Posted by Joshua Hebert on Thu, May 28, 2009 @ 01:26 PM
Travelers flyingacross time zones should expect to experience jet lag. The fatigue, upsetstomach and disorientation that occurs is normal, says Dr. Andrea Meredith,assistant professor of physiology at the University of Maryland School ofMedicine.
Question: Why do people feelso crummy when they move across time zones?
Answer: Jet lag. It isa disruption of the circadian rhythms. It happens when the body's clock and thedestination's clock are out of sync.
Question: Then jet lag ismore than a lack of sleep?
Answer: It's definitelymore than a lack of sleep. You can take a flight across the time zones, andeven if you sleep you can still experience symptoms of jet lag.
Question: What causesthese disruptions in the body's rhythms?
Answer: Light primarilydrives the brain clock. Because the brain's clock receives light informationabout the new time zone directly from your eyes, it actually shifts faster thanthe clocks in the rest of the body. Bodily tissues have their own clocks –liver, kidney, stomach, intestines, etc. Part of jet lag may be a misalignmentof the brain's clock and these peripheral clocks.
Question: What are thesymptoms?
Answer: The symptomsare fatigue, insomnia, gastrointestinal upset, headache, trouble focusing andgenerally feeling "out of whack."
Question: How long dosymptoms last?
Answer: It reallyvaries by individual, but there is a general rule of thumb that you can figureon about a day to shift per every time zone you travel through.
Question: How do peoplewho travel regularly cope with this?
Answer: Really, thepeople who are successful are those who try to stay in their own time zonesbehaviorally. If you fly to the West Coast and try to get up early like you'restill on East Coast time, you'll experience fewer symptoms. The worst is whenyou are flying to China, which is 13 hours off.
Question: Is jet lagworse going west to east or east to west?
Answer: Most people saygoing to the east is harder. The reason for that is most people find it harderto get up earlier.
Question: Is thereanything you can do to reduce the symptoms of jet lag?
Answer: There is somecontroversy about that because every person is different. Some people try topreshift to the other time zone. If you are going to be gone for a long time,it makes sense to preshift. If you are on a short trip, it makes sense to stayin the current time zone. Other people try other things: bright lights,pharmaceuticals such as melatonin or Provigil, caffeine or naps. Directly orindirectly, these things are ultimately going to affect the brain's clock.
Question: What do youadvocate?
Answer: I try to stayin my own time zone when traveling within the U.S. My advice is work with yournatural rhythm. There's a second thing I do. If you're going to travel toEurope, get up, start your sightseeing and engage in vigorous activity. Also,eat multiple small meals throughout the day. I feel less nauseated and morealert.
Question: Do certainkinds of food help?
Answer: There isanecdotal evidence that carbohydrate-rich foods will help, but it may be thatthey just make your brain feel good. One of the things we need to realize aboutcircadian rhythms is that there is a genetic component to them, and there is atremendous variability of what will work for each person.
Posted by Joshua Hebert on Tue, May 26, 2009 @ 01:33 PM
United Airlines is the latest airline to become a part of the Twitter trend and is introducing special fares through Tweets. United calls these new promotions "Twares" or Twitter only fares. The formal launch of such rates began on May 21st. Today United announced 20% off fares to Switzerland for the companies followers with a promotional code for the discount. Twitter is slowly but surely taking over the world!
Posted by Joshua Hebert on Fri, May 22, 2009 @ 01:34 PM
Randy Babitt was confirmed by the senate for a five-year term as Administrator of the FAA. The Air Transport Association's PResident and CEO James May said he is looking forward to working with Randy and cannot wait to start implementing the new air traffic control system set to go into effect of the next few years. They could use a guy like him in Indonesia....
Posted by Joshua Hebert on Tue, May 19, 2009 @ 01:38 PM
It has recently been revealed that there are serious flaws in the way FAA licenses mechanics who fix planes. There is evidence that there has been problems testing mechanics for years and that questionable licenses have been given out. Now there is evidence that there have been low-wage mechanics hired who cannot even read English. Twenty-one people died when the U.S. Airways Express crashed in Charlotte in 2003. The plane went out of control at takeoff. One reason for the crash was that the cables were incorrectly connected to the plane's control surfaces. Repairing and maintaining airplanes is complicated and have many manuals. Its hard to stick to those manuals when you can't read them. FAA has some serious explaining to do.
Posted by Joshua Hebert on Thu, May 14, 2009 @ 01:40 PM
Hawker Beechcraft has added a Germany based airport to its network of authorized service centers. In addition to performing maintenance, Aerodata can provide turnkey, special-mission aircraft worldwide. Aerodata is a source of flight inspection systems. They have also added Jeddah, a Saudi Arabia-based aircraft service to the Hawker 800 authorized service center network. They intend to add the 900XP in the near future.
Posted by Joshua Hebert on Wed, May 13, 2009 @ 01:51 PM
Embraer has announced that the Legacy 450 and 500 mid-jet programs are on pace and have completed all phases on schedule, including the joint definition phase that began last July. This phase involves Embraer engineers and their suppliers, finalizing the product definition and defining methods for meeting certification requirements. The man-machine interface advisory board validated the planes' designs and the cockpit design. The detail and certification phase is next and Embraer begins working with suppliers to detail the systems architecture and aircraft components before releasing drawings for the first cut and prototypes for ground and flight tests. The test pilots are currently validating the control laws for these jet's fly-by-wire system via flight simulations.
Posted by Joshua Hebert on Tue, May 12, 2009 @ 01:54 PM
It's about time that airlines came up with an excuse for all the luggage that is lost on flights in this country. This time, the plane ate it. A Japanese 747 with just under 250 passengers on board sucked up a big metal baggage cart during taxi yesterday. This accident forced the plane to stay grounded and the passengers to return to the terminal. The plane had barely left the gate. It was towed away for repairs. Luckily, the pilot noticed a slight malfunction in the engine because there was something more severe then geese flying into the engine this time.
Posted by Joshua Hebert on Thu, May 07, 2009 @ 03:47 PM
Honda Aircraft Company of the new HondaJet by a year. The company announced last week that the aircraft now plans to receive certification by late 2011. Global aerospace business challenges have slowed the delivery of key components for conforming aircraft production. Honda continues its flight-test program on the jet which has reached speeds of 420 knots and a max altitude of 43,000 feet/ The company continues to expand its Greensboro, NC facilities where the jet is being built. This is also the company delivery center.
Posted by Joshua Hebert on Mon, May 04, 2009 @ 01:55 PM
Dassault Falcon Jet announced that the Falcon 2000LX has been EASA and FAA approved. The officials claim that the Falcon 2000LX is the most fuel efficient aircraft in the large cabin class. This unique aircraft burns up to 60 percent less fuel than some competitive aircraft with a corresponding reduction in carbon footprint. The energy efficient plane has improved climbing time and better range performance at high speeds. The LX is said to burn about 800 pounds less fuel then the EX before it. Truly bad news for the fuel companies, but great news for brokers and charter customers!
Posted by Joshua Hebert on Fri, May 01, 2009 @ 04:57 PM
Magellan jets is proud to announce its newest partnership with CharityBuzz, an online charity marketplace that works with the world's top charities and celebrities. Charity Buzz believes that nothing is more important than the work non-profits undertake. Magellan Jets also feels that giving back is important and will continue to work with CharityBuzz. CharityBuzz ensures successful results through a focus on providing a unique experience to their community of global bidders, effective collaborative marketing and unsurpassed white-glove service. CharityBuzz events will feature Magellan Jets items including gift certificates with membership benefits! To learn more about CharityBuzz and view their ongoing auctions, visit their website. To bid on a Magellan Jets gift certificate, simply enter "Magellan Jets" in the search box on their website.