Aircraft Technology
50 episodes
#5730: What 4 Gs Actually Does to a Body at 17,000 Feet
A cockpit door left open, a passenger who knew one thing, and two off-duty pilots in row 30. What the physics of that descent really felt like.
#5717: What It Takes to Land on the Moon Again
Artemis II flew by the Moon in 2026. Artemis IV plans to land in 2028. The gap between those two missions is enormous.
#5669: Flydubai 1073: When the Threat Is in the Cockpit
A first officer stabbed his captain mid-flight. What happened next — and why aviation's security model has no answer for it.
#5558: Landing on the Edge: Cork Fog to Carrier Decks
What does it actually take to land a heavy jet when the margin between calculated and flown is razor thin?
#5555: Five Machines That Peaked at the Wrong Moment
Concorde, Buran, Iridium: the finest machines ever built for a paradigm that vanished while they were still on the drawing board.
#5546: How Fast Before an Engine Can Swallow a Person?
A running turbofan at idle already moves hundreds of kilograms of air per second. Here's why the ramp is lethal long before takeoff thrust.
#5302: Grass, Road, or Water: Where Does a Crippled Jet Land?
An A320 is in trouble with three options left: a grass runway, a road with traffic, or open water. The data on which one crews actually pick.
#5122: Why a Private Jet Costs $200K (And Who Pays It)
A Tel Aviv to Hartford charter quote explained: positioning, fuel, fees, and the real math behind private aviation.
#5089: How Runway Overruns Happen and the EMAS Safety Net
A Prime Air 767 overran at Miami. We break down the physics, the safety engineering, and why EMAS beds matter.
#4916: Inside an MRO Warehouse: Moving 4,000-Pound Landing Gear
How aviation warehouses move everything from tiny fasteners to 4,000-pound landing gear struts.
#4912: How Airlines Stock 80,000 Parts for a Single Fleet
Inside the staggering scale of aircraft parts logistics — from 450,000 part numbers to 12-hour global delivery.
#4907: Why Airlines Pick Boeing or Airbus — or Both
The real reasons airlines choose one manufacturer or mix fleets — from missile defenses to negotiating leverage.
#4886: Why Airplane Cabins Are Drier Than the Sahara
Why planes are drier than deserts, how HEPA filters miss pathogens, and whether crew really build immunity.
#4880: Who Really Flies Your Flight? Inside Wet Leases
When an airline's crew doesn't actually work for the airline whose name is on the plane.
#4866: How Aircraft and Skyscrapers Survive Lightning Strikes
How do planes and buildings take million-volt hits and keep working? The engineering is surprisingly different.
#4865: How Test Pilots Hunt Crosswinds in Patagonia
Why aircraft manufacturers send test pilots to Patagonia to chase 40-knot crosswinds for certification.
#4861: Which Long-Haul Aircraft Earns Its Keep?
Comparing the A330, A340, 777, and 787 on daily utilization, profitability, and real-world performance.
#4860: What It Really Takes for an Airport to Go Transatlantic
Runway length is just the start. Pavement strength, fuel farms, customs, and insurance all decide if an airport can go intercontinental.
#4676: How Airport Lights Speak a Universal Language
Blue means taxiway, white means runway, red means stop. The global grammar of airport lighting, decoded.
#4637: Boeing vs Airbus: What Pilots Really Think
Type ratings, envelope protection, and the love-hate relationship pilots have with the 737 and A320.
#4406: Israel's Secret Elephant-Flying Cargo Airline
The story of CAL Cargo Air Lines, Israel's dedicated freighter that moves tanks, elephants, and COVID vaccines.
#4267: The World's Most Dangerous Airline and Airspace
Yeti Airlines tops the fatal accident rate. But the real hazard may be the airspace it flies through.
#4233: How Old Planes Get Safer With Age
Why a 30-year-old cargo plane may be safer than a new passenger jet — and what that teaches us about sustainability.
#4227: Why Air, Sea, and Truck Freight Use Different Boxes
Air cargo ULDs, sea containers, and inland pallets don't mix. Could one standardized unit ever work across all three?