#Flights From Port Land To Aurora

[flysairr]

Flights From Port Land To Aurora

About

An aurora (plural: auroras, aurorae), also known as the Polar lights, is a natural light display found in the Earth's skies. It is most commonly seen in high-latitude areas (around the Arctic or Antarctic). The auroras are dynamic patterns of bright lights that cover the sky in a variety of ways, including rays and spirals, curtains, flickers, or rays.

The solar winds cause disturbances in the magnetic field. Major disturbances are caused by enhancements in speed of the sun's energy from coronal hole and solar mass ejections. These disturbances affect the trajectory of charged particles within the magnetospheric Plasma. These particles, mainly electrons and protons, precipitate into the upper atmosphere (thermosphere/exosphere). The resulting Ionization, and excitation of atmospheric constituents produce light of different colour and complexity. The acceleration of precipitating particles also affects the form of aurora. It can be found in bands around both the polar regions.

The auroras can be found on most of the planets in our Solar System.

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Places To Visit In Aurora

Aurora is one of Colorado's most energetic and vibrant cities. The destination is full of unique attractions and one-of a kind activities. You can have a relaxing vacation or take a day trip to the Rockies from Aurora. To confirm the current opening hours, call the restaurants and attractions before you visit.

1. Cherry Creek State Park

Cherry Creek State Park, Denver's spacious backyard playground, offers fresh air and beautiful views. The park surrounds an 880-acre reservoir. There is so much to do and see. Natural prairie environments are lively in summer, and calm and peaceful in fall. You can go camping, hiking, picnicking and horseback riding. Or you can have fun at the shooting range.

2. Southlands

Southlands, a modern Main Street located in the heart southeast Aurora, is a hub of fashion, dining and entertainment. The atmosphere is cozy, convenient, and charming making it a great place to meet with family and friends. The Southlands Outdoor Lifestyle Center is the main focal point of the area. It's surrounded with Main Street, a community plaza, a state–of-the–art health club facility and theatre, as well as restaurants, entertainment venues and retail shops. H&M, Barnes & Nobles, American Eagle and Charming Charlie are just a few of the restaurants and stores that can be found there. Ted's Montana Grill and Tokyo Joe's are also nearby.

3.Aurora Reservoir

The Aurora Reservoir covers 31,000 acres. It has three coves, Senac, Lone Tree and Marina. The reservoir and its environs provide drinking water for Aurora.

4. Aurora History Museum

The Aurora History Museum is a part of the Library and Cultural Services Department. It was established in 1979. Although it moved from the original building, the museum still displays a large collection artifacts as well as documents. These exhibits highlight the people and events that have shaped Colorado's history. You will find several rotating exhibits that highlight different aspects of the city, such as Drink Local: Aurora’s Craft Beer Scene. This exhibition showcases the history and current state of craft beer in the region and invites companies to take part.

5. Vintage Theatre

In 2002, a group of friends started the Vintage Theater after they shared their passion for the arts with each other over martinis. They bought a beautiful theater within a few years and the company grew. It now provides a safe haven for the community to enjoy cutting edge theatre, improv and workshops as well as classes and other entertainment.

FAQ's

What is Aurora CO famous for?

Aurora, Colorado, is the third-largest city in Colorado. It's also known for its culture, artistic exhibits and outdoor recreation. There are many things to do in this city, including sailing, golfing and live theatre.

Is Aurora CO A good place?

Aurora has a population close to 400,000 and is well-known for its great schools, outstanding health care, outdoor recreation and relaxing atmosphere. It is Colorado's third largest city. The residents love their community and it is a wonderful place to live.

Are Aurora and Denver bigger?

Aurora's population was 350,000 in 2013. This is twice the population of Fort Collins, and more than triple that of Pueblo. What about acreage? Aurora is larger than Denver, but less built out.

[usafphantom2]

IMAGES: Elephant Walk with 5th generation fighters in Japan

The USAF and USMC gathered 28 F-22 and F-35 stealth fighters in the exercise in Japan.

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 07/09/2022 - 11:58 AM in Military

The 354th Air Expeditionary Wing of the U.S. Air Force and the Marine Aircraft Group 12 of the USMC held a capacity demonstration during a pre-planned period of the readiness exercise at the Marine Corps Air Station in Iwakuni, Japan, on July 7, 2022.( Photo: U.S. Marine Corps / Staff Sgt. Jessika Braden)

The U.S. Air Force and Marine Corps conducted an "Elephant Walk" readiness training with almost three dozen fifth-generation F-22 and F-35 fighters in Japan.

The exercise, which the air force calls an "elephant walk", took place at the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station in Iwakuni, Japan, and involved eight F-35B Lightning II aircraft assigned to Maritime Aircraft Group 12 and 10 F-22 Raptors fighters and 10 F-35A Lightning II aircraft of the U.S. Air Force (USAF).

The term elephant walk dates back to World War II, when large fleets of Allied bombers carried out attacks on missions, with hundreds of aircraft taxiing close to each other before takeoff.

Training in Japan also included five F/A-18 Hornets of the U.S. Marine Corps and a KC-130J Super Hercules aircraft. The large training exercise tested the ability of the units to quickly generate joint air power in support of Japan's defense, ensuring the stability and security of a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

“It was a great opportunity for us to demonstrate our joint air power capacity alongside our MAG-12 partners with their various aircraft,” said U.S. Air Force Colonel David Berkland, commander of the 354th AEW. “This demonstration and the joint training missions we flew later have allowed us to improve our already formidables ?? Integration tactics with the U.S. Marine Corps."

The 354th AEW has been conducting agile combat employment training at MCAS Iwakuni last month. MCAS Iwakuni is uniquely qualified to enable the Joint Force, either through the use of the port and the station's aerodrome, serving as a starting point for non-organic aircraft operations or any other operational activity.

After demonstrating their capabilities, the pilots carried out local training missions in the approved training airspace around Iwakuni.

Tags: Military AviationElephant WalkF-22 RaptorF-35 Lightning IIUSAF - United States Air Force / U.S. Air ForceUSMC - United States Marine Corps

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Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, he has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in a specialized aviation magazine in Brazil and abroad. He uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.

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Before returning to Brazil, the group visited the Swedish Air Force F7 squadron in Såtenäs, so that they could follow, in real time, the Gripen being prepared for missions, piloted by pilots of the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) in training. A second group of FAB technicians is expected to arrive in Sweden in August to continue the training.

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[laannie0803]

Lady Rhaena Targaryen, apodada Rhaena de Pentos y Rhae, fue la hija menor del príncipe Daemon Targaryen y su segunda esposa, Lady Laena Velaryon. Tuvo una hermana gemela, Baela.

Fue nombrada en honor a su abuela materna, Rhaenys Targaryen. Rhaena y su hermana gemela Baela nacieron pequeñas y enfermizas pero cuando cumplieron medio año de edad y se encontraban más fuertes, Laena y las niñas navegaron hacia Marcaderiva. Poco después, fueron presentadas en la corte por su padre para recibir la bendición del rey Viserys I Targaryen, a pesar del desagrado del Consejo Privado.

En 118 d.C., con la bendición del rey Viserys I Targaryen, la princesa Rhaenyra Targaryen anunció el compromiso de su hijo, el príncipe Lucerys Velaryon, con Lady Rhaena.

Tenía trece años cuando estalló la guerra civil conocida como la Danza de los Dragones. Mientras su hermana se quedó en Rocadragón, Lady Rhaena partió al Valle de Arryn acompañando al príncipe Joffrey Velaryon hasta Puerto Gaviota para defender el Valle contra los dragones del rey Aegon II Targaryen. Rhaena llevó tres huevos de dragón con ella al Valle, orando porque todos eclosionaran.

Cuando su madrastra Rhaenyra Targaryen se hizo con el dominio de Desembarco del Rey y el Trono de Hierro, Lady Rhaena se quedó en el Valle como pupila de Lady Jeyne Arryn. Rhaena disfrutó una vida de comodidad y privilegio, con doncellas que le cepillaban el pelo y la bañaban, mientras que los bardos componían odas a su belleza y los caballeros justaban por su favor.

En el Valle, el huevo de dragón de Rhaena eclosionó una cría de color rosa claro con cuernos y cresta negros, al que Rhaena llamó Aurora. Hacia el final de la guerra civil, Lady Arryn reunió mil quinientos caballeros y ocho mil soldados y se dispuso a partir hacia Desembarco del Rey; cuando las noticias de la posible llegada a la capital las fuerzas de Lady Arryn y de Lady Rhaena con su cría de dragón, la reina Alicent Hightower temió que el pueblo llano se pusiera de parte de los Negros.

En la corte de su hermanastro, Baela y Rhaena eran las únicas Targaryen vivas aparte del rey Aegon III y la reina Jaehaera, pues supuestamente el príncipe Viserys había muerto. Lady Rhaena y Lady Baela salían a cazar, a practicar la cetrería, daban limosnas a los pobres, recibían a los emisarios y señores visitantes junto a la Mano del Rey y hacían de anfitrionas en las fiestas, mascaradas y bailes. Mientras Baela se erizaba ante los halagos, Rhaena estaba encantada de ser el centro de la vida cortesana. Al igual que en el Nido de Águilas, decenas de jóvenes señores competían por sus sonrisas, los artistas le rogaban permiso para dibujarla o pintarla y los mejores sastres aspiraban al honor de coserle los vestidos. A cualquier lugar al que fuese Rhaena la acompañaba Aurora, su joven dragona, a menudo enroscada en sus hombros como si fuera una estola. Aunque era la gemela menor y su hermana Baela era considerada la heredera al Trono de Hierro, muchos creían que Rhaena era una mejor candidata, menos obstinada y que además poseía un dragón.

Al ser consultada por Ser Tyland sobre qué pretendiente prefería, y ella confesó que le "agradaba especialmente" Ser Corwyn Corbray, hermano menor de Lord Leowyn Corbray de Hogar y a quien había conocido cuando era pupila en el Valle de Arryn. Aunque Ser Corwyn era un segundo hijo, la Casa Corbray era antigua y prestigiosa, y su hermano había sido nombrado Protector del Reino; el consejo aceptó el deseo de Rhaena. Ser Corwyn y Lady Rhaena se comprometieron apresuradamente, y la boda se celebró quince días después.

Durante el Baile del Día de la Doncella en que se elegiría a la nueva esposa del rey Aegon III Targaryen, Lady Baela Velaryon y Lady Rhaena Corbray, demacrada y esquelética por el aborto sufrido, entraron en el salón a lomos de caballo. Afirmo que traían a su “nueva esposa”. Ser Corwyn apareció detrás con Lady Daenaera Velaryon, quien eventualmente sería la esposa del rey.

Tras la muerte de Lady Jeyne Arryn, Ser Corwyn fue enviado para resolver el asunto de la sucesión del Valle de Arryn. En Piedra de las Runas, Ser Corwyn se enfrentó a Lord Gunthor Royce y, tras sacar su espada Dama Desesperada, fue abatido por un ballestero, dejando a Rhaena viuda. Lady Baela partió a Rocadragón para consolar a su hermana.

A comienzos de 135 d.C., Lady Rhaena, que había cumplido los diecinueve, montó a Aurora por primera vez. En su vuelo inaugural dio una vuelta alrededor de la ciudad antes de volver a Pozo Dragón, pero con el paso de los días fue cobrando valor y alejándose más. Sólo aterrizó dentro de la Fortaleza Roja en una ocasión, pues el rey Aegon III aun temía a los dragones. Poco después, Lady Rhaena voló con Aurora a través de la bahía del Aguasnegras hasta Rocadragón.

Posteriormente, Lady Rhaena se casó con Garmund Hightower, a quien dio seis hijas.

Tanto ella como su hermana son personajes lindos e inteligentes (aun que siento que es exagerado lo que se decía sobre ella y su belleza). Esperemos que haya tenido una vida tranquila y feliz (aun que tampoco le calculo muchos años de vida).

Lady Rhaena Targaryen, nicknamed Rhaena de Pentos and Rhae, was the youngest daughter of Prince Daemon Targaryen and his second wife, Lady Laena Velaryon. She had a twin sister, Baela.

It was named in honor of her maternal grandmother, Rhaenys Targaryen. Rhaena and her twin sister Baela were born small and sick but when they were half a year old and stronger, Laena and the girls sailed to Marcaderiva. Soon after, they were brought to court by their father to receive the blessing of King Viserys I Targaryen, despite the displeasure of the Privy Council.

In AD 118, with the blessing of King Viserys I Targaryen, Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen announced the engagement of her son, Prince Lucerys Velaryon, to Lady Rhaena.

She was thirteen when the civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons broke out. While her sister stayed on Dragonstone, Lady Rhaena set out for the Valley of Arryn accompanying Prince Joffrey Velaryon to Port Gaviota to defend the Valley against the dragons of King Aegon II Targaryen. Rhaena brought three dragon eggs with her to the Valley, praying that they would all hatch.

When her stepmother Rhaenyra Targaryen took control of King's Landing and the Iron Throne domain, Lady Rhaena remained in the Valley as Lady Jeyne Arryn's pupil. Rhaena enjoyed a life of comfort and privilege, with maidens who brushed her hair and bathed her, while the bards composed odes to her beauty and the knights justified her favor.

In the Valley, Rhaena's dragon egg hatched a light pink hatchling with black horns and crest, which Rhaena called Aurora. Towards the end of the civil war, Lady Arryn gathered fifteen hundred knights and eight thousand soldiers and prepared to leave for King's Landing; When news of the possible arrival of Lady Arryn and Lady Rhaena's forces with their dragon calf in the capital, Queen Alicent Hightower feared that the common people would side with the Blacks.

At their stepbrother's court, Baela and Rhaena were the only Targaryens alive apart from King Aegon III and Queen Jaehaera, as Prince Viserys was allegedly dead. Lady Rhaena and Lady Baela went out to hunt, to practice falconry, gave alms to the poor, received emissaries and visiting lords along with the King's Hand, and played host to parties, masquerades, and dances. As Baela bristled at the flattery, Rhaena was delighted to be the center of court life. As in the Eagles' Nest, dozens of young lords competed for their smiles, the artists begged permission to draw or paint it, and the best tailors aspired to the honor of sewing their dresses. Wherever Rhaena went, she was accompanied by Aurora, her young dragon, often curled around her shoulders like a stole. Although she was the youngest twin and her sister Baela was considered the heir to the Iron Throne, many believed that Rhaena was a better candidate, less stubborn, and also possessed a dragon.

Asked by Ser Tyland about which suitor she preferred, and she confessed that she "especially liked" Ser Corwyn Corbray, Lord Leowyn Corbray's younger brother from Home and whom she had met as a pupil in the Valley of Arryn. Although Ser Corwyn was a second son, House Corbray was ancient and prestigious, and his brother had been named Protector of the Kingdom; the council accepted Rhaena's wish. Ser Corwyn and Lady Rhaena hastily engaged, and the wedding was held fifteen days later.

During the Maiden's Day Ball in which the new wife of King Aegon III Targaryen would be chosen, Lady Baela Velaryon and Lady Rhaena Corbray, emaciated and skeleton from the abortion suffered, entered the room on horseback. I affirm that they brought her “new wife”. Ser Corwyn appeared behind with Lady Daenaera Velaryon, who would eventually become the king's wife.

Following the death of Lady Jeyne Arryn, Ser Corwyn was sent to resolve the matter of the Arryn Valley estate. In Rune Stone, Ser Corwyn confronted Lord Gunthor Royce and, after drawing his Desperate Lady sword, was shot down by a crossbowman, leaving Rhaena a widow. Lady Baela went to Dragonstone to comfort her sister.

In early AD 135, Lady Rhaena, who had turned nineteen, rode Aurora for the first time. On her maiden flight, she circled the city before returning to Dragonwell, but as the days went by, she began to gain courage and move further away. She only landed inside the Red Keep once, as King Aegon III still feared dragons. Soon after, Lady Rhaena flew with Aurora through Blackwater Bay to Dragonstone.

Subsequently, Lady Rhaena married Garmund Hightower, whom she bore six daughters.

Both she and her sister are cute and intelligent characters (although I feel that what was said about her and her beauty is exaggerated). Hopefully he has had a calm and happy life (even though I don't calculate many years of his life either).

[ltwilliammowett]

Captain George Farmer by Charles Grignion 1778

He was born in 1732, was son of John Farmer, of a Northamptonshire family settled at Youghal in Ireland, a collateral branch of the Fermors, the earls of Pomfret, extinct in 1867. He went to sea at an early age in the merchant service, and afterwards, entering the navy, served as a midshipman of the Dreadnought with Captain Maurice Suckling in the West Indies, and in the Achilles, on the home station, with the Hon. Samuel Barrington. In May 1759 he was promoted to be lieutenant of the Aurora frigate, in which he served till January 1761 on the home station.

He was then placed on half-pay, and settled for the time in Norwich, where he had been previously employed on the impress service, and where he now married. In 1766 he is said to have given valuable assistance in suppressing a dangerous riot there, and to have been promoted to the rank of commander in May 1768, in consequence of the representations of the local magistrates. He had, however, no active employment till September 1769, when he was appointed to the Swift sloop. In her he went out to the Falkland Islands, where, on his arrival in the following March, he found that the Spaniards, having established themselves at Port Solidad, had sent to Port Egmont, peremptorily ordering the English to quit the settlement. As there was no English force to resist any aggression, the senior officer, Captain Hunt, determined to go to England with the news, leaving Farmer in command. A few days later the Swift sailed for a cruise round the islands; but in a violent gale was blown over to the coast of Patagonia, and in attempting to go into Port Desire struck on a rock, and was utterly lost. The crew escaped to the shore, but being entirely destitute Farmer despatched the cutter to Port Egmont with orders to the only remaining ship, the Favourite, to come to their relief.

On 16 April they arrived safely at Port Egmont. On 4 June a Spanish frigate anchored in the harbour; she was presently followed by four others, and the commandant wrote to Farmer that, having with him fourteen hundred troops and a train of artillery, he was in a position to compel the English to quit, if they hesitated any longer. Farmer replied that he should defend himself to the best of his power; but resistance against such an overwhelming force could be nothing more than complimentary, and accordingly when the Spaniards landed, Farmer, after firing his guns, capitulated on terms, an inventory of the stores being taken, and the English permitted to return to their own country in the Favourite. After arriving in September, Farmer, on being acquitted of all blame for the loss of the Swift, was appointed to the Tamar sloop, and a few months later, January 1771, was promoted to post rank.

In August 1773 he was appointed to the Seahorse frigate, and sailed for the East Indies, having among his petty officers Thomas Troubridge, a master's mate, and Horatio Nelson, a midshipman. On returning to England after an uneventful commission, Farmer was appointed in March 1778 to the Quebec frigate of thirty-two guns, in which he was employed during the year in convoy service in the North Sea. In 1779 he was stationed chiefly at Guernsey as a guard for the Channel Islands, and to gain intelligence. It was thus that as early as 18 June he sent over news that the French fleet had sailed from Brest, that the Spanish fleet had sailed from Cadiz, and that there were at Havre great preparations for an invading force. On 6 July he wrote that he had driven on shore and destroyed a convoy of forty-nine small vessels, with a 20-gun frigate and several armed vessels; but that the Quebec herself had struck heavily on the rocks, and he had been obliged to throw his guns overboard.

This necessitated his going to Portsmouth for repairs, and when these were finished, as there were no 12-pounders to replace the lost guns, he had to be supplied with 9-pounders, which were taken from another frigate not ready for sea. With this reduced armament, off Ushant, on 6 Oct., the Quebec met the French 18-pounder frigate Surveillante of 40 guns and nearly double the number of men. A sharp action ensued; after about three hours and a half both ships were dismasted; but the Quebec's sails falling over the guns caught fire, and the frigate was speedily in a blaze. There was little wind and a great swell; the Surveillante, completely disabled, was at some little distance; the Rambler cutter was to leeward, and also dismasted; and the French cutter Expédition, which had been engaged with the Rambler, had sought safety in flight. It was thus impossible to help the burning frigate, which after some four or five hours blew up. Sixty-six only out of about 195 that were on board were picked up by the boats of the Surveillante, of the Rambler, and of a Russian vessel that came on the scene; the rest, including Captain Farmer, perished. Farmer had been previously wounded, and his conduct both in the action and during the fire was so highly spoken of that, at the special request of the board of admiralty, a baronetcy was conferred on his eldest son, then a lad of seventeen years of age; a pension of 200l. a year to his widow, Rebecca, the daughter of Captain William Fleming of the royal navy; and of 25l. per annum to each of eight children, and a ninth not yet born.

- Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 18

[starcitizenprivateer]

Portfolio: Intergalactic Aerospace Expo

For spacecraft enthusiast Audrey Timmerman, Lo was the ideal place to grow up. Every day, a wide array of ships would make the trip into atmosphere from the bustling spacelanes above. Family members recalled Audrey spending her nights staring out the window of their flat in the Walden Towers housing development and identifying ships as they flew past solely on the configuration of their running lights. In an interview with the Terra Gazette, Timmerman couldn’t recall what first got her interested in aviation: “I don’t remember one specific ‘ah-ha’ moment. That love was just always there.”

Timmerman came from a family of modest means who couldn’t afford to own a ship, but her parents indulged her passion by taking her to New Junction’s bustling trade port to watch the ships take off and land. In 2656, Timmerman eagerly joined the Navy with dreams of becoming a pilot. Unfortunately, her piloting skill lagged behind those who already had years of flight experience.

Still, her vast knowledge of ships and eye for detail did not go unnoticed. She became a mechanic and rose through the ranks to became a pit chief aboard the frigate UEEN Solis. Assigned to patrol the Perry Line, the Solis spent its time as a mobile support ship for UEE strike fighters that monitored the Xi’an jump points. She described it as ‘long stretches of boredom punctuated by moments of terror,’ but that changed one day when a flight of fighters brought back something from their patrol: wreckage of a Xi’an ship. While Timmerman was intimately familiar with Banu ships from her childhood in Corel, seeing the Xi’an’s unique design approach was both fascinating and inspiring for her.

After ending her Naval service, Timmerman returned to New Junction and opened Intergalactic Aerospace Repairs in 2667. The shop quickly garnered a reputation for being able to fix just about anything. In her off hours, Timmerman devoted herself to her true passion, trying to reverse engineer the Xi’an tech she had seen in the Navy. Relations between the two species were antagonistic at the time, so it was impossible as a civilian to get her hands on Xi’an tech, leaving her nothing but memories and ingenuity to work with.

Humble Beginnings

In 2670, Timmerman finished installing Xi’an-inspired maneuverable thrusters on Poby, an old Aurora she named after her cat. Afraid to test fly the ship on a heavily populated planet, Timmerman and fellow aerospace enthusiasts loaded Poby and a number of other heavily modified ships onto a transporter and flew to the nearly desolate planet of Castor to test fly them. Though it was an informal gathering, historians now considered it to be the very first Intergalactic Aerospace Expo.

Poby’s first flight was a disappointment, as a power surge fried a number of her experimental thrusters. Timmerman wasn’t deterred by the failure — quite the opposite, she was energized by the process, and it wasn’t long before this group of experimental spacecraft enthusiasts were meeting regularly to discuss and examine various mods they were building. The annual test flights on Castor became a tradition and grew in popularity over the years.

One of the members of the group was Steffon Dillard, owner of Steffon’s Ship Emporium in New Junction. He recognized the popularity of the annual gathering and approached Timmerman about sponsoring the event. He would provide the latest ships for the enthusiasts to check out in person, and hopefully make some sales in the process. Timmerman agreed and, needing a name to put on the ads Dillard was creating, decided to borrow from her own company to get the name Intergalactic Aerospace Expo (IAE).

Over the next decade, the event became large enough that other retail outlets and parts manufacturers were eager to show off their own goods at the expo. Once that happened, it wasn’t long before the major ship manufacturers took notice. In 2683, RSI became an official sponsor of the IAE and has been one ever since. Each year, more and more sponsors and booths appeared at the event.

Purists decried its corporatization, but Timmerman vehemently justified the expansion. To her the Expo hadn’t sold out; it had adapted and improved. Her final act was to create a nonprofit to officially manage the event, and ensure a large percentage of the revenue went to a charity Timmerman created called Simpod Pals, whose mission was to give underprivileged children the opportunity to learn how to fly.

Spooling Up

In 2847, the board of directors made the decision to rotate the location of the IAE each year. The public explanation was that it would give more people the chance to experience the universe’s premier aerospace event.

Numerous systems clamored to host the event and enjoy the economic windfall that came with it. The event hopscotched from planet to planet for the next few decades until the 2913 event in Ferron was almost canceled due to Asura’s inability to meet the minimum hangar and power standards outlined by the IAE’s contract. Shortly after this scare, the IAE board was contacted by Governor Joona Tzur of Severus about bringing the event to the Kiel System. IAE officials were impressed with his presentation, but more so with the facilities his planet could offer. Severus contained numerous hangars (initially built and used by the military), plenty of available landing pads, and more than sufficient accommodations for visitors. After impressing the IAE board with Kiel’s facilities, Tzur went in for the kill. He offered to make vast upgrades and improvements to the existing facilities if the IAE agreed to make Severus the event’s permanent home. Still reeling from the Ferron controversy, the board of directors took a vote and approved the proposal. The IAE has been based in Kiel ever since.

The Intergalactic Aerospace Expo has come a long way since its humble beginnings on Castor. Due to insurance and legal issues, it’s no longer about amateurs test flying experimental ships. Instead, renowned pilots like Chelsea Yan and members of the Navy’s famed ‘Wreckless’ Squadron 999 dazzle attendees with impressive flight maneuvers, while ship and component manufacturers unveil their latest wares. At its core though, the Intergalactic Aerospace Expo is made for those young dreamers who find themselves staring up at the sky to count running lights.

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[brookstonalmanac]

Events 8.2

338 BC – A Macedonian army led by Philip II defeated the combined forces of Athens and Thebes in the Battle of Chaeronea, securing Macedonian hegemony in Greece and the Aegean. 216 BC – The Carthaginian army led by Hannibal defeats a numerically superior Roman army at the Battle of Cannae. 49 BC – Caesar, who marched to Spain earlier in the year leaving Marcus Antonius in charge of Italy, defeats Pompey's general Afranius and Petreius in Ilerda (Lerida) north of the Ebro river. 47 BC – At Zela, Caesar defeats Pharnaces, son of Mithridates the Great, who has earlier invaded Pontus. Caesar's comment on the victory is "Veni, vidi, vici". (I came, I saw, I conquered] 461 – Majorian is arrested near Tortona (northern Italy) and deposed by the Suebian general Ricimer as puppet emperor. 932 – After a two-years siege, the city of Toledo, in Spain, surrenders to the forces of the Caliph of Córdoba Abd al-Rahman III, assuming an important victory in his campaign to subjugate the Central March. 1274 – Edward I of England returns from the Ninth Crusade and is crowned King seventeen days later. 1343 – After the execution of her husband, Jeanne de Clisson sells her estates and raises a force of men with which to attack French shipping and ports. 1377 – Russian troops are defeated by forces of the Blue Horde Khan Arapsha in the Battle on Pyana River. 1415 – Thomas Grey is executed for participating in the Southampton Plot. 1610 – During Henry Hudson's search for the Northwest Passage, he sails into what is now known as Hudson Bay. 1776 – The signing of the United States Declaration of Independence took place. 1790 – The first United States Census is conducted. 1798 – French Revolutionary Wars: The Battle of the Nile concludes in a British victory. 1830 – Charles X of France abdicates the throne in favor of his grandson Henri. 1858 – The Government of India Act 1858 replaces Company rule in India with that of the British Raj. 1869 – Japan's Edo society class system is abolished as part of the Meiji Restoration reforms. 1870 – Tower Subway, the world's first underground tube railway, opens in London, England, United Kingdom. 1873 – The Clay Street Hill Railroad begins operating the first cable car in San Francisco's famous cable car system. 1897 – Anglo-Afghan War: The Siege of Malakand ends when a relief column is able to reach the British garrison in the Malakand states. 1903 – The Ilinden–Preobrazhenie Uprising against the Ottoman Empire begins. 1914 – The German occupation of Luxembourg during World War I begins. 1916 – World War I: Austrian sabotage causes the sinking of the Italian battleship Leonardo da Vinci in Taranto. 1918 – The first general strike in Canadian history takes place in Vancouver. 1922 – A typhoon hits Shantou, Republic of China, killing more than 50,000 people. 1923 – Vice President Calvin Coolidge becomes U.S. President upon the death of President Warren G. Harding. 1932 – The positron (antiparticle of the electron) is discovered by Carl D. Anderson. 1934 – Gleichschaltung: Adolf Hitler becomes Führer of Germany following the death of President Paul von Hindenburg. 1937 – The Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 is passed in America, the effect of which is to render marijuana and all its by-products illegal. 1939 – Albert Einstein and Leo Szilard write a letter to Franklin D. Roosevelt, urging him to begin the Manhattan Project to develop a nuclear weapon. 1943 – The Holocaust: Jewish prisoners stage a revolt at Treblinka, one of the deadliest of Nazi death camps where approximately 900,000 persons were murdered in less than 18 months. 1943 – World War II: The Motor Torpedo Boat PT-109 is rammed by the Japanese destroyer Amagiri and sinks. Lt. John F. Kennedy, future U.S. president, saves all but two of his crew. 1944 – ASNOM: Birth of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia, celebrated as Day of the Republic in North Macedonia. 1944 – World War II: The largest trade convoy of the world wars arrives safely in the Western Approaches. 1945 – World War II: End of the Potsdam Conference. 1947 – A British South American Airways Avro Lancastrian airliner crashes into a mountain during a flight from Buenos Aires, Argentina to Santiago, Chile. The wreckage would not be found until 1998. 1968 – An earthquake hits Casiguran, Aurora, Philippines killing more than 270 people and wounding 261. 1973 – A flash fire kills 51 people at the Summerland amusement centre at Douglas, Isle of Man. 1980 – A bomb explodes at the railway station in Bologna, Italy, killing 85 people and wounding more than 200. 1982 – The Helsinki Metro, the first rapid transit system of Finland, was opened to the general public. 1985 – Delta Air Lines Flight 191, a Lockheed L-1011 TriStar, crashes at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport killing 137. 1989 – Pakistan is re-admitted to the Commonwealth of Nations after having restored democracy for the first time since 1972. 1989 – A massacre is carried out by an Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka killing 64 ethnic Tamil civilians. 1990 – Iraq invades Kuwait, eventually leading to the Gulf War. 1999 – The Gaisal train disaster claims 285 lives in Assam, India. 2005 – Air France Flight 358 lands at Toronto Pearson International Airport and runs off the runway, causing the plane to burst into flames leaving 12 injuries and no fatalities. 2014 – At least 146 people were killed and more than 114 injured in a factory explosion in Kunshan, Jiangsu, China.

[orbemnews]

In Sweden’s Far North, a Space Complex Takes Shape KIRUNA, Sweden — The path to the reindeer herder’s spring home took him across four frozen lakes and countless snowy hilltops. Arriving to a light dusting of snow, the herder, Aslak Allas, switched off his snowmobile, and the overwhelming silence of Sweden’s Arctic settled in. His reindeer, thousands of them, were nowhere to be seen. “They are very scared of noise,” Mr. Allas, explained, pointing to his vehicle. He then motioned toward the distant hills dotted with birch trees, their buds swelling with the warming spring sun. “Now, the noise coming from there, that will be something else,” Mr. Allas sighed. That noise is expected to arrive with a roar next year, when Sweden is scheduled to complete construction of a rocket-launching complex in the frozen lands north of the Arctic Circle and jump into the commercial space race, the first country in Europe to do so. With the crystal-clear air of the Arctic night and a decent telescope, it’s easy to pick out some of the thousands of shoebox-size commercial satellites orbiting the earth. Their numbers are set to explode in the coming decade, powered by the use of light, reusable rockets developed by innovative U.S. companies like Elon Musk’s SpaceX. He and several competitors are planning to send up to 50,000 such satellites into space in coming years, compared with fewer than 3,000 out there now. While the United States, China, Russia and several other countries already have spaceports, Sweden’s would be the first orbital launch site for satellites in Europe — capable of launching spacecraft into orbit around Earth or on interplanetary trajectories. Currently, the intergovernmental European Space Agency launches its traditional single-use Ariane rockets from French Guiana. Several private European companies are designing spaceports in Europe to host a new generation of smaller rockets. Portugal is looking into building one on the Azores Islands, two remote sites have been allocated in Britain and Norway is upgrading its Andoya Space Center. But none are as far along as Sweden, which is transforming an old Arctic space research center into a complex featuring several new pads for orbital launches and landings. The Esrange Space Center will be a testing ground for Europe’s first reusable vertical rocket in 2022, and it can conduct engine tests as well. In 1972, the Swedish government took over the base from the European Space Agency, which no longer needed it. For decades, the Swedes hired out the site for smaller, slower research rockets, satellite ground-control services and the launching of stratospheric balloons. But with the commercial space race promising new revenue, the government-owned Swedish Space Corporation, which manages the site, is offering launch services to private ventures wishing to send satellites into space. “We are a bit of a unicorn in the space business,” said Philip Pahlsson, vice president for strategy and innovation of the Swedish Space Corporation, referring to the government ownership of the site. “But we do plan on being the awesomest company in the government’s portfolio.” Esrange shares a landing zone that is more than 2,000 square miles — more than twice the size of Rhode Island — with a local population of mostly bears, wolves, reindeer and a handful of herders like Mr. Allas. If a launch should fail, it would be highly unlikely to cause any damage to human settlements. For certain satellites — those launched into polar orbits — an Arctic location offers key advantages. These orbits, passing over the North and South Poles, are ideal for Earth-observing satellites, because as the Earth rotates, the entire surface of the planet passes underneath. And it takes less energy to launch to a polar orbit from higher latitudes. With the space market growing fast, the Europeans increasingly need launching sites for smaller rockets carrying smaller satellites, experts say. “Europe really needs to build infrastructure to get to space,” said Stefan Gustafsson, a senior vice president at the Swedish Space Corporation, in an interview at its Stockholm headquarters. “We can provide a proper space base.” That base lies close to Kiruna, Sweden’s northernmost city and home to the largest underground iron ore mine in the world. It is so huge, in fact, that several neighborhoods are being moved, as the city is slowly sinking into the excavated caverns below. A 50-foot rocket stands at one of the main intersections, a testament to Sweden’s space ambitions. Space is woven into the fabric of the city. The Swedish Institute of Space Physics is based in Kiruna, as is the Space High School for gifted teenagers. The space engineering program at Lulea University of Technology, also in Kiruna, attracts Ph.D. students from across Europe. An enormous satellite receiver dish, sticking out from the woods in a vast white valley, serves as a geographical landmark. Esrange has many of the attributes of other space ports — high fences and warning signs, and some used rockets on display. But it also has a church, a visitor center and the Aurora hotel, named for the northern lights that color the winter skies. Snow is everywhere, of course, and reindeer roam the terrain (no one knows how they get past the fences), but astronauts and moon landers are nowhere to be found. Leading a tour of the grounds, Mr. Pahlsson became slightly agitated when a photographer began snapping pictures. “We have contracts,” he said. “Some of our customers don’t like their equipment to be photographed.” The launchpads for the orbital rockets, mostly piles of construction equipment and materials at this point, are rising four miles from the central site. Pointing at a pile of sand during a tour of the grounds, Mr. Pahlsson said this was the site of their future “launch-vehicle integration building.” By the end of next year, he said, they hoped to use the launch site to test Europe’s first reusable rocket, called Themis, after an ancient Greek Titaness who was the personification of divine order. On this day, the main activity consisted of engine testing by two fiercely competitive German space start-ups, Rocket Factory Augsburg and ISAR Aerospace Technologies. “You can actually call me a rocket scientist,” said Josef Fleischmann, 30, one of three founders of ISAR. In 2017, he and fellow students won an award by building the fastest pod in Elon Musk’s competition for ultra-high-speed transport in hyperloop, or travel in a vacuum tube. That caught the attention of Bulent Altan, a former vice president at Space X, who decided to back Mr. Fleischmann and his friends. “Now, we have $100 million in investments and we are building rockets.” “The location seems remote, but for space this is the place to be,” said Rene Laufer, a professor of space technology at Lulea University of Technology. “Also, you don’t want to test rockets in your own backyard.” So far, Esrange has not elicited criticism from environmentalists, but that could change. Solid rocket fuel can leave a heavy carbon foot print, and liquid fuels pose a threat of toxicity. The exhaust clouds that form after liftoff and during flight are also concerns. Sweden’s space minister, Matilda Ernkrans, in an interview said that she expected the base to play a key role in helping to map global climate change. Back at his modest dwelling, Mr. Allas, the reindeer herder, would second that notion, and he is planning to do something about it, even if his backyard is one of the few not attached one way or another to the space industry. Mr. Allas is more than a man with a snowmobile and lots of reindeer. He is chairman of the Talma sameby, one of the larger Sami districts in Sweden. The Sami are the last Indigenous people of Europe and live in Finland, Sweden, Norway and Russia. In 2019, after an appeal by his district, Mr. Allas managed to block some of the expansion plans for the base, and now his sights are set on the coming noise pollution. “They might say we need to launch or else we lose our customers, but reindeer herding has been around here long as you can imagine,” Mr. Allas said, adding that a legal battle seemed inevitable. “For us, the Space Corporation is the oldest intruder of our lands, but we have much older rights.” Source link Orbem News #complex #North #shape #Space #Swedens #Takes

[mrcoreymonroe]

Flight Review: Icelandair’s 737 MAX 8 Saga Class

Boarding TF-ICU, aka Dyrhólaey at Iceland’s Keflavik International Airport, next stop, Chicago’s O’Hare International

The backstory

Loyal readers will recall our 2017 review of Saga class on Icelandair’s venerable 757-200s.

Since then, Icelandair has added several Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets to their fleet (they ordered a total of 16 of the MAX in both the -8 and -9 variants), using them on routes to U.S. destinations on the east coast and upper midwest, along with several European routes.

I flew SEA-KEF on a 757, then returned via Chicago on a 737 MAX 8, as Seattle is, unfortunately, beyond the working range of the MAX 8.

So, two years on, what was it like to fly Saga? Candidly, I was a fan of the last trip, so the memory still felt fairly fresh. My outbound flight was on TF-FIR, aka Vatnajökull, aka 80 years of Aviation, aka the glacier livery.

This AvGeek was stoked at the opportunity to fly on Vatnajökull, even though it was parked at a corner gate between two diagonal jetways at SEA, making photos pretty much impossible that day. IMHO, it’s the one of prettiest planes in the sky today, tied for that honor with Icelandair’s Hekla Aurora livery on TF-FIU.

TF-FIR landing at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in 2017. I wasn’t able to get out on the ramp to get pre-flight photos for this trip, so we’ll have to make do with an existing image

The outbound flight from SEA to KEF was as good as the last time – I was in seat 1A for this flight, which is in a bulkhead row. The seats themselves are the same as we reviewed in 2017. They feel even more dated now, especially when compared to contemporary options even on some domestic US carriers, but they’re still very comfortable and offer a generous amount of recline.

Flying over the Canadian Rockies in TF-FIR

I love the 757. But it’s an old design and the aircraft are nearing the end of their service lives. While the MAX lineup isn’t a replacement for the 757 (nor, really, is the A321n, but that’s a different discussion for another time), it works for certain transcontinental-length flights, but doesn’t have quite the range to fully replace it.

The main event — Saga Class from KEF-ORD on the MAX 8

After an awesome couple of days exploring Reykjavik, spending a day at Icelandair’s MidAtlantic travel trade show, having lunch with Icelandair’s CEO Bogi Nils Bogason and CCO Gunnar Már Sigurfinnsson, and scoring a helicopter tour from Nordurflug Helicopters (more on those in separate upcoming stories), it was time to say bless í bili to Iceland and head home.

Love those split-scimitar winglets

Let’s start in the lounge

Icelandair’s Saga Lounge at KEF has been open for a while now, but it was my first visit.

Velkominn to the new lounge

The lounge is spacious, bright, and comfortable in a very Scandinavian-style way. While some might find it a bit austere, I quite like the clean lines and the fact that there are plenty of tables available. Some lounges I’ve recently visited are so heavy on the recliners and sofas that there is practically no work space, or even a proper place to eat without feeling like you are juggling plates at a cocktail party. There are still lots of lounger-style seating, all with plenty of power ports. This place is a win for me.

The Saga Lounge at KEF – Eurostyle FTW

My only complaint is that the airport consistently uses metal screens between the panes of exterior glass. It’s most likely there to reduce thermal gain in the warmer months, but it makes for lousy photos out the windows.

Boo — those window screens ruin the fun for photos

The use of such screens isn’t unique to Icelandair’s lounge, though — they’re on nearly every window in the airport — I’m guessing it’s an airport design requirement.

The buffet area

Lots of cushy seats

The lounge has window walls that look out over airport ramps and hardstands and the expansive Icelandic landscape beyond. It’s a lovely place to pass the time before a flight.

And, of course, there are expansive views of the ramps to keep the AvGeeks happy

Time for me to fly

For the seven-hour KEF-ORD flight, I was in seat 1F, also a bulkhead row. I chose the seats deliberately so I could compare relative legroom across the two aircraft types. Even though the MAX 8 is a smaller aircraft, interior space utilization is worlds better than on the aging 757, with a corresponding moderate increase in legroom.

Boarding time – hardstand boardings are awesome because you get to see the plane up close

It was the usual KEF scrum to board – there was a quiet boarding call only at the immediate gate area, then we all lined up to board a bus to the hardstand. A short drive later, we were at the plane and walking across the slushy ramp to the airstairs.

Icelandair’s MAX 8 seat map – there are 144 standard seats and 16 in Saga Class. Image: Icelandair

We were welcomed on board and had plenty of time to settle in, as, for whatever reason, we departed about 20 minutes late. But I didn’t care, as I had a window seat, a great view of the nearby ramps, and plenty of time for my connecting flight on the other end.

The MAX 8 seats are similar to the 757 variety, but felt more comfortable and a bit more roomy

The overhead bins on the MAX 8 are absolutely cavernous, especially compared to those on the 757s. The camera backpack I use for trips like this is technically small enough to fit under the seat, but it still was a bit of a squeeze in the 757 overhead bins.

It looked forlorn in the huge MAX 8 bins, and actually drifted around a bit during the flight as the bins were nowhere close to being filled. If you’ve flown on a 737NG with the Boeing Sky Interior, you’ve seen these bins. They’re awesome.

It’s always comforting to watch your bag being loaded onto the same plane you’re flying in

  At takeoff, the MAX 8 was as quiet as I was told to expect. Being up front never hurts, but this was perceptually as quiet as I remember my last 787-9 flight having been. I’ve got a relatively-accurate decibel-meter app on my phone, and it measured 84db on full-throttle takeoff. I’ve recorded 100db up front on older 737s during takeoff, and keep in mind that the db scale is logarithmic, so each incremental change represents quite large sound-pressure differences.

In the first row in Saga, your IFE screen is on the bulkhead, and the USB charger port and headphone port are both on the bottom edge of the frame. Easy to get to, but be sure to bring your long phone cable. I had a six-foot cable that worked out perfectly. The coathook is a nice touch, especially when you’re dressed for Icelandic weather

While equipped with the widely-anticipated Viasat WiFi , Icelandair’s systems are still awaiting certification, so the fast satellite service will have to wait until a future review. Airline officials said they anticipate receiving that certification this spring.

The meal, all on one tray. The mess is all me – I managed to stick my hand in the sauce while fumbling around for the napkin

The meal was delicious. I quite enjoyed the licorice-infused smoked salmon appetizer. The chicken wasn’t dry, and the vegetables weren’t overcooked; high praise for airline food, which has a zillion preparation, delivery, and consumption constraints.

I didn’t use the IFE system for much other than tracking our progress, but I did note a reasonably wide selection of stuff to watch. The screen size and resolution are good, and I did enjoy the selection of Icelandic music.

Remaining observations: the forward lavatory is tiny. As in, I couldn’t stand up straight in there. But that’s the new standard for these planes as airlines work to maximize space utilization, and how much time does one really spend in a lav on a flight of this length anyway?

It still had that new-airplane smell. And, underneath that, it smelled vaguely of tuna-noodle casserole, although that wasn’t on the menu. Weird.

Conclusion

In researching for this article, I read quite a few reviews about other airlines’ MAX 8s. It seems Icelandair has taken a middle-of-the-road approach, and succeeded pretty well. The routes from KEF to the US East Coast and Upper Midwest basically mirror transcontinental routes in duration, so there’s not a huge need for the amenities expected on true long-haul flights. But I do wish the bathrooms weren’t quite so tiny.

Icelandair’s MAX 8 Saga Class is a solid product – relatively spacious, comfortable, with good food and good service. It doesn’t pretend to be anything other than exactly what it is, which is both refreshing and very Icelandic.

The post Flight Review: Icelandair’s 737 MAX 8 Saga Class appeared first on AirlineReporter.

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[ibilenews]

Cruise ship stranded off Uruguay says 60% onboard have Covid-19

An Australian cruise company is working to disembark a stricken Antarctic cruise ship on which about 60% of the passengers and crew have been infected with coronavirus.

The Greg Mortimer has been anchored 20km (12 miles) off the coast of Uruguay since 27 March, but authorities in the South American country had until now refused to allow passengers off.

On Tuesday, the ship’s operator, Aurora Expeditions, said that of 132 passengers and 85 crew, 128 people had tested positive for Covid-19. Most on board are understood to be Australian, although there are also citizens of New Zealand, the US and the UK.

“We found a ship where almost everyone has been infected,” said Karina Rando, one of 21 Uruguayan doctors dispatched to the ship. “We’ve done our utmost to prevent our own infection. Most of the passengers are well.”

Many of those who tested positive are still asymptomatic, but could still be at risk, said Rando.

“There are many patients over 70 years of age, some of them with other chronic conditions such as heart and lung diseases,” she said. “Those patients may fall seriously ill tomorrow even if they looked well today.”

The ship set out on 15 March from the Argentinian port of Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world. It was to have undertaken a 16-day cruise to Antarctica and South Georgia, christened “In Shackleton’s Footsteps” after the Irish polar explorer, Ernest Shackleton.

Symptoms of coronavirus started to appear soon after departure, and the ship diverted to the Uruguayan capital Montevideo. Even the ship’s doctor fell ill with a fever and was left unable to perform his duties.

“We have made it clear that the ill health and the isolation of the crew is making it difficult to maintain the same standard of essential services onboard,” Aurora Expeditions told passengers on 2 April.

Uruguay denied permission for the ship to dock, and also refused to allow passengers or crew to disembark.

That decision was eventually reversed at the weekend, when a Uruguayan naval vessel was dispatched to the Greg Mortimer to remove six gravely ill passengers and take them to the British Hospital in Montevideo.

On Saturday the Uruguayan navy tweeted a video of a passenger – reportedly a British woman with pneumonia in both lungs – leaping from the moving cruise ship to the military vessel to be taken to hospital in the Uruguayan capital.

“The people on the ship are calm but they are eager to go home,” Marcelo Girard, a doctor at a Uruguayan medical facility where two people from the cruise ship are being treated, told the AP.

Passengers from Australia and New Zealand will board an emergency flight bound for Melbourne on Thursday, Uruguayan authorities confirmed on Tuesday afternoon.

The cost per passenger is about US$9,300 and the cruise ship operator has asked the Australian government for help with expenses. On landing, the passengers will undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine.

Other passengers will have to wait longer. “We have been advised that European and American passengers that have tested positive to Covid-19 unfortunately must wait until they have a negative test result, after which we will be able to organise their departure via São Paulo [in Brazil] and then to their final destination,” the company said.

Uruguay has 406 confirmed cases of coronavirus and has had six deaths.

[itsfinancethings]

November 13, 2019 at 03:35AM

When Aurora Lo Porto noticed an alarming escalation of racist attitudes on social media in Italy during the past two years, she felt the impulse to act. The medical student had noticed that in her once-welcoming hometown of Catania, Sicily, neighbors and acquaintances had started speaking about immigrants only through harmful stereotypes and unverified data.

In the past five years, about 500,000 migrants escaping war and poverty have landed in Sicily. The island’s residents have become increasingly troubled by the situation, sparking a rise in votes for populist parties in the latest elections. So about two months ago, Lo Porto, 26, decided to launch a monthly self-defense class.

But punching bags and kickboxing instructors have been replaced by piles of books and comfortable chairs; instead of meeting in a local gym, she chose one of Italy’s smallest bookstores. The kind of self-defense practiced in this cozy, single-room shop is a type of civil resistance against xenophobia, through collective reasoning and dialogue.

“The idea came from the forgotten notion that the mind is our most powerful muscle, and that books are the instruments to keep it fit,” says Lo Porto, co-founder of Italy’s first “self-defense reading group.”

Launched in September as a collaboration between Legatoria Prampolini, a local bookstore and cultural hub, and the humanitarian non-profit Emergency, which assists with organizing the group, the project aims to equip participants with critical thinking skills to actively respond to the atmosphere of intolerance spreading across Italy.

Since a populist government came to power in early 2018, immigrants and other marginalized communities have been targeted by far-right rhetoric and legal measures, championed by former Ministry of Interior Matteo Salvini. A new immigration law that went into force last December stripped many asylum-seekers of their humanitarian protection rights, while Roma camps have faced more frequent evictions.

Although Salvini, who leads Italy’s popular far-right League, was ousted from power in September, the situation remains troubling. On Nov. 6, an anti-fascist bookstore was set on fire in Rome, and an Italian Auschwitz survivor honored as a senator for life had to be given police protection after she proposed an anti-racism committee and faced an onslaught of anti-Semitic death threats.

Courtesy Stefania D’Ignoti Maria Carmela Sciacca, owner of bookstore Legatoria Prampolini, and medical student Aurora Lo Porto, right, pictured on Nov. 5, 2019.

“The root cause of this historical moment is ignorance, and books represent the only way out,” Lo Porto says. “Reading promotes patience, freedom of thought and non-violent reasoning.” The topics tackled at every class range from conflict and migration to human rights and anti-hate speech. Each month, Lo Porto, who acts as the group’s moderator, picks a new book that participants are expected to read in advance and then discuss together.

At a recent session in late October, participants discussed the autobiographical novel Green Parrots by Italian surgeon and activist Gino Strada, which examines the issue of civilian casualties in 20th century war-torn countries. Some 18 people gathered in a circle as Francesca Tudisco shared a poem by Emily Dickinson. “If I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain,” she read. For her, a chapter of the book reminded her the importance of empathy and kindness in times of darkness.

Members of the group, which is called “I Read as Legitimate Defense,” represent a wide variety of ages, backgrounds and personal motivations. Tudisco, a 66-year-old retired flight-attendant, grew up with her parents’ stories of Italy under fascism during the Second World War. She is afraid the current political climate is going back in a similar direction. “I wanted to feel useful and help younger generations realize the impact of today’s actions by sharing my memories of the past,” Tudisco explains.

Tudisco then asked if they felt that the novel gave them useful tools to understand the current siege on hospitals in Syria; a lively discussion ensured. As Lo Porto brought the meeting to a close, she mentioned the topic for the next session: the Sicilian fishermen saving migrants’ lives at sea, some of whom last August broke the closed-ports policy enforced by Salvini. Attendees left talking enthusiastically about the next meeting.

Project co-founder Maria Carmela Sciacca, owner of the shop, says now more than ever there’s a need for libraries and bookstores to become safe spaces in cities to tackle social concerns. “We see lots of hate around us and feel powerless when trying to fight it. But micro-communities help us realize we’re not alone when struggling for change,” Sciacca says, her eyes sparkling with determination.

The group welcomes first-time visitors and hopes to grow its audience in the next few months. Although the majority of participants are Italian citizens, who remain the main target, more migrants have expressed interest in joining to add their experience to the debate.

Mercy David, a 20 year-old sales assistant at Legatoria Prampolini and refugee from Nigeria, is moved by the growing number of people making efforts to dig deeper. “It is so heartwarming to see many gathering here at night after work, because they want to see change, and make it happen themselves,” the girl says.

David fled Nigeria after Boko Haram militants kidnapped three fellow classmates in 2016. After a nine-week journey, including crossing the Sahara Desert, she landed in Sicily at the age of 16. By day, she works part-time at the bookshop, and attends evening classes to graduate with an Italian high school diploma.

Inspired by her new daily environment, she hopes to write a book about her journey across the sea. Next summer, the group will organize its first large-scale public reading in the city’s main square. There, David looks forward to reading excerpts from her first draft.

[tripstations]

Why You Should Skip Iceland And Go To These 9 Under-the-Radar Places

Interest in Greenland—which has been called the new Iceland—has been skyrocketing, thanks to Donald Trump and more. Here, icebergs float in a fjord with the Northern Lights overhead.

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Is Iceland on your bucket list? Probably. The land of fire and ice is a traveler favorite, thanks to its breathtaking natural wonders. But before you book your flights, consider this: According to reports, there are six tourists for every resident in Iceland, and last year, the country was named the second-worst place in the world for over-tourism. A local politician even recently complained about the number of tourists, comparing the country to Disneyland. And with the collapse of Wow Airlines, the era of super-cheap Iceland flights is over.

So where should you go instead? How about Greenland, which everyone is saying is the new Iceland. Or Portugal, which has also been called the new Iceland. Or Newfoundland, which has been dubbed—you guessed it—the new Iceland. Here, we’ve got nine under-the-radar places that are giving Iceland a run for its money.

READ MORE: “17 Things You Should Never Do In Europe”

Sailing through icebergs in East Greenland.

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1. Greenland

Who Called it the New Iceland: Matador Network, Afar, The Telegraph

Why Go There:  With Donald Trump’s headline-making bid to buy the country of Greenland, travelers everywhere took note. Greenland’s tourism board reported an uptick in interest, and tour operators like Intrepid Travel—which just launched a new Greenland Expedition, its first dedicated tour of the country—reported a 237% spike in web traffic after the president’s remarks. But it hasn’t happened overnight. The JetBlue-backed Stride—the first marketplace for experiential travel packages planned by experts—says that interest in Greenland has grown almost 30% faster than Iceland in the last year. The appeals are obvious: Tourism is still in its infancy on the world’s largest island. Look for wild landscapes, towering icebergs, archeological finds, as well as a capital (Nuuk) filled with cool architecture, hip boutiques and gourmet restaurants.

How to See It: The boutique travel company 50 Degrees North specializes in the Nordic region and runs a number of escorted and independent tours throughout Greenland. Head to Disko Bay and see majestic icebergs floating in the fjord right outside town. Go glamping in a remote luxury camp, situated two hours by boat from the capital. Take a sailing expedition on sturdy Icelandic oak fishing boats in Scoresby Sund, a spectacular fjord.

A dramatic oceanside setting in Newfoundland.

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2. Newfoundland

Who Called it the New Iceland: CNN, Inside Hook, CBC

Why Go There: Travelers often overlook Newfoundland, the remote island 1,500 miles to the southwest of Iceland. But for those who set their sights on the Canadian natural wonder, most go for the stunning views of Western Brook Fjord (North America’s most remarkable fjord), year-round whale sightings and blue arctic icebergs that migrate every summer by the thousands down from Greenland to Newfoundland’s northern and eastern shores. And although it’s no Ring of Fire (Iceland’s famed roadway), a road trip along the Trans-Canada highway is a great way to get to Newfoundland’s coastal gems. 

How to See It: The female-focused travel company Wild Women Expeditions runs two women-only trips to Newfoundland. On the Gros Morne Multi-Sport Adventure, you’ll walk on the Earth’s mantle, visit the fossils of Green Point and climb the second highest mountain in Newfoundland. The Icebergs and Arts Adventure includes a visit to a remote coast lined with 10,000-year-old icebergs and a stay in a hunting and fishing lodge complete with a wood-fired sauna and hot tub.

The aurora borealis above Pallas-Yllastunturi National Park in Lapland, Finland.

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3. Finland

Who Called it the New Iceland: PureWow, Vogue, My Domaine, The Active Times

Why Go There: More affordable than Iceland and with a flourishing design scene, Finland is covered in evergreen forests and dotted with 188,000 shimmering lakes. During the winter months, you can head to Lapland to see the Northern Lights and enjoy a traditional sauna experience. As with Icelandair, Finnair offers a layover program that lets flyers stop in Helsinki for up to five days before connecting to or from other European cities—for no additional airfare. And did we mention: Finland is also the happiest country in the world.

How to See It: On Intrepid Travel’s Finnish Lapland in Winter trip, you’ll ride on a dog sled, visit a local Finnish family’s farm and hear about their skills in reindeer herding skills and witness the aurora borealis, the best light show on Earth. In Finland, it’s worth staying up late to see the green lights dance in the northern sky.

Porto, a city on the edge of the Douro River in Portugal.

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4. Portugal

Who Called it the New Iceland: GQ, USA Today

Why Go There: The country is seeing a resurgence, coming back from the brink of bankruptcy in 2011. New local businesses, low taxes and an expanding arts scene are all contributing to a surge in tourism. You’ll want to indulge in sardines, Portugal’s main culinary delight, pastries and Port wine—the dessert wine named after the northern city of Porto. Another allure of Portugal: It’s one of the most affordable places in the world to live, so cheap you could quit your job, move here and retire early.

How to See It: Holland America Line offers a variety of cruises with stops in Portugal. You’ll be able to explore the cities and coast, but the best way to experience the country is with an architectural or culinary tour at your port, bookable through Holland America.

The landscape of Lagoa do Fogo, situated over an ancient crater on Sao Miguel Island in the Azores Islands.

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5. The Azores

Who Called it the New Iceland: Travel + Leisure, Conde Nast Traveler, Bloomberg

Why Go There: An archipelago about 1,000 miles off the coast of Portugal, the Azores’ dramatic landscapes and still-wild islands are luring U.S. tourists. For adventure travelers, the Azores are a dream. After a five- to six-hour direct flight, you’ll arrive to a stunning backdrop for hiking, kayaking, canyoning, mountain biking, birding, whale watching and more.

How to See It: This is not a place for massive resorts. Instead, opt for one of the many new, design-forward hotels, such as Azor on São Miguel, the largest island in the chain. For something with a wellness focus, book a stay at Terra Nostra Garden & Hotel, set on an expansive botanical garden.

Disney Cruise Line’s Wonder, docked in Ketchikan, Alaska.

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6. Alaska

Who Called it the New Iceland: Dangerous Business

Why Go There: While Alaska might not exactly sound like a discovery, there’s much to discover in the Last Frontier. The vast wilderness and abundant wildlife attract visitors for good reason. Hike on Matanuska Glacier, one of over a thousand glaciers in the state, or head to Katmai National Park during salmon season to see grizzly bears in action.

How to See It: One of the most efficient ways to unearth Alaska is via the water. Board a Disney Cruise Line ship to the Last Frontier and be sure to enjoy some of the immersive port excursions, such as a helicopter ride to a remote glacier, a dog-sledding adventure in the Alaskan wilderness or a whale-watching cruise followed by a seafood feast in Juneau, a town that can only be reached by sea or air.

The Viking Sun in Eidfjord, Norway.

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7. Norway

Who Called it the New Iceland: The Active Times

Why Go There: In the 2019 World Happiness Report, Norway locks in at the third happiest country (behind Finland and Denmark). There’s something to be said for a peaceful lifestyle that’s full of outdoor adventure. Norway is also well-known as one of the best places to see the Northern Lights dazzle across the night sky.

How to See It: Visit Norway from the comfort of a Viking Ocean Cruise, a line of stylish ships line with uniquely Scandinavian touches, thanks to its Norwegian owners. You’ll have a front-row seat to the famous fjords and magnificent Norwegian coastline. The cruise line offers a variety of excursions to dive into the country’s rich culture and natural beauty, as well as its incredible food.

The still calm of the Sawtooths in Idaho.

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8. Idaho

Who Called it the New Iceland: Heart My Backpack

Why Go There: Americans won’t have to travel far to get a taste of Iceland right in their own backyard. Idaho is home to the largest roadless wilderness in the lower 48 states. From geysers to geothermal hot springs to mountains and canyons, Idaho offers a plethora of outdoor adventures amidst striking landscapes. Between natural vistas, you’ll also find storybook towns and ghost towns that will take you back in time.

How to See It: To see the breadth of the state’s diverse scenery, head out on a rafting vacation with Western River Expeditions, which has been putting people on the water since 1961. Western River offers a vast selection of Idaho rafting trips, from the deep alpine forested canyons of the Middle Fork of the Salmon River to the high desert canyons of the Lower Salmon River and Snake River through Hell’s Canyon. 

The Faroe Islands’ dramatic coastline viewed from helicopter.

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9. The Faroe Islands

Who Called it the New Iceland: The Travel Channel, Family Traveller, Fathom, Elle Decor

Why Go There: Where the sheep outnumber the residents, visitors to the Faroe Islands will discover 18 rocky isles connected by tunnels, ferries and bridges 200 miles north of Scotland. Spend your days exploring the waterfalls, cliffs and hot springs and dining on fresh langoustine, straight from the Faroese fjords. To hop between islands, utilize the relatively inexpensive helicopter taxis. The government subsidizes rides, making a one-way fare just $25. Not bad for spectacular aerial views of the volcanic islands. Foodies are also flocking to the Faroe Islands to experience Koks, a remote, Michelin-starred restaurant.

How to See It: Wilderness Travel, which is known for its immersive itineraries and top-notch trip leaders, offers a hiking trip in the Faroe Islands and a European cruise that stops at this remote archipelago. Look for mountain walks on emerald moorlands, explorations of traditional villages and visits to see seabird colonies perched on near-vertical volcanic cliffs.

READ MORE:

• “23 Surprising Things That Will Get You In Trouble In Italy”

• “Cheap Travel: How To Afford The World’s Best Bucket List Trips”

• “20 Most Dangerous Places For Women Travelers”

The post Why You Should Skip Iceland And Go To These 9 Under-the-Radar Places appeared first on Tripstations.

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[darshanan-blog]

Alaska – via land — Wasilla, Palmer, Anchorage, Talkeetna, Healy, Fairbanks, Denali

My Alaskan adventure began in Wasilla and Palmer, Alaska. During 1930s, Great Depression, at a time when people had few sources of income, the Government invited Americans to settle in Alaska and do farming. After strict screening of applicants, 203 families were selected. Each family was allotted several thousand acres in Alaska and was given $3000 as starting incentive. They settled near Palmer. Today Palmer is a little town with a small but vibrant downtown with a little museum that celebrates the original inhabitants and their descendants. While I waited for my friend to arrive, I had a beautiful day visiting the shops and learning some history from chatty shop owners.  

We stayed the night in Anchorage and began the 250 mile drive towards Healy. We were greeted by most amazing vistas with rolling snow capped mountains, glaciers and rivers interspersed with forests. In Alaska, you get all the nature your heart desires and it is teeming with wild life. We saw a hare, a black bear and a couple of hyenas. On the way we stopped at the beautiful town of Talkeetna and enjoyed its quaint shops, had fireweed ice cream and birch candy and then came across what we thought was a routine vista point. That was Mount Denali South viewpoint and the view was just breathtaking.

  Denali, also known as Mount McKinley, with elevation of over 20,000 feet is the highest mountain in North America. It was a clear day and we could see the gorgeous mountain, in all its majestic beauty.

From Healy we went to town of Denali and then visited Cheena hot springs in Fairbanks.  Besides being known for its sulphuric hot springs, Cheena is known for viewing of Aurora Borealis. Unfortunately, we did not get to see Aurora, except in a documentary, in a museum.  But we thoroughly and absolutely enjoyed soaking in the hot springs. Very reluctantly, I emerged out the relaxing waters.  We drove back to Anchorage enjoyed the day in Anchorage touring the downtown area, visited a little street fair and market and then proceeded on the beautiful drive South to the port of Seward. The drive was lovely. Seward is also a lovely little town and we enjoyed the walk through in the town before boarding the cruise at Holland America.

After we boarded the cruise…… 

  Haines, AK – Absolute awesomeness of natural beauty in Alaska will make your soul sing happy tunes. A small five mile inlet called Glacier Bay exposes travelers to perhaps world’s most majestic wilderness area. It covers over 3.2 million acres of forest, inlet and shore with mountain peaks rising over 15,000 feet, towers of ice and many glaciers. Tidewater glaciers are rivers of ice that flow to the sea and from time to time large chunks of ice break free and flow into the ocean. There are seven such glaciers here. 

  Margerie Glacier – Margerie glacier is truly Alaska’s spectacular gem of a glacier. The views were so amazing that on a sunny day, a boat load of people were watching on the deck, in stunned silence. And after rumbling sound followed by thunderous cracks, when large chunks of ice began to break off, the people erupted in oohs and aahs…

  Juneau, Alaska & Mendenhall Glacier – This land keeps revealing more and more beauty and each new sight competes with the previous one for top spot. Mendenhall Glacier is about 13 miles long, located in Mendenhall Valley it is about 12 miles from downtown Juneau. The glacier terminates in Mendenhall lake where the views are stunning. We gazed upon the blue hues emanating from this spectacular glacier, then walked up to the visitor center and gawked upon more spectacular views from the top. Mendenhall Glacier is overflowing with beauty, with nature and wild life. While we didn’t see the bear, we saw a porcupine very up close.  Here’s a little joke we heard on the way. Why are Alaska state employees not allowed to look out of the window in the morning? So they could look out of the window in the afternoon. Actually life moves in a slow lane here and many residents take up to 4 month break and go away to the “lower 48” during winter, to work as a contractor or visit family. Small request: Regardless of your political affiliation, please take care of these gorgeous glaciers. Gunalcheesh (thank you) in Tinglits lingo. We also took Mount Roberts Tramway from right near the cruise ship dock for a short ride up 1,800 feet up the mountain. From there we got to see spectacular views of the city of Juneau and Gastineau Channel and did some shopping of gifts for friends. 

  Kachikan, Alaska – Kachikan is a lovely city facing the Inside Passage and is known for its Native American totem poles. We did not get to visit Misty Fjords, a glacier carved wilderness with snow capped mountains and waterfalls and salmon spawning streams. Kachikan has a vibrant wild life with black bears, wolves and bald eagles. We visited Tongass National Forest which also has a salmon spawning stream. We were incredibly fortunate to see a bald eagle fly fairly up close with its completely majestic display of wings spread out. I could not get to my camera in time to capture the incredible flight but I will forever savor the sight. We also visited a bald eagles sanctuary. Injured or old eagles who cannot survive in the wild, are cared for there and they also work doing little shows for visitors.   We visited Totem Pole museum and then visited Creek Street, the former red-light district that is now turned into an arts and craft and museum area. 

  Our Alaska journey ended in Vancouver, Canada but the incredible expansive beauty of  Alaska is seared forever in our memory. Alaska is truly the last most glamorous frontier that is easily accessible and offers spectacular awesomeoness in all its majestic glory for everyone to enjoy. It is up to each one of us, to do little some thing that we can do to preserve and protect this incredible and gorgeous land.

Alaska – Land & Cruise — August, 2019 Alaska - via land -- Wasilla, Palmer, Anchorage, Talkeetna, Healy, Fairbanks, Denali My Alaskan adventure began in…

[gethealthy18-blog]

8 Solo Trips Every Girl Needs To Take Once In Her Life

New Post has been published on http://healingawerness.com/getting-healthy/getting-healthy-women/8-solo-trips-every-girl-needs-to-take-once-in-her-life/

8 Solo Trips Every Girl Needs To Take Once In Her Life

Anjala Farahath June 12, 2019

For those who have been bitten by the bug of wanderlust, travel is synonymous to food. Much like food is a necessity for the body, travel is food for the wandering soul. Whether one is traveling to learn, to explore, or to just make new beginnings, travel has a huge impact on one’s life. So much that, it has a therapeutic effect on people, no wonder we often hear people say, “Gosh,I need to travel and reward myself!”.A break from the usual grind or from the ghosts of your boyfriend’s memories, travel could easily be the perfect remedy to all your woes.

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That said, a person who loves traveling solo is often perceived as a free spirit. Solo travelers are the true nomads, who have freed themselves from the shackles of the society and decided to sway to march to the beat of their own drum. A solo traveler doesn’t rely on anybody, s/he makes their own decisions, are comfortable in their own company. They are the ones with wildfire in their eyes, passion in their blood, and endless thirst for travel in their souls. They walk miles together to get that one glimpse of the perfect sunset. They trek for days to witness the beauty of the clouds hovering over the lilliputian world that we live in. They make switching cities, countries, and continents look as easy as changing pants. These solo travelers are the uninhibited soul warriors who refuse to settle and conform to society’s rulebook. So, when solo traveling is all about breaking the traditions, why should women keep themselves at a distance from this?

Every girl should take at least one solo trip in her lifetime (we guarantee that you’ll fall in love with solo traveling). It will change you as a person, it will strengthen you, it will help you meet people and connect with them. The magic starts to evolve, from the moment you take the first bus, train, flight, etc to that faraway land alone. The kindness of strangers, the exposure to different cultures, the familiarity among the unfamiliar will leave you overwhelmed and you’ll end up asking for more. If all this isn’t enough to make you travel solo, then maybe these locales will.

Here’s a list of world’s best places you can visit as a solo woman traveler-

(Note: These are based on safety ranking and the happiness ranking, so we’ve got you covered)

Norway

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Safety Ranking: 16

Happiness Ranking: 12

Like most of us, if seeing the Northern Lights in on top of your bucket list, head to Norway between November and March.This is the peak season for the aurora borealis. You can head to the heart of the Northern Lights zone—Tromsø. Norway isn’t just a place, it’s a surreal experience where you’ll be mesmerised by the midnight sun, warm weather, and the stunning coastline. You can visit Oslo, the capital city, and get your dose of cultural trip, or you can cruise through the country’s famous fjords on a multi-day adventure, while making stops at ports to hike, sled, dog sled, kayak, etc. It’s definitely going to a scenic adventure for the memory book.

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Denmark

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Safety Ranking: 5

Happiness Ranking: 32

Colourful townhouses, iconic wooden ships, flower gardens, bubble fountains, and Danish museums. Denmark is all about aesthetic beauty and friendly strangers. Whether you are a Shakespeare aficionado (it’s home to the UNESCO World Heritage site that inspired Elsinore Castle in Hamlet) or a history fanatic, Denmark is the pace for you if you’re travelling solo and want a perfect blend of old town meets new city kind of feeling. You can start in Copenhagen, and move towards Nyhavn, Tivioli Gardens, and Hillerød. For the first-time solo travellers Denmark is a great place to get the newly independent feet moving.

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Amsterdam

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Safety Ranking: 6

Happiness Ranking: 5

The Dutch seem like a happy lot with a happiness ranking of number 5! Apart from the abundance of marijuana, Amsterdam is a laid back and friendly city. You can rent a bike and explore the Dutch city, go to the picturesque canals, world famous museums, and visit the popular urban park.If you love flowers, head to the neighbouring city, Holland (between April and May) and you will be greeted by farms of tulips.Dubbed as the garden of Europe, the Keukenhof is just outside Amsterdam and will give you the opportunity to spot more than 800 varieties of tulips. Oh, imagine the pictures you can click!

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Among other places you can visit around the world, here’s a glimpse of them.

Austria

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Ireland

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Greece

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If you are looking at spending some quality time with yourself in Indian Subcontinent, here are a few places you can’t miss-

Udaipur

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The city of lakes, Udaipur is in Rajasthan. It is rich in culture, so much that the cultural heritage runs through the veins of the city. There are multiple palace hotels you can stay at to feel like royalty. Every street you set your foot in will tell you about the rich culture of the city. One thing is certain, you’ll see a lot of color, good food, and the beautiful lakes in the city. If you find yourself amidst hordes of couples, don’t be deterred, just soak in the majestic vibe of the city, click multiples pictures, and eat great food and you’ll feel like you are all you need to travel and be happy!

Ladakh

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If there’s one thing you have to do in your life, it is to travel to Ladakh. No kidding, it is the Ultima Thule of travel, the holy grail. Whether you are a first-timer or a pro at solo traveling, you will find yourself bewitched by the serenity of the valley. The valley weaves a sense of calm, quiet spell that will make you experience the beauty of Himalayas in the best way possible. As a solo traveler, get a map, because you will have no connectivity here, and befriend the locals to ensure you have a great trip!

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[sad-ch1ld]

via RSI Comm-Link

For spacecraft enthusiast Audrey Timmerman, Lo was the ideal place to grow up. Every day, a wide array of ships would make the trip into atmosphere from the bustling spacelanes above. Family members recalled Audrey spending her nights staring out the window of their flat in the Walden Towers housing development and identifying ships as they flew past solely on the configuration of their running lights. In an interview with the Terra Gazette, Timmerman couldn’t recall what first got her interested in aviation: “I don’t remember one specific ‘ah-ha’ moment. That love was just always there.”

Timmerman came from a family of modest means who couldn’t afford to own a ship, but her parents indulged her passion by taking her to New Junction’s bustling trade port to watch the ships take off and land. In 2656, Timmerman eagerly joined the Navy with dreams of becoming a pilot. Unfortunately, her piloting skill lagged behind those who already had years of flight experience.

Still, her vast knowledge of ships and eye for detail did not go unnoticed. She became a mechanic and rose through the ranks to became a pit chief aboard the frigate UEEN Solis. Assigned to patrol the Perry Line, the Solis spent its time as a mobile support ship for UEE strike fighters that monitored the Xi’an jump points. She described it as ‘long stretches of boredom punctuated by moments of terror,’ but that changed one day when a flight of fighters brought back something from their patrol: wreckage of a Xi’an ship. While Timmerman was intimately familiar with Banu ships from her childhood in Corel, seeing the Xi’an’s unique design approach was both fascinating and inspiring for her.

After ending her Naval service, Timmerman returned to New Junction and opened Intergalactic Aerospace Repairs in 2667. The shop quickly garnered a reputation for being able to fix just about anything. In her off hours, Timmerman devoted herself to her true passion, trying to reverse engineer the Xi’an tech she had seen in the Navy. Relations between the two species were antagonistic at the time, so it was impossible as a civilian to get her hands on Xi’an tech, leaving her nothing but memories and ingenuity to work with.

Humble Beginnings

In 2670, Timmerman finished installing Xi’an-inspired maneuverable thrusters on Poby, an old Aurora she named after her cat. Afraid to test fly the ship on a heavily populated planet, Timmerman and fellow aerospace enthusiasts loaded Poby and a number of other heavily modified ships onto a transporter and flew to the nearly desolate planet of Castor to test fly them. Though it was an informal gathering, historians now considered it to be the very first Intergalactic Aerospace Expo.

Poby’s first flight was a disappointment, as a power surge fried a number of her experimental thrusters. Timmerman wasn’t deterred by the failure — quite the opposite, she was energized by the process, and it wasn’t long before this group of experimental spacecraft enthusiasts were meeting regularly to discuss and examine various mods they were building. The annual test flights on Castor became a tradition and grew in popularity over the years.

One of the members of the group was Steffon Dillard, owner of Steffon’s Ship Emporium in New Junction. He recognized the popularity of the annual gathering and approached Timmerman about sponsoring the event. He would provide the latest ships for the enthusiasts to check out in person, and hopefully make some sales in the process. Timmerman agreed and, needing a name to put on the ads Dillard was creating, decided to borrow from her own company to get the name Intergalactic Aerospace Expo (IAE).

Over the next decade, the event became large enough that other retail outlets and parts manufacturers were eager to show off their own goods at the expo. Once that happened, it wasn’t long before the major ship manufacturers took notice. In 2683, RSI became an official sponsor of the IAE and has been one ever since. Each year, more and more sponsors and booths appeared at the event.

Purists decried its corporatization, but Timmerman vehemently justified the expansion. To her the Expo hadn’t sold out; it had adapted and improved. Her final act was to create a nonprofit to officially manage the event, and ensure a large percentage of the revenue went to a charity Timmerman created called Simpod Pals, whose mission was to give underprivileged children the opportunity to learn how to fly.

Spooling Up

In 2847, the board of directors made the decision to rotate the location of the IAE each year. The public explanation was that it would give more people the chance to experience the universe’s premier aerospace event.

Numerous systems clamored to host the event and enjoy the economic windfall that came with it. The event hopscotched from planet to planet for the next few decades until the 2913 event in Ferron was almost canceled due to Asura’s inability to meet the minimum hangar and power standards outlined by the IAE’s contract. Shortly after this scare, the IAE board was contacted by Governor Joona Tzur of Severus about bringing the event to the Kiel System. IAE officials were impressed with his presentation, but more so with the facilities his planet could offer. Severus contained numerous hangars (initially built and used by the military), plenty of available landing pads, and more than sufficient accommodations for visitors. After impressing the IAE board with Kiel’s facilities, Tzur went in for the kill. He offered to make vast upgrades and improvements to the existing facilities if the IAE agreed to make Severus the event’s permanent home. Still reeling from the Ferron controversy, the board of directors took a vote and approved the proposal. The IAE has been based in Kiel ever since.

The Intergalactic Aerospace Expo has come a long way since its humble beginnings on Castor. Due to insurance and legal issues, it’s no longer about amateurs test flying experimental ships. Instead, renowned pilots like Chelsea Yan and members of the Navy’s famed ‘Wreckless’ Squadron 999 dazzle attendees with impressive flight maneuvers, while ship and component manufacturers unveil their latest wares. At its core though, the Intergalactic Aerospace Expo is made for those young dreamers who find themselves staring up at the sky to count running lights.

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[brookstonalmanac]

Events 4.28

224 – The Battle of Hormozdgan is fought. Ardashir I defeats and kills Artabanus V effectively ending the Parthian Empire. 357 – Emperor Constantius II enters Rome for the first time to celebrate his victory over Magnus Magnentius. 1192 – Assassination of Conrad of Montferrat (Conrad I), King of Jerusalem, in Tyre, two days after his title to the throne is confirmed by election. The killing is carried out by Hashshashin. 1253 – Nichiren, a Japanese Buddhist monk, propounds Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō for the very first time and declares it to be the essence of Buddhism, in effect founding Nichiren Buddhism. 1503 – The Battle of Cerignola is fought. It is noted as one of the first European battles in history won by small arms fire using gunpowder. 1611 – Establishment of the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, The Catholic University of the Philippines, the largest Catholic university in the world. 1758 – The Marathas defeat the Afghans in the Battle of Attock and capture the city. 1788 – Maryland becomes the seventh state to ratify the United States Constitution. 1789 – Mutiny on the Bounty: Lieutenant William Bligh and 18 sailors are set adrift and the rebel crew returns to Tahiti briefly and then sets sail for Pitcairn Island. 1792 – France invades the Austrian Netherlands (present day Belgium and Luxembourg), beginning the French Revolutionary Wars. 1794 – Sardinians, headed by Giovanni Maria Angioy, start a revolution against the Savoy domination, expelling Viceroy Balbiano and his officials from Cagliari, the capital and largest city of the island. 1796 – The Armistice of Cherasco is signed by Napoleon Bonaparte and Vittorio Amedeo III, King of Sardinia, expanding French territory along the Mediterranean coast. 1869 – Chinese and Irish laborers for the Central Pacific Railroad working on the First Transcontinental Railroad lay ten miles of track in one day, a feat which has never been matched. 1881 – Billy the Kid escapes from the Lincoln County jail in Mesilla, New Mexico. 1887 – A week after being arrested by the Prussian Secret Police, French police inspector Guillaume Schnaebelé is released on order of William I, German Emperor, defusing a possible war. 1910 – Frenchman Louis Paulhan wins the 1910 London to Manchester air race, the first long-distance aeroplane race in England. 1920 – The Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic is founded. 1923 – Wembley Stadium is opened, named initially as the Empire Stadium. 1930 – The Independence Producers hosted the first night game in the history of Organized Baseball in Independence, Kansas. 1941 – The Ustaše massacre nearly 200 Serbs in the village of Gudovac, the first massacre of their genocidal campaign against Serbs of the Independent State of Croatia. 1944 – World War II: Nine German E-boats attacked US and UK units during Exercise Tiger, the rehearsal for the Normandy landings, killing 946. 1945 – Benito Mussolini and his mistress Clara Petacci are shot dead by Walter Audisio, a member of the Italian resistance movement. 1947 – Thor Heyerdahl and five crew mates set out from Peru on the Kon-Tiki to demonstrate that Peruvian natives could have settled Polynesia. 1948 – Igor Stravinsky conducted the premiere of his American ballet, Orpheus at the New York City Center. 1949 – The Hukbalahap are accused of assassinating former First Lady of the Philippines Aurora Quezon, while she is en route to dedicate a hospital in memory of her late husband; her daughter and ten others are also killed. 1952 – Dwight D. Eisenhower resigns as Supreme Allied Commander of NATO. 1952 – The Treaty of San Francisco comes into effect, restoring Japanese sovereignty and ending its state of war with most of the Allies of World War II. 1952 – The Sino-Japanese Peace Treaty (Treaty of Taipei) is signed in Taipei, Taiwan between Japan and the Republic of China to officially end the Second Sino-Japanese War. 1965 – United States occupation of the Dominican Republic: American troops land in the Dominican Republic to "forestall establishment of a Communist dictatorship" and to evacuate U.S. Army troops. 1967 – Vietnam War: Boxer Muhammad Ali refuses his induction into the United States Army and is subsequently stripped of his championship and license. 1969 – Charles de Gaulle resigns as President of France. 1970 – Vietnam War: U.S. President Richard Nixon formally authorizes American combat troops to take part in the Cambodian campaign. 1973 – The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd, recorded in Abbey Road Studios goes to number one on the US Billboard chart, beginning a record-breaking 741-week chart run. 1975 – General Cao Văn Viên, chief of the South Vietnamese military, departs for the US as the North Vietnamese Army closed in on victory. 1977 – The Red Army Faction trial ends, with Andreas Baader, Gudrun Ensslin and Jan-Carl Raspe found guilty of four counts of murder and more than 30 counts of attempted murder. 1978 – President of Afghanistan, Mohammed Daoud Khan, is overthrown and assassinated in a coup led by pro-communist rebels. 1986 – High levels of radiation resulting from the Chernobyl disaster are detected at a nuclear power plant in Sweden, leading Soviet authorities to publicly announce the accident. 1988 – Near Maui, Hawaii, flight attendant Clarabelle "C.B." Lansing is blown out of Aloha Airlines Flight 243, a Boeing 737, and falls to her death when part of the plane's fuselage rips open in mid-flight. 1993 – A Zambia Air Force DHC-5 Buffalo crashes off the coast of Libreville, Gabon, killing all 30 passengers, which included the entire Zambia national football team. 1994 – Former Central Intelligence Agency counterintelligence officer and analyst Aldrich Ames pleads guilty to giving U.S. secrets to the Soviet Union and later Russia. 1996 – Whitewater controversy: President Bill Clinton gives a 41⁄2 hour videotaped testimony for the defense. 1996 – Port Arthur massacre, Tasmania: A gunman, Martin Bryant, opens fire at the Broad Arrow Cafe in Port Arthur, Tasmania, killing 35 people and wounding 23 others. 2004 – CBS News released evidence of the Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse. The photographs show rape and abuse from the American troops over Iraqi detainees.

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RSI Comm-Link: Portfolio: Intergalactic Aerospace Expo

For spacecraft enthusiast Audrey Timmerman, Lo was the ideal place to grow up. Every day, a wide array of ships would make the trip into atmosphere from the bustling spacelanes above. Family members recalled Audrey spending her nights staring out the window of their flat in the Walden Towers housing development and identifying ships as they flew past solely on the configuration of their running lights. In an interview with the Terra Gazette, Timmerman couldn’t recall what first got her interested in aviation: “I don’t remember one specific ‘ah-ha’ moment. That love was just always there.”

Timmerman came from a family of modest means who couldn’t afford to own a ship, but her parents indulged her passion by taking her to New Junction’s bustling trade port to watch the ships take off and land. In 2656, Timmerman eagerly joined the Navy with dreams of becoming a pilot. Unfortunately, her piloting skill lagged behind those who already had years of flight experience.

Still, her vast knowledge of ships and eye for detail did not go unnoticed. She became a mechanic and rose through the ranks to became a pit chief aboard the frigate UEEN Solis. Assigned to patrol the Perry Line, the Solis spent its time as a mobile support ship for UEE strike fighters that monitored the Xi’an jump points. She described it as ‘long stretches of boredom punctuated by moments of terror,’ but that changed one day when a flight of fighters brought back something from their patrol: wreckage of a Xi’an ship. While Timmerman was intimately familiar with Banu ships from her childhood in Corel, seeing the Xi’an’s unique design approach was both fascinating and inspiring for her.

After ending her Naval service, Timmerman returned to New Junction and opened Intergalactic Aerospace Repairs in 2667. The shop quickly garnered a reputation for being able to fix just about anything. In her off hours, Timmerman devoted herself to her true passion, trying to reverse engineer the Xi’an tech she had seen in the Navy. Relations between the two species were antagonistic at the time, so it was impossible as a civilian to get her hands on Xi’an tech, leaving her nothing but memories and ingenuity to work with.

Humble Beginnings

In 2670, Timmerman finished installing Xi’an-inspired maneuverable thrusters on Poby, an old Aurora she named after her cat. Afraid to test fly the ship on a heavily populated planet, Timmerman and fellow aerospace enthusiasts loaded Poby and a number of other heavily modified ships onto a transporter and flew to the nearly desolate planet of Castor to test fly them. Though it was an informal gathering, historians now considered it to be the very first Intergalactic Aerospace Expo.

Poby’s first flight was a disappointment, as a power surge fried a number of her experimental thrusters. Timmerman wasn’t deterred by the failure — quite the opposite, she was energized by the process, and it wasn’t long before this group of experimental spacecraft enthusiasts were meeting regularly to discuss and examine various mods they were building. The annual test flights on Castor became a tradition and grew in popularity over the years.

One of the members of the group was Steffon Dillard, owner of Steffon’s Ship Emporium in New Junction. He recognized the popularity of the annual gathering and approached Timmerman about sponsoring the event. He would provide the latest ships for the enthusiasts to check out in person, and hopefully make some sales in the process. Timmerman agreed and, needing a name to put on the ads Dillard was creating, decided to borrow from her own company to get the name Intergalactic Aerospace Expo (IAE).

Over the next decade, the event became large enough that other retail outlets and parts manufacturers were eager to show off their own goods at the expo. Once that happened, it wasn’t long before the major ship manufacturers took notice. In 2683, RSI became an official sponsor of the IAE and has been one ever since. Each year, more and more sponsors and booths appeared at the event.

Purists decried its corporatization, but Timmerman vehemently justified the expansion. To her the Expo hadn’t sold out; it had adapted and improved. Her final act was to create a nonprofit to officially manage the event, and ensure a large percentage of the revenue went to a charity Timmerman created called Simpod Pals, whose mission was to give underprivileged children the opportunity to learn how to fly.

Spooling Up

In 2847, the board of directors made the decision to rotate the location of the IAE each year. The public explanation was that it would give more people the chance to experience the universe’s premier aerospace event.

Numerous systems clamored to host the event and enjoy the economic windfall that came with it. The event hopscotched from planet to planet for the next few decades until the 2913 event in Ferron was almost canceled due to Asura’s inability to meet the minimum hangar and power standards outlined by the IAE’s contract. Shortly after this scare, the IAE board was contacted by Governor Joona Tzur of Severus about bringing the event to the Kiel System. IAE officials were impressed with his presentation, but more so with the facilities his planet could offer. Severus contained numerous hangars (initially built and used by the military), plenty of available landing pads, and more than sufficient accommodations for visitors. After impressing the IAE board with Kiel’s facilities, Tzur went in for the kill. He offered to make vast upgrades and improvements to the existing facilities if the IAE agreed to make Severus the event’s permanent home. Still reeling from the Ferron controversy, the board of directors took a vote and approved the proposal. The IAE has been based in Kiel ever since.

The Intergalactic Aerospace Expo has come a long way since its humble beginnings on Castor. Due to insurance and legal issues, it’s no longer about amateurs test flying experimental ships. Instead, renowned pilots like Chelsea Yan and members of the Navy’s famed ‘Wreckless’ Squadron 999 dazzle attendees with impressive flight maneuvers, while ship and component manufacturers unveil their latest wares. At its core though, the Intergalactic Aerospace Expo is made for those young dreamers who find themselves staring up at the sky to count running lights.

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