In the movie The Parallax View (1974), Warren Beatty boards a passenger plane, without a plane ticket. He doesn't have to buy one until the flight attendant comes down the aisle to ask him, "Round trip?" Was air travel really this casual back then, like getting on a train?
posted by Kirklander on May 28, 2009 - 10 answers

Why do the pilots at Airtran always fly the plane like they stole it? No matter where they seem to hammer the takeoffs and come in hot on landing. [more inside]
posted by UMDirector on May 26, 2009 - 17 answers

Please recommend resources about Soviet and Nazi weapons! [more inside]
posted by EatTheWeak on May 13, 2009 - 6 answers

How much Ativan to take for a plane flight? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Mar 2, 2009 - 18 answers

AirfareFilter: I need to go to Montana in May. At what time between now and then will tickets be cheapest? [more inside]
posted by voltairemodern on Feb 16, 2009 - 2 answers

What's the largest size that an airplane could theoretically be and still fly? Let's assume real-world materials that exist currently (ie, no carbon nanotubes or anything like that). I'm interested in the 'why' as much as I'm interested in the actual answer.
posted by empath on Dec 11, 2008 - 19 answers

It's MBA hiring season. I have been selected to attend second round interviews with three different companies in three different cities on three consecutive days. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Oct 24, 2008 - 5 answers

I need advice for planning a trip to Europe next summer. [more inside]
posted by bDiddy on Sep 29, 2008 - 17 answers

I'm trying to remember what the title of this movie was. I think it was made in the 1960's or 1970's in the U.S. I remember watching it on TV on the Sunday Matinee show in the 1980's. The plot involved this millionaire who wanted to attack the Soviet Union, he had a small force which was to attack Russia by driving trucks across the polar ice cap. All I can remember was that in the end of the film his plan is thwarted by the Soviets, who send planes to bomb the ice, and the trucks sink to the bottom of the ocean. Any ideas?
posted by smoothvirus on Jun 27, 2008 - 3 answers

Years ago when I took a classical mythology course, my professor used a literary term for a being who can travel between planes of being at will. [more inside]
posted by miss-lapin on Apr 10, 2008 - 8 answers

In about two and a half months, I'm going on my first flight. What should I know, or otherwise be prepared for? [more inside]
posted by lisawin on Mar 15, 2008 - 51 answers

Why are there still ashtrays in airplanes?
posted by citybuddha on Jan 9, 2008 - 21 answers

I need a good, creative Christmas gift idea for my dad. He's really into travel by air and rail--not the vehicles themselves so much, but their schedules, the logic behind putting a particular model on a particular flight, etc. [more inside]
posted by ocherdraco on Dec 10, 2007 - 21 answers

9-11 Technology Filter: I have never been able to even get signal on my Blackberry 8200 (GSM) within 10 seconds of liftoff, so how were cell phone calls completed from hijacked planes on 9-11? Specifically, given the prevailing handset, carrier, and tower technologies present in the Boston, NY, and DC metro and intervening areas at the time, and given the flight paths and altitudes of the hijacked planes, how were passengers able to complete cellphone calls to loved ones? [more inside]
posted by Pastabagel on Nov 30, 2007 - 20 answers

After an awful flight from Denver to Seattle last night, my ears still feel plugged. Any suggestions on how to get them to pop? [more inside]
posted by scaryblackdeath on Oct 23, 2007 - 20 answers

I fondly remember an arcade game from my childhood at the local junk-food kiosk, but I can not remember the name. I have tried to search Google, but I have not found anything. The game, as I remember it, was a side-scrolling shoot ‘em up. You flew planes (1 player or 2 players) and on the ground beneath you dinosaurs where actively trying to kill you with their prehistoric might. [more inside]
posted by Grums on Oct 19, 2006 - 3 answers

I always assumed that, when making a connecting flight in an international airport, I was under international jurisdiction - the logic being that I clearly haven't 'entered' the airport's host country (haven't got a visa/filled out a landing form/whatever). My personal experience and now recent events suggest otherwise, so what are the rules about this, and do they vary from country to country? [more inside]
posted by runkelfinker on Jul 19, 2006 - 22 answers

A plane I was on seemed to have a very close encounter with another plane. Is it possible to find reports of 'near miss' incidents online? [more inside]
posted by valleys on Jun 10, 2006 - 21 answers

Quick question: I plan on moving to England for an indefinite but legal period of time, do I need a round-trip ticket to get clearance into the country? [more inside]
posted by cloeburner on May 31, 2006 - 10 answers

FearOfFlyingFilter: Do you fly Lufthansa? Do you listen to their "Relaxation Program" on the in-flight radio? Do you have any idea who does the guided imagery on it? Or, have any other great suggestions for calming things I could listen to at 30,000 feet? [more inside]
posted by Your Time Machine Sucks on Nov 17, 2005 - 9 answers

How elite are the Blue Angels? [more inside]
posted by rorycberger on Oct 10, 2005 - 19 answers

I am flying to another city soon and would like take my guitar with me. On the plane--not as baggage. I would like to read about the experiences of anyone here who has tried to do the same. My research thus far yields no fixed answer.
posted by y2karl on Oct 9, 2005 - 18 answers

I'm looking for blogs written by pilots of (or about) planes, helicoptors, blimps, etc. Got any links?
posted by o2b on Jun 16, 2005 - 10 answers

Is a plane easier to pilot than a helicopter? If so, why?
posted by jimmy on Feb 25, 2005 - 17 answers

I had a terrifying flight on a small 50-seater plane today. Heavy turbulence, people screaming, lights dimming... I am supposed to fly home on Sunday and although I know it's ridiculous, I just don't think I can step back on a plane so soon. I am planning to rent a car (to drive about 8 hours v. one-hour flight), but am finding this really embarassing (not to mention a waste of time and money). Can anyone offer any advice or online resources that may be of aid and reassurance? [mi] [more inside]
posted by amro on Nov 25, 2004 - 37 answers

I'm flying to France from the states at the end of next month, and I'm wondering what experiences are on different carriers. [more inside]
posted by o2b on Oct 18, 2004 - 14 answers

Any of you guys have experience with RTW (round the world) air travel tickets? Any particular ones to recommend? I have been looking into STA off and on, and several other options have been uncovered. But it seems all the data I can find is depressingly out of date. I tried futzing around on this webboard, but, not knowing much at all about airports, pro-level flying, and the like, I was incredibly intimidated to the point of "not knowing where to start." [more inside]
posted by oog on Jul 12, 2004 - 10 answers

How cheaply can I fly? Has the internet brought us "last minute deals" or are they just travel agent scams?
posted by skallas on Mar 20, 2004 - 11 answers