Aircraft talk: A closer look at the blended wing body concept

Image source: nasa.gov

The idea behind the blended wing body in aircraft is to provide a configuration that allows for the wings to blend smoothly into a wide and tailless fuselage. With this flat and wide fuselage comes better aircraft lift, even as the wings allow for needed balance.


The concept is meant principally to replace the standard cylindrical fuselage and improve fuel range and economy in modern aircraft. The smaller and less angular surface area will likewise lead to less drag, effectively creating gains in aerodynamics. Again, the blended wing body is premised on integrating the wing structure with the central body of the plane and should, therefore, allow for lighter structural weight.


Design-wise, these aircraft will be powered by three jet engines, which are placed on the back. Researchers believe that this will reduce noise levels during landings and take-offs, as the noise coming from the engine will be shielded by the aircraft itself.

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For now, a significant challenge in realizing fully deployable blended wing body models is how to make aircraft based on the design more stable and easier to control. After all, the presence of a tail is what allows for stability in current, standard planes. It may take some time before planes based on the design become commercially available, but the benefits of developing this technology are simply too significant for the industry to ignore.


Scott Beale piloted the successful business turnaround of a number of aviation companies, increasing their company’s profitability with new business and diversification efforts. For more information on Mr. Beale’s past and current projects, follow this page.

The possibility of a single-pilot passenger plane

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There was a time when passenger planes had three pilots on the flight deck. Then in the 1980s, the development of Boeing 757 transformed the way cockpits are designed. The number of pilots had also been reduced to two with the help of the progress of flight technology.


Decreasing that number further to one has proven to be difficult. Firstly, current European aviation regulation requires passenger planes with at least 19 seats to be flown by a minimum of two pilots for safety, especially in long-haul journeys, and security. Passengers would also probably be concerned of flying in a single-pilot plane because of news of accidents, deliberate or otherwise, of aircrafts.

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But having commercial jets that can be operated by one pilot may become a necessity in a few years. There is currently a pilot shortage, which is exacerbated by the fact that the aviation industry is continuing to grow. Furthermore, airline companies can save billions of dollars in salaries and training expenses by requiring just a single pilot.


Aircraft manufacturers are designing advanced cockpits that can be operated by a single person. For example, the vast array of knobs and switches can be changed into more digital interfaces. It may not be in the near future, but single-pilot passenger aircrafts are becoming more and more possible.


Scott Beale is an accomplished business developer, entrepreneur, and aviation professional. His expertise includes commercial sales and marketing of aviation products, government contracting, FAA certifications, maintenance report operations, and startup operations. Visit this website for more information about him.

The need for speed: The fastest aircraft

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Flight has always captured man’s imagination. When the Wright Brothers first came out with the airplane, people were amazed. When jet planes emerged after World War II, they changed aviation forever.


Over the past few decades, aircraft manufacturers have pushed the envelope on the development of airplanes. Together with the advancement of technology, few of the things the aviation industry only dreamed about were developed to challenge the very laws of physics. Here are a few of the fastest aircraft in the world.


Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird: As far as fast jets go, this is the most popular one. The SR-71 Blackbird was manufactured by Lockheed for the purpose of reconnaissance and surveillance. It is also equipped with stealth features and with its 2,200 mph top speed, it’s even faster than missiles themselves.


North American X-15: The X-15 is a rocket-powered aircraft that has as its top speed, a staggering 4,520 mph. Its design, which includes an exaggerated tail and rocket thrusters (which are used to steer), allows the aircraft to reach such a mind-boggling speed. Many industry experts consider the X-15 to be the world’s first space plane.

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Bell X-2 Starbuster: The X-2 Starbuster has a tragic story. Test pilot Milburn G. Apt took the plane and broke the record as the aircraft went past Mach 3, at 2,094 mph. He died due to pilot error while making a sharp turn. The aircraft was deemed too dangerous, and flights were stopped in less than a year.


Aviation and aerospace professional Scott Beale was responsible for expanding FlightWorks from a $1.5 million-dollar business when he purchased it in 2000 to a $90 million enterprise when he sold the business in 2010. For more reads on the aviation industry, visit this page.

Important points on airplane maintenance and airworthiness

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One cannot emphasize enough the importance of airplane maintenance and airworthiness. To keep all the parts of an airplane in perfect working order is a must, and the job has no room for error. This is why flying is still considered one of the safest ways to travel.


There is considerable effort in keeping an aircraft airworthy. To make the plane fit to take people to the skies, it has to comply with strict conditions. But once these conditions are met, people can be assured that it is safe to ride.


Factors for airworthiness include overall design, redundancy features, and the continued maintenance of its parts. Every time a plane lands after a long flight, especially through rough weather, it is inspected for airworthiness.


The maintenance of airplanes is significant to its airworthiness. Repairs have to be made and completed, in the proper way. Incomplete or improper repairs may not show up right away, but may very well lead to disaster.

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Thankfully, in the aviation industry, people responsible for airplane maintenance and airworthiness are thoroughly trained, therefore, highly skilled. They undergo strict examination processes to make sure they never miss so much as a single loose bolt.


Do you love flying? What are the things that make you feel safe during the travel? Feel free to share your opinion in the comments below.


Scott Beale has led various aviation firms in attaining growth in revenues with his competencies in strategic and tactical planning, account development and acquisition, government contract and management, sales team training and supervision, and financial reporting. More reads on aviation here.

Flight: The ultimate hobby

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A lot of people, especially those who don’t have a pilot’s license, see flying as a job. Except for the occasional recreational flyer, the masses see flying as work. However, an overwhelming majority of pilots will have to disagree.


Flying is more like a vocation, something someone is called to do, a passion. In that sense, one can view flying as the ultimate hobby. It’s fun, fulfilling, but takes a lot of time and hard work.


Recreational flyers, of course, can afford to pay to fly. And for them, flying really is a hobby. Love for the adventure of flight then sustains commercial airline pilots who have to endure several hours of flight while getting only a few hours of rest.

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Flight allows pilots to physically reach more places in their lifetime compared unlike most of the rest of the people in the world. To be able to do this requires years of training, since many pilots have the responsibility of not only getting themselves, but hundreds of others as well, to their destination safely.


And while being a pilot is a financially rewarding job, for the true aviator, this is only secondary. Remember that old adage that says if you love what you’re doing, you’ll never have to work a day in your life? That’s flying. That’s the ultimate hobby, right there.


Aviation and aerospace professional Scott Beale was responsible for expanding FlightWorks from a $1.5 million-dollar business when he purchased it in 2000 to a $90 million enterprise when he sold the business in 2010. For more info on Scott’s work and career, visit this page.

The Peculiar Rules Of Air Travel Routes

Everyday wisdom suggests that the fastest way to a destination is a straight line, and so it usually is with land transportation, with roads and railways cutting a route as straight as possible between two points. Comparing the flight paths taken by aircraft to that of maps, however, would reveal that airplanes do not fly in straight lines. In many cases, air travel takes on a semicircular appearance or even immensely confusing paths across the globe to reach their destination.

The most obvious of the reasons behind the peculiar direction of flight paths is the shape of the Earth itself. The Earth is round, and the shortest way to two destinations across the planet is not a straight line but an arc.

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Air currents and other atmospheric conditions are also a critical factor in planning the flight paths of aircraft. Specific air currents like the Gulf Stream can aid aircraft across vast distances, reducing travel time by a considerable margin. Even individual variations of wind patterns can make certain international flight routes financially preferable.

The limitations of aircraft have also affected flight paths in the past. Transatlantic flights from North America frequently used to stop over Shannon, Ireland, on their way to continental Europe for refueling purposes.

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The politics of flight are also a crucial factor in determining the flight paths of international air travel. Major airlines pay an immense amount of money to sovereign nations to pass through their airspace en route to their destination, with some nations charging heftier fees than others. Air routes are often planned along minimizing and avoiding these fees, which can considerably add up, leading to unusual flight paths. In the past, no fly zones—such as those in the former Soviet Union—have created unusually long international flights.

Scott Beale is a seasoned entrepreneur and business developer with over 20 years of experience in the aviation industry. Learn more about the fine points of the industry of air travel from this blog.

Fun Ways To Make Learning Math Interesting For Students

Almost every student has problems with mathematics at one point in their academic lives. Numbers, formulas, and equations aren’t the most dynamic topics in the world. That’s why math teachers have to be vigilant in making sure their students understand these concepts besides them asking their class if they understand the lessons. Here are some fun ways on how to make mathematics interesting for students.

Use real-world examples: If you can’t think of any way your students can use what you’re teaching in the real world, then they wouldn’t too. Real world applications are probably one of the most difficult aspects to zero in on when teaching mathematics but are highly effective.

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Create learning stations: Math can be difficult to understand for individual students. This is why some educators form learning stations inside the classroom. Learning stations are made by forming or assigning a group of students in class a special delegation, each doing something different from the rest. Learning stations can focus on reviewing skills, proper usage of math apps, drill practice, and even games.

Modifying classroom response system: Asking students to raise their hand if they don’t understand the equation can lead to them not raising their hand at all. By changing the dynamics of classroom response systems, teachers can get a more authentic feel for the mood of the class. You may want to replace raising hands to using clickers for a more discreet response.

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As an educator, the goal of Adam M. Smith is to make sure that every student leaves the classroom with enough understanding of the subject matter to have an informed discussion about current social/political/economical issues around the dinner table. For more insightful reads on education, visit this page.

What It Takes To Be An Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, And Reconnaissance (Isr) Operator

An ISR operator plays a crucial role in both the planning and execution of a country’s air force missions. They oversee the collecting and collating of information on the enemy’s activity, movements, and strength.

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ISR operators deliver this confidential and top-secret intelligence to the higher-ups in the command using various classified equipment and intel-gathering techniques. They are veritable specialists that require rigorous training to ensure that the air force is always ahead of the enemies’ own intel and that future missions are guaranteed success.

For one to be qualified to apply for an ISR operation position, they must have graduated from high school and attained at least 15 college credits in the GED. The applicant must likewise display extensive knowledge of aircraft equipment and procedures. They should be eligible for deployment and mobilization anywhere in the world and must complete various tests including a polygraph and Single Scope Background Investigation (SSBI).

The ISR operator candidate should be between the ages of 17 and 39 and must be at least 64 inches (5’3”) in height and no taller than 77 inches or 6-foot-4. Also, they must have no history of any temporomandibular joint pain or disorder. When the applicant is deemed qualified, he or she must complete 7.5 weeks of both basic military training and Airmen’s Week.

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Aviation and aerospace professional Scott Beale was responsible for expanding FlightWorks from a $1.5 million-dollar business when he purchased it in 2000 to a $90 million enterprise when he sold the business in 2010. For more info on Scott’s work and career, visit this page.

Weather Apps Every Pilot Should Find Very Useful

There is a slew of weather apps currently available to the public via smartphones, laptops, and PCs. These are incredibly helpful in knowing what to wear and what to bring when stepping out. But where these apps really shine is in the aviation industry.

Weather apps help airport tower personnel and pilots determine visibility, chances of turbulence, thunderstorms, etc. It is imperative that pilots have some of these installed and check them regularly before the flight. Below are three of the best ones out there, both those free to use and those that come with a price.

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MyRadar: This is free and easy to use app that features a high-quality looping radar bundled with an AIRMETS and TFR overlay. Of course, the data the app provides is taken from National Weather Service.

CloudTopper: Though strictly not a weather app, CloudTopper is incredibly helpful to IFR and VFR pilots for estimating distance to cloud formations and the feet needed to go over them. You can use your iPhone’s camera with the clouds, and the app will tell you their exact level. This app costs a measly $0.99.

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METARs Aviation Weather: Never mind the $6.99 price; this is a fast and efficient app for checking weather conditions as well as tracking airports via color-coded icons. The app has tons of features, including customizable notifications for VFR/MVFR/IFR/LIFR. It likewise translates aviation jargons to layman’s English for easier comprehension.

Scott Beale has been working in the aviation industry for more than 20 years, successfully growing businesses that he acquired and founded. He has led various aviation firms to attain growth in revenues. More on Scott’s work here.

America’s Best Fighter Aircraft

America is the most powerful country in terms of military strength. And when it comes to defense aviation, the U.S. is king when it comes to air-to-air or air-to-ground combat. Here are a few of America’s best fighter aircraft today.

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The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor is currently the best fighter jet in production in the entire world. It’s a single-seat jet with twin engines and is 5th generation supersonic supermaneuverable craft designed for air-to-air and air-to-ground combat. It is the product of two of the most reputable defense contractors in the U.S., namely Lockheed Martin and Boeing Defense, Space & Security. One of the aircraft’s biggest strength is its stealth capability as it remains undetectable in most radars.  

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is similar to the F-22 but has a smaller build. With just a single engine, it is designed for ground attacks, reconnaissance, and air defense missions. It also has excellent stealth capabilities. The F-35 has three variants that differ in how they take-off and land. The F-35A has standard take-off and landing procedures, the F-35B has a short take-off and can land vertically, and the F-35C is carrier-based. 

Lastly, the F-15 Strike Eagle is a classic yet powerful jet in America’s arsenal. Developed in the ‘80s, this was an all-weather multi-role fighter and was deployed in military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya.

Image source: washingtontimes.com

Scott Beale is an aerospace defense expert who helped pilot successful business turnarounds of a number of aviation companies. For more articles like this, visit this link.

Aerodynamics 101: How does an airplane fly?

Many things in the world are hard to explain. How a metal aircraft weighing over 500 tons can fly in the air is one of them. It may seem outlandish for some people, but don’t worry. The physics are solid, and the explanation is quite simple. 

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The most crucial part of getting a plane off the runway is getting molecules to push the undersides of the plane up than the upper sides. When the undersides of a wing crash more violently with molecules, it generates lift. 

If an airplane is parked on the ground, the molecules around its wings bounce off with the same force above and below the wing. But as the plane takes off, the wings’ curvature and its angle create more friction between molecules and the underside of the wing and less for the upper side of the wing. This increases the upward force on the bottom side of the wing which generates lift. 

That covers how planes get off the runway. But how do they stay in the air? Airplanes can easily do this because there is no net force on them. Newton’s law states that a body at rest stays at rest and a body in motion remains in motion. Even if a plane is flying 15,000 kilometers above the earth, the laws of physics are still followed. 

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Skilled in commercial sales and aviation products marketing, government contracting, and startups, Scott Beale has piloted successful business turnarounds in the aviation industry for more than 20 years. For more on Scott and his professional endeavors, click here.

The Pilot Life: The Best Parts Of Becoming a Sky Captain

An airline pilot makes a lot of sacrifices. He/she works long hours and is away most of the time. So why is the job so attractive? Why is being a pilot one of the most sought-after jobs in the world? Below are some of the reasons.

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The view: Obviously, pilots have a front row seat to the best views the planet has to offer. They also get to see so many splendid places – more than most people see in their lifetime. From majestic mountain ranges to pristine oceans, pilots see them all. 

The benefits: As mentioned above, pilots get to see many magical places. This is, of course, the main benefit of being a pilot. They also get ridiculous discounts on tickets for their families, and sometimes, even their friends.

The hours: A traditional 9-to-5 schedule can get boring for the adventurous spirit. This makes the hours of aviation quite appealing. Changes in schedule can happen anytime for countless reasons. It can be taxing on the body, but it never gets boring. Each flight brings a new experience.

The rewards: Pilots are paid a lot more than most regular employees. Combine that with the pleasure of meeting new people and going to places people only dream of, and it’s easy to see why so many travelers find pilots very lucky. 

Image source: wsj.net

 
Scott Beale is an accomplished aviation professional as well as a seasoned entrepreneur and business developer. For more discussions on the aviation industry, visit this blog.

Aviation Visionaries And Trailblazers To Remember

History books are filled with remarkable men and woman who changed aviation forever and the course of its history with their deeds, achievements, and innovation. Of the numerous unforgettable names in this field, here are some who are worth remembering and honoring today. 

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The Wright Brothers
Orville and Wilbur were American brothers and aviation pioneers who created the first successful airplane in the world. Theirs was the first powered, sustained, and controlled plane flight in 1903, and even surpassed their own achievement two years later by flying the first completely practical airplane.

Charles Lindbergh
He is the first man to cross the Atlantic Ocean on his own, navigating from New York to Paris in May 1927 in a specialized monoplane. He was also credited for shooting down a Japanese aircraft in July 1944, after the Pearl Harbor attack in World War II.

Amelia Earhart
Who would forget Lady Lindy, the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic in 19332 and also the first to fly without stop from Honolulu to Oakland in 1935? She, however, became a legend through her final flight, where she disappeared over the Pacific and was never found again.

Steve Fossett
He set many world records, including five non-stop circumnavigations of Earth and being the first to complete one in a helium-filled balloon. He also made the first circumnavigation of the globe in a plane without refueling back in 2005.

Jimmy Doolittle
This innovator and speed plane racer is known for his daring raid on Tokyo in 1942, leading 16 army bombers off the rolling deck of an aircraft carrier on a one-way mission to Japan. 

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Scott Beale is the CEO, President, and Founder of Flightworks Inc. and Business Development Manager at Mountain Aviation. He is also an accomplished commercial pilot type rated in the Gulfstream and Citation aircraft. Read more about aviation on this site.

The Most Popular Commercial Aircraft In The Market

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Over the decades, airplanes have gotten more sophisticated. Today, commercial airlines have countless giant machines roaring through the sky, bringing hundreds of millions of people to their destinations of choice.

Below are some of the most popular, best-selling commercial jets in the market today.

Airbus A380: The Airbus A380 is the largest commercial airliner in the market today. It’s been over 12 years since its first flight, but it has also been the favorite of commercial airlines due to its cost and the returns on investment

Airbus A320: The Airbus A320 jets are smaller than their A380 cousin, but they’re the most used jets for commercial domestic flights

Boeing 707: The Boeing 707 is the first machine of the industry giant to be flown commercially. Though manufacturing of the aircraft stopped at the end of the ‘70s, it’s still popular among airlines today.

Image source: gizmodo.com

Boeing 727: For shorter flights and smaller airports, airlines make good use of the Boeing 727. This model is used in a huge number of domestic flights.

Boeing 787: The Boeing 787, otherwise known as the Dreamliner, is the most fuel-efficient and least noisy of all the Boeing commercial jets. It also has energy-saving features that industry experts have praised. Many international flights use this model.

Boeing 747: Probably the most beloved of all commercial jets, the Boeing 747, also known as the Jumbo Jet has been a favorite of passengers and airlines for decades.

Scott Beale is an accomplished aviation professional as well as a seasoned entrepreneur and business developer. For more discussions on the aviation industry, visit this blog.