What airlines fly to America. Cheap flights to the usa. Time and communication
The first known incident with a nuclear bomb occurred in February 1950, when a B-36 bomber took off from the American military base in Eilsen (Alaska) during a full-scale exercise to deliver a nuclear strike on the USSR, carrying a bomb. The plutonium was removed from it for safety reasons, since the exercises were to take place over San Francisco, but the uranium and 5,000 pounds of explosives remained in the bomb. Off the coast of Canada, the plane began to freeze, three of its five engines failed, and it was forced to drop the bomb into the ocean. It is known that the explosives detonated when the bomb touched the water, eyewitnesses on the shore saw a bright flash, but there were no reports of contamination of the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Canada.
The next incident was more serious - the US lost two nuclear bombs. They were on board a military aircraft B-47, which, according to official reports in March 1956, "disappeared off the coast of Algeria." Since then, nothing has been heard about the charges or the aircraft.
In the hot summer of 1957, a hundred miles from the American city of Atlantic City, two atomic bombs were dropped into the ocean from a C-124 transport aircraft in distress. It could have been worse - there was one more bomb on board the transporter and a charge for making the fourth one. After dumping the dangerous "ballast", the crew managed to cope with the situation and land safely.
The next incident was not long in coming - it happened six months later, in early 1958, off the coast of Georgia (USA), where two planes collided in the sky over the city of Savannah. An F-86 attack aircraft accidentally hit a heavy B-47 aircraft, which was carrying a 1.7 megaton thermonuclear bomb - that's about 80 nuclear charges dropped on Hiroshima. The damaged bomber "dropped" the bomb into the Atlantic, where it remains to this day.
In the winter of 1961, problems occurred in the fuel system of the B-62 aircraft (USA), which carried two nuclear bombs. It was far from the sea and therefore the pilots received permission to drop them in the desert area over North Carolina. One military man was easily found by the opened parachute. She did not explode by chance: one fuse out of seven worked. The second (as they assume) landed somewhere in the swamps and drowned there. She lies there and now, no one has found.
The American town of Spruce Creek, located in the north of Florida, a few miles from Dayton Beach, - real paradise for everyone who is in love with the sky. Its second name is "residential air park", or "flying community". The fact is that for 5 thousand local residents 1,300 houses and 700 aircraft hangars have been built here, and the runway is the main "avenue" of the city.
A plane instead of a car - this is the motto of the locals, among whom are the rich and celebrities. For many years, the famous American actor and avid pilot John Travolta lived in Spruce Creek, however, his Boeing 707 (the previous owner of which was Frank Sinatra) made too much noise and was too big for the local airfield that the "neighbors" filed a lawsuit against him. A few years earlier, Travolta had already been in trouble with the law for landing at Spruce Creek in a Gulfstream II jet.
In addition to the ill-fated Boeing, in Spruce Creek you can see such American beauties as Cessnas and Pipers, P-51 Mustangs, several L-39 Albatros, Eclipse 500, French Fouga Magister aircraft and even one Russian MiG-15. In addition to airplanes and electric cars, supercars such as Lamborghini, corvettes, motorcycles of all stripes and even a sporty Porsche GT2 can be seen here.
There are many professional pilots among the inhabitants of Spruce Creek, but there are also wealthy doctors, lawyers, landowners who cannot imagine their life without flying. Most have a tradition - on Saturday mornings, go for an air ride to one of the local cafes. They usually fly in groups of three.
It is wrong to think that Spruce Creek is a settlement for the powerful. The concept of "air" cities arose after the end of World War II, when the United States had an overabundance of small airfields and pilots. If in 1939 there were about 34 thousand of them, then by 1946 there were about 400 thousand.” In order to somehow use the runways that have become unnecessary, the Civil Aeronautics Administration decided to build 6,000 residential air parks throughout the country. Such an ambitious plan was not destined to come true, but several hundred such settlements yet it was equipped.
Today there are 600 such settlements in the USA, most of all in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Texas and Washington, Spruce Creek is considered the largest of them. By the way, the idea was adopted in other countries, in particular, in Canada, South Africa and Costa Rica.
american town Spruce Creek), located in the north of Florida, a few miles from Dayton Beach, is a real paradise for everyone who loves the sky. Its second name is “residential air park”, or “flying community”. The fact is that 1,300 houses and 700 aircraft hangars have been built here for 5,000 local residents, and the runway is the main "avenue" of the city.
Airplane instead of car- this is the motto of the locals, among whom are the rich and celebrities. For many years, the famous American actor and avid pilot John Travolta lived in Spruce Creek, however, his Boeing 707 (the previous owner of which was Frank Sinatra) made too much noise and was too big for the local airfield that the "neighbors" filed a lawsuit against him. A few years earlier, Travolta had already been in trouble with the law for landing at Spruce Creek in a Gulfstream II jet.
In addition to the ill-fated Boeing, in Spruce Creek you can see such American beauties as Cessnas and Pipers, P-51 Mustangs, several L-39 Albatros, Eclipse 500, French Fouga Magister aircraft and even one Russian MiG-15. In addition to airplanes and electric cars, supercars such as Lamborghini, corvettes, motorcycles of all stripes and even a sporty Porsche GT2 can be seen here.
There are many professional pilots among the inhabitants of Spruce Creek, but there are also wealthy doctors, lawyers, landowners who cannot imagine their life without flying. Most have a tradition - on Saturday mornings, go for an air ride to one of the local cafes. They usually fly in groups of three.
It is wrong to think that Spruce Creek is a settlement for the powerful. The concept of "air" cities arose after the end of World War II, when the United States had an overabundance of small airfields and pilots. If in 1939 there were about 34 thousand of them, then by 1946 there were about 400 thousand.” In order to somehow use the runways that have become unnecessary, the Civil Aeronautics Administration decided to build 6,000 residential air parks throughout the country. Such an ambitious plan was not destined to come true, but several hundred such settlements were nevertheless equipped.
Today there are 600 such settlements in the USA, most of all in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Texas and Washington, Spruce Creek is considered the largest of them. By the way, the idea was adopted in other countries, in particular, in Canada, South Africa and Costa Rica. Perhaps such a number of aircraft would not interfere with residents of remote Chinese villages, whose main transport is.
Aviation in America is loved and respected (for now, at least). In the 1930s and 1940s, the whole country was overgrown with a dense network of airfields, and practically every city with a population of over 30,000 has its own airfield. Naturally, not every airfield serves airlines, but on the other hand, general aviation is present at every airfield. These are cargo transportation, post office, ambulance, firefighters, and private traders, ranging from ultralights to large business jets. In fact, I want to talk about this segment, and specifically, about small propeller aircraft.
The golden age of personal aviation came in the 60s and 70s. It was due, firstly, to a large number of post-war pilots, as well as the relative availability of new aircraft. Back then, lawyers were not spoiled by multimillion-dollar lawsuits, there was no paranoia about terrorism, people were more adventurous, and it seemed that in a dozen or two years everyone would have their own private plane.
Actually, the relative availability of a personal aircraft now is the merit of the huge fleet of those years. It is enough to walk around any airfield in the USA to see that the vast majority of the private fleet is aircraft from the 60s–70s–80s, and the proportion of relatively new aircraft (under 10 years old) is vanishingly small.
Many people ask a reasonable question: is it not dangerous to fly in a thirty or even forty year old car? The answer to that is no, it's not dangerous. And that's why.
First, as a rule, everything has already been replaced in these aircraft, except for the fuselage and wings. Since the body of the aircraft is aluminum, it lives for a long time with proper care. Everything else changes as needed. Usually the engine is middle-aged or new, the avionics are more or less fresh, the interior too, and so on.
Secondly, the aircraft must undergo an annual technical inspection (Annual Inspection) every year, which is carried out by a certified mechanic or service center. If they find that the plane is not safe to operate, then until they fix all the problems, the plane will not be allowed to fly. Mechanics take this case pretty seriously, because if there is a disaster due to a technical problem, they will be the first to be grabbed by the ass by the authorities (and lawyers too). Each year, different bulletins are published with known "bugs" that mechanics are required to check at every inspection.
Any repair is recorded in special logs and signed by a mechanic. There they sign for Annual. From the logs, you can view the history of the aircraft - when it was repaired, what upgrades were made, and so on. Quite a fascinating read, I must say.
Upgrades, by the way, are also regulated. It is necessary that the equipment that you want to install be certified for your aircraft, and the installation must be done (well, or supervised) by a certified mechanic, with mandatory entry into the logs.
However, there is such a topic as experimental aviation, it is a self-construction, where there are a lot of indulgences, but more on that separately.
The development of private aviation, in addition to the actual infrastructure, is also facilitated by the simplicity and accessibility of training. You can find a flight school within a 50-mile radius just about anywhere in the States, and the more popular locations have a much wider selection. For example, when I lived in Michigan, there were 3 schools within a 50-mile radius, and in California, where I now live, there were 30 such schools, if not more.
Moreover, it is not even necessary to find a school. It is enough to find a plane (buy or rent) and a certified instructor. For foreigners a little more difficult, but more on that later.
Education can take place both according to one of the standard programs (for schools), and in a free form. The exam is standardized, taken either by FAA representatives or by specially accredited private examiners (DPE). In order to be admitted to the exam, you need to collect a certain number of hours, fulfill a few more requirements described in the laws, and also pass a written test in one of the certified centers. The exam itself consists of an oral part (usually three hours long), where you are driven through all the material, as well as a practical part, where you have to perform all the necessary maneuvers. After that, a temporary pilot certificate is issued, and a plastic card then comes by mail.
Now about one more component - the medical board. Unlike the Russian VLEK, where the requirements are the same as for astronauts, the American medical board is a complete freebie. The medical board consists of a questionnaire and one doctor who makes you piss in a jar (drug and diabetes test), measures blood pressure and checks your eyes and hearing. That's all. No specialist detours, nothing. There is, however, one point - if you lie in the questionnaire about some of your ailments, and it pops up somehow later, then there will be serious troubles. However, even with ailments, it is quite possible to get a medical certificate. There are people who fly without arms or without legs. As they say, “if you hear thunder and see lightning, then you are good,” and this is not entirely an exaggeration.
The third class is given for 5 years up to 40 years, and for 2 years after 40. The medical board for the second class differs slightly in requirements, and for the first class an ECG is needed.
There is also an opportunity to fly without going through a medical examination at all. All you need is a valid driving license. But this applies only to a class of aircraft called LSA (Light Sport Aircraft), these are two-seat aircraft with a weight and speed limit (120 knots maximum). There is even a special license - Sport Pilot.
Yes, about training, if you are not a US citizen. In principle, it is not difficult at all. You had to have the correct type of visa (work, student or green card), and you can get a special visa if the purpose of your trip is to train as a pilot, but we will leave this aside for now, because this is a separate topic. Well, the second condition is permission from the TSA, which can be obtained via the Internet (for the first time, you only have to go to be fingerprinted).
Well, let's say he learned to be a pilot, but he doesn't have his own plane. What's next?
There are several options - rent or join a club. And you can still chip in with your comrades, and still buy a plane pooled. Any school and many FBOs (Fixed Base Operator) that provide services at airfields (fuel, repairs, etc.) can rent an aircraft.
If there is a club nearby, then it is usually very a good option, since club members are usually covered by club insurance (no need to buy separately), and prices are cheaper. The only thing is that you have to pay membership dues. But since the club is a non-profit organization, it is always more profitable in terms of prices.
And finally, you can buy your own plane. Alone, if you have enough money, or share. Depending on the year and model, you can meet $ 15 thousand, or you can not meet two million. Few people can afford new planes, so probably 80 percent of all private aircraft are from the 1960s and 1980s. There are practically with original equipment, and there are also those with a turbine, and Glass Cockpit, and other goodies.
The crowd is also diverse. From students who dropped four and bought a Cessna 150, retired military men and pilots who bought their plane 30-40 years ago and still have not lost their craving for the sky, to millionaires. For some, this is a hobby for the weekend, for some, a means of transportation or income, for some, a little bit of everything.
I must say that as a means of transportation, small aircraft are quite convenient in the States. Of course it won't replace commercial airlines on long haul flights, but within 500-600 miles it looks very attractive. Such distances are already long and tiring to travel by car, and long enough to get on a commercial flight, given the time it takes to get to a major airport, go through check-in and checks, and so on. And if the destination is quite far from a major airport, then it makes sense to fly on your plane for longer distances.
Of course, you must be aware that flying on your own plane has its limitations, for example, weather. You won't be able to fly all the weather, and it is very desirable to have an IFR rating. If there is a wide storm front on the way, then you will have to wait on the ground. The same bullshit in winter with cloudiness, which at this time of the year is often synonymous with icing.
Traveling on a private jet is also facilitated by the almost complete freedom associated with it. No searches, you take on board what you want. You fly when you want, and where you want, it is not even necessary to submit a flight plan if you are flying VFR. If you are flying IFR, that is, according to instruments, then you need to submit a plan, but this can be done 15 minutes before departure, and in some cases, request one of the predetermined plans right at the tower (called TEC - Tower Enroute Clearance). Moreover, if you are flying VFR, then you can not conduct radio communications at all if you avoid airspace of classes B, C, D, that is, around more or less large airports. However, I almost always take a radar escort, and you don't have to worry about accidentally intruding into one of these spaces, plus you're alerted to other aircraft in the vicinity.
Oh yes. A small amendment that sooooo favorably distinguishes the States from Europe, namely, the complete free of charge of this entire infrastructure. Yes, yes, you don’t have to pay for entering the instruments! And you don't have to pay for landing either, unless it's a JFK-level airport (there are exceptions, but they only prove the rule).
Most often you don't have to pay for parking if you're going to fly back during the day, but even when you have to pay, the cost is usually small, from 5 to 20 dollars per night. It is not surprising that people from Europe fly to the States to study or fly hours. All this is financed by a special excise tax on aviation gasoline. Airlines have been lobbying the law for a long time to introduce fees for services and cut excise taxes on them, but so far we are holding on through the efforts of congressmen ☺
By the way, what I like here is that everything is very homely. For example, if you just want to be down on the field - please:
An Asiana Airlines plane burst into flames after a hard landing on Saturday at San Francisco Airport. The upper part of the fuselage burned down at the liner, the tail unit was torn off. There were 290 people on board the Boeing 777. According to preliminary data, two were killed, dozens were injured.
May 25 small twin-engine passenger aircraft. Three people were on board a Piper PA 34 flying from Bedford to Rome, New York. As a result of the fall, the passengers of the aircraft died. The pilot has gone missing.
February 21 A Hawker Beechcraft 390/Premier I light jet carrying seven people was on a scheduled flight from Nashville, Tennessee to Thomson-McDuffie Airport, 30 kilometers west of Augusta. At about 20.30 local time (17.30 Moscow time), the plane landed, after which . Five people died, the pilot and one passenger managed to survive - they were sent to the hospital. The fire that arose after the accident caused power outages, leaving several thousand people in the district without electricity.
April 6 A US Navy F-18 Superhornet military fighter jet near a busy highway in Virginia Beach around noon. The accident occurred near the air base, where the plane took off. Two fighter pilots who managed to eject, as well as at least one person who was near the crash site, were hospitalized.
21 December a small private jet with seven people on board in the US state of New Jersey. As a result of the crash, five people died. Among them are two investment bankers from New York-based Greenhill & Co. According to the company, the wife and two children of one of the bankers were also on board the plane.
November 24 in the mountains east of Phoenix, the capital of the US state of Arizona. According to eyewitnesses, the plane crashed into a mountain and caught fire. At about 21.00 local time (08.00 Moscow time), a rescue team went to help the crashed plane. Six people died in the crash. A private jet flew on an excursion to Mount Superstition, which is very popular among tourists.
the 25th of October US Air Force F-15 fighter in the west of the country. The plane crashed about eight kilometers from the city of Alamo at 17.00 local time (Tuesday 04.00 Moscow time) in a desert area off Highway 93. The pilot managed to eject and was hospitalized.
16 of September at the airfield of the city of Reno (Nevada), where the national championship in aircraft sports was held, a WWII P-51 Mustang fighter with spectators. 11 people died - the pilot and six people died on the spot, four victims died in hospitals. More than 60 were injured.
June 18 Cessna 310 light twin-engine aircraft crashed in the US state of New Mexico. The aircraft crashed as it skidded off the runway at Sierra Blanca Airport near Ruidoso, south of Albuquerque. The accident killed five people and injured two more. The aircraft was registered to Rod Aviation in Texas.
March 22 near the city of Butte (Montana) Pilatus PC12, not having reached 150 meters to the runway. The plane took off from Oroville (California) to the city of Bozeman (Montana), but the pilot changed the flight plan and decided to land in Butte. 14 people died.
February 13 a few kilometers from the American city of Buffalo in upstate New York, heading from the city of Newark (New Jersey) to Buffalo. During the fall, the plane rammed the house, which caught fire as a result of the incident. 50 people were killed - 44 passengers, four crew members of the aircraft, a pilot who was on board the aircraft but was not part of the crew, and one person on the ground.
January 16 tourist helicopter Eurocopter AS 35 and light aircraft Piper PA-32. After the collision, the helicopter and the plane crashed into the water. On board the helicopter were five Italian tourists and one crew member, there were three people on board the aircraft, one of whom was a child. A Piper PA-32 took off from Teterboro Airport bound for Ocean City, New Jersey. The Eurocopter AS 35 helicopter belonged to Liberty Tours, which organizes charter flights and excursions for tourists. All nine passengers became victims of the crash, the bodies of the last of them were recovered along with debris from the Hudson River on August 12.
August 23 twin-engine plane crashed in Utah. The plane crashed in a desert area near Canyonlands Field Airport. All 10 people on board were killed.
August 27 Comair (a subsidiary of Delta Airlines) CRJ-100 aircraft with 47 passengers and three crew members on board in Lexington, Kentucky. The plane crashed in the immediate vicinity of the airport immediately after takeoff. As a result of the plane crash, 49 people died, one survived.
December 19th off the coast of the American city of Miami (Florida) almost immediately after takeoff, a Grumman G-73 seaplane. All 20 people on board: 18 passengers, including three children, and two crew members, died.
October 19 in the US state of Missouri, six kilometers from the airport of the city of Kirksville Jetstream-32 of the Corporate Airlines. There were 13 passengers and two crew members on board. 13 people died, two passengers miraculously managed to survive.
January 8 at Charlotte Airport (North Carolina) a small passenger turboprop aircraft "Beechcraft-1900-Dee" (Beechcraft 1900D) to the hangar of US Airways (US Airways). 19 people were killed - 17 passengers and two crew members.
The material was prepared on the basis of information from RIA Novosti