We've had our cats for a year-and-a-half now. Things have been great. Things have also been very stable for the cats and that is about to change majorly in a couple of months. With that in mind help answer some of my (many) cat questions. [more inside]
posted on Apr 6, 2008 - 20 answers

Food to put in a cooler for a long plane flight. Difficulty: one omnivore, one vegetarian. [more inside]
posted on Mar 26, 2008 - 30 answers

What fun things can I do with paper planes? [more inside]
posted on Mar 16, 2008 - 6 answers

What are some songs about flying, preferably in a plane of some kind? My friend is a pilot and I want to make a mixtape for him with some songs about flying. So far, all I've come up with is the following: AF607105 - Charlotte Gainsbourg (even if it does involve a crash, it's lovely) Learning to Fly - Pink Floyd Come Fly with Me - Frank Sinatra Anyone have any ideas? Thank you in advance!
posted on Feb 2, 2008 - 71 answers

Well, I did it. Due to most unfortunate circumstances, I flew on an airplane for the first time in 8 years. As awful as the reasons were, the entire world has been opened up to me and I am now extremely excited by my renewed ability to travel the skies, and seek advice. Much length follows. [more inside]
posted on Jan 16, 2008 - 27 answers

I was drinking a tasty ginger ale today and wondering why it's so uncommon. Although you can find it in virtually any store in the USA, it's seldom available in gas stations and almost never in restaurants. Yet it's very popular on airplanes. Why is that?
posted on Dec 17, 2007 - 30 answers

Why do I fall asleep when the airplane takes off? [more inside]
posted on Nov 18, 2007 - 17 answers

What is the best medicine for an airplane sinus headache? [more inside]
posted on Oct 29, 2007 - 10 answers

Tell-me-I'm-not-going-deaf-filter: I was flying home from Chicago one night ago, happily listening to the new Cornelius album - drifting off into the soft relief that benedryl supplies when you have been rocking a head cold for 2 days (sore throat, leaky nose, watery eyes, headache) - when suddenly I'm wide awake with a severe pain in both my ears from the plane starting its decent. And it lasts. I swallow and swallow, but I'm reeling in pain, saying terribly mean things to my very confused and sleepy girlfriend - and it doesn't stop until well after I'm off the plane. [more inside]
posted on Oct 3, 2007 - 44 answers

Am I going to have any trouble carrying my bike helmet on an airplane? [more inside]
posted on Sep 13, 2007 - 7 answers

How does a plane that generates less thrust than weight stay in the air? Assuming in level flight that thrust=drag and lift=weight, where is the lifting force coming from, if not from the drag on the wings? [more inside]
posted on Aug 2, 2007 - 23 answers

Life is wonderful! There's no doubt in my mind that we're both ready (to say yes, at least). We're traveling to Las Vegas for a week’s vacation at the end of July, staying at a fancy-pants hotel, and will be taking a day trip out to the Grand Canyon – where I plan to ask her a certain question. I’ve got the appropriate ring (I hope) picked out, and I’ll have it in my possession 4-5 days before we leave. We’re flying down to Vegas, which is exactly the trouble. [more inside]
posted on Jul 11, 2007 - 39 answers

Each time I fly on an airplane and have the window seat, I notice that when I look out the window I seem to see strange, transparent "spots" floating around. [more inside]
posted on Jul 2, 2007 - 11 answers

Am I a complete lunatic for flying with my guitar as checked baggage? [more inside]
posted on Jun 18, 2007 - 23 answers

Are steel cap boots allowed on airplanes nowadays? [more inside]
posted on May 20, 2007 - 17 answers

If I wanted to fly from one mainland to another -- North America to Asia, for instance -- but I'm willing to fly out of any city in North America to any city in Asia, how can I find out the cheapest route? [more inside]
posted on May 6, 2007 - 10 answers

What type of all-in-one bag would you use to fly (economy across the country) with Nikon D-80 + MacBook Pro 15" (or equivalent equipment) that is comfortable, easy to store for flight, and functional? [more inside]
posted on Apr 22, 2007 - 13 answers

Another "here-to-there" question: Pittsburgh, PA to Washington College in Chestertown, PA. Is this possible without a car? Here's the information I have gathered so far: [more inside]
posted on Mar 26, 2007 - 9 answers

The "heated probes" on the outside of airplanes - the ones that you're not supposed to step on - what are they for? Why are they heated? [more inside]
posted on Mar 14, 2007 - 4 answers

Help my friend figure out what kind of cake she ate on Malaysia Airlines! [more inside]
posted on Mar 7, 2007 - 11 answers

If I was on one of the jetBlue flights that sat on the tarmac for nine hours and I demanded to be let off the plane, isn't it against the law if they detain me? [more inside]
posted on Feb 16, 2007 - 75 answers

Is it rude to recline your seat on an airplane? [more inside]
posted on Jan 25, 2007 - 100 answers

On a recent Indian Air flight from Bangalore to Mumbai, the flight attendants requested that everyone make sure their window shades were up (so you can see out) for "safety reasons" during the landing. What is the reason for this?
posted on Jan 15, 2007 - 2 answers

My wife and I are travelling from O'Hare to Tokyo to Bangkok next week. We don't have the ability to bring our laptop, but I was wondering if there's a way to rent a DVD player for the trip -- either a service that operates out of O'Hare and NRT or BKK, or something where I could rent it for the trip, lock it up in a BKK locker, and retrieve it for the plane rides home. [more inside]
posted on Jan 3, 2007 - 10 answers

Does anyone know any details about the Wright Brothers' actual brotherly relationship? I'm looking for books, anecdotes, articles, or documentaries you've read/seen that actually address this aspect of the great American story, their personalities, family dynamics, etc. [more inside]
posted on Nov 22, 2006 - 5 answers

I used to play an old DOS game in which you had to manuever a paper airplane through a house, with each room being a different level, each of which got progressively harder through the addition of obstacles. The plane, if I recall correctly, had a fixed rate of descent and could only rise by moving over a fan/vent. If you touched anything you died. It was an awesome combination of puzzle/action. Bonus points if you tell me how I can play it on a modern WinXP box.
posted on Nov 12, 2006 - 6 answers

Is there any recompense for an obscenely delayed international flight? [more inside]
posted on Nov 1, 2006 - 19 answers

What should I bring on my trip to Brazil to make a little extra spending cash? [more inside]
posted on Oct 10, 2006 - 7 answers

I have $900 to spend on a flight. Where should I got? [more inside]
posted on Sep 10, 2006 - 22 answers

I bought two non-refundable airline tickets, now one of us will not be going. What to do about that ticket? [more inside]
posted on Sep 5, 2006 - 11 answers

You know when you get on a plane and you watch the performance about how to put on a life-jacket? What was the most recent instance of a life-jacket saving the life of someone travelling on a scheduled flight?
posted on Aug 25, 2006 - 13 answers

If I am separated from booze, the terrorists have won. [more inside]
posted on Aug 12, 2006 - 22 answers

Can bedbugs survive an airplane flight if they hitch a ride in your (checked) luggage? [more inside]
posted on Aug 9, 2006 - 8 answers

Help! It's my father-in-law's birthday and he wants a "power adapter so he can use his laptop on an airplane"... (details inside) [more inside]
posted on Jul 17, 2006 - 10 answers

Anyone have ideas for a retail chain (I'm thinking something like Walgreens, omnipresent in most of the US) where I can buy those fantastic little balsa wood gliders? [more inside]
posted on Jul 10, 2006 - 10 answers

What good websites are there that will let me type in my location and see where I can go for cheap? [more inside]
posted on Jun 29, 2006 - 7 answers

Could airplanes be powered by fuel cells? Would we need to develop a new type of jet engine or could the same type of turbine, etc be powered by a fuel cell engine. [more inside]
posted on Jun 6, 2006 - 27 answers

Can anyone recommend good books to read to a two-year-old boy who's going to be taking his first airplane trip in ten days? [more inside]
posted on May 20, 2006 - 17 answers

Why are movies on airplanes so bad? I just sat through 12 hours of oxygen-deprived mediocrity (Cheaper by the Dozen 2, Rumor Has It, King Kong, The Transporter 2). I mean, it is just simple economics -- do the airline companies get a better deal on movies that suck? But then why does it cost no more to watch or rent a good movie than a bad one? If they're aiming for wide mainstream taste, couldn't they at least have things everyone wanted to see -- movies that have won awards, or genuinely done well at the box office?
posted on May 16, 2006 - 35 answers

Is it a bad idea to check a bag on an airplane with a small form factor (SFF) computer in it? [more inside]
posted on May 10, 2006 - 30 answers

I'd like to transport frozen food (ice cream) and refrigerated food on an airplane from San Francisco. Is this possible? I think the optimal plan will involve dry ice for the ice cream. Where can I get it in San Francisco? [more inside]
posted on Apr 20, 2006 - 11 answers

How would one go about joining the Mile High Club? [more inside]
posted on Apr 19, 2006 - 13 answers

What exactly happens when a smoke detector alarm in a plane is disabled? (more inside) [more inside]
posted on Apr 19, 2006 - 5 answers

Above the pressure at sea level, how many additional PSI can I expect checked luggage to experience ? [more inside]
posted on Apr 14, 2006 - 15 answers

Should bicycle tubes be deflated for an airplane journey? [more inside]
posted on Apr 10, 2006 - 17 answers

Help me identify the very odd, large, possibly military plane that has been flying over Seattle for the past three days at around 6:30pm. [more inside]
posted on Mar 17, 2006 - 15 answers

I have a flight to NYC from Burbank, CA this Sunday, and my wallet has been stolen. What can I do to decrease my chances of having problems as I go through security with limited ID? [more inside]
posted on Mar 9, 2006 - 8 answers

Travelling across a time zone by air is ambiguous. It's hard to tell exactly when it happens. When travelling across time zones by air, when does the time change? Especially across multiple zones. I've noticed that I never see or hear a reference to the time while onboard. For instance, a movie might start at "fifteen minutes after takeoff," but not at 4:45pm. [more inside]
posted on Feb 26, 2006 - 20 answers

Is there an airplane cemetery? [more inside]
posted on Feb 6, 2006 - 18 answers

I tore apart a bookshelf stereo system and put it in a strawberry crate, as seen here. I love it. I would like to take it with me when I move to hawaii. Can I carry it on? It's nothing more than electronics that work. but i'm afraid TSA might just take one look and toss me into the clink. I realize safety is the TSA's priority but I do want to take this if possible. I've carry'd on my record player before. what's the diff?
posted on Feb 4, 2006 - 11 answers