flight+

FlightStats is a travel tool that provides a wealth of flight-related information based on real-time data and past statistics. On the main page, you can check on scheduled departure and landing times, as well as actual take-off and projected landing. You can also elect to receive an e-mail or SMS alerts if the flight status changes, which is highly useful if your carrier or Web-ticketing service doesn't offer such a feature. Plus, there's a map view that provides at-a-glance on-time info for airports across the country.

In addition to gathering information by flight number and date, you can … Read more

Over on Laughing Squid this afternoon, a headline and an eerie still-frame photo caught my eye and reeled me in to one of the most captivating videos I've seen online: Time-lapse footage of US Airways Flight 1549 submerged in the icy waters of the Hudson River, awaiting the barges and cranes that would eventually lift it up and take it away.

The video, shot by David Martin is, as Todd Lappin wrote on Laughing Squid, "haunting." It's also amazing and beautiful.

Exclusive unseen video footage of the "Miracle on the Hudson," flight 1549 in New York City … Read more

LAS VEGAS--At last year's show, Mad Catz treated us to a series of new controllers, but at CES 2010 we're getting a taste of the first force-sensing flight stick we've seen.

Due out in February, the Saitek Pro Flight X65F Control System is designed specifically to emulate aircraft controls found in modern military fighter jets. While most conventional flight sticks tilt with your movement, the X65F responds solely to pressure while remaining still.

Bundled in with the X65F is a CD loaded with preset control maps for some of the most popular flight simulation games out there. … Read more

Housed in a 10-story building at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, Calif., is one of the world's most unique machines. The Vertical Motion Simulator is a massive installation that gives pilots and engineers the opportunity to test aircraft design and explore flight characteristics with an incredibly high level of realism and accuracy.

Last week CNET visited the facility as NASA was testing out Altair, the design for the next generation of lunar landers. As they test the current design, pilots and engineers make recommendations, enhancements, and alterations.

Acousticom manufactures audio communication equipment utilized by the Department of Defense and leading aerospace companies. The company is well-known for its flight helmets, but it is coming to CES 2010 with something almost everyone can enjoy--the Sound Egg.

The egg chair is back, but with a 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound system and an intimate media experience not intended for sharing. The chair can be connected to a television or computer and its unique foam insulation means no more complaining from your significant other. Go ahead, play Call of Duty all you want--he or she won't hear a … Read more

There are plenty of ways for frequent travelers to check on their flight's status long before they leave the house or hotel, but fewer that alert you when delays occur, and only one we've seen that predicts airline tardiness.

That app is FlightCaster, which costs $7.99 on iPhone and BlackBerry, with Android support next. FlightCaster predicts flight delays 6 hours before airlines post delay data. FlightCaster works by looking at factors like the local weather at the departure and arrival airports, and if the inbound plane is already delayed.

While the concept applies to everyone, not everyone … Read more

Golden Eagle Flight Prep provides all the tools pilots need to plan a flight route. Offering a surprising amount of useful and specialized features, this is a great addition to any general aviation pilot's software collection.

The program's interface might seem intimidating to nonpilots, since it's peppered with aviation jargon, FAA abbreviations, and other flight-related specifics. However, the manual in the program's Help file clarifies most questions and proves that Golden Eagle Flight Prep is, in fact, a very user-friendly design. The program's primary function is flight itinerary planning, which is made simple as pointing … Read more

The same day T-Mobile formally released the Nokia 3711, AT&T countered with two announcements of its own. The Samsung Mythic and Flight will land in the carrier's stores on Sunday, November 8.

Like the 3711, we first saw the Mythic and the Flight at last month's CTIA show in San Diego. Both offer touch screens and AT&T's new mobile browser, but they take different approaches to design.

The Mythic has a 3.3-inch touch screen, a thin profile, and minimal physical controls. Features include a speakerphone, an HTML browser, 3G, a virtual QWERTY … Read more

The race to develop an unmanned aircraft that can stay aloft for five years at a stretch has entered its second phase, where the prize is a $155 million DARPA contract to build a small-scale demonstrator model.

The project, called Vulture II, will pit three defense contractor teams--Aurora Flight Sciences, Boeing, and Lockheed Martin--against one another and the clock for the right to build a small-scale, working version of a high-altitude, electric-propelled UAV capable of remaining aloft and on station for three months.

The Vulture is expected to serve as an electronic sensor and military communications platform, and … Read more