Wazzup Pilipinas!
Humanity never lost its ability to dream and always wanted to achieve that which was impossible at first. Flight is one such thing. Countless myths and legends are based around the idea of flying - like that of Daedelus and Icarus. History of flight is extensive and filled with incredible mishaps and breakthroughs.
From initial efforts in ancient China to Leonardo Da Vinci's flying machine and to the legacy of Wright brothers - who are known for the first recorded flight in 1903. All of these developments are significant in illustrating the strong desire humankind had, the urge to stop being bound to the ground and explore unseen heights.
Ever since humanity learned to fly air transport improved by leaps and bounds, in massive increments.
Aerial vehicles have particular uses now — military and transportation.
Many varieties if air transport were developed over the years — helicopters, planes that range from small ones like Cessnas to huge airliners like the Airbus and to military marvels like the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird (it holds the record as the fastest aircraft for about 40 years at this point).
The less conventional ones – hang gliders, hot air balloons, zeppelins, blimps, and parachutes - can also be used as a means of transportation, but for the sake of this article their characteristics will not be included in the advantage/disadvantage rundown.
When it comes to traveling, every kind of transport comes with its set of pros and cons.
What are the advantages of air transport?
Speed, Mobility, and Punctuality
Speed, Mobility, and Punctuality
Airliners are not balloons or blimps. The have a streamlined design, and powerful jet engines allow them to reach tremendous speeds. Cruise liners travel at around 80% of Mach 1 (M1 is the speed of sound – 1,236 km/h; 768 mph).
No land vehicle can come close to air transport regarding sheer speed and consistency.
Maglev (magnetic levitation) trains and railways can get very fast, but they're still not there yet and won't be for quite some time.
Speed is a factor not only due to jet engines, but there are also no roads or limiting factors in terms of mobility. The route is a direct line from point A to point B. There is no delay in procuring clearance, and there is no concept of traffic. No railways, no roads, no additional construction of any kind is required, apart from the airstrips.
On the other side of mobility spectrum, there are helicopters. They only need a small landing pad to take off as do some VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) vehicles like Harrier jets.
Planes and helicopters are used in agricultural applications (spreading pesticides or other pest deterrents to save a harvest of crops) and to combat raging forest fires.
Air transport is a prompt and convenient way to travel and transport goods.
Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
