This is a question that I'm asked often and it's a hard one to answer. When I travel I tend to "travel light", often only carrying one body and 2 lenses plus assorted other paraphernalia. When I have the luxury of travvelling by car or boat I tend to carry more, closer to what I have listed below. So, here's my rant about what's in my bag. Any comments?
To start with, I use Nikon cameras. I'm often asked why I use Nikon rather than Canon and the answer goes back about thirty years when I first started doing photography seriously. A friend had a Canon F1 with a motor drive and I had a few simple Nikon F's, no meter, just the basic cameras. What struck me about the Canon was how heavy and bulky the package was. Now, this is nothing against Canon as the equivalent Nikon at the time was likely just as heavy and bulky. Being on a shoestring budget for many of my early years I acquired a large quantity of used Nikkor lenses and other miscellaneous camera system components.Years later Pentax came out with a fancy little professional camera, the Pentax LX. The lenses were good and sharp, everything was lighter than the equivalent Nikon equipment and I sold all of my beat up Nikon gear and temporarily switched to Pentax. While I thoroughly enjoyed using the Pentax equipment the set-up suffered from lack of development and the bodies had a tendency to have their shutters crack at inopportune moments. It was time to switch back to Nikon again.
With the digital age it was clear that Nikon or Canon would get my business. In most ways it was a no brainer for me, I had all these Nikkor lenses, why reinvest in a completely new system? That's why I'm still using Nikon. Is Nikon better than Canon? My guess is that any of the modern cameras can produce great images with a good photographer operating them. All these systems can also produce terrible results with an incompetent photographer operating them. As well, I have started using many third party lenses that can be purchased for many different systems. I guess it really comes down to personal preference.
So what's in my bag? I'll start with the weird and accessory items:
Toshiba notebook (only if required, a few days away from computers is healthy), I'll tell you what's on the computer at a later date Cable release USB reader 2 USB cords (I either lose them or they are a little finicky) 250 gb hard drive 160 gb hard drive Garbage bags (lots) Band aids (these are useful for more than just patching up my body) Lens cleaning fluid Lens cleaning paper (in truth, I almost always use my shirt or other old clothing, underwear (clean) etc, I know….) Permanent marker BC Ferry schedule (may not be useful to many of you) An old magazine or two (for the road, usually something other than photography like Air & Space or Vintage Motorsports) Lightweight gloves Super duper LED flashlight Visa card, "can't leave home without it" A few leaky pens and, a pair of small scissors and a knife (that I have to remember to remove before boarding an airplane).
Camera Equipment:
Nikon D300 body Nikon D2X body Sigma 10-20mm Nikon 17-55mm Sigma 30mm f1.4 Sigma 50-150mm f2.8 Sigma 150 macro Nikon 300mm f4 Nikon 85mm f1.8 (not used often anymore)
Battery chargers for two cameras and flash unit. (why these can't be compatible boggles my mind, in a perfect world…) Nikon SB800 flash Manfrotto monopod Manfrotto Carbon Fiber tripod Manfrotto Head
There you go, nothing fancy and all totally abused. Am I missing anything? Well, a 500mm lens sure would be nice, maybe a fisheye, donations are always accepted.
Kevin Oke is a professional nature and travel photographer with over 30 years experience. When not travelling he writes on his blogs, Nature Travel Photography and Kevin Oke Photography. Kevin is available to answer questions about photography on his Photography forum.
Do children under 18 need a ID when boarding a airplane (within the US)?
I havn't flown in a while and am not sure if my 12 year old sister will need a US photo ID to board her flight. It is an emergency trip here, she will be flying alone. Will I need anything special to pick her up beside's my driver's licence? The airline I would like to use it not being helpful one bit.... Any info would be great!
These are perfect answer's! Thank you so much!
They have to have their birth certificate, I just went through this!
Why is the trajectory of pluto different from all other planets?
The peculiarity of Pluto's trajectory is that both its eccentricity and inclination to the ecliptic, the approximate plane in which the orbits of the other planets lie, are extremely high. As Pluto was discovered only in 1930, astronomers haven't been able to fully explain the peculiarity of its orbit. A hypothesis proposed that it was originally a moon to Neptune, and later somehow escaped from Neptune's gravity In 1978, when Pluto's moon, Charon, was discovered, new theories were proposed regarding the origin of both Pluto and Charon. It is now believed that *both of them were formed independently, but after some time there was a collision between Pluto and the original Charon. From the debris of that collision, the present Charon was formed, and the collision was also perhaps responsible for Pluto acquiring its peculiar orbit.
What's the composition of monosodium glutamate?
Monosodium glutamate (MSG, Vetsin) is a monosodium salt (with one sodium ion) of glutamic acid. Chemically, it is HOOC-CH2-CH2-CH(NH2)-COONa or empirically C5H8NO 4Na. It's widely used as a taste enhancer in place of vinegar derivatives in soups, sauces, etc. because of its pleasantly tangy taste. Recent scientific studies have shown that this salt does a lot more then stimulate the taste bud. Excess consumption is known to cause a disorder called the Chinese Restaurant Syndrome.
Which is the largest helicopter in the world?
The 40-metre long, 200-kg heavy Russian designed Mi-26 is the largest helicopter in the world. This flying machine can take off with up to 56,000 kgs of total weight and is the first helicopter with an 8-blade main rotor. This high-load capacity and high-cruise speed (295 km/hr) makes this machine very efficient. Designed for both civil and military use, it took off on its maiden flight in December 1977. It's now used to ply military and civil cargo, firefighting, as a fuel tanker, flying crane, and for antisubmarine warfare.
Who invented the bicycle?
Comte Mede de Sivrac of France invented the first bicycle around 1790. It was a wooden scooter-like contraption called celerifere. The modern form was developed by a French father and son team of carriage makers, Pierre and Ernest Michaux in 1860s, which had metal tyres instead of wooden ones. Later, airfilled rubber tyres replaced these in the 1880s.
What is the new name for pluto?
After Pluto was deemed not to be a planet but a dwarf planet, it's also known by another name now. Or rather a number. In all scientific references, the asteroid number 134340'll know it. This has decided by the Minor Planet Centre, the organisation responsible for data collection about objects in the solar system.
What are the orbits of staurn's moons called?
Saturn has at least 47 known moons. However, the moons have two orbits — Janus and Epimethus. Saturn has been in the news ever since a new ring was discovered, possibly caused by a meteorite's impact on one of its moons. Saturn is said to have at least seven rings.
Why is the rainbow arc -shaped?
The rainbow's appearance is caused by dispersion of sunlight as it is refracted by (approximately spherical) raindrops. The light is first refracted as it enters the surface of the raindrop, reflected off the back of the drop, and again refracted as it leaves the drop. The overall effect is that the incoming light is reflected back over a wide range of angles, with the most intense light at an angle of about 40-42 degrees. The different colours (wavelengths) of light have different refractive indices which cause them to bend unequally. Thus, a rainbow is arc-shaped.
What is base jumping?
BASE jumping is the sport of jumping down with the help of a parachute from stationary objects like buildings, bridges, towers, and mountain cliffs. In fact, the acronym BASE stands for Building, Antenna, Span, and Earth. BASE-jumping is derived from the safer sport of skydiving, in which a person jumps from a moving aircraft and uses a parachute to land safely. BASE jumping is more dangerous than skydiving because, often, the height involved in the jump is quite low, sometimes as low as 200 feet. At such heights, the parachute sometimes does not open, rendering the fall fatal. For this reason, in several parts of the world, BASE jumping is declared illegal.
What's the origin of 'nineteen to the dozen'?
While the exact origin of the phrase is unknown, it is often traced back to the Cornish beam engines of the Newcomen era in the 18th Century. These engines could pump 19,000 gallons from a tin mile. All this from just 12 bushels of coal. In speech, the phrase means someone who talks too fast or too much.
What is solar wind?
It's the flux of particles, chiefly protons and electrons together with nuclei of heavier elements in smaller numbers, that are accelerated by the high temperatures of the solar corona, or outer region of the Sun, to velocities large enough to allow them to escape from the Sun's gravitational field. The solar wind is responsible for deflecting both the tail of the Earth's magnetosphere and the tails of comets away from the Sun.
Why do the blades of a ceiling fan rotate anti-clockwise?
There is no definitive rule regarding the direction of rotation, which is determined how the forces are acting on the electrical coils in the motor of the fan. There are two parts in a fan motor — rotor and stator. The stator has magnetic poles, which generate magnetic flux. This interacts with the coils on the rotor and applies a couple causing the rotation of the rotor. In a table fan, the blades are fixed to the rotor and the movement appears to be clockwise. In a ceiling fan, the blades are fixed to the stator, hence the movement of blades appear to be anti-clockwise.
Where is india's only active volcano?
Barren Island, one of the most easterly of the Andaman Islands, is the only confirmed active volcano in India. The island along with the rest of the Andamans is the the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, and lies some 135 kms northeast of the territory's capital, Port Blair. The first recorded eruptions of the volcano dates back to 1787. Since then, the volcano has erupted more than six times.
How is supercritical water generated?
Supercritical water is generated through an oxidation process, which occurs in water at temperatures and pressures that exceed it's thermodynamic critical point. This process imbues the water with unique properties, capable of destroying harmful wastes such as PCBs. This process is considered to be a clean technology.
What is cold fusion?
The term first came into existence in 1989 when chemists Stanley Pons and Martin Fleischmann reported production of excess heat in an electrolytic cell containing deuterium oxide. Cold fusion denotes the generation of excess heat by fusion of deuterium nuclei. The process differs from the general process of fusion as it does not require high amount of energy for initiation and is possible on tabletop apparatus. It's not been completely understood and some scientists consider it pseudoscience. If the results can be successfully repeated and developed, cold fusion can meet all our present-day energy requirements.
What is the magnetic hill in ladakh?
The Magnetic Hill is located on the Leh-Kargil-Batalik National Highway, about 30 kms from Leh, at a height of 14,000 ft above sea level. The hill supposedly has magnetic properties which attracts metallic objects, making vehicles move up at a speed of about 20 kmph with their engines off. However, many feel that it's a mere optical illusion and nothing to do with magnetic fields, electricity or unknown forces working along mysterious lines.
What is special about luminette glasses?
The Luminette is a light apparatus rather like a pair of spectacles, but can be worn on top of normal glasses to administer luminotherapy treatment. Luminotherapy means light therapy and usually involves half-hour sessions in front of a light source. It's specially adapted to treat seasonal depression. Light exposure slows down melatonin production, fighting sleepiness and depression. The light reaches the brain through the retina of the eye, as nerve impulses, to alter hormone levels, which in turn reset your body clock and boost your immune system.
Why are there 60 seconds in a minute?
The correct answer is as follows: 60 is the first number divisible by 2.3, 4 5, 6, 10, 12, 15, 20 and 30 Therefore, it can be divided easily into those many equal parts like: 1/3,1/5, etc. without any fraction left over (i.e. zero remainder) Hence, it is useful for equal division. It's also why there are 12 in a dozen, 24 hours in a day, 60 minutes m an hour and 360 degrees m a circle.
If energy is neither created nor destroyed where does it comes from?
In the universe, all forms of energy must be associated with some mass. This means that a system or a particle of mass (m) is equivalent to an energy, E = mc2, where c is the velocity of light in vacuum. There are several forms of energies like nuclear energy (fusion and fission), energy from collision of particles and also relativistic energy Solar energy is the outcome of fusion process resulting from small particles fusing into a large particle. Fission process produces energy by breaking up a heavy particle into small particles. Thermal energy is obtained by collision of particles. So fusion, fission and thermal processes are the main sources of energy in the universe.
What is an extended periodic table?
Glenn T Seaborg suggested an extended periodic table in 1969. It's a logical extension of the principles behind the standard periodic table to include undiscovered chemical elements. The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) name all of the undiscovered elements. The systematic element name is the standard of creating a generic name until it has been discovered, confirmed and an official name approved.
Why does the planet venus rotate from east to west, and not the other way round like other planets?
Experiments conducted on rotating semi-plastic spheres in viscous fluids show that they have a tendency to form a broad ring. Quite possibly, when our rotating Sun cooled to plastic condition, it may have formed a similar ring that broke to form planets. The Sun's rotation must have caused all planets to rotate from west to east and this is a reasonable conclusion. Why then is Venus the odd one out? One cause can be that the passage of a large asteroid or a comet close by this could have turned turtle Venus, throwing its north pole towards the south and change its direction of rotation.
What are nsg countries?
NSG countries are members of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) set up in 1975. There are 45 countries consisting of the US, the UK, Canada, Japan, France, Germany, Russia, China and others. This group seeks to contribute to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices. It does this by regulating nuclear exports and nuclear-related exports through implementation of guidelines with appropriate safeguards, physical protection, nonproliferation conditions and other required restraints.
What is hyperbaric oxygen?
It is oxygen at a pressure that is above 1 atmosphere, also called high-pressure oxygen. Breathing hyperbaric oxygen to enhance the effectiveness of radiation therapy is being studied. In this procedure, a person breathes oxygen under greater atmospheric pressure in a special chamber. Once, it was thought to be a potential treatment for decompression sickness and air embolism.
Which is the biggest desert on earth?
The Sahara is only the world's largest non-polar desert. The largest desert is really Antarctica, at 5,500,00 sq miles. Sahara is 3,320,000 sq miles in area. A desert is classified as an area which gets less than 10 inches of precipitation per year, and precipitation includes both rain and snow. The Sahara is one of the hottest places on Earth. Even though temperatures there may rise to 57.7 Celsius, its dryness, not heat, makes it like a desert. Antarctica is so dry that some scientists consider it a desert. The Sahara receives less than 7.6 cm of rain a year. Even in its wettest areas, rain may arrive twice in one week, then not return for years.
Why do people cry or get emotional while watching sad scenes in movies or serials?
The phenomena of reacting to emotional scenes can be analysed by explaining mirror neurons. These are activated both when an animal performs an action and when the animal observes the same action being performed by another animal (especially belonging to the same species). The results of brain imaging experiments show that the human inferior frontal cortex and superior parietal lobule are active when a person performs an action and also when the person sees another individual performing an action. It explains much about how we learn to smile, walk, talk, or play tennis. At a deeper level, it suggests a common neurobiological dynamic for our understanding of others and the complex exchange of ideas we call culture. Mirror neurons let you walk in other person's shoes by creating an impression of you experiencing the same thing as the doer — be it reacting to sad scenes in movie or jumping with joy at an Indian cricket victory.
What does probiotic mean?
Probiotic is a microbe that protects its host and prevents disease. The best-known probiotic is Lactobacillus acidophilus, found in yogurt, acidophilus milk, and supplements. Probiotics counter the destruction of helpful intestinal bacteria by antibiotics. They are useful in preventing antibiotic-associated diarrhoea. The yeast 8 Boulardii and three strains of Lactobacillus are also useful. Probiotics are desirable bacilli present in the large intestine which offer many health benefits. Billions of bacteria inhabit the digestive system. These bacteria, also referred to as 'gut flora', are required to break down food remains that have not been digested and to discourage harmful bacteria and yeasts from invading the body The gut flora consists of 400 species of bacteria. Many produce vital vitamins and fatty acids and provide nutrients to the body They maintain low pH level in the large intestine and thereby lower the risk of harmful bacteria invading the body Ayurveda has been using this concept for centuries. The simplest probiotic food is curd which may contain one or a mixture^of these useful bacteria.
What is super string theory?
It is a model of fundamental physics whose building blocks are one-dimensional extended objects called strings, rather than the zero-dimensional point particles which form the basis for the standard model of particle physics. By replacing point-like particles with strings, an apparently consistent quantum theory of gravity emerges. Moreover, it may be possible to unify the known natural forces (gravitational, electromagnetic, weak nuclear and strong nuclear forces) by describing them with the same set of equations as described in the theory of everything called the Grand Unified Theory (GUT).
What are tachyons?
Tachyons (a Greek word meaning swift) are hypothetical particles, which travel with a velocity greater than the speed of light in vacuum (or superluminal velocity) and represent the instability of the system. German physicist Arnold Sommer-feld gave the first description of tachyons. But George Sudarshan, OlexaMyron Bilaniuk and Gerald Feinberg (who originally coined the term) in the 1960s advanced a theoretical framework for their study In terms of Einstein's special relativity theory, these particles have space-like four momentum (momentum in four-dimensional coordinate system) and imaginary proper time. These particles generate Cherenkov radiation (the light equivalent of a sonic boom) when they cross the light barrier. However; according to special relativity such particles don't exist in reality and even if they did they wouldn't, be, able to transmit information or signals.
What are proto-galaxies?
Proto-galaxies or teenage galaxies are smaller galaxies which form larger ones through mergers and collisions over a period of time. Until recently, it was hard to detect these adolescent galaxies since the light they emitted were very faint. But using powerful telescopes, scientists have identified 27 protogalaxies. They further believe that in the beginning, a uniform gas existed in space which eventually began clumping together to form proto-galaxies, which later formed larger galaxies such as the Milky Way.
What is denuclearisation?
Denuclearisation means states disposing of nuclear weaponry or power in their possession. It includes removal, banning, or eliminating nuclear weapons or nuclear power sources from a place, industry, or organisation. Indiaihas long supported the idea of total global denuclearisation rather than denuclearisation of few states through the Npn-Proliferation Treaty.
How does a mobile jammer work?
A cell phone jammer is an instrument used to prevent cellular phones from receiving and transmitting mobile signals to a base station. The jammer effectively disables cellular phones in the area. Jammers block cell phone use by sending out radio waves along the same frequencies that cellular phones use. This causes enough interference with the communication of cell phones and the towers to render phones unusable. For using a mobile signal jammer, a licence is required under section 4 of the Telegraph Act, 1885.
What's made from coca leaves?
Coca (family: Erythroxylaceae), as opposed to cocoa, is the source of cocaine. The narcotic is usually extracted from the tips the leaves of this plant. Coca-leaf tea, although illegal in many countries, is supposed to have medicinal or stimulating effects. Many locals in South America also habitually chew it, while on a more global scale, it has been known to be used in the cola industry For the benefit of chocolate lovers, it must be added here that cocoa is a completely different agro-product and safely enough, has no link with the former in this respect Cocoa is made by processing the beans.of the.cacao plant (family: Theobroma, which, roughly translated, means 'food of the Gods'!).
What is dark energy?
Until the last decade, astronomers believed that galaxies were moving apart from each other at a constant speed. In this decade, they discovered that all galaxies are moving apart with acceleration. To accelerate, a force is required. So, this force which has properties like anti-gravity pushes matter away from each other with acceleration is called dark energy. Researchers are working extensively to understand the nature and source of this force.
What are white holes?
White holes are the opposite of black holes in astrophysics, so much so that they eject matter and anti-matter instead of sucking them as with black holes. White holes appear as part of the vacuum solution to the Einstein field equations describing a Schwarzschild wormhole. One end of such a wormhole is a black hole, sucking in matter and the other end is a white hole, ejecting matter. The oscillations between the black holes at opposite ends of wormhole force the black holes to become white holes. It is stipulated that spiral arms of galaxies have been formed out of ejected matter from white holes. The origin of our Sun also lies in one of the spirals of the galaxy Milky Way.
How many galaxies have been found till date? Which is the largest?
There are 4 million names in the NASA Extragalactic database (NED). It is estimated that there are as many as 200 billion galaxies in the observable universe, but we aren't able to see all of them yet because our telescopes are not big enough. The largest galaxies we know of are giant elliptical galaxies in the centres of clusters of galaxies. These galaxies are about 10 times more luminous than a typical galaxy (like the Milky Way) and about 100 times more massive. a good example is the central galaxy in the cluster Abell 2029.
What is a parallel universe?
The parallel universe theory, first proposed in 1950 by US physicist Hugh Everett, helps explain mysteries of quantum mechanics that have baffled scientists for decades. According to this theory, every time a new physical possibility is explored, the universe splits. Given a number of possible alternative outcomes, each one is played out in its own universe. A motorist who almost meets with an accident, for instance, might feel relieved at his lucky escape. But in a parallel universe in another version, the same driver would have been killed. Yet another universe will see the motorist recover after treatment in hospital. The number of alternative scenarios is endless. Like an everyday universe, it is a region of space and time containing matter, galaxies, stars, planets and living beings. In other words, every time a new physical possibility is explored, the universe splits. A parallel universe is similar and possibly even a duplicate of our own universe. There are human beings who may be exact duplicates of ourselves and who are connected to us through mechanisms only explainable using quantum physics concepts. Parallel universes are also calledalternative universes, quantum universes, parallel worlds, alternative timelines, etc.
What is homeomorphism?
Homeomorphism means similarity of shape. In chemistry, crystals of two different compounds are called homeomorphic if their forms are very close to each other. In ^topology, two spaces are said to be homeomorphic, or a homemorphism is said to exist between them, if each can be transformed into the other by a continuous stretching and bending alone, and not by tearing or folding. Accordingly, a circle is homeomorphic to a square, and homeomorphism exits between a tea cup and a doughnut.
What are albedo values?
The fraction of incoming light reflected by a body such as a planet or any other object is called albedo. The albedo of an object is the extent to which it reflects light, defined as the ratio of reflected to incident electromagnetic radiation. A body with a high albedo, near 1, is very bright, while a body with a low albedo, near 0, is dark. The Moon has an average albedo of 0.12, Venus 0.76, Earth 0.37. It is a unitless measure indicative of the diffuse reflectivity of a surface or body. The albedo is an important concept in astronomy. Its value depends on the frequency of radiation considered. In general, the albedo depends on the direction and directional distribution of incoming radiation,
What particles are emitted when gamma rays strike a metallic plate? What is the phenomenon called?
Gamma rays, like light rays, are basically electromagnetic rays. When gamma rays of optimum frequency strike a metal plate, they give the same result obtained when light rays strike a metal plate — they emit electrons (negatively charged particles). This phenomenon is called the photoelectric effect.
What is bode's law?
Bode's Law is an arithmetical relation which is supposed to establish a connection between the distances of planets from the Sun. It was first discovered by German mathematician Johann Titius in 1766 and published by the German astronomer Johann Bode in 1772. The law states that the relative distances are in the proportions 4,7, 10,16. 28, 52,100 and 196. Adding 4 derive this series of numbers to each number of the series 0,3,6,12,24 and so on. At the time of its discovery, only six planets were known and the numbers closely fitted the observed facts. However, the positions of the more recently discovered planets — Neptune and Pluto (now considered a dwarf planet) — deviate widely from those predicted by Bode's Law. Astronomers now believe the relationship is a coincidence because the law is without theoretical basis.
Why is the plaster of paris called so?
Plaster is the common name for calcium sulphate hemi hydrate made by heating the mineral gypsum, the common name for sulphate of lime. Plaster was first made about 9000 years ago, and has been used by ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman civilizations. However, it wasn't used on a large scale until 1700s, when it was required to be used in all construction in Paris. In 1666, a fire raged across London, destroying many parts of it. In its aftermath, the king of France ordered that all walls made of wood in Paris be immediately covered with plaster, as a protection against such fires. This resulted in large-scale mining of gypsum which was available around Paris in huge quantities. Thus, during the early 18th century, Paris became the centre of plaster production, and hence the name, plaster of Paris.
What is project blue book?
This project is associated with the study of Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs). From 1947 to 1969, the US Air force started working on a special project named Blue Book. It was started for investigating UPOs and whether they posed any danger to national security. But it was discontinued later because they could not gather any solid information about UFOs.
What is a jordan curve?
First stated by Camille Jordan to 1887, the Jordan Curve Theorem says that any simple closed curve in a'plane divides the plane into two disjoint regions (inside and outside of the curve). By simple closed curve, roughly a curve which does not cross itself but eventually joins itself; more formally, the theorem refers to any homeomorphism( image of a circle. Although the statement of the Jordan Curve Theorem seems obvious, it was a very difficult theorem to prove. The first to attempt a proof was Bernard Bolzano, followed by a numbci of other mathematicians includ ig CamUle Jordan after whom ie theorem is named. None coul 1 provide a correct proof, until 0 wald Veblen finally did in 1905. Several alternative proofs have been found since then. A rigorous 6,500-line formal proof of the theorem was produced in 2005 by an international team of mathematicians using the Mizar System.
Why is infrared radiation used as signals during wipr?
Ordinary visible light is scattered by haze but infrared (IR) radiation can penetrate through the haze without being scattered. Therefore, these can be used as signals on distant objects obscured by atmospheric haze. Also, IR radiation enables sharpshooters to see their targets in total darkness. These devices essentially consist of an IR lamp which sends a beam of IR radiation (called black light) and a telescope receiver which picks up returned radiation from the object and converts it to a visible image.
What is a dihedral group?
In mathematics, a dihedral group is the group of symmetries of a regular polygon, including both rotations and reflections. Dihedral groups are among the simplest examples of finite groups, and they play an important role in group theory, geometry, and chemistry There are two competing notations for the dihedral group associated to a polygon with n sides. In geometry, Dn, while in algebra denotes the group, the same group is denoted by D2n to indicate the number of elements.
What is polygraphy?
This is the process of using an instrument called polygraph, which is also popularly known as a lie detector.
Who was the mysterious mona lisa?
The identity of the famed muse of Leonardo da Vinci was a mystery until recently. German researchers claim they have solved the mystery of the woman who was Mona Lisa. They believe it was Lisa del Giocondo, the wife of a wealthy merchant in Florence named Francesco del Giocondo. The discovery is based on dated notes by a Florentine city official who was a friend of the artist. Interestingly, the painting, now on display at the Louvre in Paris, is called La Gioconda in Italian, which means the happy or joyful woman. The title is uncannily similar to Lisa's married name.
Why is glass transparent?
When light encounters a material, it can interact with it in different ways. These interactions depend on the nature of the light and the nature of the material. For instance, light falling on a leaf encounters many pigment molecules, predominantly chlorophyll. These molecules absorb light from the red and blue ends of the visible spectrum. The remaining light is scattered back because molecules in a leaf are tightly packed and so, we see a green leaf. Glass has properties of both a solid (its molecules don't move very much) and a liquid (the molecules are not arranged in any ordered way). Molecules in glass are not packed into a tight lattice and, unless tinted, it doesn't contain molecules that capture light with a particular energy So, when light encounters glass, most of it passes straight through. Hence it is transparent.
What is nephology?
The Greek root nephos means cloud, and is found in a variety of meteorological terms such as nephology the study of clouds; and the nephoscope, an instrument used to detect cloud motions. Nephology is a specialised and complex branch of science. Nephologists study clouds to help people understand weather patterns.
What are magic bullets in pharmaceutical terms?
The German scientist Paul Ehrlich, considered the father of chemotherapy, originally coined the term magic bullet in the 19th century to refer to arsenic containing chemicals that showed the remarkable ability to cure syphilis — a sexually transmitted disease. He proposed the seminal idea that each disease must be treated with a chemical specific for that disease. His greatest contribution was the discovery of Salvarsan — the first effective treatment for syphilis. In the pharmaceutical industry, the term magic bullets is used to refer to antibiotics that are used to treat infectious diseases like pneumonia, typhoid, tuberculosis, malaria etc. The remarkable specificity with which antibiotics kill disease-causing micro-organisms without causing major side effects in humans and animals, combined with the ability to cure major infectious diseases that were previously considered incurable, earned them the name magic bullets.
What is darwin iv planet?
Darwin IV is a fictional planet 6.5 light years from the Earth, with two suns and 60% gravity. It was depicted in the series Alien Planet' based on Wayne Barlowe's book Expedition. According to the story, after identifying Darwin IV as a world that could support life, Earth sends a pilot mission consisting of the mothership Von Braun and three probes: Balboa, Da Vinci and Newton. This unmanned fleet is responsible for finding and assessing any life forms on Darwin IV. Initially, the expectation is to find microscopic life, but the probes soon find themselves in the middle of a developed ecosystem teeming with life of all sizes. The viewer experiences Darwin IV through the eyes of the probes Ike (Newton) and Leo (Da Vinci), whose data are relayed back to the mothership and then communicated to Earth. The biological and atmospheric data from the probes and mothership are relayed to viewers through computer voice simulation and on-screen readouts. The drama on Darwin IV is motivated by real science missions, such as the NASA Origins Program and the NASA/JPL Planet-Finder Mission, as well as the European Space Agency's Darwin Project.
What is the uncertainty principle?
The uncertainty principle was laid down by Heisenberg, and is called Heisenberg's principle of uncertainty. According to it, it is impossible to measure simultaneously the position and momentum/ velocity of a moving electron i.e. if any attempt is made to measure both things at the same instant, there will always be uncertainty in measurement of either. This is because to measure the position of electron correctly at a certain instant, we need to use short-wavelength radiations. But, as wavelength and energy are inversely related, the short wavelength radiation imparts high energy to the moving electron. As E =l/2mv2, where E is the energy of the electron, m is its mass, and v is its velocity, so energy E is directly proportional to velocity v of the electron. Thus, the electron will gain velocity or momentum and hence we cannot correctly measure its momentum/ velocity at that instant.
What is cosmology?
Cosmology is the branch of physics and astrophysics that deals with the study of the physical origin of the Universe and the nature of the Universe on its very largest scale. In its earliest form it was known as celestial mechanics and the study of the heavens. Greek philosophers Aristarchus of Samos, Aristotle and Ptolemy proposed different cosmological theories. In particular, the geocentric Ptolemaic system was the accepted theory to explain the motion of the heavens until Nicolaus Copernicus, and subsequently Johannes Kepler and Galileo Galilei proposed a heliocentric system in the 16th century. This is one of the most famous examples of epistemological rupture in cosmology. With Isaac Newton and the 1687 publication of Principia Mathematica, the problem of the motion of the heavens was finally solved.
What are kirkwood gaps in asteroid belts?
Daniel Kirkwood first noticed the gaps in 1857 and they are named after him. These are regions in the main asteroid belt that have been cleared of asteroids by the perturbing effects of Jupiter. The Kirkwood gaps are due to resonances with Jupiter's orbital period. If an asteroid revolves twice around the Sun in the time it takes Jupiter to make one revolution, it is said to be in a 2:1 resonance orbit with Jupiter. Once every two orbits, Jupiter and such an asteroid would be in same relative position, so that the asteroid would experience a force in a fixed direction. Repeated applications of this force would eventually change the semi-major axis of asteroids in such orbits, creating gaps at that distance. An adequate explanation about why some resonances produce gaps and others produce concentrations is yet to be found.
What is electric fog?
The Hutchison effect is a widely-contested effect. It's related to the electric fog. Nobody but its founder has seen it and he hasn't been able to replicate the experiment in front of any scientist. An electric fog is said to cling to metals and slowly eat into it.
What is the red data book?
The Red Data Book is the state document established for documenting rare and endangered species of animals, plants and fungi as well as some local sub-species that exist within the territory of the state or country This book provides central information for studies and monitoring programmes on rare and endangered species and their habits.
What are warm holes in physics?
Wormhole (not warm hole) is a hypothetical feature of the universe and is basically a shortcut through space and time. The name wormhole is derived from the analogy that a worm on the circumference of an apple can either go all around it or dig its way through to get to the other side. As is obvious, by digging through, the worm will take lesser time. The universe is assumed to be made up of a curved fabric — the space-time continuum. In a place where this fabric is so curved that it overlaps itself, a wormhole is formed. It consists of a black hole, a throat and a white hole. The black hole sucks matter into the throat and the white hole throws the matter out of the throat. Wormholes can help traverse very large distances in space in an instant. But they are only valid, theoretical solutions of general relativity. There is no proof of their existence, except in science fiction movies and novels, like Star Trek. —
What are warm holes in physics?
There are warm holes in Physics — semiconductor physics. The absence of an outer shell electron in a semiconductor lattice, formed as a result of covalent bonding of semiconductor atoms with an introduced trivalent impurity, is termed as a hole. A warm hole is supposed to exist at some stage.
What is the plato scale?
The Plato scale, developed in 1843 by German scientist Karl Balling and improved by Fritz Plato, is a hydrometer scale that measures the amount of malt sugars, or sucrose, in unfermented beer. The measure of sugar in any solution is known as specific gravity The unfermented beer or beer wort has a higher specific gravity than its derivative, the fermented beer, as heavy sugars are converted into lighter carbon dioxide and alcohol during fermentation. The higher the specific gravity or sugar content of the final fermented beer, the more body and richness it possesses. Professional brewers usually use the Plato scale, rather than the traditional specific gravity scale, to measure the sugar levels.
What is raman scattering?
Raman Scattering or Raman Effect is the inelastic scattering of a photon. This was first reported by CV Raman for which he was awarded the Nobel prize in 1930. When light is scattered from an atom or a molecule, most photons scatter elastically However, a very small fraction (1 in a million) is scattered inelastically. The frequency of these photons changes, usually becomes lower than that of the incident light. Therefore, because of Raman Scattering, the energy of photons decreases.
Why pig iron is called so?
Pig iron is the intermediate product of smelting steel ore with coke and resin. Pig iron has a very high carbon content, typically 3.5-4.5%, which makes it very brittle and not useful directly as a material except for limited applications. The traditional shape of moulds used for these ingots was a branching structure formed in sand, with many individual ingots at right angles to a central channel or runner. Such a configuration is similar in appearance to a litter of piglets suckling on a sow. When the metal had cooled and hardened, the smaller ingots (the pigs) were simply broken from the much thinner runner;(the sow), hence the name pig iron.
What is a gyroscope?
A gyroscope is any rotating body that exhibits two fundamental properties: gyroscopic inertia or rigidity in space and precession or the tilting of the axis at right angles to any force tending to alter the plane of rotation. These properties are inherent in all rotating bodies, including the Earth itself. The term gyroscope is commonly applied to spherical, wheel-shaped or disk-shaped bodies universally mounted to be free to rotate in any direction. They are used to demonstrate these properties or to indicate movements in space. A gyroscope constrained from moving around one axis other than the axis of rotation is sometimes called a gyrostat.
What does rapd stand for?
RAPD stands for Random Amplification of Polymorphic DNA, RAPD reactions are PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) reactions but they amplify segments of DNA which are essentially unknown to the scientists as they are random.
How do you test the presence of methanol?
Methanol does not respond to the iodoform test (Open Space, Apr. 6). In fact, the test is given by ethanol and those alcohols which possess -hydroxymethyl group or -CH(OH)- group or carbonyl compounds having acetyl functionality Methanol can be detected by the Oil of wintergreen test. In this test, 1-2 ml of methanol along with few crystals of salicylic acid are treated with concentrated sulphuric acid in a test tube which is then gently heated. A characteristic smell of oil of wintergreen. (lodex type) is obtained due to the formation of methyl salicylate.
What is singularity in physics?
In Physics and Mathematics, sigularity is defined as a point at which a complex function is undefined because it is neither differentiable nor single-valued while the function is defined in every neighbourhood of the point. Specifically, a quantity which approaches infinity as another parameter goes to zero Like 1/x when x approaches zero. In astronomy, singularity is a hypothetical region in space in which gravitational forces cause matter to be infinitely compressed and space and time to become infinitely distorted.
How do you test the presence of methanol?
Methanol can be detected by using the iodoform test. Mix sodium hydroxide (NAOH) and iodine (12) in methanol. A yellow precipitate of CHI3 (iodoform) will indicate the presence of methanol. This test is used for those alcohol in which there is a _CH3 group is attached to the functional group.
What is the fermi problem?
The Fermi Problem, named after the Italian physicist Enrico Fermi, is about a formula regarding how to think about what assumptions we make, how to make them as realistic as possible, how to estimate well, and how to put all these in the service of a straightforward mathematical calculation in order to come up with an answer.
What are squids in physics?
The Superconducting Quantum Interference Device, or SQUID, is an extremely sensitive magnetic flux-to-voltage transducer. The SQUID may be the most sensitive detector of any physical quantity, with an energy resolution that approaches the quantum limit. The extreme sensitivity of the SQUID has caused it to be incorporated into a great variety of systems. SQUIDs have been used to measure cortical activity in the human brain and to search for gravity waves.
What is a persuasive mirror?
It's a technology that enables people to see how they would look like in the future, based on their habits. Users will have to fill out a questionnaire detailing their lifestyle and upload their images. Based on the information provided, the technplogy will digitally age the person and show how she will appear six months later.
What is a datum line in geography?
A datum (plural datums or data) is a reference point from which measurements are made. In surveying and geodesy, a datum is a set of reference points on the Earth's surface against which position measurements are made. Horizontal datums are used for describing a point on the Earth's surface in latitude and longitude or another coordinate system. Vertical datums measure elevations or depths.
What is the fifth dimension?
In physics, the fifth dimension is a hypothetical extra dimension beyond the usual three spatial and one-time dimensions. Some scientists have speculated that the graviton, a particle thought to carry the force of gravity, may leak into the fifth or higher dimensions, which would explain how gravity is significantly weaker than the other three fundamental forces. M-theory (the mother of all theories underlying string theories) suggests that space-time has eleven dimensions, seven of which are 'rolled up' to below sub-atomic level. Scientist Hooft speculated that the fifth dimension is really the spacetime fabric. It has occasionally been stated that the fifth dimension refers to probability, meaning that it is the full amount of possibilities that could happen or, in other words, alternative realities.
What are eddy currents?
Eddy currents may be defined as currents induced in a thick conductor when it is placed in a changing electric field. Consider a metallic block placed in a continuously changing magnetic field by keeping the block fixed and changing the magnetic field with the help of an alternating current. Due to the continuous change of magnetic flux linked with the block, induced currents will be set up in the body of the metal block. These currents assume a circular path and the direction is such that it opposes the change producing it (according to ' Lenz's Law). These currents look like whirlpools in a fluid, and hence called eddy currents. Generally, they are quite large in magnitude and produce a heating effect.
What's geometric in geometric progression?
In mathematics, a geometric progression, also known as a geometric sequence, is a sequence of numbers in which each term after the first is found by multiplying the previous one by a fixed non-zero number called the common ratio. Books vm and DC of Euclid's Elements analyze geometric progressions and give several of their properties. A geometric progression gains its geometric character from the fact that the areas of two geometrically similar plane figures are in duplicate ratio to their corresponding sides. Further the volumes of two similar solid figures are in triplicate ratio of their corresponding sides. For example, if two squares' sides have the ratio 2 to 3, then their areas will have the ratio 4 to 9; we can write 2/3 as 4 to 6 and 6 to 9 and notice that the ratios of 4 to 6 and 6 to 9 both equal 2 to 3; so by using the side ratio 2 to 3 in duplicate we obtain the ratio 4 to 9 of the areas, and the sequence 4, 6, 9 is a geometric sequence with common ratio 3/2.
What is bio-amplification?
It's the concentration of pollutant-like chloromethyl mercury in the food chain. It occurs when concentrations of toxins are passed on from smaller prey to larger predators.
What is panda porn?
Thailand zoo officials, in an attempt to get pandas to mate, used videos of other pandas mating and 'sexercise' to teach them the ropes. The pandas were an import from China, where officials devised these methods to help its national animal reproduce. Zookeepers are putting pandas, especially males, at the Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Centre in Sichuan province through a rigorous programme to improve mating.
Why doesn't distilled water conduct electricity?
Distilled water does — but very little compared to piped, well or salt water. Liquid conducts electricity by the positively or negatively charged ions that are actually moving from one of the electrodes to the other, carrying charge (electricity) with them. Salt water has salt in it, NaCI, which readily ionizes to ions of Na+ and Cl- that can conduct electricity. Distilled water is water that was boiled to steam and recondensed to water. This leaves no salt in it. Water can ionize to H+ and OH- like salt does, but it does so to a far lesser degree and is very resistant to conducting electricity
Of all metals, why does mercury have the lowest melting point?
A metallic bond is characterized by free electrons and generally forms a specific geometric pattern of compact arrangement of atoms. All metals (except mercury) thus exist in a solid state at room temperature. Mercury belongs to the zinc group of elements. These have completely filled-up atomic orbitals. It becomes difficult to knock out these electron(s) from their orbitals and form metallic bonds. Therefore, mercury does not have a specific crystal structure and is the only metal that is liquid.
At what speed does electricity travel compared to light?
Electrical fields in theory do transmit at the speed of light. In real systems, wires have capacitance and other effects that slow the propagation. Typical propagation speeds are 0.3 to 0.7 times the speed of light.
What is riemann hypo thesis?
Riemann Hypothesis is an important result in Mathematics whose truth or otherwise is not yet known. This was conjectured by the German mathematician Gerhard Riemann in 1859. A lot of results have been proved on the assumption that the Riemann Hypothesis is true. They,would all stand or fall based on whether the hypothesis is proved or disproved.
Why does a magnet attract iron?
Before a piece of iron enters the magnetic field of a magnet, the polarization of the iron's atoms is random. When exposed to a magnetic field, the atoms begin to align their electrons with the flow of the magnetic field, which makes the iron magnetized as well.
What is a solar balloon?
The solar balloon is designed to trap solar energy using an inflatable plastic thin-film balloon called a solar concentrator. Half the balloon is transparent. When inflated, sunlight falls on it and focuses on a photovoltaic cell placed at its centre. This design reflects sunlight, producing 400 times the electricity that a solar cell would create without the concentrator and has been created by a company called Cool Earth. The film is abundant and cheap and does away with large expensive solar panels or costly concentrating mirrors. It can trap 500 watt to 1 kilowatt of solar energy
What is the packbot?
The PackBot Tactical Robot is deployed by the US in wars. It was first used by US ground troops in Afghanistan in 2002 to help clear caves and bunkers, search buildings and cross live minefields. They were also used in 2003 in Iraq in urban warfare and to search vehicles. By 2007, more than 800 PackBot robots were in operation in Iraq, Afghanistan and around the world. It is controlled by a Pentium-based computer, is tough, can survive falls and being submerged in water.
What is captured rotation?
When a satellite, natural or artificial, is orbiting its parent planet (or primary) under some conditions, the satellite revolves around itself quite fast relative to its period of rotation around the primary, both the periods coincide, this leads to the satellite facing the primary always with the same side, and is called captured rotatio or synchronousrotation. It occurs especially when the satellite is much smaller than the primary, and the two are separated by a relatively short distance.
What is an emulsifier?
A colloidal system involving one liquid dispersed in another is known as emulsion. Any two immiscible liquidscan form an emulsion, like oil and water. An emulsifier is an agent that stabilizes the emulsion by lowering the interfacial tension between the constituents of the emulsion. Examples of emulsifiers are soaps, detergents and gelatine.
What is olbers' paradox?
Modern theories of the universe begin with the simplest of observations — that the night sky looks dark. This darkness implies that the universe is not infinitely old, as scientists once thought. If it were, starlight would already have seeped into all corners of space, thus giving a hot and uniform glow across the sky This insight is known as olbers' paradox, after the 19th century German astronomer Welhelm Olbers.
Can sunlight be stored?
Plants take in sunlight and combine it with carbon dioxide from the air and water and minerals from the ground. The energy of sunlight is stored in the leaves. Some of the sunlight gets stored underground. This stored sunlight is in the form of fossil fuels like coal and petroleum.
What is albedo?
The albedo of an object is the extent to which it diffusely reflects light from the Sun. It is a more specific form of reflectivity. Albedo is the ratio of the diffusely reflected to incident electromagnetic radiation. It is a unitless measure indicative of a surface's or a body's diffuse reflectivity.
Is it possible to conduct electricity without wires?
Wireless electric power transfer is theoretically possible and it's in the R&D phase of many leading research labs in the world. Nasa hopes to power its Mars Rover wirelessly in future missions. The basic technology is simple: rectify the received microwave signal using a microwave low-pass filter and a diode.
What is green oil?
Green oil is a lubricant which is non-toxic, biodegradable, petroleum-free and less expensive. The greenwood chain saw oil was first blended by the Green Oil Company in 1992. These days, in addition to chain saw oil, it is blended with environmentally-safe hydraulic fluids including greases and bicycle oils.
Can there be light without heat?
Yes, we can have light without heat. The light from such reactions is called cool light. Many chemical reactions produce poth light and heat. It is much less common for a chemical reaction to produce light without heat. Such chemical reactions are called chemiluminescent reactions, the most familiar of which occur in living organisms. Fireflies produce light without heat through this reaction.
What is loop quantum cosmology?
It is the theory on which the concept of the recycled universe is based. Loop Quantum Cosmology (LQC) has been teasing physicists since 2003 with the idea that our universe could conceivably have emerged from the collapse of a previous universe. It theorises that our universe expands and then contracts over and over again, rebirthing for infinity.
Is it possible to slow down or speed up time?
Yes, it is. The theory of relativity treats time as the fourth dimension, which has a barrier as any other force. It is also stated that time barrier ean be broken only if we achieve the speed of light. But there is a catch. According to the theory to achieve the speed of light, you need to have infinite amount of energy But it is possible to slow down time; this is called time distortion where it is said that the closer you travel to the speed of light, the speed of time in the ship is slower compared to the speed of time outside the ship.
Who came up with the concept of vacuum?
In earlier civilisations, there was much doubt about whether vacuum can exist. In the mediaeval Islamic world, physicist Ibn al-Haytham supported the existence of a void or vacuum. He mathematically demonstrated that vacuum is the imagined three-dimensional void between the inner surfaces of a containing body
What is the unit of magnetic power?
Earlier, the power of a magnet was only measured in units of gauss. Today, it is measured in gauss-oersted energy units. While gauss refers to the number of lines of flux emitted from a magnet, oersted is the unit of measurement that defines the distance of the power of the flux which extends from the surface.
What is the cause of the earth's magnetic field?
Originally, it was thought that the centre of the earth has magnetized iron deposits, which caused it to act like a huge permanent bar magnet. However, the theory failed to explain how the magnetic field had sustained itself for long, because even if there was magnetized iron in the core earlier, the core of the earth is so hot that any permanent magnet would lose its magnetism. According to the currently accepted dynamo theory, earth's magnetism is caused mostly by the rotating liquid outer core of the earth.
What is hydrocracking in petroleum refining?
Hydrocracking technology is an important conversion technology for producing high-value naphtha or distillate products from refinery feedstocks. It is a two-stage process combining catalytic cracking and hydrogenation, where heavy feedstock is cracked in the presence of hydrogen. The process employs high pressure, high temperature, a catalyst and hydrogen.
What is administratium?
It is a spoof on administration. Its official definition: Administratium is the heaviest element known to science and was recently discovered at a major US research university The element has no protons or electrons and thus, has the atomic number 0. However, it does have one neutron, 125 assistant neutrons, 75 vice-neutrons and 111 assistant vice-neutrons, which gives it an atomic mass of 312. These 312 particles are held together by a force that involves the continuous exchange of meson-like particles called morons. Since it has no electrons, administratium is inert. However, it can be detected chemically as it impedes every reaction it comes in contact with.
About the Author
Dr. Ashok Kumar Sharma, M.A.(History); Certificate in Taxidermy(Madras); Certifate in Library Science (TOPPER-ML Sukhadia Uni. Udaipur,(Rajasthan) INDIA. Hobby: Cricket; Postal Stamp Collection and Collection of Quotations since 1981.
Tampa International Airport - china first aid splint - china medical crutch
History
Tampa Bay was the birthplace of commercial airline service, when pioneer aviator Tony Jannus flew the inaugural flight of the St Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line on January 1, 1914, from St. Petersburg, Florida, to Tampa using a Benoist Flying Boat the first scheduled commercial airline flight in the world using a heavier-than-air airplane.
Drew Field
Postcard from Drew Field
In 1928 the city completed the 160-acre (0.65 km2) Drew Field six miles (10 km) west of Downtown Tampa. The more popular Peter O. Knight Airport was opened on Davis Island near Downtown Tampa in 1935, where both Eastern and National Airlines operated until 1946.
The United States Army Air Force took over Drew Field during World War II and expanded and modernized the airport. The airfield was used by Third Air Force and renamed it Drew Army Airfield. Third Air Force used it as a training center by 120,000 combat air crews and flew antisubmarine patrols from the airfield. There was one accident in 1943 that killed five fliers. Despite this, Drew Field set a safety record for the Third Air Force in 1945 after 100,000 flying hours had been completed over a period of 10 months without a fatal incident. The aircraft operated included the B-17, C-47, AT-6, B-25, and others.
Tampa International Airport
After the hostilities, Eastern and National Airlines moved to Drew Field. The reason for the relocation was that the Peter O. Knight Airport was too small to handle the new Douglas DC-4, DC-6 and Lockheed Constellation prop-liners that were being placed into service. During this period the airlines were housed in the former Base Operations Building which was converted into a terminal.
Trans Canada Airlines inaugurated international flights in 1950 and Drew Field was renamed Tampa International Airport. The airport's second terminal opened in 1952 near the intersection of Columbus Drive and West Shore Blvd. The building, which was built for three airlines, was soon swamped. The Civil Aeronautics Board granted Capital, Delta, Northeast, Northwest and Trans World Airlines authority to fly to Tampa during the late 1950s and as a result created havoc at the undersized terminal. An annex was built east of the terminal to accommodate the new carriers.
Jet-powered operations began in 1959 when Eastern Air Lines introduced the Lockheed L-188 Electra. The following year National Airlines began turbojet service with the Douglas DC-8 jetliner. Flights to Mexico City began in 1961 with weekly service by Pan American.
Congestion became a serious problem at the 1952 Terminal when the airlines began to replace their piston powered equipment with larger jetliners. As a temporary measure the terminal was once again expanded to handle the growth in traffic.
The 1971 Terminal
During the early 1960s, the aviation authority began making plans to build a replacement terminal in an undeveloped site at the airport. Airport leaders chose the Landside/Airside design in 1965 after a careful study of different types of terminals.
Construction on the new terminal began in 1968 between the airport's parallel jet-capable runways. When completed in 1971 the new jetport was highly praised by the press. Prior to its official April 15 opening, 60,000 people toured the new facility during a two day open house event. National Airlines Flight 36 from LAX was the first to arrive at the terminal. After touching down at 05:26 am the jet taxied to Airside E to disembark its passengers.
The people mover system (Airside E, right)
The airport's people mover system was the first such system in the world. The original eight trains were built by Westinghouse.
The 227-foot (69 m) tall ATC control tower became operational on July 15, 1972 and at the time was the tallest in the United States (at 227 feet). The Host/Marriott Airport Hotel with its revolving rooftop restaurant got plenty of attention when it opened its doors on December 1973. The building's features include triple-paned windows and sound-proof guest rooms.
Northwest and National Airlines brought the Jumbo Jet to the airport late in 1971 with the introduction of the Boeing 747 and McDonnell Douglas DC-10. This was followed by the introduction of the Lockheed Tristar a year later by Eastern Air Lines. National Airlines began trans Atlantic DC-10 service to Amsterdam and Paris in 1977. In 1991, Airside B closed following the demise of Eastern Airlines.
During the following decades, the airport was expanded and improved to handle more traffic and additional airlines. In 1996, Airsides C and D were remodeled. The interiors of both satellites were refurbished and the original Westinghouse shuttles were replaced with Bombardier CX-100 trains. During this time, all the airlines from both facilties were housed in Airside E. Upon completion of the renovations, the airlines returned to their original locations and Airside E was closed for good. The Landside Terminal was also remodeled numerous times during the 1980s and 1990s.
Both Delta Air Lines and US Airways opened maintenance bases at the airport to service their growing fleets. However, both bases closed following the September 11 terrorist attacks and the airline struggles that ensued. Alabama based Pemco World Air Services currently occupies the former US Airways hangar performing MRO (maintenance, repair, overhaul) services for several airlines.
Terminal, airlines and destinations
Aerial of TPA in 2004
The Ticketing Level at Tampa International Airport. The level received a makeover from 2000 to 2002.
Airside A
Airside C Interior (2008)
Airside E Interior (2008)
Airside F Interior (2008)
Tampa International Airport's Landside/Airside terminal was the first of its type in the world. There is a central Landside Terminal where baggage and ticketing functions take place. The Landside Terminal is surrounded by four Airside satellites where airliner embarkment and disembarkment occur. Each Airside is connected to the Landside Terminal via an elevated automated people mover (APM) system which employs 16 Bombardier CX-100 Shuttle Cars. TPA was the first airport in the world to deploy a fully automated, driverless people mover system and is host to Bombardier Transportation's longest-running APM system. The terminal was originally designed to limit the walking distance between the automobile and airliner to 700 feet (210 m); today, it has increased to about 1,000 feet (300 m), due mostly in part to the larger, more modern airside buildings which have replaced the original, smaller structures. The future of the Airport is certain to see continued growth and success. Many plans have been set in motion to expand as the Tampa Bay area continues to thrive.
Airsides
Today, there are four active airsides (A, C, E and F) with 62 gates. All were constructed after 1985 and all airsides include a food court and gift shop, and outdoor smoking patios. Airsides E and F contain duty free shops in addition to the regular gift shops to serve passengers arriving or departing on international flights. As of 2009, the security screening area in each airside is equipped with one "puffer" explosives walk-thru detection machine. A brief description of each airside and the airlines they occupy are listed below, including the major cities/hubs that each airline serves from TPA.
Airside A
includes gates 1-12 and 14-18
it was opened on March 16, 1995 and was designed by Continental Airlines
Airside C
includes gates 30-45
it was the last airside to be demolished and rebuilt from the ground up; it was reopened to passengers on April 19, 2005
Airside E
includes gates 62-75
it was the first airside to be demolished and rebuilt
the current fourteen-gate facility was designed for Delta Air Lines and was dedicated and opened to passengers on October 15, 2002
the facility includes one airline lounge: the Delta Air Lines "Sky Club"
Airside F
includes gates 76-90
it was opened on November 4, 1987 and was designed for international flights
the facility includes two airline lounges: the US Airways' Club and the International Club which is used by British Airways passengers
the customs/immigration center is located on level 1
Akron/Canton, Asheville [seasonal; begins May 4] Atlanta, Baltimore, Dayton, Flint [seasonal], Grand Rapids [begins June 12], Gulfport/Biloxi, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh [seasonal], Rochester (NY)
A
American Airlines
Chicago-O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami, New York-JFK, San Juan
F
British Airways
London-Gatwick
F
Cayman Airways
Grand Cayman
F
Continental Airlines
Cleveland, Houston-Intercontinental, Newark
A
Continental Connection operated by Gulfstream International Airlines
Fort Lauderdale, Key West, Miami, Pensacola, Tallahassee
A
Continental Express operated by ExpressJet Airlines
Cleveland
A
Delta Air Lines
Atlanta, Boston [seasonal], Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, Detroit, Hartford/Springfield, Los Angeles, Memphis, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York-JFK, New York-LaGuardia, Salt Lake City [seasonal]
E
Delta Connection operated by Comair
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky [seasonal]
E
Delta Connection operated by Mesaba Airlines
Memphis [seasonal]
E
Frontier Airlines
Denver, Milwaukee, Oklahoma City [seasonal; ends April 18]
C
Frontier Airlines operated by Republic Airlines
Oklahoma City [seasonal; ends April 18]
C
JetBlue Airways
Boston, New York-JFK, Newark, White Plains
A
Midwest Airlines operated by Republic Airlines
Milwaukee, Omaha [seasonal]
C
Southwest Airlines
Albany, Austin, Baltimore, Birmingham (AL), Buffalo, Chicago-Midway, Columbus (OH), Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Hartford/Springfield, Houston-Hobby, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Long Island/Islip, Louisville, Manchester (NH), Milwaukee, Nashville, New Orleans, Norfolk, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Providence, Raleigh/Durham, St. Louis, San Antonio, Washington-Dulles, West Palm Beach
The original TPA airsides were designed in the mid 1960s as four identical facilities. The concept was later scrapped for unknown reasons and the facilities were eventually built around the requirements of their then primary tenant airlines. Thus creating the four dissimilar facilities that stood from their opening in 1971 to 2000. Each airside building was three stories tall and included a minimum of ten gates, a cocktail lounge, snack bar, and gift shop. Each airside was maintained by the airline for which it was built until 1999. All of the facilities (except Airside B) were renovated in the early/mid 1990s but received no further modifications during their life span. All 4 of the original airside buildings have been demolished and either re-built or the space re-used as noted below.
Below is a brief description of the four original airsides and the airlines that occupied them throughout the years. The bolded airlines indicate the primary (anchor) tenants for each facility.
Airside B - former Gates 19-30 (1971-1991)
Airside B was a twelve-gate facility that was designed by Eastern Airlines and was the first original airside to shut down. The closure was the direct result of Eastern's cessation of operations in 1991. There were preliminary plans to renovate and revive the airside during the early 1990s, but efforts failed and planning for Airside A commenced immediately in 1992. The airside was not rebuilt due to a lack of overnight parking for aircraft, the facility's close proximity to one of TPA's runways, and the need for a separate automated baggage sorting facility for Airside A (since Airside A could not accommodate a built-in facility due to its pre-2001 construction), and was eventually demolished in 2003.
Today an overnight aircraft hardstand and an automated baggage sorting facility for Airside A sit on the former site. The site could also one day house an intermodal center that would allow passengers to connect to various mass transit options, including Tampa's proposed light rail system.
Airside C - Gates 31-41
Airside C was an eleven-gate facility designed by Delta Air Lines. The facility originally housed a customs/immigration center for arriving Air Canada and Pan Am international flights. The center was closed in 1987 and a Delta Crown Room was added. The airside was renovated (and its shuttles replaced) in 1996 but never received any further modification. By the late 1990s, Delta's presence in Airside C was dramatically increasing, and so was the congestion and lack of gate space. The airline soon requested HCAA to build a new facility for them. Airside E was deemed inactive by 1997 and its future quickly went up in the air. In 1998, it was decided that Airside E be demolished and rebuilt for Delta. After a brief halt in construction due to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the new Airside E opened in 2002 and Delta immediately moved in. After much debate by the HCAA about whether to demolish or renovate the aging facility, Airside C was then slated for demolition and replacement in 2003.
Airside D - former Gates 46-55 (1971-2005)
Airside D was the last of the original airsides to close. The facility was designed by Northwest Airlines and was originally without some jet-ways until government airline regulation ended in 1978. The airside was renovated in 1996 (and its original shuttles were replaced). Northwest moved to Airside A in 1999 and United moved to the rebuilt Airside E in 2002. Airside D closed in May 2005 and its remaining tenants (AirTran, JetBlue, and Spirit) were relocated to Airsides A and C. The facility was demolished in May 2007 and the site is currently used as hard-stand aircraft parking, but will eventually be used for the Control Tower and Ground Radar relocation in preparation for the New North Terminal facility. An 8-10 Gate replacement facility may be built down the road depending on capacity needs, but is not likely until 2020 or beyond.
Airside E - Gates 61-70
The original Airside E was designed by National Airlines and boasted a slightly different layout from the other airsides. Its boarding gates were on the third level (as opposed to the second level in the other airsides). This was due to the fact that the facility was designed specifically for the DC-10. The first level was open to allow tugs to drive right through. This was due to the airsides close proximity to the taxiway. Airside E occupied National until its demise and takeover by Pan Am. Pan Am, in turn, occupied the facility until its own demise. Thereafter, the facility was renovated (in 1991) and Continental became its final major tenant. The facility was closed in 1995 after Continental's new terminal (Airside A) opened. The airside was demolished in 2000 and replaced by its current facility.
TPA Airport Today
The airport control tower as seen from the parking garage.
Today, TPA Airport handles about 20 million passengers per year ) and improvements currently in progress will increase capacity to 25-million passengers a year. The airport's car rental market is in the top five among all U.S. Airports. And the facility continues to receive consistent top-ranking reviews from numerous publications. A 2007 Zagat Survey ranked TPA the "Best Overall U.S. Airport" and in 2008 Cond Nast Traveler recognized TPA as the second-best airport in the world, just two-tenths of a point behind the first place winner. JD Power and Associates have also given TPA Airport consistently high customer satisfaction ratings over the years. Presently, the largest aircraft serving TPA is the Boeing 777.
At this time, new runway is being planned (17-35) to increase capacity in fair-weather conditions. In addition, a second Landside Airside Terminal will be built to the north of the current facility, allowing the airport to serve over 50-million passengers a year by 2025. Construction of this facility was originally slated to begin in 2010, with completion set to October 2015. However, the St. Petersburg Times reported on November 7, 2008 that the airport authority is no longer pursuing the original planned dates due to the current state of the US and global economies. The current struggle of the airline industry, including the recent merger by Delta and Northwest, has forced passenger levels to level off, and slowly decline at the airport. Additionally, with more possible airline mergers on the way, TPA Airport may not require drastic expansion for another five to six years. The revised start date of construction of the north terminal is now estimated at around 2015. According to the Tampa Tribune, passenger levels dropped by 14% in January 2009
The Marriott located adjacent of the parking garage.
Phase I of the economy parking garage was completed in November 2005. Phase II of the economy garage opened ahead of schedule in November 2005, bringing a total of 5,600 parking spaces.
Tampa International Airport covers an area of 3,300 acres (1,335 ha) at an elevation of 26 feet (8 m) above mean sea level. It has three runways: 9/27 is 6,999 by 150 feet (2,133 x 46 m) with an asphalt/concrete surface; 18L/36R is 8,300 by 150 feet (2,530 x 46 m) with an asphalt/concrete surface; 18R/36L is 11,002 by 150 feet (3,353 x 46 m) with an concrete surface.
For the 12-month period ending May 30, 2008, the airport had 279,183 aircraft operations, an average of 764 per day: 85% scheduled commercial, 14% general aviation and <1% military. At that time there were 90 aircraft based at this airport: 66% jet, 19% single-engine, 3% multi-engine and 12% helicopter.
Airport Amenities
Airport conveniences that are free of charge include passenger paging, wireless internet access, cell phone waiting lot with flight information, free first hour terminal parking, shuttle service from the economy garage, real-time flight information and travelers aid services. Other services include eateries located before passenger checkpoints, touch screen information kiosks, information about local events and outdoor smoking areas.
The logo
The logo represents the blue waters of Tampa Bay with a jetliner flying into a downtown Tampa sunset. It is known as the "Spirit of Flight". The jetliner was modelled after those once used for supersonic transport -- at the time the logo was created in the 1970s, it was during an era when it was thought that supersonic aircraft would replace conventional jets as a mode of air travel.[citation needed]
The color-coding system
Since its opening on April 15, 1971, Tampa International Airport has used a special color-coding system throughout the terminal complex. The Baggage Claim Areas and Ticket Counters are color-coded Blue and Red. Airlines are assigned a color depending on their location within the Landside Terminal Building. The airlines found in the south side of the terminal are color-coded blue. The carriers located in the north side are color coded red. The codes were also assigned names to assist color-blind patrons. The Blue side names are Neil Armstrong and Amelia Earhart. The Red side names are Igor Sikorsky and Chuck Yeager. The Long Term Parking Garage also uses the special color coding system. The four elevator cores have names and colors to make it easier for customers to remember where they've parked. Wright Brothers - Orange, Tony Jannus - Purple, Robert Goddard - Green and Charles Lindbergh - Brown. The Economy Parking Garage (EPG) is also split into two sections Purple and Gold. The newest phase, opened in time for the 2008 holiday season, will be Green and Orange. The EPG cores have no names at the present.
The Landside Terminal
The Landside Terminal was designed with convenience in mind. Express elevators and escalators keep passenger traffic moving smoothly, with few bottlenecks.
Level 1 (Baggage Claim) contains all inbound baggage facilities and baggage belts. The Blue Rental Car facility was relocated from its crammed Bag Claim location, to a consolidated facility beneath the long term parking garage in 2002. On November 15, 2006 a new Red Rental Car facility and garage opened adjacent to the Marriott. In late 2008, renovation of the Baggage Claim began and will continue well into 2009. Improvements include new baggage carousels and an inbound baggage screening system.
Level 2 (Ticketing) contains all ticketing/check-in functions. The level also contains a Charter desk reserved for flights that do not normally utilize TPA. The Ticketing area received a major renovation/expansion in 2002.
Shopping/circulation area on the Transfer Level
Level 3 (Transfer Level) includes the airside shuttle stations and a shopping area known as the Airport Galleria. The airport Marriott Hotel is adjacent to the main terminal. Tampa's facilities are almost entirely housed in the public access main terminal. The facilities are mostly operated and run by three airport retail companies - HMS Host, Stellar Partners, Bay Area Concessions and OSI Restaurant Partners.
There are two food courts on level 3, operating on opposite sides of the building. The Galleria also features TGI Friday's, the first airport Carrabba's, diverse shopping attractions, such as a Ron Jon Surf Shop, Brookstone and Harley-Davidson. There is also an outdoor smoking/observation patio located where the Airside B shuttle bay once stood.
Level 3 has undergone numerous major renovations. The main building was renovated in 1997. Shuttle bay expansions were constructed in 1986 for Airside F, 1994 for Airside A, 2001 for Airside E, and 2004 for Airside C. Future expansion plans include a relocation of the shuttle bay for Airside E by 2012, and, if the plans for a light rail system in the Tampa Bay area come to fruition, a light rail station could be constructed at the current Observation Deck location. The airport also has plans on building a north terminal complex in addition to the existing complex by 2020.
Service building
When the airport opened its doors in 1971, the Service Building went into operation as well. It housed the very first Communications Center, Police dispatch, employee cafeteria and maintenance locker rooms. The building is located across from the Red Baggage and Ticketing levels. It was primarily intended to house mechanical equipment such as the chiller plant and electrical transformers. Since then it has been expanded to two levels which was in the original design in 1968. Today it houses the original facilities with the addition of offices, rental car counters, badging and a receptionist desk. The Police department/Lost & Found has a lobby on level two (ticketing level) for walk-in lost & found requests.
Parking facilities
Currently, over 20,000 parking spaces are available at the airport. These spaces are split between the Short Term Parking Garage, the Long Term Parking Garage, and the Economy Parking Garage. As of right now, there is an ongoing expansion of the Economy Parking Garages which is in its second phase of construction. Also, the SunPass Plus program, first introduced at Orlando International Airport, is being implemented at TPA in stages. In early 2009, the Economy Parking Garages began using the program, in which customers can use their SunPass transponders to pay for parking. The program was expanded to the Short & Long-Term garages during the summer of 2009. In addition, TIA also provides "self-serve" lanes in which customers can pay with their credit card instead of waiting in line for the cash lanes.
Short term parking garage
Levels 4-9 of the Landside Terminal Building house the short term parking garage. The garage was built with the airport complex in 1971 for added passenger convenience. Originally three levels, the garage was expanded in 1982 to six levels and contains 3,612 spaces.
Long term parking garage
Long term parking was originally a large lot sitting on what is today, the present-day long term parking garage. The garage was built in several phases from 1990 to 1997 after increased passenger traffic swamped the parking lot beyond capacity. A monorail (situated on Level Five of the garage) connects passengers to and from the short term parking garage (Level Five) and the Landside Terminal. The garage can hold a total of 7,635 spaces on six levels.
Economy parking garage
On November 1, 2005 phase I-A of the garage opened to the public and then on May 19, 2006 phase I-B opened. The garage is 8,043 spaces large and is divided into two color-coded sections - purple and gold (yellow). There is also a surface lot and overflow lot for use during the holidays. A free shuttle service takes passengers to the terminal drop-off twenty-four hours a day. Construction began in early 2008 on phase II which will be an exact copy of the first phase.
Cell phone waiting lot
Cell phone waiting lot flight display
In an effort to decrease congestion within the Landside Terminal, particularly the baggage claim areas, a cell phone waiting lot was built alongside one of the remote overflow lots. It includes two large four panel flight status boards, showing real-time arrival information. This allows awaiting family members and friends of arriving passengers to wait in their vehicles until the passenger calls. Then the arriving passenger(s) can be picked up curbside at the Landside Terminal without creating curbside congestion problems. The lot has restrooms, WiFi, recorded CCTV surveillance and around-the-clock police patrols. Construction began in early 2008 to expand the cell phone waiting lot and was completed in November of that same year. The lot contains approximately 125 striped spaces.[citation needed]
Monorail
The monorail was installed in 1991 when the new long term parking garage was built and opened on December 16. It was the first of its kind in the world to include six driverless, electrically propelled cars that are completely computer controlled. The system was also the first to have active switches and it is monitored from the airport's communications center. There are four long term stations. Monorail circles the long term parking garage and connects to the short term garage via an elevated bridge to stop at four additional stations. Monorail is free to use and runs twenty-four hours a day except for a once-a-week maintenance shut-down in the overnight hours. Bombardier Transportation maintains the system by contract and the Aviation Authority owns it.
Future Intermodal Center
Plans are currently in the works for the construction of an intermodal facility located on airport premises. This would allow passengers to better connect to the number of proposed bus routes by both HART and PSTA. In addition, a light rail system is being planned for the Tampa area, with a link to TPA Airport from Downtown Tampa and the WestShore district .
Public art program
The Airport's public art program was established in 1998 to enhance the traveling public's experience and to bring forth Florida's history and culture. A committee selects the art through a jury process.
Permanent exhibits:
Landside Terminal Level 3 at the observation deck includes paintings, sculptures, glass art and mixed media presentations. Various artists contributed.
Airside E boasts a collection of seven WPA (Works Projects Administration) murals which were originally painted in the 1930s and restored for display. These originally adorned the Peter O. Knight Airport until 1965. Artist is George Snow Hill.
Landside Terminal Level 2 has a collection of copper, nickel, silver and bronze alloy suspended Pelicans and a mangrove tree sculpture. Original to the airport when it opened in 1971 the collection is known as "The Meeting Place". The mangrove tree is 15 feet (4.6 m) tall with a flock of 22 life-sized pelicans all in copper roosting and circling around. Pelicans are also "flying" above the escalators. Artist Roy Butler of Plantation, FL.
Landside Terminal Level 2 near the United ticket counters is a presentation of 28 Cirkut images (A type of Kodak camera). They are 20.8 x 10 feet (3.0 m). The photographs depict the unique history of social and urban growth of Tampa, FL and the west coast. Included are a team photo of the New York Yankees (1927) and a 1922 Gasparilla Invasion. Artist: Brothers Al and Jean Bugert
Blue Side Baggage Claim includes artwork by Elle Terry Leonard and Josh Johnson above the marine exhibit.
Airport Chapel level 3 of the Main Terminal has the first ever commissioned artwork of glass art adorning the entryway door and interior. Artist Yvonne Barlog.
Richard J. Frank's watercolor on paper "Off Doolin" hangs in the shopping arcade of the landside Terminal.
Ticket Level/Red Baggage Claim Tapestries were hand-made by twenty women from Phumalanga, Swaziland in Africa. Each is 34 feet (10 m) by 8 feet (2.4 m) and depict familiar Florida nature scenes. They serve two purposes. The first is to provide eye-pleasing decoration and the second is to provide a sound absorption method.
Red Baggage Claim Aquarium tile collage by E. Joseph McCarty.
Main Terminal Level 3 "World Traveler" glass vase. Uses the graal and overlay technique by Duncan McClellan.
The Airport also has a collection of rotating work and exhibits on loan in addition to the permanent collections. They include the exhibit at Airside A security screening and the gallery in the arcade to the Marriott Hotel.
Airside C includes: (totaling over $1 million)
Spiraculum, a collection of twenty-six mosaic floor medallions at the shuttle lobby by Kristin Jones and Andrew Ginzel.
Final Boarding Call, an 11 ft (3.4 m) by 17 ft (5.2 m) Oil painting on Belgium linen by Christopher Still. It's located at the TSA checkpoint.
q, a 90-foot (27 m) long sculpture of cut-out figures. It depicts travelers from different time periods and forms a timeline of advances in airline travel.
Barnstormer, an eight foot tall silicon bronze statue of a pioneer pilot. It weighs more than 1,000 pounds and sits atop a 4-foot (1.2 m) high cement pedestal. Artist: Harrison Covington
Orange Blossom, an aluminum sculpture by Stephen Robin. The fragrant flower blooms in the spring and is Florida's state flower. This sculpture is 13 ft (4.0 m) by 9 ft (2.7 m) by 5 ft (1.5 m) and weighs about 1,300 lb (590 kg).
One Buc Place
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' team headquarters were adjacent to the airport from their inception in the 1976 to 2006, when they moved to a new facility at the former Tampa Bay Center. It is located just across the street from their home field, Raymond James Stadium, and close to the airport.
Accidents and incidents
In 1943, five people were killed when their B-26 crashed on a flight from Avon Park to Eglin field. The pilot attempted an emergency landing at Drew Field and overshot the runway. Two others on board survived. This occurred one hour after an A-24 flying out of Drew Field crashed in Mullet Key near St. Petersburg, a bombing range at the time. The pilot ditched the plane and lived but the gunner bailed out and drowned.
On June 27, 2009, US Airways flight 1241 underwent a rough landing causing the front tire to blow. Subsequently the blown tire caused the landing gear to collapse. None of the passengers or crew on board reported any injuries. However, television pitchman Billy Mays was on this flight and was hit on the head, possibly by falling luggage out of the overhead compartments, during the rough landing; he was found dead the following morning. No evidence of interior or exterior head trauma was discovered during the autopsy.
See also
List of airports in the Tampa Bay area
Florida World War II Army Airfields
References
^ a b http://tampaairport.com/about/facts/tia_fact_sheet_short.pdf
^ a b c d FAA Airport Master Record for TPA (Form 5010 PDF), effective 2009-05-07.
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Categories: 1928 establishments | Airports in the Tampa Bay area | Buildings and structures in Tampa, Florida | Hillsborough County, Florida | Transportation in the Tampa Bay Area | Defunct World War II USAAF Fields | Innovia people movers | UM people movers | Airport people mover systems | Airfields of the United States Army Air Corps | USAAF Third Air Force Unit Training StationsHidden categories: All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements from February 2009 | Articles with unsourced statements from March 2009
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Both of Jordan's biographers relate a story told by Sid Boyum, which places the inspiration for the house in a meeting between Alex Jordan Sr. and Frank Lloyd Wright, at some unspecified time apparently between 1914 and 1923. Jordan Sr. drove with Boyum to Taliesin to show Wright the plans for a building, the Villa Maria in Madison, which Jordan had designed. Jordan worshipped the famous architect and hoped for his approval. Wright looked at the plans and told Jordan: "I wouldn't hire you to design a cheese crate or a chicken coop. You're not capable." Fuming, on the drive back on Highway 23, Jordan pointed to a spire of rock and told Boyum: "I'm going to put up a Japanese house on one of those pinnacle rocks and advertise it." Balousek says Wright "apparently didn't forget the incident", noting that Wright "complained publicly to Iowa County officials about the house the Jordans were building" and bought a nearby piece of property, "perhaps as a way to get back at Jordan."
Layout and attractions
Several rooms in the House on the Rock contain large assemblages of automated musical instruments, operated by inserting tokens. Some instruments actually play, while others are synthesized.
The "house" itself is atop Deer Shelter Rock, a column of rock approximately 60 feet tall, 70 feet by 200 feet on the top, which stands in a forest nearby . Additions were made to the original structure and other buildings added over the course of several decades. The complex now features "The Streets of Yesterday", a re-creation of an early twentieth century American town; "The Heritage of the Sea", featuring nautical exhibits and a 200-ft model of a fanciful whale-like sea creature; "The Music of Yesterday", a huge collection of automatic music machines; and what the management bills as "the world's largest indoor carousel", among other attractions. During the winter, the attraction features a Christmas theme, with decorations and a large collection of Santa Claus figures. The bathrooms, as well, are decorated with strange objects, including mannequins and flowers.
The earlier structures, namely the House on the Rock itself, the Gate House, and the Mill House, are reminiscent of the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, though much less coherently designed than is characteristic of Wright, given its patchwork of external structures and interior spaces. The building actually began partly to spite the master architect, who ran his Taliesin communal school near Spring Green. These early structures feature exposed stone, low ceilings, dark woodwork, and antiques on display.
Jordan sold the house in 1988 to a friend who continued building on the site, adding to the collections of knick-knacks and exhibits featuring authentic pieces, reproductions, and specially-made examples of everything. The most recent addition is the "Spirit of Aviation", a collection of large model airplanes in a themed room. Another exhibit, the "Transportation Building", is under construction, but visitors can walk through and view the work in progress.
Jane Smiley wrote this about the complex in 1993:
Though most people outside of the Midwest have never heard of it, the House on the Rock is said to draw more visitors every year than any other spot in Wisconsin. Also in the Wyoming Valley, but on top of a huge monolith, the House on the Rock reveals the spirit of its builder, Alex Jordan Jr., to be as single-minded and eccentric as Wright's, but in substance almost absurdly opposed.
And it is hard not to be overwhelmed by the House on the Rock. The sheer abundance of objects is impressive, and the warmth most of the objects exude, the way that the toys ask to be played with, for example, makes the displays inherently inviting. But almost from the beginning, it is too much. The house itself is dusty. Windowpanes are cracked. Books are water damaged. The collections seem disordered, not curated. In fact, there is no effort to explore the objects as cultural artifacts, or to use them to educate the passing hordes. If there were informative cards, it would be impossible to read them in the dark. Everything is simply massed together, and Alex Jordan comes to seem like the manifestation of pure American acquisitiveness, and acquisitiveness of a strangely boyish kind, as if he had finalized all his desires in childhood and never grown into any others.
Authenticity of the collections
Some of the apparent antiques in the House on the Rock are real, but many are not what they seem: depending on one's point of view one could call them fakes, or replicas, or original and imaginative creations in the style of antiques. Moe's authorized biography suggests that the question of authenticity is not a problem, presenting it this way:
While the Regina Sublima [music box] is a real antique, as are many other pieces and exhibits at the House, everyone knows that other pieces are re-creations designed and built on the House property. It's part of the funuessing what's real at the House and what is the magic of imagination and re-creation.
Much of the House's contents were built by Jordan and his associates. Balousek quotes Jordan associate Bob Searles as saying
We were creating entertainment. We were not making a historically accurate representation. There was never any need to worry about historical accuracy. We were creating a fun place.
The "Phelps Car" in the Streets of Yesterday, for example, was made by Jordan associate Bob Searles from an old carriage and some motorcycle parts. Balousek quotes Searles as saying "We could fabricate any antiques we wanted tohat was the fun of it. It was just one guy's great big sandbox, where he kept building stuff." Balousek says that Jordan sometimes bought bonafide antiques, but "usually preferred a good copy that cost less," and quotes a supplier as saying "I suspect that Jordan would pay more for a good copy than he would for an original, because he could sit in a corner and laugh about the way he fooled everyone."
In 1978 a disgruntled employee complained to the state Justice Department of consumer fraud, saying that these claims were tall tales. The "Tiffany" lamps, for example, were made by the Illinois firm of Bauer and Coble. The name of the Tusk of Ranchipoor was actually a pun on the name of Richard Rahn, a Mazomanie antiques dealer, who had built many of the fakes: "Rahn is poor." Jordan was enjoined from making false claims, the brochure was rewritten, and misleading signs were removed from the exhibit. However, the exhibits retained their colorful names, allowing visitors to surmise what they wished.
The room-sized assemblages of what appear to be mechanical musical instruments are partly illusion. Some of the instruments actually play, but the strings and woodwinds in particular do not; their sound is actually produced by organ pipes, while the moving instruments fool visitors.
Today, the nature of the exhibits is disclosed, though perhaps not emphasized, by the management; for example, the current website notes that "All the armor featured in this elaborate collection was made for The House on the Rock.". This was not always the case. According to Balousek, before 1978 brochures advertised authentic Tiffany lamps, said the Gladiator Calliope dated from 1895, that the Franz Josef music machine had actually belonged to the Austrian emperor, that the Tusk of Ranchipoor was genuine ivory carved by an "unknown Punjab artisan," and so forth.
The official 1993 brochure says that the house "boasts the largest collection of Bauer and Coble lamps in the world. The management considers them finer and expects them to be more valuable than Tiffany's," and boasts that "The 'Four Seasons' panels are thought to be the only exact replica of the original and very popular Tiffany effort."
Timeline
The Infinity Room juts out 218 feet from the House on the Rock, without supports underneath. The room has over 3,000 windows.
c. 1920: Alex Jordan Sr. vowed to "put up a Japanese house on one of those pinnacle rocks" to spite Frank Lloyd Wright
c. 1945: Alex Jordan Jr. began blasting to form a level foundation at the top of the pinnacle. He talked to the farmer who owned the rock but did not bother to secure formal rights at the time. The first structure on the rock was a simple "tent" (Moe) or a "picnic place with a tarpaper roof" (Balousek)
1952 An electric hoist was installed to aid construction.
1959, Labor Day: Jordan placed a stone marker on Highway 23 and officially opened the house to paying visitors.
1962, Wisconsin Trails magazine published a long article about the house by Howard Mead. The article marked the status of the house as a serious tourist attraction, and drew regional attention to it. State Industrial Commission gave the house its first formal inspection.
1968, the "Mill House" opened, containing "one of the world's largest" fireplaces. It is the first room in the house to emphasize collections of curiosities and antiques, including dolls, guns, and mechanical musical instruments.
1971, "Streets of Yesterday" opened, influenced by techniques devised by Paul Yank for a 1968 "Streets of Old Milwaukee" exhibit at the Milwaukee Public Museum.
1974, "Music of Yesterday" opened.
1981, Carousel Building and "World's Largest Carousel" opened, on Easter weekend.
1985: The "Infinity Room" was constructed.
In other media
In 1988, the Wisconsin State Journal published a four-part series on "The House on the Rock," which reporter Marv Balousek later expanded into a self-published book entitled House of Alex. According to Balousek, Jordan Sr. hired "drunks and bums" from the Madison street to help blast the rock. Balousek says that according to Sid Boyum these workers were sometimes paid with whiskey and sometimes by check, but that Alex Jordan Jr. destroyed the cancelled checks later to further a myth that he had personally built the house himself.
The House on the Rock also appears in the novel American Gods by Neil Gaiman. In the novel, the house is a portal into the mind of the Gods. In one of the rooms is the world's largest carousel, and the main characters ride the carousel's creatures and get transported into the mind of the "All-Father" a.k.a. Odin.
The 10,000 Maniacs music video for "More Than This" was shot at The House on the Rock in 1997.
References
^ a b Balousek 1989, p. 60-62; Moe 1990 p. 25
^ a b c d e Balousek 1989 p. 71; however, Moe 1990 p. 26, however, says "1960."
^ Moe, Doug (1991). Alex Jordan: Architect of his Own Dream. House of Wyoming Valley, Inc.. ISBN 0-9630207-0-6. ; The spine gives "The House on the Rock" as the publisher's imprint. The back cover bears the House on the Rock corporate logo and the legend "The Authorized Biography". The author is described as a "magazine journalist" and "associate editor of Madison Magazine". Moe had access to and quotes Jennie Olson, Don Martin, and others not accessible to Balousek.
^ Boyum was "Jordan's closest friend. .. [for] 60 years" (Balousek 1990, p. 34). Balousek notes that Boyum "enjoys telling a good tale, whether it's true or not" and says the Burlington Liars' Club declared him World Champion Liar in 1976. According to Moe, Boyum said that he "decided to make a legend out of [Alex]" and wrote the copy for early brochures, which stretched the truth on many matters.
^ The building exists today, at 615 Howard Place, Madison, Wisconsin, and is being renovated: Lisa Schuetzin (2006-01-16). "Villa Maria Regains Some Of Its Classic Shine: New Owner Tries To Recapture The Building's Original Beauty In The Single-tenant Units.". Wisconsin State Journal. http://www.madison.com/archives/read.php?ref=/madison.com/html/archive_files/wsj/2000/01/16/0001170237.php. Retrieved 2006-10-17. , which says: "Architect Frank Riley designed the Spanish Colonial revival building for Jordan. ... Its walls are stucco, broken up by irregularly spaced and sized windows. Dormer windows line the top of the structure. A large front terrace is surrounded by iron grillwork and the roof, which was originally covered with red tile as shown in a postcard from about 1950, is now shingled." The stucco was originally pink.
^ Balousek, 1990, p. 58. Moe, 1991, p. 21 gives a virtually identical account, with Wright quoted as saying: "I wouldn't hire you to design a cheese case for me, or a chicken coop," and Jordan Sr. as saying: "I'm going to get even with him. I'm going to build a Japanese house out there."
^ Balousek 1990, p. 58
^ a b Jane Smiley (1993-03-19). "Wisconsin: Three Visions Attained". The New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CEFDF1031F934A35750C0A965958260&sec=travel&pagewanted=print. Retrieved 2006-09-13.
^ "The Attraction". The House on the Rock. http://www.thehouseontherock.com/HOTR_AttractionMain.htm. Retrieved 2008-04-25.
^ Moe 1990 p. 106
^ Balousek 1990 p. 91
^ Balousek 1990: "Phelps car," "fabricate any antiques," p. 92; "laugh about the way he fooled everyone," p. 93
^ Balousek 1990: antiques disclosed as fake, pp. 103-4
^ a b Moe 1990 p. 103
^ "House on the Rock: Attraction". The House on the Rock. http://www.thehouseontherock.com/html/attraction.htm. Retrieved 2006-10-18.
^ The House on the Rock, 1993, "Photography and factual data supplied by The House on the Rock executive staff.
^ Balousek, 1990, p. 58; Moe, 1991, p. 21
^ Moe 1990 p. 36
^ Balousek 1989 p. 76
^ Moe 1990 p. 78-81
^ Moe 1990 p. 86
^ Moe 1990 p. 112
^ Moe 1990 p. 30
External links
The House on the Rock, official website
Photos, from a 2005 visitor
Photos, many photos from the House
2004 CBS article (with video)
House on the Rock Music Machines
The House That Alex Jordan Built, article in Madison Magazine
150+ High resolution pictures from a 2008 visitor
Find more about House on the Rock on Wikipedia's sister projects:
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Categories: Buildings and structures in Wisconsin | Museums in Sauk County, Wisconsin | Roadside attractions | Folly buildings in the United States | Houses in Wisconsin | Historic house museums in Wisconsin
what really happened at the end of the movie "radio flyer"?
I saw this movie recently. at the end the little boy named Bobby takes off in his homemade airplane, helped by his older brother Mike, played by elijah woods. he takes off and never goes home. a few weeks later they get a postcard from him. the kid was only maybe 6-7yo!!
was this made up in the character Mike's mind? it just didn't make any sense to me.
Just want to know what people think about the ending of this movie (which also starred Tom Hanks).
I think it symbolizes the desire to excape a bad reality..
the 60's...Send me a postcard by the shocking blue
US $6.00
![[ AIRLINES POSTCARD ] NATIONAL AIRLINES DOUGLAS DC-10](http://www.greatwesternair.com/images/e/130642646405_0.jpg)
