Titan!

  At the Cassini-Huygens Home page you'll find interesting images of the Titan moon flyby, and quite a lot of
other images and information.

TSA to examine all prospective non-US pilot candidates

This security item from ATWOnline:

The US Transportation Security Administration moved Friday to assume complete authority for vetting non-US citizens seeking to take flight school training in the US, "regardless of the type and size of aircraft."

Following 9/11, the US Dept. of Justice was mandated to conduct "threat assessments" for non-US citizens who sought training on aircraft weighing 12,500 lb. or more, including commercial transports. Recent federal legislation transferred this authority to TSA as of Oct. 5 and the agency decided to expand the scope of the program to light aircraft and noncommercial pilot candidates....

Earth twists space-time as it rotates, scientists say

OK, this is uber-geeky, I know, but I couldn't resist...

From the Boston Globe:

NASA detects Earth's tug in the cosmos, and nods to Einstein

Einstein was right -- again. Satellites that have been pulled slightly off their orbits show that the Earth is indeed twisting the fabric of space-time as it rotates, scientists said yesterday.

They said their findings are the first to directly measure and prove an important aspect of Albert Einstein's General Theory of Relativity -- that a rotating body warps and twists the 'fabric' that combines the three dimensions of space and the fourth dimension of time.

"As the Earth turns, it is actually twisting space-time with it. Near Earth, the twisting is greater," said Michael Salamon, a physicist at National Aeronautics and Space Administration in Washington.

There's more to read in the article.

Women Take Flight

The New England Air Museum at Bradley Airport in Connecticut is holding a Women Take Flight event Sunday, November 7 from 10:00 to 5:00. Meet with woman aeronauts, aviators, and astronauts throughout the day.

Participating organizations are the Ninety-nines, Hamilton Sundstrand, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).

Expected participants: NASA astronaut (Presenter), Connie Tobias (Harriet Quimby Reenactor/Airline Captain/First and only woman to fly a 1903 Wright Flyer, Presenter), Jane Miller (WASP), Margaret Ringenberg (WASP and author of Girls Can't Be Pilots, Presenter), Nina Anderson (author of 2012 Airborne Prophesy/Corporate pilot) Robin Bray (Corporate Helicopter Pilot), Kathy Wadsworth (Balloonist), Kim Schlichting and Adela Agard (Skydivers), Jennifer Arko (U.S. Coast Guard Pilot), Lucy B.Young (Naval and Commercial Pilot), Terry VandenDolder (Air Force and Commercial Pilot), Alice Carron (Film Producer, Blue Horizon, Journey to Mars: A 3D Exploration), Barbara Miles (Ruth Law Reenactor), Jennifer Harris Trosper (Head Programming Engineer for NASA's Spirit and Opportunity missions to Mars, Presenter), Diane Bartels (Pilot and author of Sharpie), Rebecca Cross (Author of I am a Space Shuttle, Ignite Foundation).

You can find related resources the Women in Aviation section of Thirty Thousand Feet.

AIA Web site promotes industry issues for the U.S Presidential election

The Aerospace Industries Association has asked the presidential candidates to support seven key public policy issues. The issues identify the critical policy, technology, and infrastructure challenges to aerospace manufacturers in a dramatically evolving global economic and security environment.

The AIA has white papers and has researched the candidates' positions on these issues, all of which will have an influence over the future of the U.S. aerospace industry.

Use Of UAVs In War On Terror Expanding

The U.S. Defense Department's use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the war on terrorism continues to expand, with hundreds of UAVs currently deployed with U.S. forces overseas, according to Dyke Weatherington, head of the Pentagon's UAV Planning Task Force.

"Last year ... we [had] probably 10 different models of UAVs out there," Weatherington said at the Precision Strike Technology Symposium in Laurel, Md., Oct. 12. "The total numbers were fairly low. Today we have probably 400 different UAVs in the field. A significant number of those are small UAVs, but the numbers even at the tactical level are growing very rapidly."

See the Aviation Week Aerospace Daily & Defense Report for more.

Anyone want to buy a Swiss fighter jet?

According to Agence France-Presse:

"The Swiss army is to auction off its old and unusable Mirage III fighter jets, for a starting price of 3,000 Swiss francs (1,900 euros, 2,400 dollars) each, the defence ministry said on Monday.

"The 13 French-made combat aircraft will be sold to the highest bidder at an auction on November 26 in the central Swiss canton of Nidwald, the ministry said in a statement."

Sounds like fun...

Girls Explore

Here's something interesting:

Girls Explore is a new collection of dolls, books, and accessories based on inspirational historical and contemporary women.  It is designed to encourage young girls to “reach for the stars” by giving them real role models – such as Amelia Earhart and Bessie Coleman.

From their press release:

Girls Explore was created by women to celebrate exceptional female role models in major fields of science, sports, the arts, the humanities, and business, and is dedicated to the idea that girls can do or be anything they want.  Through the Girls Explore dolls, accessories, engaging books, and educational web links, girls ages 8-12 can explore the lives of amazing women, past and present.

Consider aviation-related (or other) items as a gift for the youngster in your life!

Looking for a Huey Helicopter Ride

A visitor to Thirty Thousand Feet is looking to get a Huey ride for her husband, a pilot with an R-22. They have a landing pad and are located in Indiana, close to Fort Wayne.

If you can help out with this, contact me and I'll pass the information on.