10 mysterious airplane crashes

10 mystery flights - aircraft crashes

A330 Air Bus

The final report, released at a news conference on 5 July 2012, stated that the aircraft crashed after temporary inconsistencies between the airspeed measurements  likely due to the aircraft’s pitot tubes being obstructed by ice crystals  caused the autopilot to disconnect, after which it stalled and could not recover.

Flight 990

Two weeks after the crash, based the two investigations done by the FBI and National Transportation Safety Board, it was found the crash was caused by deliberate action of the Relief First Officer Gameel Al-Batouti the Egypt Civil Aviation Authority found the crash was caused by mechanical failure of the airplane’s elevator control system.

Flight 571

Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, also known as the Andes flight was a chartered flight carrying 45 people, including a rugby union team, their friends, family and associates, that crashed in the Andes on 13 October 1972. More than a quarter of the passengers died in the crash and several others quickly succumbed to cold and injury. Of the 27 who were alive a few days after the accident, another eight were killed by an avalanche that swept over their shelter in the wreckage. The last survivors were rescued on 23 December 1972, more than two months after the crash.

BSAA Star Ariel

On 21 December 1949 the report of the inquiry was issued by the Chief Inspector of Accidents, Air Commodore Vernon Brown, in it he stated that “through lack of evidence due to no wreckage having been found, the cause of the accident is unknown.”

Flight 191

While maintenance issues and not the actual design of the aircraft were ultimately found responsible for the crash, the accident and subsequent grounding of all DC-10s by the Federal Aviation Administration added to an already unfavourable reputation of the DC-10 aircraft in the eyes of the public caused by several other incidents and accidents involving the type. The investigation also revealed other DC-10s with damage caused by the same faulty maintenance procedure.

BSAA Star Tiger

There was no evidence to suggest that radio failure or navigational error were responsible for the disaster. During the inquiry it was suggested that the Star Tiger had been sabotaged. It also claimed that Prime Minister Clement Attlee had ordered all inquiries into the incidents to be abandoned. In regard to the loss of the Star Tiger, a 2009 theory is that the loss of fuel could have contributed to the plane’s disaster.

Star Dust

The last Morse code message sent by Star Dust was “ETA SANTIAGO 17.45 HRS STENDEC”. The Chilean Air Force radio operator at the Santiago airport described this transmission as coming in “loud and clear” but very fast; as he did not recognize the last word, he requested clarification and heard “STENDEC” repeated twice in succession before contact with the aircraft was lost. In the absence of new clues, the meaning of STENDEC is likely to remain a mystery.

Flight 19

500 pages report was released few months later the plane went missing. This report was subsequently amended “cause unknown” by the Navy after Taylor’s mother contended that the Navy was unfairly blaming her son for the loss of five aircraft and 14 men, when the Navy had neither the bodies nor the aircraft as evidence.

UC 64 – Norseman

The disappearance of Miller was classified as missing in action. There are theories about what happened to Miller’s plane, including the suggestion that he might have been hit by Royal Air Force bombs after an abortive raid on Siegen, Germany. The logbooks of Royal Air Force navigator Fred Shaw recorded that he saw a small, single-engine monoplane spiraling out of control and crashing into the water. However, the actual story of what happened still remains a mystery.

Lockhead Electra 10E

Many researchers believe the Electra ran out of fuel and that Earhart and Noonan ditched at sea. Navigator and aeronautical engineer Elgen Long and his wife Marie K. Long devoted 35 years of exhaustive research to the “crash and sink” theory, which is the most widely accepted explanation for the disappearance. But what happened to her flight is still unknown.

References: Article , Plane Crash Info, Creately Infographics

www.transaustralianairlines.com

www.garnerbarro.com

www.ntas.com.au

Northern Territory Open speed limit on trial and under fire

Northern Territory's Stuart Highway speed limit trial begins, 

attracts sports car enthusiasts

By Ruby Jones

PHOTO: Police and medical experts are opposed to open limits of the Stuart Highway. (Dean Lewins: AAP)

The first day of a trial of open speeds on a section of the Northern Territory's Stuart Highway has already attracted motoring enthusiasts in high-powered cars.

There will be no speed limits on a 200 kilometre stretch of highway between Alice Springs and Barrow Creek for the next 12 months.

Today a number of high-performance vehicles, including an Aston Martin and Ferrari, have been seen on the road which police are monitoring for dangerous driving.

The Country Liberal Government has come under fire from the NT Opposition, the Police Association and the Automobile Association, for instigating the trial.

Peak medical bodies are also lobbying for the trial to be scrapped.

Doctor Christine Connors from the Royal Australasian College of Physicians NT says the Government is ignoring the evidence.

"Increasing speed increases the risk of a crash, increases the risk of severe injury, increases the risk of someone dying," she said.

"We are going to have people not driving to their capabilities, driving far too fast, and causing unnecessary accidents that might kill themselves or somebody else.

"The evidence tells us that speed kills ... the risk of people dying is very high."

The Police Association has described the trial as purely a political move.

But the Government has defended the decision, saying the onus is being put back on Territorians to drive responsibly.

"The evidence tells us that speed kills... The risk of people dying is very high."

Dr Christine Connors

"The stretch of highway has undergone a multi-million dollar upgrade to improve safety during the trial," Transport Minister Peter Styles said.

"I have heard rumours that there are people from interstate who are coming up here and want to treat it as a street race.

"Sadly for those people, if they do and they do not drive responsibly, then they will probably find themselves being summonsed or arrested by the police."

The Government commissioned four reports on the topic before announcing that open speed limits were back, but the reports have not been made public.

www.ntas.com.au

The Power of Black and White Photography

The Power of Black and White Photography

It’s interesting how sometimes older technologies or art forms take on an even greater value when they are made obsolete by the new and modern.  This is certainly true of black and white photography.  When color photography came on the scene, it seemed the days of black and white in both video and photography were over forever.

But that was certainly not the case.  Over the years we have seen black and white take on a new artistic value in both genres.  In fact, it is not at all unusual any more to see a very modern movie filmed entirely in black and white.  It is also common to visit a fine art museum and find a photographic art display that uses black and white extensively.  Black and white has some artistic and emotional qualities that are just not possible to achieve in color photography.

Probably the strongest quality that grabs the viewer with a black and white photo is its emotional power. Even if the photo is just of an old barn or an antique car, there is an emotional appeal that is difficult to analyze in words but universal to all of us as we look at a black and white shot.  That is why black and white photos almost instantly take on an artistic look.  So if you are evolving your artistic photography
style and portfolio, including some experimentation with black and white
will do a lot to improve your work.

Black and white also focuses the eye on the emotional center of the piece.  Probably the best subject for black and white photography is the human face.  In even a tranquil expression, the viewer can see such a vast range of expression in the eyes, the tilt of the head, the subtle wrinkles or peculiarities of the face and the focus of the gaze.

Black and white almost always invites the viewer to want to know about the story behind the picture.  If it’s a landscape, “What happened here?” is the question that often springs to the mind of the viewer and the longer they gaze at the photo, the more their imagination fills in the details.  If you are viewing the face of a serene or melancholy girl, it is almost impossible not to wonder what she is dreaming about or what of life’s issues is weighing on her mind.

Along with the emotional power and the way black and white compels the viewer to search for meaning, black and white carries with it a tremendous romantic power that touches the heart in a powerful way.  That romance can easily translate over to the sensual or even the erotic without having to become pornographic to achieve that effect.  Shots that are trying to evoke the power of sensuality and romance do well when they involve moisture or a water scene such as the beach.  Despite the lack of color, these colors appeal to the five senses in ways that color can never hope to achieve.

You can experiment with black and white and gather the responses of friends and family to learn how to utilize the subtle but powerful artistic nuances that seem to come with black and white photography almost unconsciously.  The digital camera has ushered in a whole new era of black and white photography.  You see the form used even in otherwise non artistic settings like wedding portfolios or anniversary pictures.  That is because of that emotional and romantic power that black and white conveys.

If you have not started to experiment with black and white shots, it’s worth the time to learn how to capture the powerful images this type of photography can make possible.  Along with the creative use of light and framing, black and white gives itself well to editing that you can do with Photoshop to bring out the emotional center of each shot.  Before long, you may actually find your self seeing black and white shots in a color world.  Your awareness of what will make a great moment in this format will become acute and you will be ready to capture those moments spontaneously, which is always the best kind of photography.

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Resources for Alternative Energy

Resources for Alternative Energy

There are many different forms in which alternative energy is available. 

One of these is solar power. Solar power is driven by photovoltaic cells, and these are progressively getting less expensive and more advanced. Solar energy power can be used for electricity, heating, and making hot water. Solar energy produces no pollution, as its input comes completely from the sun's rays. However, much more work still needs to be done in order for us to economically harness the sun's energy. For the time being, the resource is a little too conditional—storage batteries are needed to be used as backups in the evenings and on inclement days.

Wind energy has become the most-invested-in (by private investors and governments together) alternative energy source for the time being. The great arrays of triple-bladed windmills are being placed all over as “wind farms”, to capture the motion of the wind and use its kinetic energy for conversion to mechanical or electrical energy. Of course, there is nothing new about the concept of a windmill for harnessing energy. Modern wind turbines are simply are more advanced variations on the old theme. Of course, the drawback to wind energy is...what do you do when there is a calm, still day? Needless to say, during these times the electric company kicks in for powering your home or office. Wind energy is not altogether independent.

Hydroelectric energy is available as a source of alternative energy, and it can generate a substantial amount of power. Simply put, hydroelectric energy uses the motion of water—its flow in response to gravity, which means downhill—to turn turbines which then generate electrical energy. Needless to say, water is ubiquitous; finding sources for driving hydroelectric turbines is, therefore, not much of a problem. However, hydroelectricity as a source of alternative energy can be complicated and expensive to produce. Dams are often built in order to be able to control the flow of the water sufficiently to generate the needed power. Building a dam to store and control water's potential and kinetic energy takes quite a lot of work, and operating one is complex as well,and conservationists grow concerned that it. Of course, a dam is not always needed if one is not trying to supply the electrical needs of a city or other very densely populated area. There are small run-of-river hydroelectric converters which are good for supplying neighborhoods or an individual office or home.

Probably the most underrated and under-appreciated form of alternative energy is geothermal energy, which is simply the naturally-occurring energy produced by the heating of artesian waters that are just below the earth's crust. This heat is transferred into the water from the earth's inner molten core. The water is drawn up by various different methods—there are “dry steam” power plants, “flash” power plants, and “binary” power plants for harnessing geothermal energy. The purpose of drawing up the hot water is for the gathering of the steam.  The Geysers, approximately 100 miles north of San Francisco, is probably the best-known of all geothermal power fields; it's an example of a dry stream plant.

Tropical cyclones explained

Tropical cyclones explained

Updated Mon 11 Nov 2013, 10:59am AEDT 

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-02-01/tropical-cyclones-explained/1926870

INFOGRAPHIC: ABC News Online looks inside a cyclone. (Tim Madden)

MAP: Australia

How do cyclones form?

Cyclones form with a combination of very warm sea surface temperatures and the right type of outflow. Imagine a tall chimney where all the energy comes into the base and gets sucked up to the top.

A lot of energy gathers in one place, which often results in thunderstorms. In the right part of the ocean, the system can start circulating and release all that energy into the upper part of the atmosphere. The energy created from the thunderstorms can then add to the whole system and a tropical cyclone will form.

Cyclones rely on the circulation of the Earth, so they form away from the equator. The effect of the earth spinning helps the whole system rotate.

Sea temperatures of 26.5 degrees Celsius or above, along with a group of thunderstorms or pre-existing conditions, create ideal weather conditions for a cyclone to form.

Hurricane Katrina, which hit New Orleans in 2005, formed in sea temperatures around 32C or warmer. Temperatures of 31 to 32C were measured off the Western Australian coast in early 2011 as Cyclone Rusty formed.

The Madden-Julian Oscillation, a pattern that comes across the Indian and Pacific Oceans, can help spin cyclones along. A new high pressure cell with a new surge of winds can also contribute.

What is the eye of a cyclone like?

The pressure is very deep inside the eye of a cyclone and there are very light winds, which can give a false sense of security. There is also an eerie sensation, as 200 kilometre per hour winds can suddenly go calm. The winds can return to being just as strong as the cyclone continues to move over.

How destructive can cyclones be?

It depends how quickly they are moving and how deep they are. If you have ventral pressure that continues to be created within the tropical cyclone down to about 850 hectopascals, they can be incredibly destructive.

The storm surge is a massive wall of water, akin to a tsunami, that can come out of the cyclone. The damage is caused not just by flooding and strong winds, but also by the actual force of the water moving at very high speeds.

Cyclone Larry made landfall in far north Queensland in 2006 with wind gusts reaching 240 kilometres per hour, damaging more than half the homes in Innisfail and leaving a repair bill of $1.5 billion.

Category four Cyclone Tracy hit Darwin on Christmas Eve in 1974 with winds of up to 217 kilometres per hour and killed 71 people. Tracy caused more than $800 million in damage and destroyed about 80 per cent of homes.

Cyclone Yasi hit north Queensland in February 2011, with wind gusts reaching 285 kilometres per hour. It left a repair bill of about $800 million after destroying homes, shredding crops and smashing marinas and island resorts. One man died from asphyxiation while sheltering in his home.

PHOTO: Cyclone Yasi destroyed Greville Blank's home in Tullly Heads as it tore across north Queensland in 2011.(Dave Hunt: AAP)

Does Australia have more cyclones than any other country?

No. There are other parts of the world such as the Philippines, the Gulf of Mexico, Florida and New Orleans that would be subject to more. However, Australia seems to be getting more intense tropical cyclones since the 1970s. There has been a 100 per cent increase in categories four and five cyclones globally, but there has not been an increase in the number of cyclones.

The El Nino phenomenon, which occurs every three to seven years, usually sees a lower number of tropical cyclones, mostly confined to north-western WA. In contrast, La Nina years tend to see more cyclones, particularly around the northern and eastern Australian coast.

The coast between Broome and Exmouth in WA is the most cyclone-prone part of Australia's coastline, and the region most prone to severe cyclone impacts. Since 1910 there have been 49 cyclones that have caused gale-force winds at Port Hedland. They come about once every two years, and about half have an impact equivalent to a category 1 cyclone. The strongest wind gust recorded at Port Hedland during a cyclone is 208 km/h during Joan in 1975.

In general, cyclones near Australia have more erratic paths than cyclones in other parts of the world.

The Federal Government lists cyclone severity and potential damage they may cause as follows:

Category	Wind Gusts	Ocean Swells	Damage
1 Tropical Cyclone	Up to 125kph  (Gales)	1.2 - 1.6m	Slight damage. Trees and farmland damaged.
2 Tropical Cyclone	126 - 164kph (Destructive)	1.7 - 2.5m	Significant Damage. Minor house damage. Severe damage to signs and trees. Heavy damage to crops
3 Severe Tropical Cyclone	165 - 224kph (Very Destructive)	2.6 - 3.7m	Structural damage. House roofs and most likely power failures
4 Severe Tropical Cyclone	225 - 279kph (Very Destructive)	3.8 - 5.4m	Significant roofing and structural damage. Airborne debris, widespread power failure
5 Severe Tropical Cyclone	Winds above 280kph  (Very Destructive)	More than 5.5m	Almost total destruction and extremely dangerous. Houses flattened, cars over turned

PHOTO: Tropical cyclones tracked across Australia, 1970 to 2006. (Bureau of Meteorology)

Is climate change a contributor to that?

Climate change would suggest warmer sea temperatures in some parts of the world, and warm sea temperatures create ideal conditions for cyclones to form.

The weather bureau says it is difficult to sort out natural trends, such as those caused by El Nino events, from the effects of global warming. Some studies cited by the bureau have predicted more severe storms by the middle of the 21st century, and storms that extend further towards the north and south poles. One study predicts more long-lived cyclones off the eastern coast of Australia and fewer long-lived cyclones off WA.

How do cyclones differ from tornados, hurricanes and typhoons?

Hurricanes and typhoons are regional names for severe tropical cyclones, or storms with sustained winds of more than 118 kilometres per hour. The word "hurricane" is used for storms in the north Atlantic, the north-east Pacific, and the south-east Pacific. "Typhoons" are found in the north-west of the Pacific Ocean. Storm systems turn anti-clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.

Tornados are born out of thunderstorms and are tiny by comparison - generally only about 100 metres across.

How are cyclone names chosen?

There is a committee at the World Meteorological Organisation in Geneva that decides the names many years in advance. They have a list of names for each region in the world that is responsible for identifying and classifying a tropical cyclone.

Importantly they never use the names of previous cyclones again in case some members of the public think Cyclone Tracy or Hurricane Katrina, for example, have come back. That is impossible, of course, but some may fear a cyclone with the same name might have the same impact.

Topics: cyclone, disasters-and-accidents, cyclones, weather, australia, qld

First posted Tue 1 Feb 2011, 3:46pm AEDT

Travel Tips to European Countries: Albania

Travel Tips to European Countries: Albania

Albania is a mountainous country and the one of the smallest countries of Europe. The residents supposedly descended from ancient Illyrians.

Culture

The culture of Albania is majorly influenced by that of the mainland Greeks especially in the urban locality; nodding one’s head means ‘no’ where as shaking the head means ‘yes’. To greet someone, handshaking is preferred, though Shoku (Comrade) was used before, which has been long forgotten now. People dress informally here. Swim suits are meant for the beaches, otherwise women are expected not to dress in a revealing outfit. When addressing someone prefix Zoti(Mr) or Zonja(Mrs) before the name and always remember to carry some gifts when visiting someone, although flowers aren’t much acceptable. The guests are served with coffee, raki or sweets. Smokers don’t have to worry much, but they should avoid it where they see a sign of Ndalohet Duhani or Ndalohet pirja e duhanit.

Travelling within the country

Buses with relatively cheap fares operate in the main cities of the country or taxis are another choice which provided service for some main hotels.
Visit Dajti Mountain and experience Dajti Ekspres Cable car for an unforgettable 15 minute ride passing through Dajt Oark to reach Tirana. The route is about 4.2 km long and the ride costs €6.5.Alpha Yachting provides crewed yacht which is a luxury in itself. Tirana Bank is the best place for withdrawing money as it allows access to Visa cards.

Eating Out

Restaurants are not always sufficiently heated, so always wear warm clothes if out in the night during winters. Foreigners are charged more than the locals. Both the entry fees as well as any merchandise will be on a higher scale, so it’s better not to reveal the fact that you are a foreigner when out on the streets.

Site Seeing

If you enjoy canoeing, this is the right place to be. There are places right outside Tirana which is an amazing site for not just canoeing, but also rock climbing, hiking, and camping.

Accommodation

If you want a 5-Star ambience, try The Sheraton Tirana Hotel and Towers, which is situated in the middle of a shopping and entertainment center. There are about 151 rooms and 56 suites. So, along with the comfort, one can shop at once convenience here. Another hotel which provides all modern facilities is Hotel Mondial. It is located 1000 m away from the city and is also a good example of traditional architecture.

Getting There

One of the best and the easiest means is to go by air. Albanian Airlines is the national airline which works in collaboration with Tyrolean Airways, and provides service to almost all the big European cities. The airport, Mother Teresa, is 16 miles or 26 km away from the capital. A tourist bus is available every 3 hrs to get to the city center and takes about 30 minutes to get there. Taxis are available round the clock. While waiting for any transport service, tourists can check out the duty free shops, bank, eateries and car hire at the airport. A departure tax of $10 USD is imposed on all foreign nationals. Check out www.flyalbanian.com for flight times and offers.

If trying to get there by sea, try the ferry services which are provided by Adriatic Line and Agoudimos. The main ports are Durres (has ferry connection to Italy, Bari, Brindisi, Trieste, and Ancona), Vlora (has ferry connection to Bari, and Brindisi), Saranda (has connection to Corfu), Shen Gjini (has ferry connection to Bari). Check out www.adriatica.it and www.aqoudimos-lines.com for more information.

Bus is another option. Buses start from Istanbul, Athens and Sofia. Internal passengers have lots of options with bus services provided. If traveling by road in a private car, there is road network to the Kosovo region, but they are too dangerous to use because of the political tensions within the region. Crossings at Hani I Hotit, Bllata, Oafa e Thaes, Tushemisht, Gorica, Kapshtica, and kakavija can be taken. If tired one can take halts at hotels or other designated areas. There is a network of 18,000 km, out of which only 7450 km are main roads, for local travelers. About 2138km stretch of these roads is in poor condition and has pot holes, and utmost safety precautions should be taken when driving on such roads.

Speed limit should be strictly followed on highways as well as within towns. Driving at night should be better avoided because of the absence of street lights on the road except for urban areas. Traffic should drive on the right-hand. There is a shortage of gas stations in the countryside, so filling the gas tank completely when passing through urban area is recommended and since there is lack of national recovery system; travelers should be prepared for an emergency or breakdown before hand. One should carry necessary documents like International Driving Permit and national driving license.

Duty Free Items

Following are the items that can be carried without customs duty being levied on them:
1. 1liter of spirits or 2liter of wine
2. 250ml of eau de toilette
3. 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco
4. 50ml of perfume.

Prohibited Items

Things that are prohibited to carry are firearms, narcotics and ammunitions. Special export permission should be taken for precious metals, books, antiques, work of art, or material of national or historic value.

Snagging the Best Seats on any Airline Flight

Snagging the Best Seats on any Airline Flight - 

it's a Devious Science, you Know

It used to be that all you needed to do to get a good seat on an airplane would be to show up at the airport an extra 15 minutes in advance; now in an age of absolute air travel commodification, scoring a great seat is becoming quite a feat - complete with requirements in deviousness and talent if you need to get anywhere.



Airlines are running their flights packed closer to full capacity more often than ever before and every one of those people on those flights would rather have had an emergency exit seat for better legroom or an aisle seat for more freedom. However there are possible seats to covet too if you know where to look.




A 737 airliner for example, is somewhat ovoid in shape - it bulges out in the center along its length; and the window seats on the rows that famm at the center, lengthwise, of the plane, have the most shoulder room. More and more, people buying seats on an airline flight appear to prefer the airlines' own booking sites, or booking websites that will offer them the facility of putting down dibs on a seat in advance.




And ever since the airlines began to notice that there was real value that passengers attached to certain kinds of seats, they've begun to charge for them; and not a day too soon to some passengers, who really would like those special seats, no matter what.

To most people taking an airline flight is hard enough on their poor nerves without having to be jammed into a middle seat or one that won't recline. If there's a way, they'll pay.

The trouble is, there are dozens of different kinds of airliner out there, and each airline company will configure each model of plane differently. And there are different policies they use to number seats and assign them.

With the exception of a few holdouts, most airlines will absolutely allow you to select a seat when you buy a ticket. They give you a diagram of the whole plane with pictures of seats that are empty at the moment; you can look up seat information online, find out which the best seats are for the most leg room and reclining pitch, and put your name down when you buy.

Major travel booking websites allow you to pick your seat as soon as you get started with the purchase process; but it will only work if you buy a ticket before the airline flight in question is somewhat full. Airlines will only allow advance seat reservations until the plane is half-full to maintain a bit of seating flexibility when they need it. But all the foresight in the world won't really help in certain cases; sometimes, an airline will switch airplane models for a specific flight, for reasons like delays and interruptions from maintenance schedules.

You may have to actually check back even after you make your seat selection, to make sure that they haven't decided to sign you up to a game of musical chairs. That's not your only reason to keep looking in either. Seats can open up all of a sudden after you make your booking. This can happen when a frequent flyer in coach gets a free upgrade,and frees up his original assigned seat.