Transportation

Hot air balloons are about as simple as flying can get -- no engine, no moving parts really, and very little the pilot can do to control the vehicle. Find out what it's like to fly a hot air balloon!

ByTom Harris

Flying in a glider is about as close as you can get to soaring like a bird. Amazingly, these graceful machines manage their maneuvers without an engine. Learn how gliders fly without power.

ByMarshall Brain&Brian Adkins

How do you start a gas turbine engine? What is the mechanism to begin the rotation of the large fan blades?

由于鱼雷不能有一个吸气式的女士e like a boat, how is it propelled through the water?

Airline pilots have an amazing job with huge responsibilities. Learn what it's like to be a pilot and what it takes to make it in this highly competitive profession.

ByJoel Freeman

The Aeroscraft is a heavier-than-air vehicle currently in development for use in the near future. Learn how the Aeroscraft flies and what it will be able to do.

ByEd Grabianowski

You've waited in line, and now it's time to board the roller coaster for the thrill ride of your life. If you're lucky enough to get to pick your seat, which car should you choose for the best ride experience?

Higher, farther, faster: NASA's X-43A plane is destined to set new speed records. What sets the X-43A apart from other rocket-powered aircraft is that it is powered by a scramjet engine. Learn all about it.

由凯文Bonsor &Sascha Bos

Diesel locomotives are some of the coolest modes of transport out there. Giant machines like these are just full of technological treats. Explore a hybrid-diesel locomotive — from engine to engineer controls.

By Karim Nice &Talon Homer

Inside an airport, luggage moves through an amazing and intricate system. The baggage handling system plays a crucial role in keeping travelers happy. Learn about these high-speed carts and conveyers.

By Karim Nice

Did you know that airports were once known as "flying fields" because planes took off and landed in large fields? Journey through the hidden world of airports in this article, but without the stress, nail-biting and packages of peanuts.

By威廉·哈尔ris&Craig Freudenrich, Ph.D.

According to the Department of Homeland Security 730 million people travel on passenger jets every year. Are these folks safe? Find out how high-tech solutions are being used to make flying as safe as possible.

By Jeff Tyson &Ed Grabianowski

There are about 5,000 planes in U.S. airspace every hour. How do these aircraft keep from colliding with each other? Learn about the intricate system that guides a plane from takeoff to landing.

ByCraig Freudenrich, Ph.D.

How did the guy in the next seat pay less for a ticket than you did? Explore how airlines work, how ticket prices are set and more.

By Kevin Bonsor

In an office that cruises a mile or more above the ground, being an airline crew member can be tiring, but rarely boring. Find out how pilots and flight attendants get you from gate to gate.

ByTom Harris

Like trade ships of old, air-freight planes move anything that can be bought or sold. See how goods are shipped worldwide.

By Karim Nice

To most people a trip through customs is just another stop in an airport or a country's borders. But customs agencies do much more for their countries' governments. In fact U.S. Customs raises more revenue than any agency except the IRS. Find out why and how they do it.

ByTom Harris

Ball bearings can be found in a wide variety of machines and gadgets. If you take a look at one of them you may notice how perfectly smooth they feel and appear. How do they get like that? Find out how ball bearings are created in this article.

You see gears in just about anything that has spinning parts — car engines, transmissions, electric toothbrushes... Learn what these gears are doing and get to the bottom of the "gear ratio" concept!

ByMarshall Brain

You see backhoe-loaders on nearly every construction site around town. Learn how these amazing machines work and what they are able to do.

ByMarshall Brain&Tom Harris

Would you risk the mother of all jet lag if you could cross the U.S. in less time than it takes to pass through airport security? After all, your time is precious, and haven't supersonic and hypersonic technologies been around for decades now?

ByNicholas Gerbis

Writing a legible message on paper requires a steady hand; writing one in the sky requires a steady everything.

ByJulia Layton

They're the stuff of headlines, often characterized as evil in the sky. But how do unmanned aerial vehicles actually get off the ground and flying?

ByNathan Chandler

Pilots on international flights use aviation English, a stripped-down, specialized version of the language, to communicate with air traffic controllers.

ByPatrick J. Kiger

Commercial flight is extremely safe. But could it be even safer if airplanes had shoulder harnesses instead of lap belts?

ByJohn Donovan