Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/These-Innovations-by-IITians-Prove-India-Has-got-Some-of-The-Most-Brilliant-Minds/articleshow/51806484.cms">It’s no mean feat that our IIT students are being recognized globally for their innovations</a>. From creating machines that can <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Trestor-and-IIT-Bombay-students-have-the-perfect-solution-to-Mumbais-difficult-water-situation/articleshow/51777822.cms">quench thirst and reduce waste simultaneously</a> to innovating devices for the blind (like Smartcane now sold commercially) – this young lot is <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/IIT-student-builds-app-that-will-tackle-wait-list-woes-in-trains/articleshow/50982182.cms">not only sensitive to the daily problems </a>an Indian goes through, but is also at par with some of the best international research institutes abroad when it comes to working on some <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/First-made-in-India-bike-wash-machine-is-also-the-fastest-in-the-world/articleshow/51780406.cms">path-breaking technological innovations</a>.<br />
<br />
There is round-the-clock effort inside these campuses to work on the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/IIT-Bombays-killer-invention-A-100-Netbook/articleshow/48911663.cms">modern-yet-safest technologies</a> like fuel-efficient electric cars and hydrogen-run autos. It’s <keyword id="94769" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="drones">drones</keyword> are now used by the Indian Army during combat operations. In yet another such recent innovation that can help our NAVY, a group of IIT students at the Naval Construction Wing have now come out with what they say is an <keyword id="3338528" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="underwater-glider">Underwater Glider</keyword> – a much needed force multiplier in the age of invisible enemies and future autonomous, sustainable advance navies.<br />
<br />
“Such gliders are efficient mobile sensor platforms that can be deployed for months at a time, traveling thousands of kilometers. They are low cost and can survive prolonged deployment in excess of nearly 6 months without even recharging. When deployed in large numbers they can do persistent uninterrupted surveillance,” the team headed by Prof.R Vijayakumar says.<br />
<br />
Their best use can be in both military as well as commercial applications like Intelligence gathering, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance, Mine Countermeasures, Anti-Submarine Warfare, Inspection / Identification, Oceanography, Communication/Navigation Network Node, Payload Delivery, Information Operations and Time Critical Strike.<br />
<br /> A working full-scale model was designed recently, constructed and tested in <keyword id="57604" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="iit-delhi">IIT Delhi</keyword> by this team. Even as work has been on to make a foolproof underwater glider since 2012 at IIT under the guidance of Prof.R Vijayakumar, the present version of the glider - PD IV - is the fourth generation design. It follows a saw-tooth pattern across the ocean depths at low speeds with minimal energy consumption, periodically transmitting the data collected by on-board sensors to satellites. Thus it can cover wide range of operations and responsibilities without getting detected.<br />
<br />
Moreover, the communication and data transfer is based on cheap mobile phone based satellite communication.<br />
<br />
Presently, it has undergone pool trials and further improvement of the control systems is still in progress. Further, hydrodynamic trials will be conducted with assistance from IIT Madras and perhaps in the next two years, we may be seeing Navy deploying these secret weapons down below in the ocean!<br />

An Underwater Glider by IIT Delhi Students can Become Indian Navy's New Age Secret Weapon against Enemies

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A US military uncrewed underwater vehicle can be seen on Google Earth at a naval base in California.</li><li>The giant "Manta Ray" sea drone completed water testing in early 2024.</li></ul><p>The US military's giant <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-military-unmanned-manta-ray-submarine-passed-first-sea-test-2024-5">"Manta Ray" sea drone</a> has been spotted on Google Earth at a naval base in California.</p><p>Satellite images show the drone at Naval Base Ventura County in Oxnard, close to Los Angeles.</p><p>Footage of the drone taken during water testing earlier this year was also recently shared by manufacturer Northrop Grumman on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXkR0K9v5i8">YouTube</a>.</p><p>The uncrewed underwater vehicle (UUV) completed the "full-scale" testing off the coast of southern California in February and March, the Defense Department's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) <a target="_blank" href="https://www.darpa.mil/news-events/2024-05-01">announced</a> in May.</p><p>The new footage takes viewers on a "360-degree dive" with the vehicle, offering glimpses of its rounded shape and maneuverability.</p><p>A <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6cDmXFkAdM">second video</a> posted by the company also shows the drone's propulsion system.</p><p>"By incorporating numerous buoyancy engines, all working together efficiently, Manta Ray can operate for extended periods at a time and travel long distances at a variety of depths," the company says in the second video.</p><p>"It can even anchor to the sea floor and hibernate until needed," it adds.</p><p>While the Manta Ray's dimensions are not publicly available, Northrop Grumman classifies the drone as an "extra-large glider UUV."</p><div type="image" title="The Manta Ray being towed in preparation for testing." height="316" width="619" msid="111368325" hostid="261" sizebytes="21182"></div><p>The Manta Ray program, launched in 2020, aims to develop payload-capable, autonomous UUVs that can operate in "long-duration, long-range missions in ocean environments."</p><p>The drone's unique shape helps it save power and energy and carry "critical payloads or sensors" on lengthy missions, according to its manufacturer.</p><p>"Our successful, full-scale Manta Ray testing validates the vehicle's readiness to advance toward real-world operations after being rapidly assembled in the field from modular subsections," Kyle Woerner, DARPA program manager for Manta Ray, said following testing.</p><p>"The combination of cross-country modular transportation, in-field assembly, and subsequent deployment demonstrates a first-of-kind capability for an extra-large UUV," he added.</p><p>DARPA says it is now working on the next steps for testing the drone.</p><div type="image" title="The Manta Ray off the coast of California this year." height="316" width="619" msid="111368324" hostid="261" sizebytes="18110"></div><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-sea-drones-with-jet-skis-sink-russia-ship-ivanovets-2024-2">Sea drones</a> have redefined traditional naval warfare in recent years. Their use in the Russia-Ukraine war has gained them widespread media attention.</p><p>The relatively cheap technology has scored major hits for Ukraine on Russian battleships, including the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-says-it-destroyed-65m-warship-russia-planned-for-missile-system-2024-3">Sergei Kotov</a> patrol ship and the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2024/may/what-sinking-russian-corvette-ivanovets-teaches">Ivanovets</a> corvette.</p><p>Ukraine has also used sea drones to attack key infrastructure like the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/video-russia-fail-stop-ukrainian-drone-boat-hit-key-bridge-2023-8">Kerch Bridge</a>, Russian President Vladimir Putin's prized link between the Russian mainland and the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014.</p><p>The threat to the Kerch Bridge appears to be significant enough for Russia to have started placing barges and other defenses in the area to reduce "the angles of approach for Ukrainian Unmanned Service Vehicles," the UK Ministry of Defence said.</p>

Huge US military 'Manta Ray' sea drone spotted on Google Earth at California naval base

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A submersible dive arranged by OceanGate ended in the tragic deaths of all five passengers.</li><li>In 2019, the submersible expert Karl Stanley warned OceanGate's CEO that more tests were needed.</li></ul><p>About four years before <a href="https://www.insider.com/passengers-titan-submersible-dead-oceangate-titanic-2023-6">OceanGate's Titan submersible imploded during a dive to the Titanic shipwreck last week</a>, a submersible expert who took a trip in the vessel issued a desperate warning to the company's CEO that the sub required more testing.</p><p>In April 2019, Karl Stanley, who runs his own <a href="https://stanleysubmarines.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deep-sea exploration company in Honduras</a>, took a 12,000-foot plunge inside the Titan off the coast of the Bahamas and said he heard <a href="https://www.insider.com/the-titan-submermsible-catastrophic-implosion-rescue-effort-years-in-making-2023-6">a large cracking sound during the two-hour dive</a>.</p><p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/22/us/titanic-missing-submarine-implosion.html?action=click&amp;module=RelatedLinks&amp;pgtype=Article" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Times reported that Stanley</a> shared his concerns with <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/22/us/titanic-missing-submarine-implosion.html?action=click&amp;module=RelatedLinks&amp;pgtype=Article">OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush in emails</a> in which he said that the sounds revealed were "an area of the hull that is breaking down."</p><p>In follow-up emails obtained by Insider, Rush sought to reassure Stanley that the issue with the noises was being looked at and suggested that it was improving, albeit with a caveat: "Our analysis of the past dives shows a definite reduction in acoustic events, but only having data from two full operating depth dives does not make for much of a validating trend."</p><p>The CEO added that the company was shooting for "as many as 5" more 4,000-foot dives to get more data on the acoustics.</p><p>Several days later, Stanley responded with "a few thoughts," including how "2-7 dives to operating depth are too few to launch an expedition selling 6 figure tickets in the middle of the ocean."</p><p>Tickets to visit the Titanic shipwreck on the Titan submersible <a href="https://www.insider.com/titan-sub-ceo-offered-cut-price-tickets-millionaire-doomed-trip-2023-6">cost up to $250,000</a>.</p><p>"I think 50 is a good #," Stanley wrote, citing the number of tests he conducted with his submersible vessel, C-BUG, which stands for Controlled Buoyancy Underwater Glider. <a href="https://www.stanleysubmarines.com/files/fathoms.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to a magazine profile of Stanley</a>, C-BUG was first designed to reach a maximum depth of 725 feet. Stanley now operates a vessel that can descend about 2,000 feet below sea level.</p><p>The Titan, in comparison, was <a href="https://www.insider.com/titan-missing-submersible-photos-interior-exterior-dock-launch-2023-6">advertised to reach depths of more than 13,000 feet</a>.</p><p>Stanley offered another analogy with skydiving: 50 is the same number required to receive what's known in the sport as a "B license." The submersible expert also reiterated his concern about the hull.</p><p>"I think that hull has a defect near that flange, that will only get worse. The only question in my mind is will it fail catastrophically or not," Stanley wrote.</p><p>In response, Rush told Stanley that more tests would be conducted, but the CEO dismissed the idea of conducting 50 tests and said that the parachute-training analogy was a poor comparison.</p><p>"I suspect no deep diving sub did 50 MOD dives before non-essential crew were taken," Rush said.</p><p>Rush argued that Stanley's suggestion was an "arbitrary dive number" and said that testing "may take 2 dives or 20." But Stanley pushed back, saying that he came to the number based on his experience and that other experts agreed it was a "good indicator."</p><p>Towards the end of his salvo with Rush, Stanley wrote:</p><p>"I don't think if you push forward with dives to the Titantic this season it will be succumbing to financial pressures, I think it will be succumbing to pressures of your own creation in some part dictated by ego to do what people said couldn't be done."</p><p>An OceanGate spokesperson told Insider the company is "unable to provide any additional information at this time." </p><h2>OceanGate's CEO had been forewarned about potential safety issues with the sub</h2><p>OceanGate began running tours to see the Titanic shipwreck in 2021, using the Titan to take customers to the ocean floor in journeys that could last up to 10 hours at a time.</p><p>The Titan went missing on June 18 while on its third annual expedition. US Coast Guard officials <a href="https://www.insider.com/passengers-titan-submersible-dead-oceangate-titanic-2023-6">said on Thursday</a> that it had found debris indicating the submersible imploded because of a "catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber."</p><p>Officials said the vessel imploded around 1,600 feet away from the Titanic shipwreck.</p><p>Stanley's exchange with Rush also came as the OceanGate CEO was warned at least twice by other experts about the Titan's safety. In 2018, a company executive said that the Titan's system couldn't detect flaws in the hull <a href="https://www.insider.com/titanic-submersible-only-warns-milliseconds-before-hull-failure-fired-executive-2023-6">until "milliseconds" before disaster</a>. He later accused the company in a lawsuit of firing him immediately after filing the report.</p><p>The same year, the Marine Technology Society sent Rush a letter expressing "unanimous concern" about his "experimental approach" with the Titan.</p><p>And in 2021, Rush told a YouTuber that he knew he'd "<a href="https://www.insider.com/oceangate-ceo-stockton-rush-broken-some-rules-titanic-sub-remembered-2023-6">broken some rules</a>" by building his submersible out of carbon fiber, even though most submersibles are made purely out of steel or titanium. He said he wanted to innovate in the industry, and <a href="https://www.compositesworld.com/articles/composite-submersibles-under-pressure-in-deep-deep-waters" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in 2017 also said the material choice helped save some money</a>.</p><p>"I think it was General MacArthur who said: 'You're remembered for the rules you break,'" Rush told the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uD5SUDFE6CA&amp;t=1445s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mexican YouTuber alanxelmundo</a>.</p><p>Rush was one of the five people who died on the Titan, along with the <a href="https://www.insider.com/hamish-harding-billionaire-titanic-submersible-titan-space-tourist-blue-origin-2023-6">British billionaire Hamish Harding</a>; <a href="https://www.insider.com/paul-henri-nargeolet-helped-private-company-excavate-artifacts-from-titanic-2023-6">Paul-Henri Nargeolet</a>, a Titanic expert; <a href="https://www.insider.com/who-is-shahzada-dawood-pakistani-millionaire-son-suleman-titanic-sub-2023-6">Shahzada Dawood</a>, a British-Pakistani multimillionaire; and his 19-year-old son, Suleman Dawood.<a href="https://www.insider.com/paul-henri-nargeolet-helped-private-company-excavate-artifacts-from-titanic-2023-6"></a></p><p><em>Correction: June 26, 2023 — An earlier version of this article misstated YouTuber alanxelmundo's country of origin. He is Mexican, not Spanish.</em></p><p><em>Update: June 26, 2023 — This story has been updated with a comment from OceanGate sent after the article was published.</em></p>

A submarine expert desperately tried to dissuade his friend, OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, from taking customers in the Titan submersible, warning him against 'succumbing to pressures of your own creation,' new emails show

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Kitty Hawk</span></p><p class="caption">The prototype airtaxi Cora by Kitty Hawk</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>A secretive flying car startup has been quietly testing self-flying airtaxis in New Zealand, with an eye to eventually launching a commercial flying taxi service.</strong></li><li><strong>The startup, Kitty Hawk, envisages that flying cars will be the new norm and is financed by Google cofounder Larry Page and led by ex-Google scientist Sebastian Thrun.</strong></li><li><strong>Kitty Hawk unveiled the prototype Cora airtaxi on Tuesday, which it has been testing in New Zealand for the last five months.</strong></li><li><strong>The airtaxi can fly up to 110mph, and uses 12 rotor blades to take off and land vertically.</strong></li></ul><p><br />Kitty Hawk, the flying car startup financially backed by Google cofounder Larry Page, has been quietly testing flying taxis in New Zealand. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/12/business/dealbook/flying-taxis-larry-page.html">We first saw the news via The New York Times</a>.</p><p>The company has been testing what looks like a hybrid between a helicopter and a glider over the South Island of New Zealand during the last five months. The Cora aircraft is a self-flying vehicle with 12 rotor blades which allow it to take off and land vertically.</p><p><strong><a href="https://youtu.be/LeFxjRMv5U8">You can watch the air taxi in action on YouTube</a>.</strong></p><h2>Kitty Hawk wants us to travel in flying taxis that take off from our roofs</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Kitty Hawk</span></p><p class="caption">The Cora airtaxi about to take off.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Kitty Hawk's idea is to build a network of self-flying air taxis. Like Uber, but for "The Jetsons."</p><p>The prototype Cora is all-electric, can carry two passengers, and flies between 500 and 3,000 feet above the ground. It has an 11-metre wingspan and operates a single propeller. It can travel at around 110mph, and has a range of around 62 miles.</p><p>Kitty Hawk chose New Zealand as a testbed due to its "forward thinking regulatory system," <a href="https://cora.aero/">according to an update on its website</a>. It's been testing the vehicles through a local operator called Zephyr Airworks, and Cora has an "experimental airworthiness certificate" from both New Zealand and US aviation authorities. Kitty Hawk is working on further certification so it can launch a commercial air taxi service.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Kitty Hawk</span></p><p class="caption">The Cora airtaxi by Kitty Hawk</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>The project was officially unveiled on Tuesday by Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand's prime minister, and Fred Reid, chief executive of Zephyr Airworks.</p><p>Here's what Kitty Hawk said on its site:</p><p>"Designing an air taxi for everyday life means bringing the airport to you. That's why Cora can take off and land like a helicopter, eliminating the need for runways. Cora has the potential to transform spaces like rooftops and parking lots into places to take off right from your neighborhood."</p><p>Zephyr Airworks is working in collaboration with New Zealand's business ministry, its transport ministry, and its Civil Aviation Authority.</p><h2>Kitty Hawk is a secretive flying car startup personally funded by Google cofounder Larry Page</h2><p>Kitty Hawk is led by Sebastian Thrun, a former Google scientist who worked on the company's self-driving cars and Google Glass.</p><p>Little is known about the company beyond its founders and its flying car mission. It is financed by Larry Page, Google's cofounder, and <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/the-ex-googler-who-started-self-driving-cars-is-ready-for-flying-cars-2017-9">he and Thrun envisage that flying cars will be the norm within a decade</a>. According to a Bloomberg report in 2016, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com.au/google-cofounder-larry-page-funding-owns-flying-car-companies-zee-aero-kitty-hawk-2016-6">Page has spent at least $100 million</a> (£72 million) on the project since 2010.</p><p>Kitty Hawk demonstrated its first prototype, the Flyer, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/larry-pages-flying-car-startup-kittyhawk-has-launched-2017-4">last April</a> and the company said it would open signups to buy an aircraft in 2017.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/underwater-lawnmowers-cleaning-trash-rivers-india-aquatic-weed-harvester-cleantec-infra-2018-3">These underwater lawnmowers clean trash and weeds out of rivers</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

Google cofounder Larry Page has been secretly testing flying taxis in New Zealand

It is winter season and who minds a thrilling, adventurous trip that too within the budget? Travellers are flocking destinations with smaller crowds, cheaper rates and unique thrilling activities such as snowshoeing, sky touring and dogsledding that the winter seasons offer.<br />
<br />
Expedia lists 10 most interesting adventure travel activities for this season.<br />
<br />
<strong>Skiing in Gulmarg:</strong><br />
<br />
Gulmarg is known to be the best ski resorts in India and houses Asia’s famous heli-skiing resort. This is the best time to visit Gulmarg as it is covered with thick snow, famous for Gandola Cable Car Lift. In totality, three ski lifts and a single chair lift gives an excellent opening for novice and amateur skiers.<br />
<br />
<strong>Trekking in Zanskar: </strong><br />
<br />
Trekking in the Zanskar ranges could be quiet adventurous with a sharp zig-zag mountainous path. The deep gorge and high-rise mountains that surround Zanskar River are stunning and beautiful. Camping in the gorge besides a rushing stream, among aromatic shrubs and wild roses, is deeply relaxing.<br />
<br />
<strong>Mountain Biking in Ladakh:</strong><br />
<br />
Traveling by bike provides an amazing experience of this region, unmatched with any other mode of travel. Trails can be matched to everyone’s riding ability. This adventurous mountain biking journey to Ladakh is full of surprises and takes you to the world’s greatest motor biking roads. The riding experience is extremely blissful with the clouds hanging out, and a complete up close view of the valley.<br />
<br />
<strong>Scuba Diving at Havelock Island:</strong><br />
<br />
Scuba Diving at Havelock Island is a memorable experience. Andaman waters offer a fascinating world of underwater marine life with one of the richest coral reef ecosystem in the world. The fact that these islands are still faintly inhabited, has protected them from commercialization and preserved the natural beauty.<br />
<br />
<strong>Trekking in Sikkim:</strong><br />
<br />
Sikkim, the undisclosed land of the Himalayas, is a fabulous ground for trekking. One can sense the fresh and crisp air while passing through the valleys and admiring the magnificence of the mountains. Trekking to Kangcendzonga is extremely challenging and captivating, but a worthy one for it provides an opportunity to see nature at its vibrant best.<br />
<br />
<strong>Forest Trail at Jim Corbett National Park:</strong><br />
<br />
Jim Corbett is one of the interesting places that are back on the radar this winter. Covering an area of 520 sq. km. the park is also a part of Project Tiger with a considerable population of black bears of Himalayan origin, Tiger, dhole jackal and sloth bear. Travelers can also experience the nearby areas of Nainital, Bhuwankhal village, Patli Dun valley, Pauri Garhwal etc.<br />
<br />
<strong><keyword id="89998" type="SPORT" weightage="20" keywordseo="paragliding">Paragliding</keyword> in Manali:</strong><br />
<br />
Hand gliding and parachuting, when combined, is called paragliding. A paraglider has to run down the hill at 40 degree slope, the running results in air filling in the columns of the keel, this allow the glider to take off. The Solang valley slopes are perfect for paragliding.<br />
<br />
<strong>Hot Air Ballooning over Jaipur:</strong><br />
<br />
Hot Air Ballooning over the pink city and experiencing the breathtaking view of the Amber Fort as you drift slowly over the area. Capturing the various traditional villages of Jaipur which provides an exhilarating journey.<br />
<br />
<strong>Camping at Kabini River Lodge Camps:</strong><br />
<br />
Located in the Nagarhole National Forest, the lodge offers a getaway that beats all. Once upon a time this was a retreat of the erstwhile Maharajas; it has now been converted into a tasteful lodge for the discerning few. It offers you quiet luxury and the chance to see the striped king of the jungle. This sanctuary lies on the banks of River Kabini amidst the forests of Karapur in the southern part of Nagerhole.<br />
<br />
<strong>Camel Safari in Bikaner:</strong><br />
<br />
It would be a pity to leave Rajasthan without enjoying a ride on the ship of the desert. Camel rides are notoriously bumpy affairs, but it’s more than likely that by the end of the ride you’ll have become accustomed to that high perch and rhythmic sway. Bikaner is a good place to enjoy a camel safari amidst the vast expanse of the desert. Combine this with a sojourn at a desert camp, where you can stay in tastefully furnished tents and dine al fresco under the starry canopy.<br />
 <br />
<em>(The article has been authored by Manmeet Ahluwalia, Marketing Head, Expedia India)</em><br />
 <br />

Throng these 10 places to make your winters memorable

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>A new study says emerging submarine detection technologies, computer processing power and platforms such as underwater drones could quickly erode the US military's global undersea dominance and ability to operate in high-threat areas such as locations near enemy coastlines.</p><p>The US military relies upon submarines and undersea technological superiority for critical underwater intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance missions, which place assets near the surface fleet or coastline of a potential adversary.</p><p>In coming years, the technological margin of difference separating the US from potential rivals is expected to get much smaller, requiring the US the re-think the role of manned submarines and prioritize innovation in the realm of undersea warfare, according to a January report by the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments titled "The Emerging Era in Undersea Warfare."</p><p>"America's superiority in undersea warfare results from decades of research and development, operations, and training.</p><p>It is, however, far from assured. US submarines are the world's quietest, but new detection techniques are emerging that don't rely on the noise a submarine makes, and may make traditional manned submarine operations far more risky in the future.</p><p>America's competitors are likely pursuing these technologies even while expanding their own undersea forces," the report states.</p><p>Navy officials told Military?.com the service was doing all that it could to retain its undersea technological advantage.</p><p>The US has enjoyed an undersea technological advantage because it has quieter submarines that are more difficult to detect - combined with advanced sonar technology designed to find enemy submarines, the report's author told Military?.com</p><p>"At the end of WWII we did not have an undersea advantage. The Germans had developed submarines with snorkels and the US was searching for how they would deal with them. The new subs could avoid radar detection and were quiet when using their batteries.</p><p>Then, nuclear submarines came along. Passive sonar worked really well against them because they make noise continuously.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Passive sonar works well against nuclear submarines and is less effective against diesels," said Bryan Clark, the study's author and senior fellow at CSBA.</p><p>Submarines are built to be quieter and less detectable through special engineering techniques which reduce the resonance of sound from the propeller and place insulation and sound-absorbing mounts in parts of the boat which radiate sound, Clark explained.</p><p>"This requires high-end manufacturing techniques. You engineer every component on the ship to be quiet and engineer them such that the noise does not reach the hull," he said.</p><p>In the report, Clark details some increasingly available technologies expected to change the equation regarding US undersea technological supremacy. They include increased use of lower frequency active sonar and non-acoustic methods of detecting submarine wakes at short ranges.</p><p>In particular, Clark cites a technique of bouncing laser light or light-emitting-diodes off of a submarine hull to detect its presence.</p><p>"The physics behind most of these alternative techniques has been known for decades, but was not exploited because computer processors were too slow to run the detailed models needed to see small changes in the environment caused by a quiet submarine.</p><p>Today, 'big dat'" processing enables advanced navies to run sophisticated oceanographic models in real time to exploit these detection techniques," Clark writes.</p><p>If US attack submarines, SSNs, or nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarines, SSBNs, equipped with the latest in quieting technology are unable to elude detection by potential adversaries - then strategists and planners might need to re-examine their roles and missions, the report suggests.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_left"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>"In the last 20 years there has been a dramatic increase in computer processing power and a miniaturization of computer processing.</p><p>It used to be that some of these technologies could not be used in real-time.</p><p>The ability to process and use information in real-time was not there. Processing power is now small enough and powerful enough to fit onto a platform," Clark told Military?.com</p><p>As a result, Clark foresees a much greater use of low-frequency active sonar detection, a technology which can successfully detect submarines at greater distances than most current systems.</p><p>"Most hull-mounted sonars are medium band transmitting 1,000 to 10,000 hertz (Hz), whereas low frequency active sonar is less than 1,000 Hz. At lower frequencies you get longer ranges. At high frequency you get good resolution.</p><p>At really high frequency you can get almost photographic like images," Clark explained. With longer range frequencies, sonar systems can have greater success searching multiple areas concurrently, he explained.</p><h3>Underwater Drones</h3><p>In addition, the report points out that unmanned underwater vehicles, or UUVs, will increasingly be used for "covert coastal surveillance and mining" previously reserved for manned submarines.</p><p>"Advances in battery and fuel cell technology are expected to enable non-nuclear submarines, UUVs and other undersea systems to operate for months submerged and power a growing number of sensors and other payloads.</p><p>For example, the newest Japanese Soryu-class submarines will use lithium-ion batteries instead of air-independent engines for power when submerged," Clark writes.</p><p>The same improvements that are making submarine detection easier will also likely enable a new generation of sophisticated counter-detection technologies and techniques, the report says.</p><p>"Against passive sonar, a submarine or UUV could emit sound to overcome its own radiated noise using a technique similar to that used in noise canceling headphones.</p><p>Against active sonars, undersea platforms could - by themselves or in concert with UUVs and stationary or floating systems - conduct acoustic jamming similar to that done by electronic warfare systems against radar," the report states.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Clark also sees a rapidly increasing ability for UUVs and manned submarines to work in tandem.</p><p>For instance, he explains how the Navy's now-in-development Compact Very Lightweight Torpedo, or CVLWT, could be fired from UUVs as an offensive weapon.</p><p>The CVLWT is less than one-third of the size of the smallest torpedo currently operated by the Navy.</p><p>"Although the CVLWT has a short range, large UUVs could carry it as an offensive weapon and exploit their small size and signature to maneuver the torpedo close to a target," Clark added.</p><p>"Similarly, small UAVs such as the Navy's Experimental Fuel Cell UAV have relatively short endurance but can be launched by submarines or UUVs close to adversary coasts. They can take advantage of continued miniaturization in electro-optical, infrared and radar sensors to conduct surveillance or electronic warfare missions."</p><p>Undersea communication technology is rapidly changing as well, potentially allowing submarines to remain somewhat stealthy while communicating with other submarines and surface forces.</p><p>"Acoustic communications are increasingly able to operate over operationally relevant distances, while at shorter ranges LEDs and lasers could provide greater bandwidth. And new floating or towed radio transceivers enable submerged platforms to communicate with forces above the surface without risking detection," Clark writes.</p><p>Clark recommends the Navy consider the prospect of thinking about manned submarines as an undersea equivalent to aircraft carriers - meaning they could project power, provide support and send forth smaller UUVs for sensing and attack missions.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/us-naval-vessel-laser-weapon-test-video-2014-12">The US Just Used A Laser Weapon System On A Navy Ship For The First Time</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="kxYjk5cjrR0viaMAIyn9vsID4j3bOSkv" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

Report: the US's global undersea dominance is now in jeopardy

<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"><keyword id="6354692" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Travel">Travel</keyword> booking site Skyscanner released a </span><a href="http://www.skyscanner2024.com/">report</a><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"> earlier this year predicting what travel will be like in 2024.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">To compile the report, Skyscanner <a href="http://www.skyscanner.net/news/future-of-travel2024">teamed up with 56 experts</a> to analyze and present the <span>breakthrough technologies and exciting new destinations that will shape the global travel industry over the next ten years. </span></span></p>
<p>Among many other things, Skyscanner predicts that by 2024 we'll all have personal digital assistants that will know every intimate detail of our traveling style, hotel pillows that will give us neck massages and wake-up calls, and resorts fully submerged under water. <span>Many of these technologies are already being developed and are likely to be highly advanced by 2024.</span></p>
<p>Here are some of the coolest travel features we can expect in the next 10 years: </p>
<h2>1. Everyone will have a personal digital assistant</h2>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #000000;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"></div><p></p></div></span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #000000;">Everyone will have digital personal assistants that will live on wearable tech devices, such as watches or jewelry. </span><span style="color: #000000; line-height: 1.5em;">These digital buddies will act as a kind of electronic travel agent, making</span><span style="color: #000000; line-height: 1.5em;"> personalized itineraries, acting as a tour guide, and translating languages in real time. </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000; line-height: 1.5em;">The assistants will also come to know you and will be able to recommend destinations based on your preferences. They'll be constantly connected to the web, providing 3D travel inspiration through holograms and images that you can actually touch. </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000; line-height: 1.5em;">These high-tech travel assistants are already in the works: </span><a href="http://www.sri.com/engage/ventures/desti">Desti</a><span style="color: #000000; line-height: 1.5em;">, a conversational travel app from SRI International (the same institute that developed apple's Siri), personalizes travel through </span><span style="color: #000000; line-height: 1.5em;">artificial intelligence, natural language understanding, semantic search, and new interaction technologies. Samsung's </span><a href="http://www.samsung.com/us/globalinnovation/innovation_areas/#sami">SAMI</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #000000;"> is another interactive device that monitors the lifestyle and health needs of its user. </span><span style="color: #000000; line-height: 1.5em;">Apple, too, is reportedly <a href="http://www.iphonehacks.com/2013/02/iwatch-concept-holographic-display.html">developing a next-generation smartwatch </a>that c</span><span style="color: #000000; line-height: 1.5em;">ould contain 3D holographic displays complete with streetscapes and terrain schematics to help make travel easier. </span><strong style="color: #000000; line-height: 1.5em;"><br /></strong></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #000000;">Skyscanner predicts that by 2018, annual sales of wearable technology such as the Sony SmartWatch and Samsung Galaxy Gear will reach 485 million. </span></p>
<h2>2. Airports will become destinations that travelers will want to spend time in</h2>
<h2><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></h2>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #000000;">Passengers are typically advised to get to the airport at least two hours before their scheduled flight - three hours if it's international. But in many airports, there isn't much to do after you've checked in. </span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #000000;">Singapore's Changi Airport, which is regularly<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/singapore-changi-airport-photos-2014-3"> named the World's Best Airport,</a> is trying to change that, and Skyscanner predicts that other airports will follow its lead. At Changi, passengers can choose between strolling through world-class art exhibits, swimming in a rooftop pool, or seeing a movie in one of four of the airport's luxury cinemas. Amsterdam's <span>Schiphol Airport has a library and museum that features Dutch masterpieces borrowed from the Rijksmuseum. And Munich Airport has doctors, including ophthalmologists and dentists, who practice right inside the airport. <strong><br /></strong></span></span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #000000;">"</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #000000;">Airports will be about giving people a better sense of well being during travel," Melissa Weigel, Senior Multimedia Director at Moment Factory, the company that redesigned the international terminal at LAX<strong>, </strong><a href="http://www.skyscanner2024.com/part2.php">told Skyscanner</a>. "</span><span style="color: #000000; line-height: 1.5em;">They will be uplifting and beautiful with intelligent architecture that influences the mood of the space." </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000; line-height: 1.5em;">Airports are experimenting with outdoor terraces and open-air parks that will allow passengers to get some fresh air before or in between flights. The new Kuwait International Airport, expected to open in 2016, will feature cooling internal waterfalls and oasis-style gardens.</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #000000;"><span>Airports are also using new technology to become even more efficient. At London's Heathrow and Frankfurt airports, </span><span></span><a href="http://www.sita.aero/product/Airport-iQueue">iQueue</a><span>, a Bluetooth-based product, has been designed to measure and monitor passenger lines at airport security checkpoints, incoming Immigration, and outgoing border control. At Incheon Airport in Seoul, South Korea, a self-service kiosk allows three-minute check-in with eight major airlines. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">Greg Fordham, Managing Director of Airbiz, <a href="http://www.skyscanner2024.com/part2.php">told Skyscanner</a>, "In five years' time, there will be no need for a single human agent in the terminal. </span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">An entirely automated airport journey will see the passenger take complete control." </span></p>
<h2>3. Space travel and journeys to the bottom of the sea will be common</h2>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #000000;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #000000;">Soon you will be able to say that your vacation was "out of this world" and actually mean it. </span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #000000;">Private companies like Virgin Galactic are working to make commercial trips into space a less elite endeavor. By 2016, anyone with a mere $75,000 to spare will be able to buy themselves some orbital space travel and a whole lot of bragging rights. Virgin Galactic's first space tourism flight out of New Mexico's Spaceport America has been repeatedly pushed back, but Richard Branson, Founder of Virgin Group, said that <a href="http://mashable.com/2014/09/11/virgin-galactic-delays/">he hopes to take the first flight into space early next spring. </a><strong><br /></strong></span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #000000;"> For those who still can't afford it, space hotels will be popping up right here on earth. T</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #000000;">hese hotels will come with zero gravity spas, space gliders, and observatories with lifelike views of the galaxies. </span><span style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #000000;">Barcelona, Spain, may be the first city to have its own space hotel: <a href="http://travel.cnn.com/barcelona-flashy-space-hotel-immersive-rooms-551646">Plans have been proposed for the massive </a></span><span style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #000000;"><a href="http://travel.cnn.com/barcelona-flashy-space-hotel-immersive-rooms-551646">Mobilona Space Hotel,</a> which would</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #000000;"> give guests an authentic space-travel experience, with a zero-gravity spa and other futuristic features.</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #000000;">The only way isn't up, though: The popularity of underwater resorts is expected to increase dramatically over the next ten years. While hotel rooms and suites roughly 31 feet under the sea already exist in <a href="http://www.jul.com/Jules.html">Florida </a>and <a href="http://www.atlantisthepalm.com/rooms/supersuites/underwater.aspx">Dubai</a><strong>,</strong> innovators want to scale up the concept: The <a href="http://www.deep-ocean-technology.com/home/projects/underwater_hotel.html">Water Discus Hotel </a>in Dubai, due to open in 2015, will be </span>a rotating hotel <span style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #000000;">almost a mile below sea level with aquarium-style windows in 21 suites and facilities. In case of emergencies, the hotel will be able to rise to the surface in less than 15 minutes and will contain a spa, garden, and pool. </span></p>

3 Ways Travel Will Be Completely Different In 2024

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Egyptian officials said that an EgyptAir flight heading from Paris to Cairo crashed Wednesday night <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/an-egyptair-flight-from-paris-to-cairo-has-gone-missing-2016-5">after initially going missing for hours.</a><p><span><span><span>The Airbus A320 was carrying 66 passengers.&#xa0;</span></span></span></p><p class="embed-spacer">Flight MS804 lost contact with radar at 2:45 a.m. on Thursday, Cairo time (8:45 p.m. EST Wednesday), the airline announced. The flight was scheduled to land at Cairo Airport at 3:05 a.m.</p><p><span>No further details about what happened have been delivered yet as t<span>he airline is currently assembling&#xa0;a search and rescue team.</span></span></p><p><span><span>However questions will naturally circle about what led to the incident and how after apparently reaching&#xa0;</span></span><span><span>an elevation of 37,000 feet, it disappeared from radar.</span></span></p><p>Business Insider spoke to a British private pilot (who wanted to remain nameless) about the general misconceptions about flying an aircraft, distress calls, the black box, and auto-pilot.</p><p><strong>Business Insider: What are the common misconceptions about pilots flying planes?&#xa0;</strong></p><p><strong>Pilot:&#xa0;</strong>Of course the principal thing to remember is that flying is very safe. Obviously there are statistics out there, but more often than not, the people who need convincing of this fact aren't going to be swayed by statistics.</p><p>There are many people who feel as though the "wings might fall off" or that if the engines fail, it's all over - but this simply isn't the case.</p><p>Even an airplane without power will glide for a very long time very easily. Perhaps one of the best known examples is an aeroplane whose fuel leaked out over the Atlantic Ocean, depriving it of both engine power and electricity. The captain - also a glider pilot in his spare time -&#xa0;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Transat_Flight_236">landed the aircraft safely in the Azores with only his extremely basic backup instruments</a>.&#xa0;</p><p><strong>BI: So what do pilots do when they are in the air?</strong></p><p><strong><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>P:</strong> It's important to remember that there's a lot to do. Actually flying the aircraft is just a small part of what a pilot does.</p><p>In general terms, a pilot is also responsible for the navigation of the aircraft, the performance of the aircraft, the safe operation of the aircraft systems as well as liaising with air traffic controllers via radio.</p><p>Modern automation has taken a lot of the hard work out of these tasks and undoubtedly can do a much better and more accurate job of it than a human could but of course this necessitates a change in how a modern pilot does their job - it's often said that a Captain or First Officer is less a "pilot" and more a "systems manager" and that's probably true for the times when everything goes to plan.</p><p>A modern pilot truly earns their pay, though, when things don't go to plan and there's no automated substitute for experience and intuition and modern training reflects this.</p><p><strong>BI: So is automation / auto-pilot a bad thing?</strong></p><p><strong>P:</strong> Perhaps another misconception is that automation is inherently a bad thing - it's demonstrably not.</p><p>Without a doubt it's taken some of the romance and mysticism out of flying aeroplanes but in the modern day, the world needs safe and reliable transport solutions and delegating tough and complex tasks to dedicated machinery is a necessary part of that.</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>The danger comes when pilots allow their core, "hand flying" skills atrophy after many thousands of hours of uneventful automatic flying and these skills let them down when they're most needed - in the stress of a system failure.<p>Naturally, pilots are required to undergo modern, rigorous and continuous training throughout their careers to stymie this, but a few recent examples of air accidents [AF447, Asiana 214] illustrate that more can always be done.</p><p>Finally it's worth noting that aviation practice, procedure and law is always evolving to become safer and more efficient. We don't operate in the same environment as 1950s - or even 1980s - aviators.</p><p>Many refinements and improvements are a direct result of air disaster investigations (and it's comforting to know that some good usually comes from a disaster). For example, the specialist language that pilots and air traffic controllers use is constantly becoming less ambiguous and easier for aviators to interpret.</p><p>Controllers and pilots never use the phrase "take off" until the exact moment they're required to actually start their takeoff sequence as a direct result of the world's worst aviation accident when two jumbo jets in thick fog believed <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenerife_airport_disaster">they could use the same runway at the same time, to name one example</a>.&#xa0;</p><p><strong>BI: What are the most common problems that aircrafts can incur if the weather is fine?</strong></p><p><strong>P:</strong>&#xa0;Commercial, passenger operations are required to operate under all weather conditions and, as such, operate principally using instruments and navigation techniques that do not require good weather.</p><p>Therefore, even in good weather, commercial pilots will be flying using their instruments (for example, their "artificial horizon"), on-board GPS-like navigation systems, ground-based navigational radio beacons and relying on air traffic control's radar and instructions to keep clear of other aircraft.</p><p>Naturally it's possible to become over-reliant on these systems and problems can ensue if an overly-reliant pilot has to do without a missing part of this puzzle, even when that part isn't required.</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>A recent example is that of a flight whose pilot was so dependant on a ground-based radio landing aid that, when the aid was offline for maintenance in perfect weather with an unhindered view of the runway, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asiana_Airlines_Flight_214%20">they crashed a perfectly fully-functional modern aeroplane just short of the runway edge</a>.<p>One could argue that in such cases (and in other cases where a fully functional aeroplane is mishandled [AirFrance 447], the airline's training regime should focus less on automation and more on basic "hand-flying."</p><p><strong>BI: How much is auto-pilot used when flying?</strong></p><p><strong>P:</strong> For commercial operations, it varies depending on the operator's standard operating procedures and culture, the individual pilot's particular tastes, the weather, and how much automation is available.</p><p>At one end of the scale, some operators insist that their flight crews use automation from the earliest possible moment (seconds after takeoff) until the latest possible moment, late into the landing sequence and occasionally right down to the runway surface.</p><p>At the other end, a flight might be hand-flown for the entire duration (not uncommon if the flight isn't too long and if the pilot feels like it) or hand-flown during takeoff, climb, and well into the cruise phase as well as the descent and landing phase, with the automated systems handling the majority of the cruise (obviously most common during long-haul flights).</p><p>For example, this was posted by a pilot on Reddit with the caption: "<a href="http://imgur.com/wSFR8Ae">Want to know how it feels to fly an airliner? Stare at this picture for about two hours while slowly consuming three cups of coffee</a>":</p><div><div><a href="http://imgur.com/wSFR8Ae"></div><p></p></div></div><strong>P:</strong> The (usually orange) flight data and cockpit voice recorders are:<p class="embed-spacer" style="padding-left: 30px;">(a) not indestructible - they're designed to withstand significant hardships, violence and temperatures but a prolonged fuel fire can and will render any data on them unreadable.</p><p class="embed-spacer" style="padding-left: 30px;">(b) not infinite - some recorders only capture the last few hours of a flight, some the last few minutes - which may not help if any accident sequence is prolonged (like if, for example, whatever doomed MH370 happened early but it flew on for hours).</p><p class="embed-spacer" style="padding-left: 30px;">(c) not infallible - on very rare occasions, following an accident, it's been found that the accident flight has not been recorded at all due to an undetected failure on a much earlier flight.</p><p class="embed-spacer" style="padding-left: 30px;">(d) occasionally not easy to find if, for example, an accident aircraft breaks up in mid-air and distributes wreckage over a very large area and of course, as many people know, their automatically-activated underwater sonar "pingers" expire after a month or so.</p><p class="embed-spacer">It is, however, the single best tool in an accident investigator's box and even the cockpit voice recorder can yield a wealth of data on, for example, engine performance and flight conditions beyond simply recording the pilot's voices based on the noise in the cockpit.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/barack-obama-doppelganger-indonesia-2015-2">This 40-year-old Indonesian is Obama's doppelgänger</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="d1Y21iczpy9ODsMGFD3MgBIFRpYAWhOw" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

A pilot told us about the common misconceptions about flying, distress calls, the black box, and auto-pilot

<p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></span></p><p><span>It's still unclear what caused a Germanwings&#xa0;</span>Airbus 320 flying from Barcelona to Dusseldorf <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/plane-flying-from-barcelona-to-dusseldorf-crashes-in-france-2015-3">to crash in a remote region of southern France Tuesday</a>.</p><p><span>The plane, carrying 144 passengers and six crew members, did not send an distress signal, according to&#xa0;</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">an aviation official cited by AFP.</span></p><p>Experts have pointed out that this type of aircraft is prolific in the skies and a crash of this kind is shocking because it is deemed as a safe type of aircraft. <a href="http://www.airbus.com/company/market/orders-deliveries/">More than 6,000 A320 planes are currently in operation</a>.</p><div><div></div></div><p class="embed-spacer"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">So how could a structurally-sound aircraft crash even in </span><a href="http://www.airlive.net/2015/03/alert-weather-conditions-were-calm-at.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&amp;utm_medium=twitter">good weather conditions?</a></p><p>Business Insider spoke to a British private pilot (who wanted to remain nameless for publication) about the general misconceptions about flying an aircraft. Below is a lightly-edited Q&amp;A.&#xa0;</p><p><strong>Business Insider: </strong>What are the common misconceptions about pilots flying planes?&#xa0;</p><p><strong>Pilot:</strong>&#xa0;Of course the principal thing to remember is that flying is very safe. Obviously there are statistics out there, but more often than not, the people who need convincing of this fact aren't going to be swayed by statistics!</p><p>There are many people who feel as though the "wings might fall off" or that if the engines fail, it's all over - but this simply isn't the case.</p><p>Even an airplane without power will glide for a very long time very easily. Perhaps one of the best known examples is an aeroplane whose fuel leaked out over the Atlantic Ocean, depriving it of both engine power and electricity. The captain - also a glider pilot in his spare time -&#xa0;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Transat_Flight_236">landed the aircraft safely in the Azores with only his extremely basic backup instruments</a>.&#xa0;</p><p><strong>BI: </strong>So what do pilots do when they are in the air?</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><strong>P:</strong> It's important to remember that there's a lot to do. Actually flying the aircraft is just a small part of what a pilot does.<p>In general terms, a pilot is also responsible for the navigation of the aircraft, the performance of the aircraft, the safe operation of the aircraft systems as well as liaising with air traffic controllers via radio.</p><p>Modern automation has taken a lot of the hard work out of these tasks and undoubtedly can do a much better and more accurate job of it than a human could but of course this necessitates a change in how a modern pilot does their job - it's often said that a Captain or First Officer is less a "pilot" and more a "systems manager" and that's probably true for the times when everything goes to plan.</p><p>A modern pilot truly earns their pay, though, when things don't go to plan and there's no automated substitute for experience and intuition and modern training reflects this.</p><p><strong>BI: So is automation / auto-pilot a bad thing?</strong></p><p><strong>P:</strong> Perhaps another misconception is that automation is inherently a bad thing - it's demonstrably not.</p><p>Without a doubt it's taken some of the romance and mysticism out of flying aeroplanes but in the modern day, the world needs safe and reliable transport solutions and delegating tough and complex tasks to dedicated machinery is a necessary part of that.</p><p>The danger comes when pilots allow their core, "hand flying" skills atrophy after many thousands of hours of uneventful automatic flying and these skills let them down when they're most needed - in the stress of a system failure.</p><p>Naturally, pilots are required to undergo modern, rigorous and continuous training throughout their careers to stymie this, but a few recent examples of air accidents [AF447, Asiana 214] illustrate that more can always be done.</p><p>Finally it's worth noting that aviation practice, procedure and law is always evolving to become safer and more efficient. We don't operate in the same environment as 1950s - or even 1980s - aviators.</p><p>Many refinements and improvements are a direct result of air disaster investigations (and it's comforting to know that some good usually comes from a disaster). For example, the specialist language that pilots and air traffic controllers use is constantly becoming less ambiguous and easier for aviators to interpret. Controllers and pilots never use the phrase "take off" until the exact moment they're required to actually start their takeoff sequence as a direct result of the world's worst aviation accident when two jumbo jets in thick fog believed <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenerife_airport_disaster">they could use the same runway at the same time, to name one example</a>.&#xa0;</p><p><strong>BI: What are the most common problems that aircrafts can incur if the weather is fine?</strong></p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><strong>P:</strong>&#xa0;Commercial, passenger operations are required to operate under all weather conditions and, as such, operate principally using instruments and navigation techniques that do not require good weather.<p>Therefore, even in good weather, commercial pilots will be flying using their instruments (for example, their "artificial horizon"), on-board GPS-like navigation systems, ground-based navigational radio beacons and relying on air traffic control's radar and instructions to keep clear of other aircraft.</p><p>Naturally it's possible to become over-reliant on these systems and problems can ensue if an overly-reliant pilot has to do without a missing part of this puzzle, even when that part isn't required.</p><p>A recent example is that of a flight whose pilot was so dependant on a ground-based radio landing aid that, when the aid was offline for maintenance in perfect weather with an unhindered view of the runway, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asiana_Airlines_Flight_214%20">they crashed a perfectly fully-functional modern aeroplane just short of the runway edge</a>.</p><p>One could argue that in such cases (and in other cases where a fully functional aeroplane is mishandled [AirFrance 447], the airline's training regime should focus less on automation and more on basic "hand-flying."</p><p><strong>BI: How much is auto-pilot used when flying?</strong></p><p><strong>P:</strong> For commercial operations, it varies depending on the operator's standard operating procedures and culture, the individual pilot's particular tastes, the weather, and how much automation is available.</p><p>At one end of the scale, some operators insist that their flight crews use automation from the earliest possible moment (seconds after takeoff) until the latest possible moment, late into the landing sequence and occasionally right down to the runway surface.</p><p>At the other end, a flight might be hand-flown for the entire duration (not uncommon if the flight isn't too long and if the pilot feels like it) or hand-flown during takeoff, climb, and well into the cruise phase as well as the descent and landing phase, with the automated systems handling the majority of the cruise (obviously most common during long-haul flights).</p><p>For example, this was posted by a pilot this morning on Reddit with the caption: "<a href="http://imgur.com/wSFR8Ae">Want to know how it feels to fly an airliner? Stare at this picture for about two hours while slowly consuming three cups of coffee</a>":</p><div><div><a href="http://imgur.com/wSFR8Ae"></div><p></p></div></div><strong>P:</strong> The (usually orange) flight data and cockpit voice recorders are:<p class="embed-spacer" style="padding-left: 30px;">(a) not indestructible - they're designed to withstand significant hardships, violence and temperatures but a prolonged fuel fire can and will render any data on them unreadable.</p><p class="embed-spacer" style="padding-left: 30px;">(b) not infinite - some recorders only capture the last few hours of a flight, some the last few minutes - which may not help if any accident sequence is prolonged (like if, for example, whatever doomed MH370 happened early but it flew on for hours).</p><p class="embed-spacer" style="padding-left: 30px;">(c) not infallible - on very rare occasions, following an accident, it's been found that the accident flight has not been recorded at all due to an undetected failure on a much earlier flight.</p><p class="embed-spacer" style="padding-left: 30px;">(d) occasionally not easy to find if, for example, an accident aircraft breaks up in mid-air and distributes wreckage over a very large area and of course, as many people know, their automatically-activated underwater sonar "pingers" expire after a month or so.</p><p class="embed-spacer">It is, however, the single best tool in an accident investigator's box and even the cockpit voice recorder can yield a wealth of data on, for example, engine performance and flight conditions beyond simply recording the pilot's voices based on the noise in the cockpit.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/barack-obama-doppelganger-indonesia-2015-2">This 40-year-old Indonesian is Obama's doppelgänger</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="d1Y21iczpy9ODsMGFD3MgBIFRpYAWhOw" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

You Searched For "underwater glider" and got 11 results

An Underwater Glider by IIT Delhi Students can Become Indian Navy's New Age Secret Weapon against Enemies

Anushree Singh

Huge US military 'Manta Ray' sea drone spotted on Google Earth at California naval base

Nathan Rennolds

A submarine expert desperately tried to dissuade his friend, OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, from taking customers in the Titan submersible, warning him against 'succumbing to pressures of your own creation,' new emails show

Lloyd Lee,Matthew Loh

Google cofounder Larry Page has been secretly testing flying taxis in New Zealand

Shona Ghosh

Throng these 10 places to make your winters memorable

Guest Author

Report: the US's global undersea dominance is now in jeopardy

Kris Osborn

3 Ways Travel Will Be Completely Different In 2024

Natasha Bertrand

A pilot told us about the common misconceptions about flying, distress calls, the black box, and auto-pilot

Lianna Brinded

A pilot told us about the common misconceptions about flying, distress calls, the black box, and auto-pilot

Lianna Brinded

Here's The Gloomy German Report On The 'Scientifically Conducted' D-Day Invasion

Gus Lubin

Apple's smart photo app will be way behind Google's - here's why

Kif Leswing

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides