Concorde Crash Conspiracy - It Could Have Been Prevented

In studying the Concorde crash the investigators determined it was caused by debris on the runway, which had fallen off a Continental Airlines Aircraft, which went down the same runway prior to the Concorde. Some thought the crash was an International Terrorist Attack. Had the debris, which had fallen off been known it could have been picked up prior to the Concorde's take off roll.

In fact debris on run ways is common, I have seen stuff on runways myself during takeoff rolls, usually it is something minor and in a light aircraft you are not going very fast so a slight bit of steering for someone on the ball and the problem is solved. The Concorde however takes off at 180 knots or at least that day it tried. It hit the debris and it popped a tire and that tire shredded and sent pieces into the bottom of the wing and fuel tank along with a little of the debris. The aircraft on fire took off and then immediately crashed.

A young man, only twelve years old has come up with a little gadget, which will prevent this from ever happening again. It is a small real-time video camera, which runs along the runway on a track and videos the aircraft as it lands or takes off. It can also be sent solo to inspect the runway from afar, such as a room in the control tower or ground control workstation. The British Airport Authority (BAA) is interested in possibly developing this concept. Interesting as a 12-year old came up with it. Incidentally today NASA announced a spherical device to fly around the ISS-International Space Station to check for damage from space debris. Had this been available it could have inspected the Space Shuttle prior to its return and prevented the accident by way of video preflight.

The young man's device is said to be able to spot even a single nut on the runway, which could be picked up by a tire or sucked into a jet engine. This is an awesome idea and I would hope the US Military would put them on the catapults so when it returns it video tapes the deck. The young man developed the concept in the "Young Engineers for Britain" contest. This shows why it is important to get ideas from everywhere and how contests spur on innovation. In the United States we have constant robotic contests and we all know about Robot Wars. The young man wants is counting on becoming a mechanical engineer if he ever grows up and I think he will make a damn good one.

"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs

---

Travel Tips For Getting Through the Airport Easier and Quicker

Traveling is different now than it was before 9/11. Arriving... Read More

Inflatable Aircraft Wing Camber Modification

Every aircraft is a compromise. It is either built to... Read More

Do Jet Lag Diets Work?

Anti jet lag diets have been around for some time... Read More

American Airlines; Crash: Nov. 12, 2001

It seems there were not many comments to the AA... Read More

Cheap Airline Tickets! With Internet Access, The Skies The Limit For Great Deals

With easy access to the Internet, the convenience of finding... Read More

What Causes Jet Lag?

Jet lag is a common sleep disorder suffered by many... Read More

Sport Aviation and Jet Aircraft

Do you want a little business jet with a lot... Read More

Entering Business Aviation, Part IV: Crafting a Resume

Writing a résumé can be one of the most daunting... Read More

Helicopters Outfitted With Airbags

You know those airbags in your car? Did you know... Read More

Private Jets: 4 Leaders in Fractional Flying

Fractional flying, you say. Is that division? Well, sort of.... Read More

Making a Mechanical Manta with Material Memory Manufacturing Methods

I propose building a mechanical manta ray as a Underwater... Read More

Airlines, Price Wars, and Branding

Here are some thoughts on the study of the theory... Read More

Mexico to Manufacture Aircraft

It appears Mexico with its 120 million population is considering... Read More

Young Men Trying to Imitate the 9-11 Scenario, Part II

What happened to General Aviation after 9-11? Why did we... Read More

Future Shuttle Launches

The military aircraft we have are all equipped with anti-SAM... Read More

Jet Lag ? 5 In-flight Tips

The secret to combating jet lag, and arriving at your... Read More

International Corporate Catering Guide

One of the more challenging aspects of being a flight... Read More

Cactus Fly-In, Casa Grande AZ

Every year in Arizona is the Cactus Fly-in which is... Read More

Helicopters - The Multi Utility Machines

The vertical lift technology of helicopters has far more utilitarian... Read More

India Air Traffic Issues to Come

As India increases its economic growth the population is taking... Read More

Private Jet Ownership Indeed

Wouldn't you like to own your own private jet? Have... Read More

Secrets to Finding Really Cheap Airline Tickets Online

Knowing where to find really cheap airline tickets is the... Read More

Really Cheap Airline Tickets

When you're looking for airline tickets to your specific destination,... Read More

A Look at Fractional Jet Ownership

We've all experienced it - the commercial flight. After a... Read More

Top Ten Secrets to Saving Big Money in the Airline Flights

Do you know that some people travel around the country... Read More

Entering Business Aviation, Part II: Pay Rates for Flight Attendants

Pay. You know that aviation pays better than commercial, in... Read More

Airport Noise Reduction

Do you live near an airport and cannot stand the... Read More

The Wright Brothers

Orville and Wilbur Wright were mere bicycle mechanics, yet they... Read More

The History of the Aircraft Wash Guys, Part Three

As we study this grass roots history of a franchise... Read More

Sex in a Cessna, Part I

If you have never had sex in a Cessna or... Read More

Tactile Strip Sensors on Leading Edge of Material Memory Airfoils

Aircraft designers have always tried to figure out the best... Read More

The History of the Aircraft Wash Guys, Part Two

The continuation of the history of a small service franchise... Read More

Jet Lag - 7 Steps To A Successful Trip

Don't let jet lag spoil that much needed holiday trip... Read More