This week, I’ve had a terrible cold and have spent an inordinate amount of time clicking random webpages. As a result, I spent more time reading (and listening) than writing about aviation. In an attempt to redeem myself, I am sharing with you the best of the pieces I found online. Enjoy!

On-board a Cessna 172 on April 25, we had an engine failure over the highway 10 in Quebec, Canada.
We had to make an emergency landing on the highway.

What Happened to Air France Flight 447? – NYTimes.com

The search had already taken two years and cost more than $25 million. Another $12 million was committed to the Alucia this year, but French investigators had quietly decided that this year would be the last. If the Alucia did not find the plane, no one ever would.

Air Crash Observer: Man unharmed in plane crash

John Roderick crashed a quarter-mile west of Water Oak Road in Flagler County around 3 p.m. Wednesday in his experimental biplane, the report said. He was able to walk away from the crash unharmed.

The plane landed in the tree tops of an area surrounded by young pine trees, the report said.

BBC – BBC Radio 4 Programmes – Face the Facts, 04/05/2011

John Waite investigates the Belfast commuter flight that crashed in February killing six people. He hears how the crew were inexperienced and breached air safety regulations. The company running the route, Manx 2, has since denied responsibility for the accident, claiming it is only a ticket seller and that the actual operator was a small company from Spain. The British Airline Pilots Association tells the programme that such arrangements are likely to become more common in the industry and that the government and regulator needs to act to ensure transparency for passengers.

English Russia » Russian Jet Cabrio Flight

Those photos are real and were made during the filming of the Russian movie involving jet fighter stunts. In one episode they had to film the jet without a canopy, so rather to film it on the ground they decided to hire a high-class pilot to make a real flight without that glass thing. He had to take off a few times on such plane in order to film enough material to be included in the final footage.

Photos: Lockheed HC-130H Hercules (L-382) Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net

USA – Coast Guard: There’s no better location to view the Golden Gate Bridge than from a Coast Guard C-130…Note the trail of dust left behind from our engines.

Stranded at Sea | Military Aviation | Air & Space Magazine

With their airplane nearly out of fuel, they had to ditch in the ocean, beginning a month-long ordeal recounted in this excerpt from Fly Navy: Discovering the Extraordinary People and the Enduring Spirit of Naval Aviation, by Alvin Townley, Thomas Dunne Books, 2011.

Boeing: Boeing Phantom Ray Completes 1st Flight

The Boeing [NYSE: BA] Phantom Ray unmanned airborne system (UAS) successfully completed its first flight April 27 at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.

The 17-minute flight took place following a series of high-speed taxi tests in March that validated ground guidance, navigation and control and verified mission planning, pilot interface and operational procedures. Phantom Ray flew to 7,500 feet and reached a speed of 178 knots.

Have you seen (or even posted) interesting aviation articles or photographs that you think others would like? Add them in the comments!