First Planes

 German Otto Lilienthal designed the first aircraft to be piloted by humans. He made several flights between 1891 and 1896. On one occasion, he lost his life when his plane crashed. Through his experiments, he pointed out the principles of flying and controlling the aircraft. Before him, in 1840, the Englishmen, William Henson and John Stringfellow, built an airplane with a steam engine.

Their airplane "Air Steam Carriage" served as an example for many constructors after them. The characteristics of this aircraft were: separate rudders for direction and altitude, wings made of canvas and wood that were set diagonally. It was powered by a light steam engine, the only one available at that time. He was driving two identical propellers. However, there is no official data that they flew.

The first officially successful flight of a manned heavier-than-air craft took place on December 17, 1903, near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, USA. The airplane "Flyer I" (Flyer I) constructed by brothers Wilbur and Orville Wright had two wings, upper and lower, height control used for climbing and diving, direction control used for turning. It was powered by its own light gasoline engine that was connected to two propellers. The pilot lay on the lower wing and steered. The result of this flight was three meters high and 12 seconds long. The pilot was Orville Wright. Three more flights were made that day, and the most successful and longest flight laste
d 59 seconds and covered a distance of 260 meters.

AIRPLANE PARTS AND FUNCTION

Airplanes usually have a skeleton made of a light alloy such as duralumin. They are covered with plates of light material that make the shell and hull very strong, like a tube. The wings are made in a similar way. Before this technique was developed in the 1920s, airplanes had wooden or metal frames covered with canvas and braced with wire.

Air Serbia about!

 Air Serbia flies or plans to fly to over 60 destinations in Europe, North America and the Middle East.

Through our partner airlines, we are able to offer you flights to a large number of destinations in Europe, Asia and Africa.

Air Serbia has been a member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) since 1961.

We are determined to continue to play a key role in the development of aviation in Serbia, the Serbian travel industry and the tourism industry in Serbia with the ongoing strategic changes.

Air Serbia's priority is to provide exceptional quality service for our passengers. Our goal is to provide the users of our company's services with maximum comfort during their travels, regardless of the class they are flying in.

Facts

The sky is akin to a desert 

Ever wondered why your throat and nose dries out while flying? Perhaps your skin has lost some of its luster. Airplane cabins are pressurized. The humidity level in an airplane cabin is normally set to 20%, while skin is accustomed to a minimum of 40% humidity. Not only that, but the humidity levels in an airplane are drier than the Sahara Desert, which has about 25% humidity. So, our first airplane fact is that, technically, you are flying in a desert climate.

 Airplanes can be fixed with tape

Back in 2015, a popular redditor posted a viral photo of an airline technician seemingly fixing an aircraft with duct tape. In actuality, this duct tape is what is known as speed tape, which has the hefty price tag of about $700 per roll. Speed tape is an aluminum adhesive used to temporarily repair superficial damage until a permanent replacement is available. Another fun fact is that in Finland, it’s common to refer to duct tape as Jesus tape because “it saves a person.” Does that just mean speed tape’s name is because it’s a quick fix for a non-critical problem?  

 Two commercial airplanes flew over twice the speed of sound

 The Concorde, a British-French turbojet, had a maximum speed of Mach 2.04, which is over twice the speed of sound. However, it’s heavily debated whether the Concorde or the TU-144, a Soviet supersonic airliner is faster. The TU-144 averaged Mach 1.6, but could fly up to Mach 2.29. The Concorde flew passengers from New York to London is a little over three hours, when it normally takes over seven hours. The TU-144 flew from Moscow to Alma-Ata, but both planes were retired due to fatal crashes and reliability issues.  

Commercial jets are more fuel efficient than your car

 Michael Sivak of the University of Michigan’s Transportation Institute studied fuel economy in cars versus airplanes. He discovered that most cars use twice the energy needed to fly unless the car averages over around 45 miles per gallon (MPG). For example, the Boeing 747 averages about 0.2 MPG, while the average car only receives about 25 MPG. When the number of passengers are included in figures to determine MPG, planes actually get 100 MPG per person.  

Your tastebuds are reduced by around 30% during flights 

Cabin pressure numbs tastebuds and also dries out food. What’s even stranger is only sweet and salty flavors are affected, but passengers can still taste anything spicy and bitter. This makes Bloody Marys a popular choice during flights. Wines also taste more acidic for those who like to avoid sweet-tasting alcohol.  

Many times, the flight crew only gets paid while the plane is in air 

Flight attendants are not always paid for all the work they do. Oftentimes, they’re only paid flight time, or when the plane leaves the origin gate and arrives at the destination gate. This means flight attendants don’t get paid for assisting passengers before, during boarding, after flights, or for cleanup in between. Despite this, flights attendants receive extra benefits like flying for free, discounted airfare, paid hotels, etc. that some may feel make up for the excess time spent on the job.  

 An armed airplane hijacker once surrendered in exchange for beer

On a flight from Oslo, Norway to Trondheim, Norway, a 24-year-old ex-con hijacked a Boeing 737 with 120 people aboard. He yielded so long as he was provided with a continuous supply of beer, which he received from his spot on a toilet. Eventually, a police officer told the hijacker he couldn’t receive anymore beer until he relinquished his pistol, which he did. None of the passengers were harmed, except for the hijacker’s pride. The ex-con complained about his treatment and requested to speak with the Norwegian prime  

  minister, who refused.  The world’s largest air traffic control tower is as tall as a skyscraper

 All airplanes need an airfield to land in. This requires the assistance of airport beacons and runway lights. One of the most important aspects of any airfield is the air traffic control tower, which manage ground traffic. The New Bangkok International Airport in Thailand’s air traffic control tower is 434 feet tall, which is the equivalent of a 40-story building.  

It’s illegal to point a laser pointer at an airplane or helicopter 

Pointing a laser at an aircraft is a federal crime because pointing lasers at aircrafts can actually disorient the pilots. In fact, laser light shows are actually coordinated with air traffic control and the military to make sure they are not interrupting flights.  

Airway beacons can flash Morse code letters.

 Code beacons identify airports using lights that flash airport codes six to eight times a minute. 

Air Planes - About

 An airplane is a flying device of solid construction. It consists of the body (kite) (fuselage, wings, take-off and control surfaces, landing gear), equipment and propulsion. The first successful construction, with implementation, was carried out by the brothers Wilbur and Orville Wright (Wright). They managed to fly on that construction of theirs in 1903. It is recorded as the historical beginning of man's flight with a device called an "airplane".

 Mass use of aircraft for combat purposes began at the end of the First World War.  The numerical superiority of combat aviation had a dominant effect on the outcome of the Second World War, because whoever controls the sky controls both the battle and the territory in which it is fought.  Airplanes are used for civil and military purposes.

 For civilian purposes, they are used for the transportation of goods and passengers, while for military purposes, they are used for dominance in airspace and for aerial action against ground targets and vessels.