Aircraft on Fotopedia

photo by Alexandre Maio1

Rotate to exit slide mode

An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. It counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.

Although rockets and missiles also travel through the atmosphere, most are not considered aircraft because they do not have wings and rely on rocket thrust as the primary means of lift.

The human activity that surrounds aircraft is called aviation. Manned aircraft are flown by an onboard pilot. Unmanned aerial vehicles may be remotely controlled or self-controlled by onboard computers. Aircraft may be classified by different criteria, such as lift type, propulsion, usage, and others.

TEXT FROM WIKIPEDIA, cba SOME RIGHTS RESERVED.

TAP Portugal

Transportes Aéreos Portugueses, SGPS, S.A., known to the public as TAP Portugal and commonly known as TAP, is the national airline of Portugal. TAP Portugal is 100 % state owened and has its head office in Building 25 on the grounds of Portela Airport in Santa Maria dos Olivais, Lisbon, and has been a member of the Star Alliance since 14 March 2005, the same day on which the company celebrated its 60th anniversary. Its hub in Lisbon is a key European gateway at the crossroads of Africa, South America and North America. Privatization of the airline will be under way in 2012 as part of Portugal's €78 billion bailout agreed by the EU and the IMF.

TAP's route network comprises 80 destinations in 36 countries worldwide. TAP operates almost 2,000 weekly flights with a fleet of 55 Airbus aircraft, and 16 further aircraft servicing regional subsidiary carrier Portugalia.

TAP originally meant Transportes Aéreos Portugueses (Portuguese Air Transportations). This was dropped in 1979 when the company changed its name to TAP Air Portugal, then dropped again to its current operational name, TAP Portugal.

Global Traveler Magazine named TAP Portugal 'Best Airline in Europe' for the year 2011.