When discussing the extensive collection of Kermit Weeks and Fantasy of Flight of Polk City, Florida, the question is not 'How many planes does Kermit have?' but rather 'What are the planes he does not have?' If anyone has been keeping score, make sure to check the Boeing 307 Stratoliner off the list. Mr. Weeks, known around the world as one of the planet's most prolific and longest-standing collectors of vintage aircraft, announced on 2 February that he had been granted ownership of what he will be calling 'The Floating Penthouse, a bizarrely wonderful adaptation of a particularly historic Stratoliner into houseboat form.
Perhaps one of the most beautiful prop liners ever built, the Boeing 307 Stratoliner is the epitome of Art Deco design in airplane form and was the first pressurised airliner to enter commercial service. If there was one person most responsible for the existence of the Stratoliner outside Boeing, it would be Donald Webb Tomlinson, a former US Navy pilot who had conducted five years of high-altitude flight testing for Transcontinental and Western Airlines (TWA; later rebranded as Trans World Airlines) flying both the Douglas DC-1 and Northrop Gamma and determined that a four-engined, pressurised airliner would be best suited to take advantage of flying above the hazardous weather that all airliners at this point had to travel through, especially thunderstorms that could block mountain passes within the Rocky Mountains on transcontinental flights.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة April 2024 من African Pilot.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
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هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة April 2024 من African Pilot.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
FACT FILE - THE UNCONVENTIONAL, BIZARRE BELL AIRACUDA
Larry Bell, founder of the Bell Aircraft Corp., now known as Bell Helicopter, entered the aircraft manufacturing industry with a unique bang. After dropping out of high school in 1912, Bell worked for various aircraft companies, including Martin and Consolidated, before starting his own company in 1935.
BEST OF THE BEST - THE DE HAVILLAND MUSEUM
Situated just outside the centre of London the de Havilland Museum is to be found and although small and compact it is an absolute joy, celebrating as it does the exploits of one of Britain's foremost aviation pioneers, Sir Geoffrey de Havilland an aircraft designer of some repute who left an incredible legacy, and made a massive impact on aircraft design and production in the early part of the 20th century.
PILATUS PC-24
The Pilatus PC-24 is a light business jet produced by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland. Following the PC-12 single turboprop success, work on the jet project started in 2007 for greater range and speed.
HONDAJET
Founded in 2006, Honda Aircraft Company is the latest venture in Honda's drive to enhance the freedom of mobility.
Absolute Service Centre AMO 173
As the only Textron Aviation authorised service facility on the African Continent and the oldest Cessna authorised service facility outside the USA since 1964, Absolute’s Service Centre has also been awarded representation for the Beechcraft and Textron eAviation Pipistrel portfolio. Absolute Service Centre (ASC) is the African regional representatives of the worldwide Textron 1CALL hotline support network. The management team at the Absolute Service Centre is proud of its heritage and long-standing support and representation of Textron Aviation products.
Spatial distortion
On Wednesday, 20 December 2023, a pilot and two transmission line workers on-board a Bell 407 helicopter with registration ZS-RXO took off from Majuba Venus Power Station landing zone (LZ) in KwaZulu-Natal province to conduct aerial work on the T299 mast (a section of Majuba Venus Power Station). The pilot intended to land back at the departure landing zone.
Dinosaur Derby at the Bill Harrop's Balloon field
When we arrived at the Dinosaur Derby late on Saturday afternoon 27 April there were already around two hundred invited guests that had set up their chairs and picnic tables on the lush green slopes of the lawns outside the beautiful clubhouse overlooking the very large balloon launch field with the majestic Magaliesberg Mountains as the backdrop.
EAA Young Aviators - April 2024 Wonderboom meeting
On Saturday, 13 April 2024 the EAA Young Aviators event was kindly hosted by Loutzavia Flight School at Wonderboom National Airport.
AIRBUS - ACJ Executive Jets
This mindset combined with curating the finest flying experience is why ACJ was born.
Five of the most expensive private jets in the world
When modern jetliners came into existence, only a few privileged wealthy people would get onboard an aircraft. But half a century later, more people have access to air travel than we might have imagined.