Great Restorations

Where else in the space of a few hundred square yards could you find the oldest Boeing airplane flying, a 1945 Grumman Widgeon amphibian, a 1956 de Havilland Chipmunk, and a 1929 Hamilton metalplaneall beautifully restored to flying condition? Only at the National Aviation Heritage Invitational at the Reno air races. Here's a preview video of the treasures that will be competing at Reno this year for the title of most accurately restored vintage aircraft. Video: LiveAirshowTV (6:59)

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Preview thumbnail for video'Planes Trailer

Planes Trailer (2:33)

Preview thumbnail for video'Painting With Light

When we read on photographer Eric Curry's Web site that he views certain machines as metaphors for values of character, honor, integrity and pride, we thought his approach would be the perfect way to illustrate the affection many Earth-dwellers have come to feel for NASAs twin Mars Exploration Rovers, which, having long outlasted their life expectancies, are still transmitting from the Martian surface.In this slideshow, Curry explains how he built our March 2010 magazine cover, shot by carefully lit shot.

Painting With Light (4:04)

Preview thumbnail for video'Whole-Airplane Parachute

In 1998, during eight tests including this one with an SR20 out of Ocotillo Wells Airport in California, engineers and pilots from Cirrus Aircraft and Ballistic Recovery Systems took the plunge. They fine-tuned many items, including how the whole-airplane parachutes rocket extracts the system, and how the slider, the white ring that travels down the cords, keeps the parachute from opening too quickly, which would damage the chute and airplane.After each deployment, the SR20 released the parachute and returned to the airport rather than stranding itself in the desert. This meant that guides had to be added to the empennage to prevent damage to the vertical and horizontal tail surfaces. "Design of the test harness and parachute release mechanism were nearly as difficult as the design of the recovery systems itself," says Jay Yeakle, a Cirrus engineer. Less complex was the animal tracking system used by wildlife management groups that located the abandoned parachutes.

Whole-Airplane Parachute (0:24)

Preview thumbnail for video'Great Restorations

Where else in the space of a few hundred square yards could you find the oldest Boeing airplane flying, a 1945 Grumman Widgeon amphibian, a 1956 de Havilland Chipmunk, and a 1929 Hamilton metalplaneall beautifully restored to flying condition? Only at the National Aviation Heritage Invitational at the Reno air races. Here's a preview video of the treasures that will be competing at Reno this year for the title of most accurately restored vintage aircraft. Video: LiveAirshowTV

Great Restorations (6:59)

Preview thumbnail for video'Cameras Instead of Guns

Cameras Instead of Guns (2:01)

Preview thumbnail for video'Barnstorming

Barnstorming (3:56)

Preview thumbnail for video'An Osprey Folds its Wings

An Osprey Folds its Wings (0:11)

Preview thumbnail for video'Shooting the September 2011 Cover

Ed Darack, the photographer and writer who documented a Colorado Air National Guard unit for our September 2011 issue, tells how he got the cover shot. We launched gently into the skyas opposed to a vertical takeoff which, while dramatic, uses up a lot of fuel that we needed to save for climbs over the mountains. As I readied to make the shot, Lt. Col. Turner rocked his aircraft toward me for the best view of his jet, just as wed briefed. But at the critical moment I realized the camera had been firing the whole timethe G forces had depressed the shutter release. And by that time, so many shots had been fired that the camera's buffer was full. "We regrouped and did it again, then again, and again. By the end of the fourth try I was disoriented and feeling nauseous. But I still wasn't satisfied with the shots Id gotten. We had just enough fuel for one more try, so we pulled up in formation for a last attempt. We flew into a cloud opening, well lit by the sun and with views of the mountains below as we hit the perfect anglefor just a half second. I hit the shutter at the very last moment before all three aircraft rolled out. Video: Ed Darack

Shooting the September 2011 Cover (3:41)

Preview thumbnail for video'A Flock of Drones

Just a few of the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in civilian use today:The U.S. Geological Survey uses the (1) AeroVironment RQ-11A Raven for land management tasks, including monitoring controlled burns from above.(2) Aurora Flight Sciences Skate can easily fit in a backpack so an operator can carry it on the road and quickly assemble it when needed.At the Alpine Ski World Cup in Switzerland in January 2012, the (3) Dedicam octocopter provided high-definition live coverage of the downhill races.Massachusetts Institute of Technology engineers asked passersby to test the ease of their iPhone application to pilot (4) MITS quadcopter through an obstacle course.Colorados Mesa County Sheriffs Office is one of a growing number of law enforcement agencies with drone licenses. Their (5) Falcon fixed-wing drone lets them cover more territory when searching for lost hikers. In a demonstration for the USDA Forest Service, American Aerospace Advisors, Inc. shows how its (6) Arcturus T-16 can be used for real-time fire monitoring.Editing: Roger Mola; Music: Kevin MacLeod/Incompetech.com

A Flock of Drones (2:04)

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