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  • Rolls of turf are rolled up by exhibition workers at the end of a long day at the Paris Air Show, Le Bourget France. Removing the real grass from at the CFM stand (a company formed from SNECMA and General Electric jet engines) that manufactures a family of 7,200 commercial and military jet engines for Airbus and Boeing airliners. The men bend over to make a tight roll of organic lawn to keep it fresh and watered overnight before another hot day in this hall. Alongside them, a giant turbofan engine is seen, its huge turbine blades lit by artificial lights. The Paris Air Show is a commercial air show, organised by the French aerospace industry whose purpose is to demonstrate military and civilian aircraft to potential customers.
    paris_air_show224-20-06-2007.jpg
  • A visitor to the General Electric (GE) exhibition stand at Britain's Farnborough Air Show, points to a feature on a massive, GE90-115B turbofan jet engine. Powering Boeing 777 airliners with up to 115,000 Pounds of thrust, this is a state-of-the-art engine that entered service in April 2004 with Air France. Its giant blades are lit with blue stage lighting to make it look iconic and imposing, dominating this picture of technology and innovation. Such mechanical excellence attached to the world's aircraft are helping to make them quieter and more energy and fuel efficient at a time when oil prices are making air travel an expensive mode of transport.
    farnborough_air_show14-14-07-2008_1.jpg
  • Air passengers exit and enter a transit train at Chicago O'Hare airport, Illinois USA. They pull suitcases behind them as they negotiate the airport terminal transport system that takes them across the sprawling complex of terminals and tunnels. A large central yellow traffic arrow saying OUT is most prominent telling arriving people to keep in the middle, allowing those departing to enter the carriage from the sides. There is a slight blur to the picture showing the hurrying nature of modern air travel, vastly different from the pioneering days of flight for only the socially elite. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis49-10-11-2000_1.jpg
  • Below the flooring of economy class, a cargo handler manhandles a container of air freight into position in the hold of a Sri Lankan Airlines Airbus A340 that is about to depart from Male, the capital of the Republic of the Maldives  to Colombo. Inside the aluminium box is fresh tuna fish, freshly caught in the Indian Ocean and bound for the supermarkets of the EU and in particular, the UK whose insatiable appetite for fresh, perishable and sustainable foodstuffs make this fast and efficient form of transport important to speedy delivery. Every square inch is accounted for but as well as passengers' baggage, the cramped spaces beneath this modern airliner store loaded revenue-rich cargo though specially-pressurised and heated compartments accommodate live animals.
    maldives436-15-11-2007.jpg
  • One a hot November night, a Sri Lankan Airlines A340-300 series Airbus - registration number 4R-ADE - is bathed in high-intensity floodlights on the apron at Malé international airport in the Republic of the Maldives. Surrounded by passenger steps, servicing vehicles for catering and the loading of baggage and air freight in the below-floor holds, the aircraft is readied for its next flight to Colombo, another journey for this aircraft as it travels across the world's air routes.
    maldives434-15-11-2007.jpg
  • Parked on the apron at Paris Orly Airport, a lone pilot of the French national airline Air France, leans out of his right-hand seat's cockpit window of his Boeing 777-328/ER aircraft (F-GSQT). It is a bright morning at this international hub for Air France and without help from ground staff, the silver-haired gentleman who may be the captain and commander of the aircraft (because of age and seat position) has decided to get on with the job of cleaning his window himself much like a driver wiping away flies from his car windscreen. Here however, this chore being performed approximately six meters off the ground so safety is vital - just as a clear front view for the flight-deck crew before their flight. Attached to the plane is the mobile walkway, the air bridge, that awaits boarding passengers but no 'ramp agent' is below.
    esa_guiana02513-08-2007_1.jpg
  • A visitor to Oshkosh Air Venture, the world’s largest air show in Wisconsin USA, stands by an A-10 Thunderbolt Tank Buster or Warthog. Wearing a t-shirt depicting a Cherokee Indian and a Bald Eagle, the tourist awaits family as aviation enthusiasts climb steps to the aircraft's cockpit. The Fairchild-Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is a single-seat, twin-engine jet aircraft designed to provide close air support of ground forces by attacking tanks, armoured vehicles, and other ground targets. It has also been involved with British friendly fire incidents in Iraq. Close to a million populate the mass fly-in over the week, a pilgrimage worshipping all aspects of flight. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis46-29-08-1998_1.jpg
  • Baggage belonging to a British Airways Concorde crew is lined up beneath their aircraft after arriving at Oshkosh Air Venture, the world’s largest air show in Wisconsin USA. Twelve cases match 12 of Concorde's tiny windows and some of the crowd either take shelter from the sun or walk around the supersonic jet in awe of this engineering marvel. Their baggage is lined up beneath the aircraft during its visit to this huge show in Wisconsin, USA. Close to a million populate the mass fly-in over the week, a pilgrimage worshipping all aspects of flight. The event annually generates $85 million in revenue over a 25 mile radius from Oshkosh. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis44-27-08-1998_1.jpg
  • In mid-flight between Hamburg in Germany and London Heathrow, we see a passenger’s view of a climbing airliner's port wing and the hazy German landscape below at a high altitude. The sky above reflects its soft blue hue on the upper surface of the left wing but the air below is a soft pink, a rural patchwork of fields and villages. As an example of aerodynamic design, the flying machine is a perfect gesture towards the conquest of flight, copied from the characteristics of a bird’s anatomy. As art, the mere beauty of taking to the air and maintaining level, organised speed is so routine, we rarely look our from our window to marvel at how and why. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis34-21-05-2002_1.jpg
  • Using ladders and ropes during a rescue operation, Fire Brigade crews enter the floodlit broken air frame of a British Midland Airways Boeing 737-400 series jet airliner which lies on an embankment of the M1 motorway at Kegworth, near East Midlands Airport in Leicestershire, England. On the night of 8th January 1989, flight 92 crashed due to the shutting down of the wrong, malfunctioning engine. Attempting an emergency landing, 47 people died and 74 people, including seven members of the flight crew, sustained serious injuries. We see the aircraft's tail snapped upright at ninety degrees. Here perished most of the passenger fatalities. The devastation was hampered by woodland and the fire fighters are attempting to rescue survivors or extract those killed in this air disaster that proved one of Btitain's worst.
    RB_022-30-04-2008.jpg
  • A man tucks in to his in-flight meal on-board an Air France Boeing 777 flight from Paris Orly to Cayenne, French Guiana. Putting more food into his mouth while watching an in-flight movie, the male passenger has an aisle seat on this airliner. We also see on another seat back, the progress of this journey across the Atlantic Ocean towards the mainland of South America, seen on the moving map system screen which reveals statistics such as altitude, airspeed, distance to destination, distance from origination and local time. Using GPS avionics, the capital Cayenne is seen as the destination as well as Caracas, Georgetown, Kingstown and San Juan in the Caribbean. On the viewer's lowered tray is a light lunch of fruit, natural yoghurt, bread roll, orange juice and empty up. This is the best of Economy class.
    esa_guiana02813-08-2007_1.jpg
  • Two US Navy helicopters have been parked next to some cacti at the Pima Air and Space Museum near Davis Monthan Air Force base, Tucson, Arizona. In the arid desert heat we see only the rear sections of the aircraft, their rotors have been moved into a storage position and so echo the arm-like form and camouflaged tones of the cactus branches. The ground is sandy from the desert floor and soft, overhead light casts a shadow beneath the aircraft's fuselage. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis37-10-08-1998_1.jpg
  • Posing in the open doorway of an Airbus A319CJ Business jet, four female cabin crew members wear the uniforms of Qatar Airways whose airline has made a public relations stop at the Farnborough Air Show to publicise this new model of executive service. Airline stewards and stewardesses are nowadays more commonly referred to as cabin crew or flight attendants. They stand close together with broad grins showing their varied ethnicity. Middle-Eastern airlines generally recruit men and women from western Europe, Asia, Australasia and the Indian sub-continent dependent on routes and aircraft type. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis24-23-07-2002_1.jpg
  • Looking down from above, we see one lone queuing traveller at Charles de Gaulle, gazes up towards the large Departures board. Fellow-passengers wait by baggage trolleys in a civilised line beneath the information. Charles de Gaulle/Roissy is a hub airport for Air France north of the French capital. The departures information has schedule times, destinations, flight, satellite and gate numbers plus   remarks. Air travellers experience such misery every day and shows of how global air travel has become a routine, mundane and stressful for the everyday airline passenger - a far cry from when commercial flight was purely for the elite. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis29-27-07-2000_1.jpg
  • On a hot night at Bahrain International Airport, a Boeing airliner is about to be pushed backwards and start its engines. Two airport agents wearing traditional Arab dress stand patiently high up on the air bridge (that joins the aircraft fuselage during its turnaround time), several metres above ground level, ensuring no last-minute problems occur before departure. This Gulf State is, a key hub airport in the region, providing a gateway to the Northern Gulf. The airport is the major hub for Gulf Air which provides 52% of overall movements. It is also the half-way point between Western Europe and Asian destinations such as Hong Kong and Beijing. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis08-21-04-2001_1.jpg
  • In mid-flight over Greater London, we see a passenger’s view of a turning airliner's wing and the capital's dusk landscape below at a low altitude. As the starboard (right) wing dips, the Virgin Atlantic Airbus banks and a long exposure blurs the city lights below. A small curved portion of the passenger window, red engines and the Union Jack colours are seen. As aerodynamic design, the flying machine is a perfect gesture towards the conquest of flight, copied from the characteristics of a bird’s anatomy. As art, the mere beauty of taking to the air and maintaining level, organised speed is so routine, we rarely look our from our window to marvel at how and why. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis50-10-11-2000_1.jpg
  • Virgin Chairman Sir Richard Branson performs in front of the media during a publicity launch of Virgin Atlantic's new Airbus A340-600 which is parked behind the business tycoon during the Farnborough Air Show in Hampshire, England. He stands on one leg in a typically eccentric aviation-owner balancing trick. Behind him near the aircraft's nose a Virgin 'babe' echoes his outstretched arms while flying the British Union Jack flag. Farnborough centres its presence on big aerospace business to the tune of $40bn in orders and industry leaders like Branson, Boeing and Airbus parade their brands and announce new orders throughout the week-long display. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis26-23-07-2002_1.jpg
  • The nose detail of a de Havilland Comet in the colours of the long-defunct airline Dan Air is seen in profile at the Imperial War Museum's Duxford airfield, Cambridgeshire, England. The British de Havilland Comet first flew in July 1949 and is noted as the world's first commercial jet airliner as well as one of the first pressurized commercial aircraft. Early models suffered from catastrophic metal fatigue and the aircraft was redesigned. Here, the nose structure is held together with rivets that sit askew of the aircraft skin making it aerodynamically unfit to fly. It remains however, one of the classic and iconic designs in the history of commercial aviation. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis15-12-12-1997_1.jpg
  • The main nose wheel of an Airbus is parked on a stand at Bahrain International Airport. The names of other Airbuses and Boeing 737 types are also written on the concrete to allow exact distances for expandable air bridges and other airfield vehicles to connect and service these similarly-sized commercial airliners. A key hub airport in this region, providing a gateway to the Northern Gulf, Bahrain is the major hub for Gulf Air which provides 52% of overall movements. It is also the half-way point between Western Europe and Asian destinations such as Hong Kong and Beijing. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis05-21-04-2001_1.jpg
  • We see a male passenger from the waste down with a laptop computer in one hand and a Retriever puppy peering out from his owner's bag in the other, both human and pet are about to board a domestic flight from Chicago O'Hare airport. According to the American Transport Security Administration, taking pets into the aircraft cabin is permissable but the animal is required to be presented to the Security Officers at the checkpoint. it may also walk with its owner through the metal detector but not through the x-ray scanner. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis51-10-11-2000_1.jpg
  • Waiting in line for a departing flight, an airline captain patiently queues with his flight baggage along with passengers. Rather than being on duty and flying the aircraft himself, he is travelling home as a passenger. On many commercial flights, off-duty air crew position as passengers. Airlines plan complicated logistics with cabin and cockpit crew members' duty rosters. This man's four stripes denotes his seniority as a captain who flies right-hand seat, in command of a airliner. In the US, pilots might also have National Guard careers flying jet fighters in times of conflict while off-duty in airline shifts. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis53-10-11-2000_1.jpg
  • Ten jets of the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, fly over the Victoria Memorial opposite Buckingham Palace in London, on the occasion of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother's 100th birthday. Tourists watch as the ten aircraft leave a trail of patriotic red, white and blue smoke in honour of the monarch's elderly mother whose centenary was celebrated  in lavish style with cultural events and church services. The memorial to Queen Victoria was built by the sculptor Sir Thomas Brock, in 1911. The surround was constructed by the architect Sir Aston Webb, from 2,300 tons of white marble and is a Grade I listed building. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis17-19-07-2000_1.jpg
  • A US Navy airman stands holding a recently-bought hot dog from a food dispenser at the Naval Air Station Sigonella, Sicily Italy. Wearing a green flying suit, the snack is wrapped in a napkin and its chemically-enhanced yellow mustard echoes the stripes and badge of his squadron. Home to over 5,000 military and civilian personnel including family members, Sigonella is an outpost for American nationals who have the luxuries from home freighted out to their remote mission, a hub of naval air operations in the Mediterranean Sea and home comforts keep up morale. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis35-22-02-2001_1.jpg
  • 'Counting the Cost' is a memorial sculpture in glass designed by Renato Niemis which is outside at the American Air Museum at the Imperial War Museum, RAF Duxford, England. The sculpture comprises of 52 toughened clear float glass panels, each etched with the outlines of 7,031 aircraft missing in action in operations flown by American air forces (Air Force and Navy Groups) from Britain during the Second World War. The images are scaled at 1:240, diagonally pointing towards the blue summer sky once filled with bombers and fighters during the air campaign over Germany and France. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis16-12-12-1997_1.jpg
  • A lone passenger gazes out from the departure lounge at Charles de Gaulle/Roissy airport terminal to where airliners are parked. It is late evening and blue light outside makes the orange interior look warm. Designed by Paul Andreu, Charles de Gaulle became a symbol for airport modernity - a Le Corbusier concept of rail stations and ‘autodromes.’ Charles de Gaulle’s role as airport and rail station fuses into one, thus becoming an ‘Aérogare’ where trains and planes whisk the new world traveller of the late ‘60s, away beyond an ever-extending horizon. From here, the Air France Concorde crashed on the aviation employment town of Gonesse on July 25th 2000. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis30-27-07-2000_1.jpg
  • In the terminal at Charles de Gaulle/Roissy airport, Paris France, the peace of the airport chapel looks like a Star Trek-style place of worship, typical of the new airport experience pushed upon in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. Short stools and padded benches line the intimate space in the satellite building. Designed by Paul Andreu, Charles de Gaulle became a symbol for airport modernity becoming an ‘Aérogare’ where trains and planes whisk the new world traveller of the late ‘60s, away beyond an ever-extending horizon. From here, the Air France Concorde crashed on the aviation employment town of Gonesse on July 25th 2000. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis31-24-07-2001_1.jpg
  • During a lull in activity, a Boeing 747 is swathed in engineering gantries during a major check (maintenance schedule) at the British Airways Heathrow base in London England. As if in a hospital ER several metres off the ground, yellow struts surround the aircraft's forward nose section and the first class windows along the white fuselage allowing mechanics, engineers and avionics specialists unimpeded access to every element of the air frame. Neon tubes illuminate the hangar that houses flying machines which are serviced here between transcontinental commercial passenger flights. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis20-17-11-2000_1.jpg
  • An airport worker employed by SABTCO guides an arriving Airbus onto its stand at Bahrain International Airport. The man carefully encourages the slow-moving flying machine using his illuminated sticks alerting the pilot in control of this commercial airliner to an exact stopping place after its taxiing from the runway. It is another hot day in this Gulf State, a key hub airport in the region, providing a gateway to the Northern Gulf. The airport is the major hub for Gulf Air which provides 52% of overall movements. It is also the half-way point between Western Europe and Asian destinations such as Hong Kong and Beijing. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis07-21-04-2001_1.jpg
  • Stacks of cigarette cartons are piled up in a display of duty free goods at Bahrain International airport . Camel Filters are featured more prominently here to suggest the importance of desert Gulf States like Bahrain in the global market. Bahrain is a key hub airport in the region, providing a gateway to the Northern Gulf. The airport is the major hub for Gulf Air which provides 52% of overall movements. It is also the half-way point between Western Europe and Asian destinations such as Hong Kong and Beijing. Duty free merchandise such as tobacco, jewellery, perfumes and electronics are big business here, favouring cheaper import duties and currency rates. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis09-21-04-2001_1.jpg
  • A Bahrani aircraft mechanic stands beneath the giant nose wheel assembly of a Being airliner at Bahrain International Airport. Wearing a red headset, he can communicate by cable with the pilots high up in the aircraft's cockpit as a vehicle pushes-back the flying machine onto the taxi-way before starting its engines and departure. It is another hot day in this Gulf State, a key hub airport in the region, providing a gateway to the Northern Gulf. The airport is the major hub for Gulf Air which provides 52% of overall movements. It is also the half-way point between Western Europe and Asian destinations such as Hong Kong and Beijing. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis06-21-04-2001_1.jpg
  • A Bahrani baggage-handler employed by SABTCO pauses during his shift at Bahrain International airport. Having loaded luggage and cargo into the hold of an Egyptair Airbus, he sits looking hot and tired on the company’s conveyor belt awaiting last-minute additions to the manifest before its imminent departure for Cairo, across the Mediterranean. It is another hot day in this Gulf State, a key hub airport in the region, providing a gateway to the Northern Gulf. The airport is the home for Gulf Air which provides 52% of overall movements and is also the half-way point between Western Europe and Asian destinations such as Hong Kong and Beijing. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903
    aviation_corbis03-21-04-2001_1.jpg
  • Seen through a glass screen, we see a crowd of passengers - a mixture of business and holiday travellers - awaiting the departure of their commercial flight from Frankfurt am Main international airport, Germany. Reflected lights and other windows merge into this scene of European air travel where the everyday misery of delays and disruption affect millions on a daily basis. Some people are still seated while the more enthusiastic wait in line, queuing for the imminent departure. Frankfurt is also a sprawling hub for the German state airline Lufthansa. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis33-19-10-2000_1.jpg
  • Empty chairs and open Bibles, all bathed in yellow artificial light make this airport chapel in Frankfurt am Main, Germany a European modernist haven from the chaos of global air travel; an escape from delays, terrorism and overall fears of flying. Predominately Christian with small corners for Muslim believers, the new modernism at Frankfurt/Main reflects a strong European tradition of functional design – far removed from the drab, dourness of many similar American facilities. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis32-19-10-2000_1.jpg
  • An aircraft cleaner from Kathmandu, Nepal, stands in white overalls with his bucket and mop on the tarmac at Bahrain International airport. It is another hot day in this key hub airport in this Gulf region, providing a gateway to the Northern Gulf. The airport is the major hub for Gulf Air which provides 52% of overall movements and is also the half-way point between Western Europe and Asian destinations such as Hong Kong and Beijing. Gulf states also rely on the workforces from south-Asia such as India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh whose wages are often low and harsh living conditions compared to local nationals and tourists who enjoy superior accommodation. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis04-21-04-2001_1.jpg
  • The main nose wheel of a British Airways airliner is parked on a stand at Heathrow Airport. The identifying names of the Boeing type range such as 777s, 767, 747 and 757s are also stencilled on the apron concrete to allow exact distances for expandable air bridges and other airfield vehicles to connect and service these differing-sized commercial airliners. The pilot has devices inside and outside to gauge the exact spot to break to a standstill though these marks are largely unsighted to them, high up in the cockpit. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).
    heathrow_airport1570-20-08-2009_1.jpg
  • The main nose wheel of a British Airways airliner is parked on a stand at Heathrow Airport. The identifying names of the Boeing type range such as 777s, 767, 747 and 757s are also stencilled on the apron concrete to allow exact distances for expandable air bridges and other airfield vehicles to connect and service these differing-sized commercial airliners. The pilot has devices inside and outside to gauge the exact spot to break to a standstill though these marks are largely unsighted to them, high up in the cockpit. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).
    heathrow_airport1090-11-08-2009_1 1.jpg
  • The main nose wheel of a British Airways airliner is parked on a stand at Heathrow Airport. The identifying names of the Boeing type range such as 777s, 767, 747 and 757s are also stencilled on the apron concrete to allow exact distances for expandable air bridges and other airfield vehicles to connect and service these differing-sized commercial airliners. The pilot has devices inside and outside to gauge the exact spot to break to a standstill though these marks are largely unsighted to them, high up in the cockpit. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). ..
    heathrow_airport1090-11-08-2009_1.jpg
  • Exercise Dogfish 2001, will take place in the Ionian Sea to the east of Sicily. Eight NATO surface ships from Standing Naval Force Mediterranean will join the exercise.<br />
<br />
P-3 Orion<br />
<br />
Seven submarines from Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain, Turkey and the United States are also scheduled to take part.<br />
<br />
Over 130 air missions are planned, and on average this will result in a crew briefing every two hours, day and night, throughout the 14-day exercise. <br />
<br />
Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis36-22-02-2001_1.jpg
  • A Rolls-Royce turbofan has been fixed to the exterior of the company’s sales stand at the Farnborough Air Show in Hampshire, England. The British-owned company have been making aircraft engines since 1914 at the start of the First World War, in response to the nation's needs, Royce designed his first aero engine – the Eagle. Modern airliners have the Trent engine's technology embedded in its power plants and Farnborough is a major showcase for its many designs. Here, their chalet has a mocked-up garden feature complete railings and the turbine blades attached to the wall above. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis25-23-07-2002_1.jpg
  • Near the end of the military runway at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk England, a road sign warns of low-flying aircraft near the base which is populated by the United States Air Force Refuelling Wing. Beneath the triangular sign is a locally made makeshift advertisement for CJ's, a nearby cafe. It is summer and the shrubs are green with white flowers to the side. The sign itself has become discoloured with green algae after being rained on over successive wet weather days. In the UK, the Highway Code for road-users lists this warning sign (always triangular) as "Low-flying aircraft or sudden aircraft noise." Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis21-27-05-2001_1.jpg
  • Known as 'Old Glory', a polished silver Boeing Mitchell B-25 is refuelled in readiness for a display flight at Oshkosh Air Venture, the world’s largest air show in Wisconsin USA. In afternoon light, a lady in a stars and stripes shirt stands arms behind her back admiring the lovingly restored polished twin-engine bomber, the most heavily armed airplane of the second world war used for high and low-level bombing, strafing, photoreconnaissance, submarine patrol and fighter. Close to a million populate the mass fly-in over the week, a pilgrimage worshipping all aspects of flight. The event annually generates $85 million in revenue over a 25 mile radius from Oshkosh. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903
    aviation_corbis45-28-08-1998_1.jpg
  • Taking notes from an air band receiving radio, plane spotters log aircraft serial numbers and other details in notebooks near their perimeter fence at London's Heathrow airport. A large man has a pair of binoculars and an old SLR film camera and leans against his Peugeot car's bonnet (hood) to record the obsessive facts about airliners that pass overhead as they approach the runways of West London. His fellow-aviation enthusiast checks the radio that transmits the voices of pilots and air traffic controllers. In Britain, plane spotters are regarded as eccentric and sad but not trespassers. Some have been accused of spying near foreign military airfields. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis12-17-08-1997_1.jpg
  • Now an overgrown, mildew-ridden farm shack in woodland in Seething, Norfolk England, this wall mural was once one of the barracks housing 3,000 young World War 2 bomber crews so was probably painted by a young aspiring artist and aviator with the 448th Bomb Group, a fleet of bombers based in England from November 1943 to July 1945. The picture depicts a confrontation between US Air Force B-24 Liberators, a P-51 Mustang and probably a German Dornier. There are hairline cracks in the plaster but the yellow hue of the hand-painted wall is largely intact despite damp conditions in the shed. There are however, other artistic details now faded. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis18-05-10-2000_1.jpg
  • Open air brightly coloured tourist bus, in Arvi Park, Medellin, Colombia.
    _MG_4729_1.jpg
  • Faceless Russian delegates are in deep discussion in a hall at the Paris Air Show, Le Bourget France. With the flag of the Russian Federation strategically placed to the right of the stand, the three anonymous are secretively talking business in a group meeting, their crumpled suits show they have been working on this project for many hours or days. Two of the men have exchanged business cards to make new contacts. The Paris Air Show is a commercial air show, organised by the French aerospace industry whose purpose is to demonstrate military and civilian aircraft to potential customers.
    paris_air_show53-20-06-2007.jpg
  • An American Airlines male flight attendant stands with his crew baggage against a window at Dallas Fort Worth airport, Texas. Dressed in the corporate airline uniform he stands erect with a hand in his pocket, his ID badge clipped to his jacket and a pin conveying his command of the Japanese language. A mesh screen partially obscures drab concrete buildings outside which can be seen through the glass. Dallas Fort Worth is the sixth busiest airport in the world transporting 59,064,360 passengers in 2005. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis48-10-11-2000_1.jpg
  • Sheryl is an Airport Ambassador Volunteer at Dallas Fort Worth, Texas and stands for a portrait at the foot of some escalators in the main terminal. She sports a straw hat saying 'Ask Me' in red and a name badge with her job title although she comes to the airport to assist strangers at her city's airport, hoping her good nature and charitable efforts will help uncertain travellers find their way. Also on her jacket is a the phrase 'Proud to be Drug Free .. Airport Narcotics Task Force.' 'Fort Worth is the sixth busiest airport in the world transporting 59,064,360 passengers in 2005. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis56-10-11-2000_1.jpg
  • About to board their Sri Lankan airlines flight to the Maldives, crowds of economy class passengers stand and make an orderly queue when their flight has been called by ground staff at London Heathrow airport England. Lines of people from all nations can be seen reflected in a large window that also overlooks the airport apron where their front-facing Airbus A340-300 aircraft awaits them, its flight-deck crew is seen in the cockpit readying their plane for the long night journey ahead. Catering service trucks are parked alongside the aircraft, loading supplies and all is on schedule from this large intercontinental airport hub to the much smaller island airfield in the middle of the Indian Ocean, the idyllic destination for holidaying Europeans.
    maldives01-10-11-2007.jpg
  • The flight-deck crew of a Sri Lankan Airlines A340-300 series Airbus - registration number 4R-ADE - perform a series of pre-flight checks before a scheduled departure, while on the apron at Malé international airport in the Republic of the Maldives. Featuring electronic instruments it is known as a 'glass cockpit' and using a printed checklist manual, they methodically work through dozens of complex systems that require accurate input before the aircraft is ready for take off. Flight navigation computers, fuel and engine settings and radio frequencies all need programming by the two pilots, the captain on the left and the First Officer on the right. These modern airliners have only two pilots in a modern flight-deck as technology superceeded the need for a third member, the flight-engineers of a previous era of aviation.
    maldives452-15-11-2007.jpg
  • Looking at practice baggage of Heathrow airport's Terminal 5. Designed by architects Richard Rogers Partnership the controversial building opened with chaotic scenes on 27/3/08. British Airways passengers faced baggage disruption after a 6 year construction project that has seen the British public divided over the role of commercial aviation. At a cost of £4.3bn, the project was Britain's longest planning inquiry which lasted four years but finally employing a total of 60,000 workers. 30,000 square metres of glass in walls; 80,000 tonnes of steel were used - 17,000 in the roof alone; 5,000 doors, 800 toilets, 20,000 power sockets and 1,700 miles of cable; 60 new aircraft stands, including 14 for the Airbus A380; 13km of tunnels were bored for the state-of-the-art baggage handling to handle 12,000 bags per hour.
    heathrow_terminal_five-07-17-03-2008...jpg
  • Looking up to the Nokia information screen and 40m high roof of Heathrow airport's Terminal 5. Designed by architects Richard Rogers Partnership the controversial building opened with chaotic scenes on 27/3/08. British Airways passengers faced baggage disruption after a 6 year construction project that has seen the British public divided over the role of commercial aviation. At a cost of £4.3bn, the project was Britain's longest planning inquiry which lasted four years but finally employing a total of 60,000 workers. 30,000 square metres of glass in walls; 80,000 tonnes of steel were used - 17,000 in the roof alone; 5,000 doors, 800 toilets, 20,000 power sockets and 1,700 miles of cable; 60 new aircraft stands, including 14 for the Airbus A380; 13km of tunnels were bored for the state-of-the-art baggage handling to handle 12,000 bags per hour.
    heathrow_terminal_five-01-17-03-2008...jpg
  • Looking at International Arrivals of Heathrow airport's Terminal 5. Designed by architects Richard Rogers Partnership the controversial building opened with chaotic scenes on 27/3/08. British Airways passengers faced baggage disruption after a 6 year construction project that has seen the British public divided over the role of commercial aviation. At a cost of £4.3bn, the project was Britain's longest planning inquiry which lasted four years but finally employing a total of 60,000 workers. 30,000 square metres of glass in walls; 80,000 tonnes of steel were used - 17,000 in the roof alone; 5,000 doors, 800 toilets, 20,000 power sockets and 1,700 miles of cable; 60 new aircraft stands, including 14 for the Airbus A380; 13km of tunnels were bored for the state-of-the-art baggage handling to handle 12,000 bags per hour.
    heathrow_terminal_five-20-17-03-2008...jpg
  • Looking up to the Nokia information screen and 40m high roof of Heathrow airport's Terminal 5. Designed by architects Richard Rogers Partnership the controversial building opened with chaotic scenes on 27/3/08. British Airways passengers faced baggage disruption after a 6 year construction project that has seen the British public divided over the role of commercial aviation. At a cost of £4.3bn, the project was Britain's longest planning inquiry which lasted four years but finally employing a total of 60,000 workers. 30,000 square metres of glass in walls; 80,000 tonnes of steel were used - 17,000 in the roof alone; 5,000 doors, 800 toilets, 20,000 power sockets and 1,700 miles of cable; 60 new aircraft stands, including 14 for the Airbus A380; 13km of tunnels were bored for the state-of-the-art baggage handling to handle 12,000 bags per hour.
    heathrow_terminal_five-04-17-03-2008...jpg
  • Looking up to the Fast Bag Drop facility Heathrow airport's Terminal 5. Designed by architects Richard Rogers Partnership the controversial building opened with chaotic scenes on 27/3/08. British Airways passengers faced baggage disruption after a 6 year construction project that has seen the British public divided over the role of commercial aviation. At a cost of £4.3bn, the project was Britain's longest planning inquiry which lasted four years but finally employing a total of 60,000 workers. 30,000 square metres of glass in walls; 80,000 tonnes of steel were used - 17,000 in the roof alone; 5,000 doors, 800 toilets, 20,000 power sockets and 1,700 miles of cable; 60 new aircraft stands, including 14 for the Airbus A380; 13km of tunnels were bored for the state-of-the-art baggage handling to handle 12,000 bags per hour.
    heathrow_terminal_five-05-17-03-2008...jpg
  • In mid-day heat of the arid Arizona desert, a complete set of main landing gear undercarriage stands upright amid a field of similar items from airliners at the storage facility at Davis Monthan, Tucson. Here, the fate of the world’s retired civil airliners is decided by age or cooling economy. Cannibalised for still-working parts or recycled for scrap, their aluminium is worth more than their sum total. Elsewhere, assorted aircraft wrecks sit abandoned in the scrub minus their bellies, legs or wings like dying birds. After a lifetime of safe commercial flight, wings are clipped and cockpits sliced apart by huge guillotines, cutting through their engineering. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis42-15-08-1998_1.jpg
  • In the darkness of a taxiway at the southern end of Heathrow Airport, the bright lights of an engineering hangar spill out into the night. A Boeing 747 Jumbo jet sits nose-in behind another during a scheduled set of maintenance tasks that every aircraft needs to keep to in order for its continued airworthiness. The unmistakable shape of this large aircraft is a half-silhouette against the intensity of the hangar and blue flare spots that arise from the internal glass in the camera's lens. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).
    heathrow_airport1564-19-08-2009_1.jpg
  • A United Airlines ramp agent stands in the terminal building of Chicago O'Hare airport before continuing his airside shift, dispatching and communicating with his operational airline colleagues. The man stands with hands in pockets wearing his company issue fluorescent safety jacket with reflective materials important on the ramp, in the company of dangerous vehicles and running aircraft engines. Ensuring the smooth arrival and departures of flights across America and the rest of the world, he is a key member of the airline at its O'Hare hub. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis55-10-11-2000_1.jpg
  • In mid-day heat of the arid Arizona desert sit the remains of a Boeing airliner and a US Navy fighter jet and engines stacked  at the storage facility at Davis Monthan, Tucson. Here, the fate of the world’s retired civil airliners and military aircraft are decided by age or a cooling economy and are either cannibalised for still-working parts or recycled for scrap, their aluminium fuselages worth more than their sum total. After a lifetime of safe flight, wings are clipped and cockpits sliced apart by huge guillotines, cutting through their once-magnificant engineering. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_graveyard07-16-03-2008_1.jpg
  • In mid-day heat of the arid Sonoran desert sit the remains of a Boeing 747 airliner at the storage facility at Mojave, California. Here, the fate of the world’s retired civil airliners is decided by age or a cooling economy and are either cannibalised for still-working parts or recycled for scrap, their aluminium fuselages worth more than their sum total. After a lifetime of safe commercial flight, wings are clipped and cockpits sliced apart by huge guillotines, cutting through their once-magnificant engineering. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_graveyard02-16-03-2008-15-0...jpg
  • A female passenger leans forward with head in hands amid the busy terminal at Chicago O'Hare Airport, Illinois, USA. Fellow-travellers in the background appear unworried, waiting for their respective flights in a calm manner. The lady in the foreground's body language however, suggests fatigue and distress and perhaps a fear of flying. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis52-10-11-2000_1.jpg
  • A gentleman Sky Cap stands in front of the terminal building at Santa Barbara Municipal Airport, California, USA. Wearing his red waste-coat, ID badge and cap he holds the handle of the baggage trolley with which he assists passengers to offload their belongings and guides them to the check-in counters inside. The man has a greying beard and sunglasses against the glare and is an eager helper to those struggling with heavy travel possessions. On the ground are stencilled the words 'Passenger Loading Only' referring to where departing travellers might seek help with baggage. There are armies of workers across the world keeping airlines and airports running 24/7. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis47-10-11-2000_1.jpg
  • A father supports his son on his shoulders as a giant four-engined airliner passes directly overhead, about to land at London's Heathrow airport, England. Seen from a low angle, we see the graphic cruciform shape of the aircraft as it screams past two powerful airfield landing lights that help guide arriving aircraft to the runway. The backlit scene is largely monochrome apart from the boys red t-shirt and yellow-faced watch which are lit by flash, underexposing the overcast sky. Prior to 9/11, British airport authorities and police tolerated plane spotters near runway fences but with heightened terrorist alerts, these enthusiasts are told to move on or face arrest. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis13-17-08-1997_1.jpg
  • In the darkness of a taxiway at the southern end of Heathrow Airport, the bright lights of an engineering hangar spill out into the night. A Boeing 747 Jumbo jet sits nose-in behind another during a scheduled set of maintenance tasks that every aircraft needs to keep to in order for its continued airworthiness. The unmistakable shape of this large aircraft is a half-silhouette against the intensity of the hangar and blue flare spots that arise from the internal glass in the camera's lens. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). .
    heathrow_airport1564-19-08-2009_1 1.jpg
  • In mid-day heat of the arid Sonoran desert sit the remains of a Boeing airliner sat the storage facility at Mojave, California. Here, the fate of the world’s retired civil airliners is decided by age or a cooling economy and are either cannibalised for still-working parts or recycled for scrap, their aluminium fuselages worth more than their sum total. After a lifetime of safe commercial flight, wings are clipped and cockpits sliced apart by huge guillotines, cutting through their once-magnificant engineering. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_graveyard04-16-03-2008-15-0...jpg
  • Late at night, in a gloomy arrivals gate at Chicago O'Hare airport, a young man sits patiently on his own awaiting the arrival of his girlfriend after a holiday in Asia. It is the last flight to land and a helium balloon floats on a string bearing the words 'Welcome Home', a popular gesture for relatives in airports around the world, each having their own cultural way of showing affection for arriving family members after long absences. The balloon stands still, the only colour amid the drab interior of this sprawling airport hub. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis54-10-11-2000_1.jpg
  • In the heat and dust of the arid Sonoran desert are the remains of a Boeing 747 cockpit at the storage facility at Mojave, California. The wiring of the now-extinct flight engineer's console is a jumble of old technology. Either by age or cooling economy airliners are either cannibalised for still-working parts or recycled for scrap, their aluminium fuselages worth more than their sum total. Elsewhere, assorted aircraft wrecks sit abandoned in the scrub minus their bellies, legs or wings like dying birds. After a lifetime of safe commercial flight, wings are clipped and cockpits sliced apart by huge guillotines, cutting through their once-magnificent engineering. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis43-15-08-1998_1.jpg
  • In mid-day heat of the arid Sonoran desert sit the remains of Boeing 747 airliners at the storage facility at Mojave, California. Here, the fate of the world’s retired civil airliners is decided by age or a cooling economy and are either cannibalised for still-working parts or recycled for scrap, their aluminium fuselages worth more than their sum total. After a lifetime of safe commercial flight, wings are clipped and cockpits sliced apart by huge guillotines, cutting through their once-magnificant engineering. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis40-15-08-1998_1.jpg
  • Fading, graduated light of the arid Sonoran desert shows the remains of airliners at the storage facility at Mojave, California, their silhouettes forming a line of aviation's by-gone era. Because of age or a cooling economy they are either cannibalised for still-working parts or recycled for scrap, their aluminium fuselages worth more than their sum total. After a lifetime of safe commercial flight, wings are clipped and cockpits sliced apart by huge guillotines, cutting through their once-magnificent engineering. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis41-15-08-1998_1.jpg
  • In mid-day heat of the arid Sonoran desert sits the gutted remains of a Lockheed Tri-Star airliner at the storage facility at Mojave, California. Here, the fate of the world’s retired civil airliners is decided by age or a cooling economy and are either cannibalised for still-working parts or recycled for scrap, their aluminium fuselages worth more than their sum total. After a lifetime of safe commercial flight, wings are clipped and cockpits sliced apart by huge guillotines, cutting through the sleek curves. Elsewhere, Jumbo jets, Airbuses and assorted Boeings sit abandoned in the scrub minus their bellies, legs or wings like dying birds. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis39-15-08-1998_1.jpg
  • Like a huge caged animal in a zoo, the cockpit section of a Boeing 747 'jumbo' jet is perceived peering over the barbed-wire perimeter fence at London's Heathrow airport between engineering schedules and more transcontinental flights. Two fluffy cumulus clouds are stacked vertically above the hump of the airliner's nose to form three white blotches of the same tone. This major hub is mainly for British Airways operations, one of the three busiest airports in the world. When asked what is his favourite building of the Century, architect Sir Norman Foster offered the 747 the Jumbo has since carried 2.2 billion people: 40% of the world’s population. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis14-17-08-1997_1.jpg
  • Like a huge caged animal in a zoo, the cockpit section of a Boeing 747 'jumbo' jet is perceived peering over the barbed-wire perimeter fence at London's Heathrow airport between engineering schedules and more transcontinental flights. Two fluffy cumulus clouds are stacked vertically above the hump of the airliner's nose to form three white blotches of the same tone. This major hub is mainly for British Airways operations, one of the three busiest airports in the world. When asked what is his favourite building of the Century, architect Sir Norman Foster offered the 747 the Jumbo has since carried 2.2 billion people: 40% of the world’s population. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis14-17-08-1997_1 1.jpg
  • A father supports his son on his shoulders as a giant four-engined airliner passes directly overhead, about to land at London's Heathrow airport, England. Seen from a low angle, we see the graphic cruciform shape of the aircraft as it screams past two powerful airfield landing lights that help guide arriving aircraft to the runway. The backlit scene is largely monochrome apart from the boys red t-shirt and yellow-faced watch which are lit by flash, underexposing the overcast sky. Prior to 9/11, British airport authorities and police tolerated plane spotters near runway fences but with heightened terrorist alerts, these enthusiasts are told to move on or face arrest. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis13-17-08-1997_1 1.jpg
  • A view along the fuselage of a DC3 Dakota, from its tail aileron to its propeller. Pointing upwards as it sits on a low tail wheel and with one of its 4 propellers still against a blue sky, we see the plane painted in the colours that many appeared in during the D-Day landings in June 1944, from where paratroopers jumped out for the eventual invasion of German-occupied France. The Douglas DC-3 is a fixed-wing propeller-driven airliner. Its speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made. Many DC-3s and converted C-47s are still used in all parts of the world. The designation "DC" stands for "Douglas Commercial".
    dakota01-07-08-2000_1.jpg
  • Seen from an aerial walkway, we look down on airline passengers awaiting the arrival of their baggage in the baggage reclaim hall in the arrivals of Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5. 50-70,000 pieces of British Airways baggage a day travel through 11 miles of conveyor belts which were installed in a 5-storey underground hall beneath the 400m (a quarter of a mile) length of Terminal 5. T5 alone has the capacity to serve around 30 million passengers a year and was completed in 2008 at a cost of £4.3bn. The system was designed by an integrated team from the airport operator BAA, BA and Vanderlande Industries of the Netherlands, and handles both intra-terminal and inter-terminal luggage. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).
    heathrow_airport1527-19-08-2009_1 1.jpg
  • 50-70,000 pieces of British Airways baggage a day travel through 11 miles of conveyor belts which were installed in a 5-storey underground hall beneath the 400m (a quarter of a mile) length of Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport. Here we see items of luggage spending 4 hours in transit, held in a fully-automated parking lot for bags. Computers decide when to fish the item out and re-introduce it into the system and load it on to the appropriate aircraft. T5 alone has the capacity to serve around 30 million passengers a year and was completed in 2008 at a cost of £4.3bn. The system was designed by an integrated team from the airport operator BAA, BA and Vanderlande Industries of the Netherlands, and handles both intra-terminal and inter-terminal luggage. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).
    heathrow_airport1187-13-08-2009_1.jpg
  • 50-70,000 pieces of British Airways baggage a day travel through these 11 miles of conveyor belts which were installed in a 5-storey underground hall beneath the 400m (a quarter of a mile) length of Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport. T5 alone has the capacity to serve around 30 million passengers a year and was completed in 2008 at a cost of £4.3bn. The system was designed by an integrated team from the airport operator BAA, BA and Vanderlande Industries of the Netherlands, and handles both intra-terminal and inter-terminal luggage. There are four colour codes: Yellow for out-of-gauge (oversized, like golf clubs); dark blue for not x-rayed; light blue for transfer and red, meaning the item has been subjected to 12 seconds of x-ray scanning. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).
    heathrow_airport1177-13-08-2009_1.jpg
  • 50-70,000 pieces of British Airways baggage a day travel through 11 miles of conveyor belts which were installed in a 5-storey underground hall beneath the 400m (a quarter of a mile) length of Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport. Here we see items of luggage spending 4 hours in transit, held in a fully-automated parking lot for bags. Computers decide when to fish the item out and re-introduce it into the system and load it on to the appropriate aircraft. T5 alone has the capacity to serve around 30 million passengers a year and was completed in 2008 at a cost of £4.3bn. The system was designed by an integrated team from the airport operator BAA, BA and Vanderlande Industries of the Netherlands, and handles both intra-terminal and inter-terminal luggage. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).
    heathrow_airport1184-13-08-2009_1.jpg
  • Seen from an aerial walkway, we look down on a lady airline passenger being helped to pull her heavy suitacse from the carousel in the baggage reclaim hall in the arrivals of Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5. 50-70,000 pieces of British Airways baggage a day travel through 11 miles of conveyor belts which were installed in a 5-storey underground hall beneath the 400m (a quarter of a mile) length of Terminal 5. T5 alone has the capacity to serve around 30 million passengers a year and was completed in 2008 at a cost of £4.3bn. The system was designed by an integrated team from the airport operator BAA, BA and Vanderlande Industries of the Netherlands, and handles both intra-terminal and inter-terminal luggage. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).
    heathrow_airport459-14-07-2009_1.jpg
  • Seen from an aerial walkway, we look down on airline passengers awaiting the arrival of their baggage in the baggage reclaim hall in the arrivals of Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5. 50-70,000 pieces of British Airways baggage a day travel through 11 miles of conveyor belts which were installed in a 5-storey underground hall beneath the 400m (a quarter of a mile) length of Terminal 5. T5 alone has the capacity to serve around 30 million passengers a year and was completed in 2008 at a cost of £4.3bn. The system was designed by an integrated team from the airport operator BAA, BA and Vanderlande Industries of the Netherlands, and handles both intra-terminal and inter-terminal luggage. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).
    heathrow_airport1527-19-08-2009_1.jpg
  • 50-70,000 pieces of British Airways baggage a day travel through 11 miles of conveyor belts which were installed in a 5-storey underground hall beneath the 400m (a quarter of a mile) length of Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport. Here we see items of luggage spending 4 hours in transit, held in a fully-automated parking lot for bags. Computers decide when to fish the item out and re-introduce it into the system and load it on to the appropriate aircraft. T5 alone has the capacity to serve around 30 million passengers a year and was completed in 2008 at a cost of £4.3bn. The system was designed by an integrated team from the airport operator BAA, BA and Vanderlande Industries of the Netherlands, and handles both intra-terminal and inter-terminal luggage. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).
    heathrow_airport1187-13-08-2009_1 1.jpg
  • 50-70,000 pieces of British Airways baggage a day travel through 11 miles of conveyor belts which were installed in a 5-storey underground hall beneath the 400m (a quarter of a mile) length of Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport. Here we see items of luggage spending 4 hours in transit, held in a fully-automated parking lot for bags. Computers decide when to fish the item out and re-introduce it into the system and load it on to the appropriate aircraft. T5 alone has the capacity to serve around 30 million passengers a year and was completed in 2008 at a cost of £4.3bn. The system was designed by an integrated team from the airport operator BAA, BA and Vanderlande Industries of the Netherlands, and handles both intra-terminal and inter-terminal luggage. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).
    heathrow_airport1184-13-08-2009_1 1.jpg
  • A French Dassault-Breguet Mirage military jet interceptor/fighter stands on a pedestal in the Place de la Concorde, Paris during an aviation display weekend along the Champs Elysées. Passers-by seem oblivious to this celebration of French aviation as they walk through the Parisian square, the scene of public executions during the revolution. The Mirage seems to be climbing off its platform and up into the cloudless summer afternoon sky as a young child sits on top of his father's shoulders and passengers in a city bus seem trapped behind the windows. Its is a scene of incongruous moments, a surreal appearance of frightening military technology amid the calm of a public place. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis28-15-09-1998_1.jpg
  • The Star on a decommissioned Air Transport Command aircraft at North Weald Airfield near Epping.
    IMG_1621_1_1.jpg
  • A family just arrived from Chennai (India) drags heavy suitcases from the carousel in the arrivals of Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5. 50-70,000 pieces of British Airways baggage a day travel through 11 miles of conveyor belts which were installed in a 5-storey underground hall beneath the 400m (a quarter of a mile) length of Terminal 5. T5 alone has the capacity to serve around 30 million passengers a year and was completed in 2008 at a cost of £4.3bn. The system was designed by an integrated team from the airport operator BAA, BA and Vanderlande Industries of the Netherlands, and handles both intra-terminal and inter-terminal luggage. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).
    heathrow_airport1533-19-08-2009_1.jpg
  • A British Airways baggage handler scans the bar code of his airline passenger's item of luggage before loading it into the aircraft hold container bins. 50-70,000 pieces of BA baggage a day travel through 11 miles of conveyor belts which were installed in a 5-storey underground hall beneath the 400m (a quarter of a mile) length of Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport. T5 alone has the capacity to serve around 30 million passengers a year and was completed in 2008 at a cost of £4.3bn. The system was designed by an integrated team from the airport operator BAA, BA and Vanderlande Industries of the Netherlands, and handles both intra-terminal and inter-terminal luggage. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).
    heathrow_airport1200-13-08-2009_1.jpg
  • A competitor in the annual Birdman of Bognor event attempts to fly at Bognor Regis, East Sussex, England. English eccentrics gather annually at the southern seaside town to jump from the pier into the chilly waters of the English Channel. Fun jumpers ‘wearing’ their aeroplane suits compete for a £25,000 prize for the one to fly 100 metres from the pier platform – a record not yet achieved. Entrants (who often jump for charity rather than any aeronautical pretensions) include sugar plum fairies, condoms, Ninja Turtles and vampires. The winner was a hang-glider pilot reaching 26 metres but here, a Spitfire sponsored by a milk company drops vertically. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis22-27-05-2001_1.jpg
  • A British Airways baggage handler scans the bar code of his airline passenger's item of luggage before loading it into the aircraft hold container bins. 50-70,000 pieces of BA baggage a day travel through 11 miles of conveyor belts which were installed in a 5-storey underground hall beneath the 400m (a quarter of a mile) length of Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport. T5 alone has the capacity to serve around 30 million passengers a year and was completed in 2008 at a cost of £4.3bn. The system was designed by an integrated team from the airport operator BAA, BA and Vanderlande Industries of the Netherlands, and handles both intra-terminal and inter-terminal luggage. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).
    heathrow_airport1200-13-08-2009_1 1.jpg
  • A competitor in the annual Birdman of Bognor event stands on the pier floor boards at Bognor Regis, East Sussex, England. English eccentrics gather annually at the southern seaside town to jump from the pier into the chilly waters of the English Channel. Fun jumpers ‘wearing’ their aeroplane suits compete for a £25,000 prize for the one to fly 100 metres from the pier platform – a record not yet achieved. Entrants (who often jump for charity rather than any aeronautical pretensions) include sugar plum fairies, condoms, Ninja Turtles and vampires. The winner was a hang-glider pilot reaching 26 metres but here, a Spitfire pilot sponsored by a milk company eventually dropped vertically. Picture from the 'Plane Pictures' project, a celebration of aviation aesthetics and flying culture, 100 years after the Wright brothers first 12 seconds/120 feet powered flight at Kitty Hawk,1903.
    aviation_corbis23-27-05-2001_1.jpg
  • Inside one of Nottingham’s zero emissions Ecolink buses in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom. The electric buses are part of the City Council’s campaign to reduce noise and air pollution in the city centre, while still providing accessible public transport.
    UK-Public-Transport-Nottingham-4058.jpg
  • Inside one of Nottingham’s zero emissions Ecolink buses in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom. The electric buses are part of the City Council’s campaign to reduce noise and air pollution in the city centre, while still providing accessible public transport.
    UK-Public-Transport-Nottingham-4063.jpg
  • People crossing the road in front of a Nottingham Express Transit NET tram on Market Street, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom. One of the Ecolink buses is driving alongside, which is a zero emissions, electric bus that reduces air and noise pollution in the city.
    UK-Public-Transport-Nottingham-4092.jpg
  • Two army officers from Ecuador admire an air-to-ground PARS 3 LR missile at the Paris Air Show, Le Bourget France. The two men (the man on the right's name badge says M Pazmino), admire the sleek design of the missile called PARS 3 LR in German but known as TRIGAT-LR (Third Generation AntiTank, Long Range) and AC 3G in the French military, the missile is a high-precision 'fire-and-forget' weapon system for engaging mobile and stationary targets equipped with the latest generation of armour protection, such as tanks, field fortresses, bunkers and other high-value targets. The system can launch up to four salvos in eight seconds. <br />
The Paris Air Show is a commercial air show, organised by the French aerospace industry whose purpose is to demonstrate military and civilian aircraft to potential customers.
    paris_air_show085-20-06-2007.jpg
  • Two employees of the Japanese aircraft manufacturer Mitsubishi sit in a full-scale model of their MRJ at the Paris Air Show, Le Bourget France. Seated in different rows of this stylish small regional jet, they awkwardly stare expressionless, straight ahead and although the seats are real, the mock-up fuselage is in the middle of an exhibition hall. The MRJ is a next generation jetliner with 70 or 90 seat economy class configurations, the first regional jet to adopt composite materials for its wings and vertical fins on significant scale. The Paris Air Show expo is a commercial air show, organised by the French aerospace industry who demonstrate military and civilian aircraft equipment to interested customers.
    paris_air_show028-20-06-2007.jpg
  • Nottingham Express Transit NET trams, travelling through Nottingham city centre outside Old Market Square, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom. Trams run throughout the city to stop people using cars and encourage them to use more sustainable transport mechanisms.
    UK-Public-Transport-Nottingham-4077.jpg
  • A Nottingham Express Transit NET tram outside Old Market Square in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom. The tram network in Nottingham has 51 stops and provides an alternative, more sustainable mode of transport for commuters and tourists.
    UK-Public-Transport-Nottingham-4106.jpg
  • Nottingham Express Transit NET tram, number 231, traveling through Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom. Trams run throughout the city to stop people using cars and encourage them to use more sustainable transport mechanisms.
    UK-Public-Transport-Nottingham-4160.jpg
  • Nottingham Express Transit NET tram, number 231, traveling through Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom. Trams run throughout the city to stop people using cars and encourage them to use more sustainable transport mechanisms.
    UK-Public-Transport-Nottingham-4154.jpg
  • A Nottingham Express Transit NET tram outside Old Market Square in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom. The tram network in Nottingham has 51 stops and provides an alternative, more sustainable mode of transport for commuters and tourists.
    UK-Public-Transport-Nottingham-4114.jpg
  • A Nottingham Express Transit NET tram, number 210, travelling through Nottingham city centre outside Old Market Square, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom. Trams run throughout the city to stop people using cars and encourage them to use more sustainable transport mechanisms.
    UK-Public-Transport-Nottingham-4070.jpg
  • Priority seats on an Ecolink bus, one of Nottingham’s zero emissions buses, in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom. The electric buses are part of the City Council’s campaign to reduce noise and air pollution in the city centre, while still providing accessible public transport.
    UK-Public-Transport-Nottingham-3949.jpg
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