The Vehicles Of The Future

Challenge Bibendum is an unusual event held in Germany and being the unity of the scientific and practical conference, international forum and exhibition of achievements related to car industry.

Le Bourget Airshow In France

Le Bourget Airshow takes place once every two years in the northwest part of Paris. It is the oldest and one of the largest air shows in the world: in 2009 it was visited by over 300 thousand people.

A plenty of free buses took guests from the railway station to the airport and back. Some vehicles were even accompanied by policemen on motorcycles.

The first exhibits are located next to the entrance.

Airbus planes represented by the European giant EADS.

Amazing Paris Air Show 2011

For those who missed their chance to visit the Paris Air Show 2011 lately held at Le Bourget Airport (north Paris, France) or just for those those who love all kinds of aircraft, we offer a huge collection of photos taken during this breathtaking event.

The day before the opening. The just arrived Sukhoi Superjet 100 takes part in the Paris Air Show for the second time.

The new Boeing 747-8 is the aircraft of the new generation of the Boeing 747 series with a longer fuselage, redesigned wings and improved economic efficiency.

The 747-8 is the world's longest passenger aircraft which exceeded the length of the Airbus A340-600 by almost a meter - 76.25 m.

The new design of the interior offers more room for hand luggage.

The main competitor of the Boeing, the Airbus, presented the two A-380. The first one was in the livery of Korean airlines.

And the second one was in the classical livery of the Airbus.

Just after the arrival to the airport, at the moment when it was going to take place in the parking lot, it accidentally caught its wing on a hangar. In the following picture you can see that the winglet has already taken off and the wing is being intensively repaired. Three days later, the A-380 was repaired and it even took part in demo flights..

World’s Top 10 Safest Airlines

Below is the count down list of top ten safest airlines of the world.

10. Cathay Pacific

The Hong Kong-based carrier was founded in 1946 and its last fatal accident was in 1972. Since then it has made over one million flights without incident. The company serves more than 100 destinations in 36 different countries, and in 2009 flew almost 25 million passengers safely to different places around the globe.

9. TAP Portugal

In joint eighth place is the national carrier of Portugal, whose last major accident was in 1977. Flying for 65 years, it serves over 30 different countries and makes an average of 1600 flights per week. Perhaps one of its highest points was in 1982, being entrusted with flying Pope John Paul II on his first trip to Portugal. In 2009, nine million passengers did the same.

8. Aerolineas Argentinas

The second of our eighth-placed entrants, and the only South American carrier on this list, is Aerolineas Argentinas. The company can trace its origins back to the 1920s and narrowly survived bankruptcy in the 1990s, with the government taking back ownership two year ago. Despite all this turmoil, the company has ensured that it has remained exceedingly safe for passengers, with no fatal events since 1970. There was, however, one incident of food contaminated with cholera in 1992.

7. Air New Zealand

Air New Zealand has been in operation since 1965. Its last accident occurred in 1979, and since then, over 1.5 million flights have passed without fatalities. It regularly wins awards from both consumer and industry panels, and annually carries about 12 million passengers.

6. Aer Lingus

While a small airline, Aer Lingus is the oldest carrier still in operation in Ireland, having been founded in 1936. It currently flies to Europe, Africa and North America. It has gone over 40 years since a fatal accident, and is approaching two million flights since then. Even when we incorporate non-fatal incidents, the last event of note was in 1986. It carriers an estimated 10 million passengers per year.

5. Finnair

With no fatal accidents for almost 50 years Finnair has a remarkable record. While it has been known as Finnair since 1953, its origins are in the 1920s. It is one of the oldest airlines still in operation, and is unique in that it actually flies through the Arctic for much shorter routes to Asia, and flies to 55 international destinations carrying around 10 million passengers.

4. Qantas

Despite having made recent news headlines after two of its planes suffered engine problems, Qantas has had a very successful 90-year history. Founded in Australia in 1920, it is one of the world’s oldest airlines, and flies to 182 destinations in 44 different countries. More than 2.5 million flights have passed without major incident. Skytrax consistently places Qantas among the world’s best airlines.

3. All Nippon Airways

The first entrant into the top three is ANA, the second largest carrier in Japan. Carrying several million passengers each year, ANA flies to 35 different countries and has flown since 1975 without any accidents. It was founded in 1952, and has been consistently recognised for its excellent punctuality, as well as numerous other international awards. The ANA website lists safety as its No. 1 priority, and after so many flights without incident, it is clear this is not simply lip service.

2. Air Canada

Founded in 1936, and flying to 178 destinations worldwide, Air Canada is one of the safest airlines in the world, having made 4.84 million flights since its last fatal accident back in 1983. Perhaps somewhat surprisingly, this is the most recent fatal accident to befall any of the airlines on our list, but by virtue of having made so many flights since then without incident, it remains an extremely safe choice for nervous passengers. It carries in excess of 35 million passengers each year, and makes around 1400 flights every day.

1. British Airways

With no fatal accidents since 1976, and a staggering six million flights since then, British Airways is a clear winner in the safety stakes. Celebrating its 90th anniversary last year, British Airways is among the oldest airlines still in operation and one of the largest, flying to hundreds of destinations and carrying in excess of 30 to 40 million passengers every year. As safety records go, this is hard to beat.

Top 5 Most Outstanding Pilots

5. Jessica Cox: the first pilot with no arms

Jessica Cox suffered a rare birth defect and was born without arms. None of the prenatal tests her mother took showed there was anything wrong with her. And yet she was born with this rare congenital disease, but also with a great spirit. The psychology graduate can write, type, drive a car, brush her hair and talk on her phone simply using her feet. Ms Cox, from Tuscon, Arizona, USA, is also a former dancer and double black belt in Tai Kwon-Do. She has a no-restrictions driving license, she flies planes and she can type 25 words a minute.

The plane she is flying is called an Ercoupe and it is one of the few airplanes to be made and certified without pedals. Without rudder pedals Jessica is free to use her feet as hands. It took her three years instead of the usual six months to complete her lightweight aircraft license. She had three flying instructors and practiced 89 hours of flying, becoming the first pilot with no arms.

4. Ian Fortune: the pilot who managed to safely land a helicopter with 20 people after being shot in the face

A British military pilot managed to get twenty passengers to the ground despite a bullet between his eyes. Flight Lieutenant Ian Fortune was ferrying the wounded from a battle between American troops and the Taliban in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. As he was taking off with a full load of casualties, a bullet

ricocheted through the helicopter and struck Fortune in the face. Further rounds then struck the helicopter’s automatic stabilization system, shutting it down and making it extremely difficult to fly.

Despite blood streaming into his eyes, Flight Lt Fortune battled with the controls for eight minutes and managed to get the casualties back to Camp Bastion. TV Presenter Mike Brewer was on the helicopter when the incident took place. He told Sky News: “It was terrifying. We came under fire just as the ramp was closing. Then just after we’d taken off, the Chinook suddenly lurched from side to side and we heard the pilot had been shot. The only reason we didn’t plunge straight back into the desert was because of the sheer bravery and skill of Ian and the rest of the crew. They’re all heroes.”

3. Frank Vogt: the traffic pilot who landed on Jersey turnpike

Frank Vogt is a traffic pilot whose Cessna lost oil pressure 1200 feet off the ground. In the early dawn darkness, the ground looked like one big mass of black void – except the turnpike. “I knew it was wide enough, I knew it was straight enough. There weren’t any wires, and I didn’t see many overpasses,” Vogt said. He reasoned that since the traffic was still light, there would be enough space between the cars so that they could slow down and let him in. His hastily concocted plan worked perfectly. He even managed to pull his Cessna to the side of the road, although the inevitable rubbernecking — completely justified in this case — still blocked traffic a mile-and-a-half in both directions.

2. Evan Graham: the solo pilot who could fly five different aircrafts by the age of 16

Evan Graham celebrated his 16th birthday (on August 6) by soloing five different aircrafts: a vintage WWII L-4 Piper Cub taildrager, a R-22 Robinson helicopter, a Cessna 150 Aerobat, a Robinson 44 Raven II and a 1965 Cessna 150-150 – setting the world record for the youngest solo pilot to fly five different aircrafts. On a grass runway, with three flight instructors present and three sign offs, Evan logged 2 hours of solo time in 5 different aircrafts, ending the morning before noon with the traditional bucket drench.

1. James Terry: the pilot who could fix his airplane from the outside while flying

One of the difficulties of air travel is the impossibility of making repairs outside of the cockpit while the ship is in flight. This holds particularly true when the trouble is centered around the tail. Look closely at the photo: yup, that’s James Terry of Miami, Florida, an inventor who demonstrated his safety device for repairing airplanes while flying! From the June 1930 edition of Modern Mechanic.

Top 5 Fascinating Motorcycles

5. Predator Motorcycle

Are you a tough guy that likes intimidating people just by passing close to them along the highway? Then, this awesome and scary skull-covered design is just the right one for you! The Predator motorcycle was made as a commission, by Pitstop Motors, a custom bike shop in New Jersey.

4. Jaguar Motorcycle

Top 10 Largest Yachts of the World

10. Al Mirqab
Length: 437 feet

Every year, SuperYachts.com compiles a list of the largest yachts currently on the water. Here is the count down list of world’s top ten largest yachts. These great yachts are some of the most expensive toys with unique and luxury features.

9. Serene

Length: 440 feet

8. Savarona
Length: 446 feet

7. Rising Sun
Length: 454 feet

6. Al Salamah
Length: 457 feet

5. El Horriya
Length: 478 feet

4. Prince Abdulaziz
Length: 482 feet

3. Al Said
Length: 508 feet

2. Dubai
Length: 531 feet

1. Eclipse
Length: 533 feet