Urbe airport situated in via Salaria, (editor's note), Renato Donati on board of a Fiat AS.1 modified with an engine of the National Aviation Company C.7 of 180 hp,... more
CuriositiesRussia: stopped a Tupolev aircraft with a smuggle caviar cargo
Moscow, Russia - The authorities opened an enquiry
A military TU-154 with a precious cargo composed by half ton sturgeon, 5 tons of red caviar and 160 kg of black caviar has been stopped last Saturday in the Russian city of Khabarovsk, just before the... more
CuriositiesCheck-in and Christmas fruit cake
Washington, Usa - A metropolitan legend
With the alarm for terrorism that is circulating in those days it is normal to have doubts about what can be put in a suitcase, but lately a voice was circulating saying that the traditional cakes (the... more
CuriositiesContinental Airlines donated historic DC-3 aircraft to the Lone Star Flight Museum
Houston, Usa - In the occasion of 100 years after the first successful airplane flight
Exactly 100 years after the first successful airplane flight, Continental Airlines (NYSE: CAL) was helping to perpetuate the legacy of flight by donating its award-winning, historic, 63-year-old DC-3 aircraft... more
CuriositiesRecord auction for Concorde
London, Uk - Collected more than EUR 1m, that will be given in beneficence
A beneficence auction with Concorde's parts and objects held yesterday in London, near the Bohnams Auctions at the Olympia Exhibition Center, has allowed to collect a sum much more higher than that of... more
CuriositiesThe Air Force One cannot be attacked by missiles
Washington Usa - Says Loren Thompson, a military analyst
The U.S. President's aircraft cannot be attacked by missiles. That is what Loren Thompson, a military analyst, stated in an interview with the Washington Post. The only danger of yesterday's Bush's journey... more
CuriositiesOne of the Concordes in exhibition in Filton (Great Britain)
London, England - Prince Andrew took part to the landing
The "legendary" Concorde goes back "home". One of the seven BA Concordes landed in Filton, near Bristol, where it was built 30 years ago. This is its final destination, where it will be exhibited. Thousands... more
CuriositiesBurbank Glendale Pasadena Airport to change name
Burbank, Usa - It will be named after the Usa showman Bob Hope
The authorities of Burbank, Glendale e Pasadena are about to realize the dream of the great Usa comic actor Bob Hope, recently passed away at the age of 100 years. He desired that an airport was given... more
CuriositiesSpace tourism in Russia
Moscow, Russia - The plane could move up to 1,000 passengers
Moscow Aviation Institute (MAI) presented yesterday at the opening of an international exhibition "Aviation and Astronautics-2003", a plan of a unique space-plane. The airplane is capable to carry passengers... more
CuriositiesNew method for the handling of the A-380 Glare
Rome, Italy - Its the new Ipfa transport system
Airbus has introduced a new method for the handling of the Glare, the composite elastic made of aluminium and fiber glass used for the covering of the higher shell of the A-380 fuselage. Initially those... more
CuriositiesA bored alligator goes for a stroll in the plane
New York, Usa - Alligator wonders out the cage in the hold of an AA flight
Pushed by the need of "stretching its legs" an alligator has been found strolling around the hold of an American Airlines flight from Miami to Newark, New Jersey, while its owner was comfortably sitting... more
Curiosities"Longlegs" defend themselves: invented "anti-reclining" seat device
Washington, Usa - Excogitated appliance to protect tall people's knees
Ira Goldman, a 1.90 metre American tall man, tired by now of suffering during flights, invented a device that if put on the arm of the table, will stop the passenger in front from reclining the seat. The... more
CuriositiesEngland: rescuers attacked by llamas
London, Uk - Eventful hundredth mission of rescue for medical team
It was their hundredth rescue mission but they could not sure have celebrated this goal in a more original way. The medical team that was about to fly the 72-year-old Graham Bailey to the hospital had... more
CuriositiesEnds trip around the world for raising money
Florida, Usa - USD 12,000 raised for ALS research
Carol Ann Garratt returned to Florida after a 41,000-mile flight around the world on board of a Mooney M-20 airplane. The trip started in early February from Kissimmee. She flew over the South Seas, then... more
CuriositiesEnglish man flies in a hang-glider with his hawks
London, Uk - It took years to the falconer Jonathan Marshall to achieve the objective
Jonathan Marshall loves the birds since his childhood and has been a falconer since he was 15. The 35-year-old Englishman is the protagonist of an exceptional performance: flying in a hang-glider with... more
CuriositiesAmerican man purchases the last two tickets for the Concorde
Washington, Usa - He paid more than USD 60.300
David Hayes is the purchaser of the last two tickets available for the final flight New York-London (see AVIONEWS) that will definitively pension the Concorde on October 24th. The man, a Toledo resident... more
CuriositiesLove madness: an anonymous telephone call causes plane delay
Cairo, Egypt - 6 hour delay for an Egypt Air aircraft
The last attempt of a desperate lover was only able to spread fear among the passengers of an Egypt Air flight which last Monday departed from Copenaghen airport directed to Cairo. As to what declared... more
CuriositiesMy dear gourmets, no oysters on board
Paris, France - According to Air France the cutting edge of the mussels belongs to the list of improper weapons
This is what has been told to a group of tourists that, coming back from Brittany, were carrying oysters in their hand luggage, in order to eat them at their dinner table, once back in Italy. But they... more