It happened over a field of Reichelsheim, near Frankfurt, Germany yesterday evening, June 13, 2011.
The Australian pilot died in the crash of the Goodyear blimp. The Zeppelin’s captain managed to save the lives of the 3 passengers when he heard a loud noise from an engine, and as it smelled gasoline, he urged the passengers to jump out at only 6 foot above the ground. The aircraft then dashed 50 meters higher. It blew out, before diving in flames. Video:
It is not uncommon for aircraft to be struck by lightning but this super heavy Emirates Airbus A380 got hit by a jagged bolt of lightning right over the pilot’s seats.
A huge amount of electric energy must have passed through the airframe of the aircraft during its approach at London Heathrow last week. Amazingly the commercial aircraft escaped damage, and nobody was hurt.
Is it any wonder this airplane may sustain such a stress in a clap of thunder? The size and the nature of the A380 airframe seems to be the right solution to such hazards. Thanks to its thick metal structure, the plane behaved as a perfect Faraday cage:
…or how to learn with humor – watch the video:
Special thanks to DeltaDart48 for stumbling upon this video starring Paul Bertorelli in this « flying lesson ». By the way, who sells such stripes on E-bay?
The Indian DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) is getting through a major crisis – following a nose-wheel landing performed by an Indian pilot last January, investigators have found out a string of fraudulent grade sheets since late 2010.
Twenty-nine pilots have been arrested, and twelve other pilots have been held under arrest. However, the vast majority of the Indian pilots – around 8,000 – are deemed to be genuine pilots i.e. officially certified.
Watch the video: