Calif. man gets prison for aiming laser at planes

A Southern California man who aimed a laser beam at two airliners as they approached an airport has been sentenced to 2 1/2 years in federal prison for disrupting the flights.

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Boeing counting on lift from Dreamliner

After two years of costly and embarrassing delays, the first flight of Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner is on track for the end of June. When the 787 does lift off, Boeing officials hope it takes the company's stock with it.

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Plane owners grounded by manufacturer bankruptcy

It's a buyer's nightmare: Plunk down more than $1 million for a new twin-engine airplane and after it finally arrives, the manufacturer goes out of business.

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Survey: Public divided on in-flight cell phone use

The friendly skies are not so affable when it comes to using cell phones on commercial airliners.

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Planes Backed Into Each Other in SF

Two passenger jets backed into each other while being pushed by "tugs" at San Francisco International Airport, but no one was injured, a Federal Aviation Administration official said Monday.

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FAA Probes Near-Collision at Atlanta

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a near-collision of two airplanes on the runway at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Friday.

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Boeing 787 program not out of woods

Boeing took steps to restore its damaged credibility this week by declaring its 787 Dreamliner is on track to meet revised delivery targets, but the aerospace giant has a long way to go to prove the jet will meet lofty expectations.

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FCC Says 'No' to Cell Phones on Planes

Striking a blow for cell phone haters everywhere, a government agency on Tuesday said it will keep a rule in place that requires the divisive devices to be turned off during airline flights.

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9/11 Air Travel Drop Slowed Flu's Spread

Scientists have found the first real evidence that restricting air travel can delay flu's spread — a finding that could influence government plans for battling the next influenza pandemic.

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Airfone to Halt Commercial Jet Service

Verizon Airfone, long the only company to offer seatback phone service on commercial airplanes, intends to close down the service before the end of the year, a spokesman said Friday.

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For the record, I don't agree with this author at all.

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An airline is planning the first regular flights for more than 800 passengers after buying a budget version of the Airbus A380, the world's largest airliner.

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11/6/2009 - KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. (AFNS) -- Fiscal 2009 was the safest flying year in the 62-year history of the Air Force. There were only 17 Class A mishaps.

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The early bird gets the overhead baggage space -- at least on Southwest Airlines Co.

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The world's largest pilots union said Tuesday it wants bulk shipments of lithium batteries and products containing the batteries immediately banned from passenger and cargo planes because they can start a fire.

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MSNBC's accidental Lockerbie Bomber Humor

So I went over to MSNBC.com just now and saw this story on the release of the Lockerbie Bomber. What caught my eye first was this picture right next to the story on MSNBC's main page. Notice what it says on the steps leading to the airplane?

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Is your member of Congress flying high -- at your expense?

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NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Facing controversy over a plan to use taxpayer money to purchase new aircraft for the U.S. government officials, the House of Representatives said late Monday that it would cut back its spending plans by more than $100 million.

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Scary Things on A Plane

I leaned in the truck window this afternoon and heard the radio report that a crocodile was found loose on an Abu Dhabi plane. It wasn't the first time crocs have roamed the airy aisles. Scary.

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An essay on one man's lyrical approach to the fear of flying

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ATHENS, Greece - Greece's foreign minister said Monday that Athens was concerned about increasing tension in its relations with neighboring Turkey over military flights in the Aegean Sea.

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See where he was born, makes you wonder about the motive for stealing the plane. Of course he's using the usual American plea. How did he get so far?

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PARIS, June 16 (UPI) -- U.S. defense firms at the 2009 Paris Air Show are vying to win international contracts to help make up for flatter defense spending after years of strong growth.

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NEW YORK - New York City plans to trap and gas as many as 2,000 Canada geese over the next few weeks in an attempt to avoid the type of collision that caused an airliner to ditch in the Hudson River last winter.

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Drug cartel members are using a variety of fronts and subterfuges - from fake tamale stands to child decoys - to gather intelligence about enhanced U.S. border security and exploit weaknesses to send in people and drugs, according to a new report obtained by The Washington Times.

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Excerpt: Terrafugia, Inc., announced today the first flight of its Transition Roadable Aircraft at the Plattsburgh International Airport in Plattsburgh.

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This story is still evolving, so I'll update things as more reports come in. So far, it seems that about 50 of the 135 aboard have managed to get off of the plane. **UPDATE** FNC has just reported 20 injured, 1 dead from another report coming out of Amsterdam.

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FIGHTER pilots were put on red alert in a UFO drama over Germany, it emerged yesterday. Air traffic controllers tracked a mystery object speeding across the entire country.

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The location of an airport, along with the level of provided protection, can heighten or decrease the chances of a bird air strike, like the two strikes thought to have forced U.S. Airways flight 1549 into New York's Hudson River yesterday, suggest federal officials.

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A passenger plane has successfully completed a two-hour test flight partly powered by vegetable oil. Air New Zealand hailed the flight as a "milestone" in the development of sustainable fuels that could lower aeroplane emissions and cut costs.

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An accident involving de-icing solution being sprayed on an Alaska Airlines plane in snow-covered Seattle sent seven people to a hospital Wednesday, airport and hospital officials said.

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A pilot who suddenly went blind while flying his plane at 15,000ft (4,572m) was guided in to land by an RAF plane. A plane was scrambled from the RAF base at Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire to help stricken pilot Jim O'Neill, 65.

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LONDON, Nov. 4 (UPI) -- A British double-amputee said a budget airline has told him he will need to pay extra to bring his spare prosthetic legs with him on vacation.

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