Flight

Wingwalking Couple Weds Atop Their Own Individual Speeding Biplanes

Apparently a proposal in the middle of the Amazonian rainforest wasn't enough for Brits Darren McWalters and Katie Hodgson, seen here taking their vows under the guise of a rearward-facing wing-mounted priest above the English countryside. The magic words were exchanged with a combination of hand signals and radio headsets, which were also simulcast to guests on the ground. From the looks of the video below, it seems like things went off without a hitch. More »

7:30 PM on Wed Aug 6 2008
By John Mahoney
2,232 views, 13 comments

Latest by metalgear08: @Dallin: icwatudidthar more »

surfing the friendly skies

Delta's Bringing In-Flight Wi-Fi to Its Entire U.S. Fleet

Delta will join the other airlines using Aircell's GoGo cellular data service, becoming the first of the U.S. biggies to announce concrete plans for a fleet-wide rollout. They're starting with their 133 MD88/90s, then moving on to hit every plane by summer of next year. It'll run you $9.95 for flights less than three hours, or $12.95 for longer flights. There goes our last possible Internet-free haven...I mean, yay! Read on for the full release: More »

9:12 AM on Tue Aug 5 2008
By John Mahoney
3,541 views, 44 comments

jetpack flight

How it Feels to Fly a Jetpack

I flip the ignition switch and 250 pounds of engines, turbines and gasoline roar hello. In terms of horsepower, I was carrying a small sports car on my back. I’d like to say that I grin confidently and give the cameras a wink, like some young Chuck Yeager or Evel Knievel, but the smile leaves my face. More »

12:30 PM on Mon Aug 4 2008
By Mark Wilson
33,618 views, 108 comments

boom

Update: SpaceX Falcon 1 Rocket Blew Up, Fourth Time's the Charm?

Bad news for private space flight aficionados—SpaceX's Falcon 1 rocket lifted off live via webcast last night, and then proceded to blow up spectacularly in the sky over the Pacific Ocean. If you were following along on the official SpaceX website, you probably saw this: "20:38 PDT — We have heard from launch control that there has been an anomaly. More details will be posted to the website as available." The site remains the same this morning, but Space.com has learned that two rocket stages "failed to separate about two minutes and 20 seconds into launch" and the rocket blew itself to smithereens around 11:36 p.m. EDT. The pubs are calling this "strike three" for SpaceX, but it should be known billionaire backer Elon Musk has two more rockets left to prove his private firm is a reliable way to transport satellites to low Earth orbit. More »

9:01 AM on Sun Aug 3 2008
By Jack Loftus
18,830 views, 53 comments

Latest by n/a: @max11221: It would seem to me that they've gotten farther each time. No? Maybe "incrementally less bad than last time" is more apt. Either way, they're not going backwards. Success depends on your definition of failure. more »

in-fligth calling

Congress Takes First Steps in Banning In-Flight Calling Permanently

Like a gaggle of schoolgirls, Congress traded stories about how they too were annoyed by people using their phones before and after takeoff on flights. Well, I never! One House member relayed the story of how his delicate sensibilities were stomped all over by some woman who talked about her sex life on the phone, shortly to be one-upped by another congressman saying that his wife overheard someone receiving a "Dear John" call before takeoff. Good sir! After the jab-fest portion of this sleepover was concluded, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved, via voice vote, a bill that would make the current FCC ban on in-flight calling permanent. And then one of their dads took them out for ice cream. Best night ever. [Yahoo]

12:30 PM on Fri Aug 1 2008
By Jason Chen
2,614 views, 107 comments

Latest by n/a: wow... reminds me about the old joke, "If con is the opposite of pro, then Congress must be the opposite of progress." They should be passing laws that protect our way of life, personal safety and take care of us. more »

Flight Simulators

iBird Avian Flight Simulator Makes You Feel Like Icarus

The iBird Flight Simulator was easily the most creative demo at Microsoft's Research Summit yesterday. Also developed in conjunction with NYU (like the UnMouse Pad), it uses a USB controller with dual retractable, pulley-style cords, the iBird tracks your movement in 3D space. The iBird then relays that information back to the computer and offers visual feedback in the form of a projected 3D world where you become a bird that flaps, leans and speeds up. More »

10:00 PM on Wed Jul 30 2008
By Adrian Covert
4,183 views, 28 comments

Latest by Con Seannery: @Ariel_Wollinger: You mean matching the functionality of Apple products is a GOAL? I thought that was more of a thing to be avoided, and if it happens, a cue to fire every member of QC and R&D more »

to infinity and into storage

Space Shuttle Final Flight Programmed: May 31 2010

NASA has put a final date on the shuttle program: May 31 2010. That day, the shuttle will launch for the last time, putting an end to 29 years of amazing missions, two of them with tragic endings. The final will be STS-133, in which Endeavour "will carry critical spare components that will be placed on the outside of the station," including new communication antennas, a gas tank, spare parts for giant space robot Dextre, and the coolest of them all: "micrometeoroid debris shields." I don't know about you, but I hope these involve invisible fields or laser micro-turrets or some kind of plasma generator. They also released details for the remaining flights of Endeavour, Discovery, and Atlantis: More »

4:00 PM on Tue Jul 8 2008
By Jesus Diaz
6,201 views, 46 comments

Latest by Mondoz: @GadgetPlay: Unless the next president helps out NASA by increasing the manned space exploration division more than Bush's meager scraps, I doubt we'll see men on Mars anytime soon. Certainly not within Bush's timetable. If he announced it, he endorses more »

DIY Flight

Chinese DIY Helicopter is the Culmination of 10 Years of Ingenuity, Possible Mental Illness

A DIYer from the Guangdong Province in eastern China has finally perfected his sub-$3000 home-built helicopter, taking it for a demonstration flight in what appears to his back yard. A tinkerer since he dropped out of school in his teens, Chen Zhaorong has been working on this project for nearly 10 years, but only began flight attempts a few months ago. The first attempts were neither successful nor fatal, (a remarkable combo) but this time around he not only got liftoff, but seemed to be in complete control. More »

9:00 PM on Mon Jun 30 2008
By John Herrman
34,289 views, 73 comments

Latest by Tysto: What this story and its comments suggest to me is that Gizmodo readers need to pony up a couple of dozen HD video cameras to create a team of Gizmodo foreign correspondents. I'm sure we could count on regular Jalopnik more »

flying bike

Google Earth Flying Bicycle Doesn't Include Basket, E.T.

Elliott-wannabe Mike Kay has wired his mountain bike to Google Earth's flight simulator mode to travel all around the world while he exercises. He used a Sun Microsystem SunSPOT, a Java-programmable wireless sensor equipped with an accelerometer and a bank of pins to connect it to the other controls. The system is simple, and it works perfectly, as you can see in the video. More »

5:42 AM on Tue May 20 2008
By Jesus Diaz
8,425 views, 15 comments

essay

Confessions of a Flickr Snoopr (Admit It, You're One Too)

My name is Addy and I'm a Flickrholic. I'm a window-licking voyeuse who's been pressing her nose up against the cold glass of the lives of utter strangers, snooping through their photostreams. And if you think I'm weird, take a peep through their curtains. Marvel at Polymorfo Perverso's rather delicious fetish portraits (one caption reads "your neck is so much fun") or Gizmodo's favorite tough man as meat-market mascot. If you're a Flickr snoopr like me, you know the giddy, naughty pleasure of it all. If you're not one, well, here's how to become one in a hurry. More »

11:00 AM on Sun Apr 13 2008
By AddyDugdale
43,240 views, 30 comments

Latest by jackfrost132: Oh god, I just searched dungeon.. I no longer possess a will to live. more »

dealzmodo

Free Flight of the Conchords MP3 Today

Scary factoid: on my recent vacation, I combed my hair funny as a joke. My wife freaked out a bit, saying that I looked like Murray Hewitt. She was right, so I called her "Brit" for the remainder of the trip. (Unfortunately, she looks nothing like Bret McClegnie.) On the plus side, today you can download Flight of the Conchords' "Ladies of the World" MP3 for 100% free on CNET. You don't remember that song from the series? Then you're fired, reader. Hit the jump for a reminder and reapply to Gizmodo through the tips line.

UPDATE: Business Time is available free as well.

More »

8:55 AM on Thu Apr 3 2008
By Mark Wilson
10,853 views, 32 comments

Latest by EyeTestYoGames: i got the 1st season for free at the best buy achievers show ...woot woot lol more »

in-flight

Gogo To Bring In-Flight Wi-Fi By Spring; We Can't Wait

We already knew that Virgin America and American Airlines were planning to bring in-flight wi-fi in 2008, but we seriously didn't expect it be ready by spring. Aircell has just launched its US in-flight wi-fi service called "gogo" and they claim it will be available in the first half of 2008. Virgin America and American Airlines have both signed on to use gogo but it looks like Virgin America is the only airline taking the service seriously. More »

4:05 PM on Thu Mar 13 2008
By Christopher Mascari
2,342 views, 15 comments

Latest by SneakerFiend: How many people are actually going to be willing to pay the 10 dollars??? If the 2MBs is for share then thats not bad because it will be shared with appx. 4 people giving a 400kbps download speed which is not more »

jetpacks for all

Jetpack with a 10 Mile Range Available Soon for $226,000

Jetpacks, the invention we've all been waiting to become a reality for as long as we can remember (along with flying cars and teleporters), are pretty much a reality at this point. While a few months ago the only two commercially available jetpacks had paltry flying times of about 30 seconds, Jet Pack International is releasing a new model early next year that'll let potential pilots take to the skies for a generous 19 minutes. More »

5:00 PM on Wed Dec 12 2007
By Adam Frucci
21,674 views, 64 comments

in-flight wi-fi

Update: Jet Blue Wi-Fi Crippled For a Reason

Jet Blue's air-to-ground cellular network (provided by LiveTV on the same spectrum as those in-flight phones no one uses) is still experiencing too many dropped connections between cell nodes to support the bandwidth necessary for full-on surfing, the NY Times is reporting. Hence the Yahoo Mail/IM and Blackberries only restriction, and the lack of cost. American, Virgin America, and Alaska Airlines are expected to join the fray with more robust, pay-per-use services "in the coming months," the latter using a more reliable and international satellite connection for more bandwidth and range. [New York Times]

12:32 AM on Fri Dec 7 2007
By dango
2,595 views, 16 comments

Latest by chinook11: Of course Alaska Airlines would have it with the other "cool kid" airlines. They simply kick ass. Especially if you live in Seattle. more »

flight sims

Flight Sim Indulgences: Hotseat vs. Dream Flyer

In the spirit of the man who replicated a $30k jumbo jet cockpit simulator in his bedroom, these premium flight sim chairs have hit the net. The Hotseat 723 has a yoke for non-combat jets, a 23-inch HDTV, speakers near the floor, pedals and a keyboard rest for about $5k. The Dreamflyer has a stick, 15-degrees of seat movement powered by your lean (not motors/hydraulics), and full high end Saitek throttle/pedal controllers and triple monitor mounts. $3400, without any electronics save the Saitek kit. The stick and the monitor mounts do it for me, so that would be my pick. If I was a flight sim nerd. Anyone still into PC flight sims care to explain the fascination to me? [Hotseat via OhGizmo, DreamFlyer via Gerry Block's Mohawk ]

2:25 PM on Fri Nov 23 2007
By Brian Lam
6,468 views, 16 comments

Latest by Worf: Geez, for $3400, you can probably build your own simpit... more »

gaming

Thrustmaster Flight Stick X: "World's First PS3 Joystick"

The amusingly named peripherals manufacturer Thrustmaster has launched the T. Flight Stick X, describing it as the "World's first PS3 joystick." This should be welcome news for flight-sim fans —as long as your favorite game doesn't exclusively utilize the motion sensor, which renders the device useless. More »

5:20 PM on Mon Nov 19 2007
By Sean Fallon
3,409 views, 8 comments

bedroom 747

Man Builds $30,000 Jumbo Jet Simulator in his Bedroom

John Davis spent eight years and 15,000 building a Boeing 747 flight simulator in a room in his house. And now the 47-year-old's hobby has turned into such a full-time occupation that he has jacked in his job as a graphic designer to run a full-time flight simulation business from his home in Coventry, UK. We interviewed John about his setup, including how much it costs to fly his sim:

More »

9:30 AM on Fri Oct 19 2007
By AddyDugdale
132,819 views, 46 comments

clips

Flight Sim + Vuzix VR920 Virtual Reality Goggles = Airsick Fun

Microsoft Flight Simulator X just got cooler: when you strap the $400 Vuzix VR920 headest on and look around, the camera follows your movements. The goggles show you an interactive 3D cockpit, while onscreen, onlookers see a 2D version. Vuzix (which was called Icuiti until a week or so ago) will soon launch an A/V version for $350 which connects to DVD players, phones or anything else with a composite video out. Video by Nick McGlynn [Vuzix]

5:35 PM on Wed Sep 12 2007
By Wilson Rothman
19,512 views, 30 comments

Latest by n/a: I just bought this and here is the scoop:I have two newer Alienwares with XP and a new gaming pc with Vista on it. (God help me) This VR920 arrived with no drivers for Vista or XP. Neither OS could more »

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