Its VTOL capability comes courtesy of dual tilt-rotors that provide helicopter-style takeoffs with fixed wing speeds once airborne.

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But once airborne, they still cannot fly any faster than hoi polloi.

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He said that, once airborne, pilots would have to leave the restricted zone, which would take about 25 minutes, rendering it pointless for short helicopter flights or one-hour flying lessons.

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Once airliners are airborne, pilots typically connect and then monitor the performance of autopilots and flight-control computers until close to landing.

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Harsh terms to be sure, although we won't have to wait for the dry runs to see the 787 airborne once again: the FAA also gave Boeing clearance to ferry one of the airliners from Fort Worth, Texas to Everett, Washington after some paint work.

ENGADGET

They supplied us with arrival data for the largest U.S.-based airlines for the last three holiday seasons, which we define as Nov. 20-Dec. 1 for Thanksgiving and Dec. 20-Jan. 6 for the winter holiday. (We examined only arrivals because departure delays can often be offset once a plane is airborne.) The U.S. Department of Transportation also tracks flight information for the holiday season, but FlightStats' list of airlines is more comprehensive.

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Once the program has been completed, these helicopters will become the airborne equivalent of a socket wrench - capable of undertaking a number of previously impossible tasks.

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