FAA safety audit turns up issues at four airlines Apr 3, 2008
"What this means is that the fact that we are currently experiencing the safest period in aviation history is no accident or miracle.". Though the aircraft groundings in recent weeks have not involved issues that could have triggered a crash, they constitute one of the largest groundings in aviation industry history. (USA Today -- Money)
House To Press FAA On Plane Safety Apr 3, 2008
Industry experts warned that passengers can expect more headaches as the FAA and airlines work to guarantee safety amid the rise in air travel - though federal officials are quick to note that this has been one of the safest periods in aviation history ... Peter Goalzformer managing director,National Transportation Safety Board Industry experts warned that passengers can expect more headaches as the FAA and airlines work to guarantee safety amid the rise in air travel - though federal officials... (CBS News -- US)
WWII crash researcher scours Dakota City sites Mar 23, 2008
with an interest in aviation history, Penry said he started his mission in 2006 to get as much information about each site from witnesses before it's too late. "You hear people talking about (the crashes), but they're old and they won't be around much longer. We need to talk to them now," he said. (Sioux City Journal, IO)
Aviation Hall of Fame to host film festival Feb 15, 2008
Projects to be screened are documentary, classic and contemporary theatrical releases in which aviation history or the passion for flight is the subject or instrumental to the storyline, according to the NAHF. Each movie will be introduced by an actor, producer, aerial coordinator or cinematographer associated with its production, and an audience question-and-answer session will follow each screening. This event is open to the public, with all Reel Stuff ticket and merchandise proceeds... (Dayton Business Journal, OH)
A wild blue business Jan 31, 2008
A close contender for the U.S. military s newest advanced technical fighter, the YF-23 lost out to the similar F-22 Raptor, but earned a place of esteem in aviation history and with model enthusiasts like Wilson. I happen to love the airplane, he said. (Logan Herald Journal, UT)
Local input provided for History Channel feature on 232 crash Jan 25, 2008
"When you look at aviation history, very, very few crashes have a significant number of survivors, especially when you look at a plane crashing, breaking apart, and burning up," he said. "That's what makes the story so remarkable.". (Sioux City Journal, IO)
Bonne Terre man preserves famous uncle's legacy Jan 20, 2008
Chuck hopes one day to set up a display in the museum all about the boy from Irondale who made aviation history. is a reporter for the Daily Journal. (Park Hills Daily Journal, MO)
Court Awards US Victims More Than $6 Billion for 1989 Libyan Terrorist Bombing of French Airliner That Killed 170 People Over African Desert Jan 16, 2008
The 1989 attack killed 170 people from Europe, Africa and the United States and was one of the deadliest terrorist events in commercial aviation history before September 11, 2001. It came only nine months after a similar suitcase bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, which killed 270 people. (PR Newswire)
Balloon fest would run with Fur Rondy Jan 14, 2008
Jim and Karen said they are offering a continuing education program for high-school physical science teachers in the Anchorage School District, addressing aviation history in Alaska and the physics of ballooning. Jim and Karen said they decided to try out their hot air ballooning course first with home school students, whose schedules let them more easily participate in balloon flights and demonstrations as part of the studies. (Anchorage Daily News)
Despite hype, NASA aviation report doesn't fly Jan 13, 2008
"We're in the safest period in aviation history," said FAA spokeswoman Elizabeth Isham Cory. Tim Newton, manager of Livingston Aviation in Waterloo, said his charter flight and maintenance business normally relies solely on FAA reports, and said there has been "no talk" regarding the NASA study. (Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier)
1st Kuwaiti woman MP sworn in Jan 3, 2008
2007 was one of the safest years in modern aviation history, with the lowest number of crashes worldwide in 44 years, an airline watchdog said on Wednesday. Scores. (Yahoo News -- Kuwait)
Record high oil boosts TSX;NY tumbles on manufacturing data Jan 3, 2008
2007 was one of the safest years in modern aviation history, with the lowest number of crashes worldwide in 44 years, an airline watchdog said on Wednesday. Thousands of Quebecers can thank an extra 2. (CBC News)
Survey: 2007 Good Year for Aviation Safety Jan 2, 2008
GENEVA Last year was one of the safest in aviation history, with the lowest number of crashes in 44 years, an independent watchdog said Wednesday. There were 136 serious accidents in 2007, down from 164 crashes the previous year, the Aircraft Crashes Record Office said. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- World)
France fetes its 50th fowl festival Dec 28, 2007
Costly lost luggageChina has warned airline passengers to be on the alert for thieves rifling through overhead bins following the theft of $230,000, the biggest in China's civil aviation history, state media said last week. Police at airports across the country had handled more than 100 cases of theft involving about 3 million yuan ($406,000) on flights this year, the China Daily said. (MSNBC -- Terrorism)
Runway risks increase Dec 6, 2007
"We are operating in one of the safest periods of aviation history," said Kathleen Bergen, a spokeswoman in the agency's Atlanta regional office. "Whenever an incident occurs we investigate it thoroughly and take corrective action.". (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Wife: it is time to declare Fossett dead Nov 27, 2007
Adventurer Steve Fossett (R) of the U.S. and his wife Peggy face the media at Kent International Airport in southern England after Fossett made the longest non-stop flight in aviation history, Feb. 11, 2006. (Xinhua/Reuters File Photo). (Xinhuanet, China)
Airways in the Gulf sign mass orders for aircraft from Airbus and Boeing Nov 12, 2007
Emirates is making aviation history, Chairman and Chief Executive Sheik Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum said in the statement. This is the largest-ever aircraft commitment in civil aviation made by any airline in a single order, he said. (San Diego Union-Tribune -- Business)
Exhibit honors Polish squadron Nov 11, 2007
The New England Air Museum "is extremely pleased to play such an important role in telling the story of this little known, but heroic chapter of aviation history. NEAM is one of the nation's outstanding aviation museums. It will prove to be a fitting home for the Kosciuszko exhibit," said the museum's executive director, Michael P. Speciale. For information about the squadron memorial, call (860)832-3010 or visit ccsu. (New Britain Herald, CT)
Airbus A380: a step toward saving the environment Nov 11, 2007
Nevertheless, SIA, the plane's sole operator for 10 months, reckons that the plane marks a new chapter in aviation history. SIA, which has ordered up to 19 A380 units including the launching unit, has commenced commercial flight to Sidney, and soon to London, Hong Kong and San Francisco (see insert on airports). (Jakarta Post, Indonesia -- Features)
Richard Orr column: Hobby, Love on least miserable airport list 22-04-2007 Nov 4, 2007
Southwest is the only large carrier I know of that managed to keep its head above the clouds during the worst overall downturn in aviation history. According to the U.S. News article, airlines like Delta, American and U.S. Airways are achieving the turnaround with some good old-fashioned belt-tightening: slashing the number of seats on overserved domestic routes, trimming their fleets and shifting many of their biggest planes to more profitable overseas destinations. (Plainview Daily Herald, TX)
Luxury jetliner features beds, flatscreen TVs Oct 30, 2007
World's largest jetliner made aviation history flying from Singapore to Sydney ... (AP) -- The world's largest jetliner made aviation history Thursday, completing its first commercial from Singapore to Sydney with 455 passengers, some of them ensconced in luxury suites and double beds. (CNN -- Travel)
Jumbo A380 Lands First Passenger Flight Oct 26, 2007
(AP) The world's largest jetliner made aviation history Thursday, completing its first commercial flight from Singapore to Sydney with 455 passengers, some of them ensconced in luxury suites and double beds. The Airbus superjumbo lifted off safely from Singapore's Changi Airport and landed about seven hours later in Sydney. (CBS News)
Singapore Airlines' superjumbo A380 leaves on maiden voyage to Sydney Oct 25, 2007
With 455 passengers, some of whom paid tens of thousands of dollars for a seat in aviation history, the superjumbo left Singapore for Sydney at 8:16 a.m. on a 7. 5-hour flight that launches a new era in air travel. (Sioux City Journal, IO)
A380 makes aviation history with flight to Sydney Oct 25, 2007
ON BOARD FLIGHT SQ380: A Singapore Airlines A380 made aviation history Thursday, completing the first commercial flight by the world's largest jetliner that boasts luxurious suites, double beds and the quietest interior ever ... Flight attendants handed out champagne and certificates to passengers, some of whom paid tens of thousands of dollars in an online auction for the seats to be part of aviation history. (The Star Online, Malaysia -- Business)
The double-deck superjumbo takes a bold leap into the future Oct 21, 2007
At a few minutes after eight on Thursday morning, aviation history will be made at Singapore's Changi International Airport. The world's largest, most luxurious passenger airliner - with a wingspan nearly the size of a football pitch and first-class 'suites' complete with double beds - will lift off for its maiden flight to Sydney. (Guardian Unlimited)
Dr. Elizabeth Hadley, professor of Africana studies, dead at 57 Oct 18, 2007
Her intellectual flight through aviation history took Dr. Hadley into one of the many fields where her imagination alighted during a career as a college teacher, theater director, and writer on topics such as film, poetry, feminism, and female entertainers in popular culture. She died Sunday at her Somerville home, eight years after being diagnosed with breast cancer. (Boston Globe)
Countdown begins to first A380 flight Oct 18, 2007
At a welcoming ceremony, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong called the A380's arrival "a milestone in aviation history" and compared it to the launch of Boeing's 747 jumbo in 1970. The A380 will make its first commercial flight on October 25 from Singapore to Sydney. (iAfrica.com)
Countdown begins for Airbus superjumbo's maiden commercial flight Oct 17, 2007
"This is perhaps one of the most anticipated events in aviation history in this century," Bey Soo Khiang, the airline's senior executive president for operations and services, told dozens of local and foreign journalists ahead of the plane's arrival. The A380 will make its first commercial flight on October 25 between Singapore and Sydney. (Yahoo News -- Top Stories)
Airlines To Hold Summit On JFK Flight Delays Oct 13, 2007
The move comes after a summer of some of the worst delays in U.S. aviation history. U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters called the meeting specifically to discuss flight schedules into and out of JFK airport. (WNBC.com, NY)
Continuous coverage of Boeing and Airbus Oct 11, 2007
Singapore Air CEO Chew Choon Seng says snagging a seat on the flight "will be a moment in aviation history. It will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, on an aircraft that will mark a new chapter in air travel." Singapore says would-be A380 fliers can for more information at the airline's website ... Today is a great day in aviation history ... " And what do the experts think about the A380? Aviation analyst Richard Aboulafia of The Teal Group tells Bly that he thinks the A380 is "somewhere... (USA Today -- Money)
Hang it all: Oct 2, 2007
John Bolthouse of the La Jolla Historical Society called the airfield one of the most significant sites in American aviation history. Bolthouse urged UCSD to reconsider the development plan. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
Nigerian airline in $1.8B plane order Sep 15, 2007
The upgrade of the airline's fleet is "the largest and most aggressive fleet modernization program in Nigeria's aviation history," said officials at Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA). Currently Arik Air flies to seven destinations in Nigeria with future plans to increase to around 11 destinations. (Wichita Business Journal, KS)
45 aircraft scour desert for Fossett Sep 9, 2007
Fossett was the first person tofly around the world alone in a balloon, and broke the record for the longest non-stop flight in aviation history in 2006. . (CBC News)
Some of Fossett's Accomplishments Sep 5, 2007
February 2006: Completes the longest nonstop plane flight in aviation history, flying 26,389 miles in about 76 hours. August 2006: With a co-pilot, claims a world glider altitude record of 50,671 feet during a flight over the Andes Mountains. (The Daily Reflector)
High-flying facts: Local author finishes historic photo book Aug 25, 2007
"Alabama has probably the most unique aviation history of any state," said Billy Singleton of Clanton, the author of "Montgomery Aviation.". Singleton, who flew for U.S. Airways for 21 years and now flies for a heavy equipment dealer in Birmingham, has assembled what he calls the first chapter in the history of powered flight in Alabama. (Clanton Advertiser, AL)
Letter: Information sought on early local pilots Aug 16, 2007
Not only was this an important event in local history, it was a very historic moment in American aviation history for it marked the first time that any African-American pilot (Grover C. Nash) flew an American airmail route. Newspapers of the day say Nash landed about 1:30 p.m. on the Frank Patterson farm northwest of Mattoon. (Mattoon Journal-Gazette, IL)
CGSC honors authors, instructors ... CALL_publishes handbook for company leaders ... Honoring Sgt. Courtney Finch ... Housing Update -- On-post residents urged to conserve energy ... On-post chapel schedule ... Pets of the Week ... ';var marqueewidth="350px";var marqueeheight="20px";var marqueebgcolor="#FFFFFF";////NO NEED TO EDIT BELOW THIS LINE////////////var pauseit=1;var marqueespeed=1 //slow speed down by 1 for NSvar copyspeed=marqueespeedvar pausespeed=(pauseit==0)? copyspeed: 0var iedom=document.all||document.getElementByIdif (iedom)document.write(''+marqueecontent+'')var actualwidth=''var cross_marquee, ns_marqueefunction populate(){if (iedom){cross_marquee=document.getElementById? document.getElementById("iemarquee") : document.all.iemarqueecross_marquee.style.left=parseInt(marqueewidth)+8+"px"cross_marquee.innerHTML=marqueecontentactualwidth=document.all? temp.offsetWidth : document.getElementById("temp").offsetWidth}else if (document.layers){ns_marquee=document.ns_marquee.document.ns_marquee2ns_marquee.left=parseInt(marqueewidth)+8ns_marquee.document.write(marqueecontent)ns_marquee.document.close()actualwidth=ns_marquee.document.width}lefttime=setInterval("scrollmarquee()",20)}window.onload=populate;function scrollmarquee(){if (iedom){if (parseInt(cross_marquee.style.left)>(actualwidth*(-1)+8))cross_marquee.style.left=parseInt(cross_marquee.style.left)-copyspeed+"px"elsecross_marquee.style.left=parseInt(marqueewidth)+8+"px"}else if (document.layers){if (ns_marquee.left>(actualwidth*(-1)+8))ns_marquee.left-=copyspeedelsens_marquee.left=parseInt(marqueewidth)+8}}if (iedom||document.layers){with (document){document.write('')if (iedom){write('')write('')write('')write('')}else if (document.layers){write('')write('')write('')}document.write('')}}Thursday, August 09, 2007 Dr. James S. Corum, of the Department of Joint, Interagency and Multinational Operations, is presented a Golden Pen award from Command and General Staff College Deputy Commandant Brig. Gen. Mark O'Neill during O'Neill's address to CGSC faculty and staff Aug. 6 in Marshall Auditorium in the Lewis and Clark Center. Corum received the Golden Pen, which is awarded for a book or book-length article, and a Silver Pen award, presented for a significant article in a major publication. Lamp photo by Prudence Siebert. CGSC honors authors, instructors Aug 10, 2007
Thomas Bradbeer, of the Department of Command Leadership, for "Air Battle over the Somme," soon to be published in Aviation History Magazine. Dr. James Corum, of the Directorate of Joint, Interagency and Multinational Operations, for "Luftwaffe Intelligence: How it Viewed the U.S. Army Air Forces," published in "Winged Crusade: the Quest for American Air and Space Power" in December 2006. (Leavenworth Lamp, KS)
Highway in the Sky Suffers Gridlock Aug 7, 2007
American, Continental, Delta, US Airways, AirTran and Alaska Airlines just announced that July went into aviation history -- featuring the most crowded planes for any month, with nearly 90 percent of all seats full on domestic flights. As for rebooking forget about it. (Newsmax)
Travel security flaws and how to fix them Jul 31, 2007
The first half of 2007 was the safest in aviation history, according to a report by Flightglobal. com. (MSNBC -- Travel)
Pilots blamed for Brazil plane disaster Jul 31, 2007
Pilots blamed for worst accident in Brazil's aviation history. Pilots blamed for worst accident in Brazil's aviation history ... RIO DE JANEIRO, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Human error is to blame for the worst accident in Brazil's aviation history on July 17, the weekly magazine Veja claimed Monday. (Xinhuanet, China)
Recording of Air India bombing confession allegedly surfaces 22 years later Jul 30, 2007
In one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in aviation history, a bomb exploded on an Air India flight from Canada to India on June 23, 1985, killing 329 people. A second bomb exploded less than an hour earlier at Tokyo's Narita airport, killing two baggage handlers. (Globe and Mail)
- Aviation history in miniature | Concrete Fly-in… Jul 30, 2007
writeln(''); writeln('var isNN,isIE;');writeln('if (parseInt(navigator. appName=="Netscape"). (Anacortes Weekly, WA)
Boeing rolls out Dreamliner for the world Jul 28, 2007
In a gracious congratulatory letter sent to McNerney, the head of rival Airbus, Louis Gallois, said it was "a great day in aviation history.". "Even if tomorrow Airbus will get back to the business of competing vigorously, today is Boeing's day a day to celebrate the 787," Gallois wrote. (Yahoo News -- Aviation and Aerospace)
Beddoe found success in a hurting industry Jul 25, 2007
Mr. Beddoe retires as one of most significant figures in Canadian aviation history. He launched an airline in the face of widespread industry skepticism, endured brutal competition with Air Canada through the late 1990s, survived the industry slump in the early 2000s as other competitors perished, then rode through a corporate espionage scandal. (Globe and Mail -- Business)
Boeing unveils its new green dream passenger jet Jul 9, 2007
"Today is a great day in aviation history," the letter said. "Whenever such a milestone is reached in our industry it is always a reflection of hard work by dedicated people inspired by the wonder of flight.". (Guardian Unlimited -- UK)
How Boeing Transformed Aviation Industry Jul 3, 2007
It hasn't even flown yet and already the 787 is making aviation history as the world's hottest-selling and most technically advanced new commercial jet ever. Not since Boeing ushered in the jet age with its 707 in 1954 has there been such hoopla over a new passenger airplane. (NBC 11, CA)
Jet in cockatoo strike scare Jun 30, 2007
IT WAS one of the most serious mid-air collisions in Australian aviation history. A Qantas Boeing 767 had just taken off from Melbourne Airport on October 3 last year, with 136 passengers and crew. (The Age)
Paris Air Show, a mixed bag for India airlines Jun 17, 2007
In January 2006, Air India signed an agreement to buy 68 Boeing jets for around 11 billion dollars to upgrade its ageing fleet, marking the biggest deal in Indian aviation history. In 2005, Indian Airlines ordered 20 Airbus A-319s, 19 A-321s and four A-320s in a deal worth 2. (Zee News)
We need to support our president Jun 17, 2007
As I read, for the second time, a book on aviation history, I find it disturbing that it tells of the number of our bombers and fighters lost to enemy anti-aircraft fire and fighters but never once did I find any reference to how many men went down with each bomber and were lost in the war effort. In many, if not most bombing missions it tells of 10, 20, 30 and even as high a number as 67 bombers lost and significant numbers of our supporting fighters. (Burley South Idaho Press, ID)
Evidence that casts doubts Jun 17, 2007
The 1988 tragedy constituted the worst terrorist atrocity in British aviation history and sparked the biggest murder investigation in British legal history. Nineteen years later, Lockerbie, like Hungerford, Dunblane and Soham, is still synonymous with a single tragic day, one which remains Britain's worst terrorist disaster. (Guardian Unlimited -- UK)
Manuscript from survivor of Titanic disaster goes on display in Paris May 24, 2007
She hopped quickly onto the Titanic while rushing home from a trip to Europe after learning that her son had been killed -- in one of the earliest crashes in aviation history. In the manuscript, replete with crossed-out words and running-ink blots, Candee describes how the Titanic rammed into an iceberg on April 15, 1912, and was saved after climbing into lifeboat No. 6 as the ship sank. (North County Times)
Crunch Time for Boeing May 22, 2007
The Dreamliner has notched 568 firm orders from 44 airlines, making it the fastest-selling new airplane in aviation history, and it is partly responsible for reviving the once fading fortunes of Boeing's commercial airplane division. But now Boeing () actually has to begin building the complicated composite jets and still faces the crucial test: seeing if it can make the plane fly. (BusinessWeek)
First 787 Dreamliner's Wings Arrive From Japan May 16, 2007
The 787 is the fastest-selling airplane in aviation history, with 568 planes on order from 44 airlines. The factory needs one more major component -- a central fuselage section from Charleston, S.C. Then workers can assemble the plane that is scheduled to roll out July 8. (KIRO TV, WA)
Stockton pilots reunion set for May 12 May 5, 2007
The reunion is held to honor these pilots and provide a forum to discuss Stockton's rich aviation history, officials said. Coppernoll said he and his brother, John, ran an airport in Stockton starting in the 1940s, and that they trained many pilots from the Jo Daviess County area. (Freeport Journal-Standard, IL)
O.C. journalism figure Vi Smith dies Apr 27, 2007
By Ashley Powers, Times Staff Writer April 27, 2007 Vi Smith, a former Los Angeles Times reporter and author so intertwined with Orange County's aviation history that the concourse art gallery at John Wayne Airport was named in her honor, died Thursday ... Her 1974 book "From Jennies to Jets: The Aviation History of Orange County" traced the county's flight path from ballooning to aerospace ... Smith was "the foremost authority on Orange County's aviation history," wrote Orange Coast magazine... (Los Angeles Times)
Commercial space venture unites mogul, aeronautics rebel Apr 16, 2007
Aviation history has other odd couples: The wealthy Harry Guggenheim financed the early rocket work of the loner Robert Goddard; international arms dealer Charles Flint helped the Wright brothers sell their airplanes outside the United States; telephone inventor Alexander Graham Bell enlisted Glenn Curtiss, a brash motorcycle manufacturer, to help build a practical plane. Now it's Branson, the adventuring chairman of the multibillion-dollar Virgin Group of companies, who is investing at least... (USA Today -- Tech)
Airman's remains returned to family after decades in New Guinea jungle Apr 11, 2007
Known as "Black Sunday," it remains the worst day for weather-related crashes in aviation history. Out of 200 U.S. planes flying missions that day, 37 fighters and bombers went down either in the sea or scattered across the jungle floor. (The News-Herald)
Chaos at the Scene Apr 4, 2007
Nothing in aviation history had prepared the pilots to take on the terrible hail storm that brought the plane down, nor were those on the ground prepared to handle what was left when the jetliner slammed to a stop a quarter of a mile away from where it had first touched down. Ambulances were called to the scene in New Hope, many of which left laden with body parts while others were turned away when it became clear that this would not be about rescuing survivors but identifying bodies. (Shoals TimesDaily)
Lockhart crash report to be released Apr 3, 2007
One of the most anticipated reports in Australian aviation history will be released on Wednesday. Almost two years after the crash of a Fairchild Metroliner plane near Lockhart River in far north Queensland killed 15 people, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau will hand down its report in Canberra at 10. (The Age)
No one wants to part with their shop-class art Mar 19, 2007
AAl Clark of Greenville owns a reflection of America's aviation history passed to him by his father. "In 1927," Clark explains, "Charles Lindbergh was the toast of America after his solo crossing of the Atlantic Ocean in his single-engine airplane, "The Spirit of St. Louis. (The Daily Reflector)
Johnson forced to take $20,000 flight Feb 17, 2007
He then proceeded to take the most expensive nap in aviation history. "I slept the entire way," Johnson said after flying, alone, from Atlanta to Las Vegas, with a stop for fuel in a city he didn't remember, since he was snoozing. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Sports)
4 Dead In Civilian Plane Crash At Fort Stewart Feb 11, 2007
Image by Adrian PingstoneThe Beechcraft Bonanza is one of the most important civil aircraft in aviation history, according to Wikipedia. com. (News4Jax.com, FL)
Now you see it... Feb 4, 2007
To hear its fans tell it, the F-117's place in aviation history is secure. "It moved stealth technology to the fore for the Air Force," says Lloyd W. Newton, a retired four-star general who flew F-117's while leading an air wing at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico in the early 1990s. (Boston Globe)
Wings of Freedom Tour lands at Marco Island Airport Jan 26, 2007
The Collings Foundation's "Wings of Freedom Tour" of the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress "Nine O Nine" and the Consolidated B-24 Liberator WWII Heavy Bombers, will fly into Marco Island Airport for a visit from Jan. 31 to Feb. 2, to offer local citizens an opportunity to visit, explore, and learn more about these unique and rare treasures of aviation history. The B-17 is one of only 9 in flying condition in the United States, and the B-24J is the only fully restored flying example of its type in the... (Marco Island Sun-Times, FL)
Flying dinos had bi-plane design Jan 24, 2007
The evolution of bird flight may mirror aviation history. Their evaluations of the limb joints and feather orientation indicate that a tandem wing design would neither have achieved suitable lift, nor enabled Microraptor to walk on the ground easily. (BBC News -- Science)