texts: What is the procedure to turn a certified aircraft into an experimental aircraft?

texts:
Last year at EAA Airventure I saw a helicopter (can't remember the model, but it was something like a Eurocopter EC135 or similar with a full glass cockpit). It was US registered (N-Number tail) but had "Experimental" written on the door.

When I asked the person at the booth why it was experimental they said it was because they used it as a test platform for new avionics packages, which got me thinking...

Is there a method to transition an aircraft from certified to experimental? Or is this done on a case-by-case basis through the FAA?

I can see advantages for an aircraft owner to want to transition to experimental if they want to keep up on latest (cheapest) non-TSO'd avionics and be able to do more work on the aircraft without an A&P. The downside is obviously higher insurance rates, but I'm not sure it would be a significant difference...


texts: Are four-engined airplanes subject to ETOPS equivalent rules?

texts:
I've heard of ETOPS, which permits the maximum duration for which a two-engined airplane can fly on one engine to the nearest airport.

Are 4-engined planes such as the Boeing 747 and Airbus A380 subject to any equivalent rules? If not, can these planes safely fly on just one engine for as long as needed?

Also, how are aircraft given different ETOPS certifications? What makes the 787 get ETOPS-330 and the 767 only ETOPS-180 despite the similarity in range and (to an extent) engine power and design?


texts:
The second hand airliner market is active. Some airlines prefer to sell their aircraft within 5 years of purchase, like Ryanair. On the other hand, some airlines prefer to use second hand planes.

What criteria are considered to evaluate second hand airliners for purchase?
How are the used airliners sold to another operator?


texts: How can I calculate the rolling moment of an aileron for a given plane based on its performance?

texts:
Let's say I have an already-built airplane with known basic characteristics like weight, wing span and wing surface, and I can measure the time of all possible manoeuvres at different speeds.

How can I calculate the roll moment of an aileron in its maximal deflection? The precision of hundreds of [kg*m] is sufficient.


texts: Relation between Squawk code and ICAO adress

texts: I can see in ADS-B downlink format 5 or 21, it is possible to answer squawk code. I am wondering how ATC will know which squawk  code is coming from which aircraft? There is no possibility to encode ICAO address in downlink format 5 or 21 . However, address parity finally result a uncontrollable ICAO address.


texts:
I'm trying to figure out when it is safe to continue at normal cruise speed and when I should slow down to avoid over-stressing the airframe due to turbulence. (of course I have asked instructors but I'd like to get some more opinions)

My aircraft has a maneuvering speed listed, Va, also listed as the turbulence penetration speed. When should I actually slow down to this speed (i.e. light, moderate, severe turbulence)? How long should such turbulence occur before I slow down (after a bump or two, when the turbulence is observed to be intermittent or continuous, should I slow down immediately)?

For the scope of this question I'm asking specifically about light single-engine general aviation aircraft that cruise around 140 kts. Va is 112 kias. I'd be interested in hearing about larger/smaller aircraft too though.

Answers from actual pilots with experience in this area, please (I would hope all pilots have some :-) ).


texts:
While reading the tragic Accidents and incidents section of this Wikipedia page, I began to wonder how the Beechcraft 1900 ranks for safety.

The page describes 22 known severe accidents and incidents involving the Beechcraft 1900.  According to the article, there were 695 of the aircraft built, with just 341 in service as of July 2015.  That's less than half.

How does one compare these statistics to the norm?  How does the Beechcraft 1900 rate when it comes to safety?


texts: Is the TIS-B traffic filter on board or on the ground?

texts:
This question is asked in the context of small certified GA aircraft in the US.

The TIS-B traffic that is displayed on board is a subset of all the TIS-B traffic in the area. It's often described as a hockey puck surrounding your aircraft where other traffic that is outside the puck is not displayed.

My question is whether the algorithm that filters what does or doesn't get displayed resides on the onboard box or the ground station.

Does the ground station (which knows your position because of your ADS-B out) send a custom set of traffic suited for your hockey puck? OR...
Does the ground station send out all traffic it is aware of and your on-board box filter only the ones in your hockey puck and send them onto your display? OR...
Something else?


texts: What is the process to get a simulator FAA certified for IFR training?

texts: Assuming I've got the hardware and software that meets the FAA requirements for a BATD (Basic Aviation Training Device), what is the process I would go through to get the simulator certified?


texts: Should helicopters fly when they the lack power for vertical climb out of ground effect?

texts:
Following up on this question: If a helicopter lacks power to climb vertically (i.e., with no translational movement) out of ground effect, is it ever considered safe to fly?  If so, under what conditions?

Or is the hover capability of a helicopter generally considered to be independent of its safe flight envelope?


texts: Does a secondary surveillance radar need the support of a primary surveillance radar?

texts:
ATC technologies are evolving to include other components than primary and secondary surveillance radars, but I believe these two pieces of equipment are still the backbone of ATC. Primary radar (PSR, 2.8 GHz) works usually on higher frequencies than secondary radar (SSR, 1.030 GHz).

Top: M10SR SSR | Bottom: Morava PSR | Right: Sky Search-3000 PSR+SSR co-mounted

Primary radar uses the natural echo reflected by the target to determine its angular position and range, while secondary radar uses the cooperative answer provided by the target transponder. The answer is equivalent to a natural echo, but is delayed by a known time, and is more powerful. It can also contain additional information such as level.

I read that SSR is more accurate in position determination than PSR. Indeed SSR doesn't work without the support of the airborne transponder, and the target can disappear from SSR display when the transponder has failed or has been disconnected.

My questions:

In appearance SSR + transponder can provide information to ATC without the need for a primary radar support. Is it true, if not why?
SSR can technically receive a natural echo on 1.030 GHz before the SSR reply which is sent on 1.090 GHz, is this signal used?
Do ATC systems usually display PSR data for controllers continuously or only on demand (e.g. when a target transponder doesn't answer SSR interrogator)?


texts: Can espresso be made at cruising altitude?

texts:
Espresso makers work by bringing water to a certain temperature (typically 198-202°F / 92-95°C), and then extract it at a high pressure (~9 bar). Given that the FAA requires that cabins are pressurized to ~7,500 ft, this results in a few problems I can see.

The pressure differential between the boiler and the cabin would be very large. I fear that this would result in the espresso machine being compromised.
Water would boil at a much lower temperature (198°F / 92°C) resulting in the machinery not working correctly.
A sudden depressurization of the vessel could certainly result in a dangerous pressure differential resulting in explosive decompression.

Although, a Boeing 787 has a higher pressure cabin, in a typical airplane, could you safely brew espresso? Are there any FAA, or other safety regulations preventing you from doing so?


texts: What are some of the more common procedures when faced with a hung landing gear?

texts:
A hung landing gear is a potentially disastrous situation for a pilot flying a general aviation piston aircraft. During "shop talk" I've heard people say that the best thing to do is cycle the gear. During my multi-engine check ride I was told emphatically by my examiner that cycling a hung was the wrong thing to do.

What are some of the more common procedures suggested in POH/AFM documents for this situation? Can any deeper understanding be extracted from the common procedures?


texts: Why couldn't my aircraft depart fully fueled on a 44C day?

texts:
My flight from Abudhabi to SFO was postponed. Official reason given to us was outside temperatures were too high - around 44+ degree Celsius and aircraft can not take off with full fuel loads at such high temperatures.

While sitting at terminal I saw other flights taking off. When I asked staff about those flights, answer was they are short haul - around 4-5 hours distance.

How does out side temperature affect these flights? Does it have anything to do with fuel volume changing with higher temperatures and hence wrong fuel consumption calculations?


texts: What type of display is used for cockpit displays?

texts:
In "glass cockpit" aircraft, what type of display is used for the PFD/MFD system?

Are they normal LCD screens, or are they "special" in some way (temperature tolerance, refresh rates, shatter resistance, etc...)?

Typical PFD/MFD:

Typical raw panel LCD screen:


texts: In the attached image of the Hoffman development of Arup design, the wing is shaped in a somehow anhedral way. Why?

texts: Most airplanes of its days had a Dihedral, or a wing thickness tapering with a 'V' shape, this one is the opposite, hints exist as done to avoid: 'Dutch Roll', or that the ordinary way will impair performance. What is it??


texts: How do you know what equipment code to put on a flight plan?

texts: Every time I have flown and filed flight plans the CFI or the person I have rented the plane from has told me what equipment code to put on the flight plan. I am curious how you would figure out on your own. Is it in the POH?


texts: What licenses and/or training should one obtain to be able to fly a drone in California?

texts:
The FAA will open up to flying civilian drones in 2015. Should we get pilot licenses to be ready for this? if so, is there a difference between plane or helicopter pilot license?

Links related:
NASA Helps Draw Up Rules for Flying Drones in the U.S
FAA making plans for drone flights in U.S.
U.S. colleges begin offering more drone piloting programs to keep up with domestic drone boom
California bills tackle drones, personal privacy
Aviation schools prepare for boom in demand for drone pilots


texts: How can I learn about unpublished VFR reporting points?

texts:
I often hear "The Creek" used by pilot and ATC in the vicinity of Provo Municipal airport.  I've been flying in this area for over 20 years, and I don't know what they are talking about.  There are at least three rivers that empty into Utah lake in the vicinity of the airport, one of them is named "Hobble Creek", but it would seem presumptuous to assume that is the one that is meant.

I am interested to hear strategies for learning the locations of unpublished, but commonly used waypoints.


texts: Is a certificated pilot in a rear seat with no access to flight controls a safety pilot or a passenger?

texts:
To be considered a safety pilot, must the aviator in question be able to manipulate the flight controls, or is see-and-avoid responsibility sufficient?

Asked another way, if the PIC wants to fly under simulated instrument conditions to maintain currency in a Cessna 172, is the lone pilot seated in the rear a safety pilot or a passenger? Did the PIC bring along one safety pilot or two?


texts: How did the FAA decide that firewalls should resist fire for 15 minutes specifically?

texts:
I'm searching for information on where the criteria of 15 minutes come from, in which the firewall is subjected to by a flame of 2000 °F (according to the now-obsolete 14 CFR 23.1191).
I know that this time includes mainly a reaction time. This reaction time is the time from the appearance of a fire in a compartment to the fire being recognized by the pilot.
Can anybody provide more information about the 15 minutes?


texts:
I've got a question quite specific, and directed to expert pilots:
How to improve a manual skill during solo flights?
I understand that take an instructor with me would probably be the best way, but I need to save money for the incoming CPL course.
So any suggestions?


texts:
Does anyone have a good reference or information about the antenna layout on the An-225?

Particularly interested whether the VOR antennas are up on the V-Stabs, or somewhere more creative.

Thanks in advance.


texts: Is it possible to lift a ship sized vehicle into the sky by following modern day aerodynamics and aircraft design?

texts: Is it is possible in real life to make a aircraft carriers size ships to fly in the sky like the flying things we seen in avengers movie?


texts: What's the relationship between FANS and CPDLC?

texts: I'm confused about Future Air Navigation System (FANS) and Controller–pilot data link communications (CPDLC). Someone said FANS includes CPDLC, another said it does not.


texts: How is flight envelope protection implemented in Dassault Falcons?

texts:
In normal laws, envelope protection is implemented differently on Boeing and Airbus fly-by-wire systems, as highlighted in this question. I don't want to reopen a debate about which one is better (both have been proven to be good), I'm looking for information about another manufacturer's implementation.
If I understand correctly, Airbus won't allow the pilot to exceed limitations (such as load factor) while Boeing will make them really hard to exceed them.
Dassault Falcon jets (after the 7X) are fitted with fly-by-wire implementing flight envelope protections (as mentioned in this article.
I would like to know what happen if the pilot's input tend to exceed flight envelope limits (high-G maneuver -both negative and positive G-, high angle of attack, over-speed, high bank angle).
On a fully functional Dassault Falcon 7X (or newer) in normal laws, can the pilot put the aircraft outside its flight envelope? Can the pilot make the aircraft stall (excessive AoA), perform high-G maneuver (excessive load factor), put the aircraft in inverted flight (bank angle > 90°)? Will the aircraft refuse pilot's input or just make them hard ? In short, how is flight envelope protection implemented on Dassault falcon jets?


texts: Is there an ideal value for the difference between the stick fixed and stick free static margin?

texts:
I'm calculating the static stability for a fictional  aircraft and have to determine the elevator size. I have all the calculations but don't know how to choose the correct size and position. Is it ideal to have the difference between the sitck fixed and stick free static margins as close to 1 as possible or should the differnece in the margins be large?
Thankyou in advance, covid-19 has meant that we're not able to access univeristy resources to gain our knowledge as usual.


texts: Are there (ideas for) GNSS based attitude indicators?

texts:
With upcoming GNSS systems that have better accuracy than GPS, could there be an GNSS based attitude indicator? Does maybe one already exist?

I could imagine having 4 sensors (front, aft, left wingtip, right wingtip) that then calculate the attitude.


texts: What is the meaning of "Steer 1-2-0" in WWII texts?

texts: I am reading some texts about WWII and English operators tell the pilots to "Steer 1-2-0". Can anyone help with the meaning of 'steer' here? Is it a synonym of 'direction', 'heading' or 'vector'?


texts: What would it take to have a new large civil aircraft manufacturer?

texts:
What would it take to have a new large civil aircraft manufacturer besides Boeing and Airbus, that is not state sponsored (C919, MC-21)

In other words, what are the chances a new company would break into the market? What would it take?

If you look at the US past aircrafts, there is an abundance of companies producing large civil aircraft: Boeing, Convair, Douglas, Lockheed, Martin. Then there were the French, the British and the Russian manufacturers. Now there is Boeing and Airbus. Embraer and Bombardier are producing rather small planes for today's standards, even if they are impressive compared to historic planes.

The regional jet market is a lot more competitive, with the CRJs and ERJs under pressure from MRJ, SJ-100 and ARJ. Could one of those companies successfully grow into Boeing and Airbus market?

What are the chances a start-up, with no state money, will come to market with a new 100+ seats plane in the next 20-30 years? Could a SpaceX type of company be successful in the airplane manufacturing industry?


texts: Consider two aircraft. Aircraft A flying at sea level with weight (W) and Angle of attack (α). Aircraft B flying at altitude h in level flight at the same weight (W) and same angle of attack (α) (same configuration as Aircraft A). Will the drag experienced by both the aircraft be the same?


texts: Are walkalong gliders based on the principles of ground effect?

texts: Does a walkalong glider stay aloft because of ground effect (caused by the paddle), or for some other reason?


texts: Can civilian aircraft fly through or land in restricted airspace in an emergency?

texts: This is a super hypothetical question of mine. I was wondering if civilian pilots who happened to be faced with a severe emergency could fly through or possibly request to land in restricted airspace? Mainly I am referring to Area 51?


texts:
How do modern aircraft steer on the ground? Do they have a steering wheel which moves the front wheel (left/right).

I see that there is a Tug vehicle which pushes the aircraft backwards, so the aircraft does not have a reverse gear for sure.

Does the aircraft use the Engine thrust to move forward on the ground or does it have separate motor which propels the wheels?


texts: What kind of certifications are required for a plane manufactured for personal use?

texts: If I make an airplane (lets say for research/recreational purposes), what kind of certifications would be required to fly it? Moreover, would I need special permissions to actually fly the airplane? What are laws regarding this to a situation specific to India?


texts:
Why don’t airplanes use turn signals like cars do? Would this improve safety for ground operations at uncontrolled airports? Could a similar concept be used to indicate in air maneuvers?
For example: a specific color could denote a right turn, a left turn, a climb or a descent.


texts: Is this photo showing dozens of airliners in close proximity real, or even plausible?

texts:
CNN has an article about Heathrow that's accompanied by the following photo:

Is this photo depicting an actual event?  If not, would it even be possible/plausible to fly this many airliners this closely together or would wake turbulence and similar factors make this basically impossible?

It looks like several of the planes may be in the process of either stowing or deploying their landing gear, and also have their flaps deployed.  Does this indicate that maybe someone has photoshopped together a bunch of photos of planes landing to produce this image?


texts: How to guess the actual name of the SID, waypoint, etc., if you have never seen it when told by ATC?

texts:
Sometimes it's very tricky as those identifiers are not normal words. For example how to find a way-point you have to go direct to if it's not on the flight plan? SID and STARS can be reviewed before clearance but some airports have a very big list.

Can anybody give any good advice on this? How do you deal with this situation?


texts: Would an Aero L-159 Alca air frame be able to withstand a supersonic engine?

texts:
Aero L-159 uses a  Honeywell F124-GA-100 turbofan engine.

First question is, can it be fitted with any modern supersonic jet engine?

If YES, why isn't Aerovodocody doing that?

If NO, why?


texts: How does change in aircraft's weight equal fuel mass flow rate multiplied by 'g'?

texts:
Can someone help me understand how does
$$\frac{dW}{dt} = -\dot{m}_f \cdot g ,$$
where $\dot{m}_f$ is fuel mass flow rate.
This is the first equation laid down in the Breguet range equation derivation.
Here's where I encountered it. Alternative accessible source (link):


texts: What are the chances that you are on plane that has an incident?

texts:
ICAO Annex 13 defines an "incident" as

  An occurrence, other than an accident, associated with the operation of an aircraft which affects or could affect the safety of operation.

Is there good record keeping about incidents globally? Not like Aviation Global Incident Map which only really only lists accidents and some airport issues.

For completeness, the same document defines an "accident" to be

  An occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft which takes place between the time any person boards the aircraft with the intention of flight until such time as all such persons have disembarked, in which (a) a person is fatally or seriously injured [...], (b) the aircraft sustains damage or structural failure [...] or (c) the aircraft is missing or is completely inaccessible.

Only incidents that an airliner pilot is aware mid-flight and can do something about -this a start to follow-up.  question. Exact likelihood is not important- is it 10% or 20%. For passengers, the likelihood is not important since pilots handle mainly well.


texts: What was the commercial speed of Concorde?

texts:
I work on time-space cartography in a historical perspective and need to establish a commercial speed of Concorde aircraft flights based on timetable data. This issue differs from the issue of the maximum speed of planes, because in a time geography perspective I want to consider speed from the point of view of the user, the traveller, i.e timetable commercial speed, and not maximum aircraft speed.

I found some indicative timetables of London-New York in 3,5 hours for 5 850 km which turns into an approximate value of 1 600 km/h. Could anyone confirm these data and this figure?

A related problem is that time-tables are not symmetric, because of trade winds, so that transatlantic routes take longer from Europe to USA that the contrary. I want to use the longest value since it provides a consistent value for minimum time-distance.


texts: How does the pressure change in the Air Cycle Machine?

texts:
In this picture:

#3 says:

  "Air expanding to ambient pressure turns expansion turbine, is greatly cooled, and drives compressor."

I understand all of that except for the "air expanding to ambient pressure" part.

Ambient means relating to immediate surroundings of something so the pressure can change. I understand that if it decreases in size like at #1 it would get hotter or if it increases in size it would become colder, but how can it be ambient if all the air is expanding to the same size when at #3 the column that the air passes through doesn't change shape to change the pressure?

Basically, how can it be ambient pressure if the column doesn't change size?


texts: How does a Delta-3 hinge on a helicopter tail rotor work?

texts:
I am trying to understand how adding offset hinges would provide a self-feathering force.  Does anyone have more information on Delta hinges on helicopters? I am a bit confused with the information I have available. A video would be nice, but I couldn't fidn much on YouTube.

Here are two references illustrating the concept, and a picture from the first link (b).
Delta-3 Hinge
Delta-3 Hinge - AOPA Explanation

The AOPA explanation does not have the offset/angled blade:


texts:
What are these things hanging off the trailing edge of the wing?

I've seen them in almost all of the aircraft I've flown in, and can't remember if they're exclusively Boeing or Airbus.


texts: Would a propeller extracting air from a cylinder with holes in it be an ideal lift apparatus for a VTOL aircraft?

texts:
I am wondering if enough lift can be created for a VTOL aircraft using a propeller that is extracting air from a cylinder which is closed at one end and has holes in the top half of the cylinder.

Please reference the conceptual drawing below.

I believe that when the propeller is turned on and air is flowing in through the holes and out of the cylinder, there will be low static pressure inside the cylinder and the cylinder will be lifted up by the ambient air pressure outside the cylinder pushing against the bottom half of the cylinder. Lift should occur because the bottom half of the cylinder has a larger surface area compared to surface area of the top half of the cylinder which has holes in it.

So, would a propeller extracting air from a cylinder with holes in it be an ideal lift apparatus for a VTOL aircraft?


texts: What are advantages and disadvantages of Rotax and Lycoming engine designs?

texts: I am wondering what are advantages and disadvantages of these two designs, e.g. Rotax 912 vs Lycoming O-235, compared to each other. At first glance they are pretty similar (both are 4-cylinder, horizontally opposed, with carburetors, naturally aspirated, with similar horsepower output etc.) but there are also some differences (engine displacement, maximum RPM, preferred fuel, oil system and consumption etc.) Can someone explain pros and cons of both designs?


texts: What is pressure refuelling and how does it work?

texts:
In this answer to this question, "pressure refueling" was given as a reason to not worry about fuel vapors escaping when refueling larger aircraft.

What is pressure refueling and how does it work?


texts: How to recognize the horizontal winglet in the Horten design, or the experimental glider in this video?

texts:
Comments below the NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center video Proving Prandtl- With A Twist! incclude:

This video is entirely a hidden jewel in youtube, it deserves much more attention than what it has had until now. It is both educational and inspirational!

It's a clever, non-obvious idea, using the washout to eliminate adverse yaw...

What, and where is the Horizontal wiglet discussed in the video, or in the Horten design discussed there as well?
When I look at the various images in the video, I just see a flat wing as far as the shape is concerned; what distinguishes the winglet from the rest of the wing?
edit: I see a break in the wing near the end, but as far as I can see, the shape or orientation doesn't change from what the wing would look like anyway. What is it that makes the end of this wing a winglet?


texts: Why do control towers have tilted glass panels?

texts:
Almost all control towers I've seen have tilted glass panels:

Amsterdam-Schiphol tower (EHAM), source.

What is the reason behind this choice?
How is the tilt angle determined?


texts: What is the aerodynamic reason military parachutes are square?

texts:
Until these, I had only ever seen round military parachutes. The slots also differ between paratroop

and cargo.


texts: Are rolling takeoffs now more common than powering up while holding on the brakes?

texts:
I remember back in the 90's that commercial planes would line up on the runway, stop, apply full power and then release the brake to take off.

Now I've been on flight where they've literally rolled from the taxiway straight onto the runway and then powered up without stopping.

Why has that changed? What were the reasons for the older style?


texts: What could cause a distinct tube of condensation over a wing?

texts:
I recently saw something I've not previously encountered: shortly after take-off, for a few seconds, an extremely dense tube of condensation rose from about 75cm in front of the wing, in-board of the engine, to a height of about 50cm above the wing and then raced back over it.

The tube of condensation was exceptionally well-defined. It appeared to have a diameter of around 15-20cm, which hardly varied, and a very circular cross-section. Its surface was smooth, and it appeared and a few seconds later disappeared as abruptly as if controlled by a switch.

As an illustration of some of the airflow over that portion of the wing, it was quite remarkable - I expected it to be more turbulent than that.

What was the likely source of this well-defined condensation? It appeared to originate from below and in front of the wing.

I've seen condensation form and travel across portions of the wing many times before, but never in this fashion, so I was thrilled to see it.

The aircraft was a 767-300 if that makes any difference.


texts: What distinct challenges are faced in taxi operations that aren't found in other phases of flight?

texts:
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) made Runway Incursion Avoidance a special emphasis area and added it as a required task in several of the Practical Test Standards (PTS) documents. All the PTS documents have a bullet item that reads something like this:

  Distinct challenges and requirements during taxi operations not found in other phases of flight operations.

I have reviewed the applicable sections of the Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge and AC 91-73B, but I haven't found a concrete answer on what exactly these challenges are. If an examiner asked me to explain these challenges I'd do my best, and I'm sure I could come up with some good arguments for my thoughts, but I like to know what the FAA is looking for when they ask a question and this one doesn't seem to have an exact reference.


texts: Why is manoeuvring speed higher in utility category?

texts:
In a C172P, the manoeuvring speed is 99 KIAS at 2400 lbs, 92 KIAS at 2000 lbs, and 82 KIAS at 1600 lbs. However, it is 102 KIAS at 2100 lbs when in the utility category, which has a more restrictive aft C of G limit.

Why the increase in $V_a$? My guess is that not allowing such an aft C of G in utility category allows the higher manoeuvring speed because this also restricts how low the stall speed could get. Is this correct?


texts: How many parts does the latest-generation 737 share with the original 737?

texts:
There is an old paradox which states that if a boat sails round the world replacing worn out parts as it goes, once it has replaced all of itself is it still the same boat?

I choose the 737 because it's been around for over 50 years. Specifically, is there anything from the original tooling for the 737-100 that would be a straight out replacement for a 737-MAX?

 737-100 source

 737-MAX-7 source


texts: Why does aileron response diminish as speed becomes slower, from slow-flight up to the stall? (In a light trainer)

texts: Can someone phrase the explanation to this in simple words as you would explain to a student?


texts: Why does the stick force per-g test require it to be harder for pilots to pull back on the yoke instead of easier?

texts: What happens when it’s easier to pull back banked at such steep angles, wouldn’t it be a good thing that a pilot can maintain his altitude easier than harde?


texts: What do the terms 'holding out' and 'common carriage' mean?

texts:
A pilot with a new commercial certificate is excited at the new world of getting-paid-to-fly they have opened up.  That is, until their instructor or good friend reminds them of 14 CFR 119 and the grey line that separates operations that do or do not require an operating certificate.

It is cut and dry that a commercial pilot can be paid to do certain things, but when you decide you are going to start doing things for a friend ("yea, I can transport XYZ for you on my next trip to Kalamazoo") things start to get murky. Especially once your friend starts paying you, you make a habit of transporting things and he tells his friends about your service.

At what point are you holding out your services to the public and when do you cross the line from private carriage into common carriage?  How far can you go without an operating certificate.

I'm looking for regulatory answers or anything written from a FSDO, basically anything not anecdotal.


texts:
I need to know more about the "splayed wingtips" design made by Airbus in their latest conceptual design "birds of prey".

How would wingtip vortices work on this plane? How are they reduced by the splayed wingtips or the feathered tips?


texts: How are NATs connected to European Airways?

texts:
The North Atlantic Tracks connect Northern Europe to North America. To enter/exit NATs over North America, the North American Routes (NARs) are used.

Questions:
What about the European side? What are the rules to enter/exit NATs? What airways must be flown? Can I find the official information written anywhere?

Note: Ideally I would like to find a list of routes (directs?) that suggests the pair of waypoints linking the generic NAT and the european airways system. In the past North Atlantic European Routing Scheme (NERS) was used but nowadays it appears they have been dismissed.


texts: Do helicopter rotor tips regularly go supersonic?

texts:
In my question about helicopter noise, I made the assumption that one reason they are so darn noisy is that the main rotor tips go faster than the speed of sound. @FreeMan questioned whether that was the case.

I've tried to find information about this but most pages end up discussing VNE -- the forward speed at which the advancing blades go supersonic while the retreating blades lose lift and stall. This is not about that situation.

This is about regular flight -- is the extremely loud noise from helicopters because their rotor tips are supersonic, or is from other sources?

p.s. There is some mention that the "WOP-WOP" of descending helicopters is caused by the rotor tips going supersonic. Is this the case - and if so, is it an edge case (the only time the tips are supersonic) or just one example of when they do.


texts: Why does the radome on the AWACS rotate?

texts: I'm not sure I understand why the radome on the AWACS aircraft is so large, and could somebody explain the design and why it has to rotate?


texts: How do I properly report sighting a drone or hobby UAV to ATC?

texts:
How would one go about reporting a drone (hobby UAV) sighted in the airspace of an airport on frequency, specifically to Tower?

For example: I am doing patterns around the airport when to the northeast of my nose I see an object flying through the airport field, looking as though it is a drone entering the airport. What is my responsibility in this situation?


texts: How short does a trip need to be before flying is less safe than other forms of transportation?

texts:
It's often mentioned that flying is the safest form of transportation, and no doubt this is true when considering only a long-haul trip. There's no doubt, for example, that driving (or taking a train or bus) 3,000km would be more dangerous than flying the same distance.

However, most flight crashes occur at take-off or landing and so I suspect there must be a break-even point after which flying becomes more dangerous than alternatives. For instance, if a flight is only 300km, would it be safer to drive?

For the purposes of this question, it can be assumed that I'm talking about OECD countries, which by and large have very high standards for both flight safety and the safety of other forms of transportation.


texts: Curious how much Air Data Module and Angle of attack sensor costs, such that is used on commercial airliners.


texts: Non-precision approaches for which constant descents are not approved?

texts:
I noticed an interesting note -- circled in red pencil below -- on the KEEO RNAV (GPS) RWY 03 approach the other day:

Why would the FAA apparently prohibit constant-descent final approaches to this airport, given the operational benefits they provide to aircraft of many types? (While props can get away with a lot more on approach than a jet can -- diving and driving is still more workload than maintaining a constant descent.)


texts: Why aren’t there any lifting-canard airliners?

texts:
A lifting-canard aircraft, such as the Long-EZ, is an aircraft with the main wing at the back end of the fuselage and a pair of small, highly-loaded canards attached to the forward fuselage; the canards fly at a higher angle of attack than the main wing, and, consequently, provide a significant amount of lift in addition to pitch control.1

During a sharp pitchup in a lifting-canard aircraft, the canards, being at a higher angle of attack than the main wing, stall first, causing the aircraft to automatically pitch down before the wing ever stalls.  As the wing, with the ailerons on it, remains unstalled throughout, roll control is preserved, without any of the violent rolling inherent in stalled control-tail aircraft.2  As the canards are stalled, pitch control is lost until they unstall, but, in this case, you don’t need pitch control, because the aircraft pitches down and recovers all on its own, without the need for any manual control inputs;3 this actually has the benefit of making lifting-canard aircraft practically unstallable (for the main wing, anyways) barring the separation of large parts of the airframe.  In addition, as the surface providing most of the aircraft’s lift never stalls, the overall loss of lift when the canards stall is fairly minor, and the aircraft’s handling characteristics remain benign throughout.

In contrast, while a control-tail aircraft will usually also pitch down when the main wings stall, this is dependent on the stabiliser trim setting, and, if the center of mass is near the forward limit (necessitating considerable nose-up stabiliser trim), the aircraft may actually pitch up in a stall.  Also, if the aircraft does pitch down, it does so quite violently, as the majority of the aircraft’s lift is suddenly lost, and with large, violent, largely-uncontrollable roll oscillations (as the ailerons are located on the main wing, which is stalled).  And, because the surfaces used for pitch control are not yet stalled, pitch control is preserved, allowing the pilots to hold the aircraft in the stall.

Given the considerable safety advantages of the lifting-canard configuration, why don’t we see any lifting-canard airliners?

1: As opposed to a control-canard aircraft, such as the Flyer, where the canards fly at a nominally-zero angle of attack, are used only for pitch control, and make these aircraft utter beasts to fly without a computer making constant control inputs.

2: Aircraft with a tail-mounted horizontal stabiliser and elevator which (nominally) fly at a lower angle of attack than the main wings.  Examples include most aircraft ever.

3: In contrast, control-canard aircraft pitch violently up as they stall (because the main wing, being at a higher angle of attack than the canards, stalls first), and, therefore, require aggressive nose-down control inputs to recover before the canards stall as well and pitch control is effectively lost; lifting-tail aircraft (with a tail-mounted horizontal stabiliser and elevator that fly at a higher angle of attack than the main wings) also pitch up, for the same reason, except that this happens well before the main wings stall, and is coupled with a simultaneous, near-total loss of pitch control as the horizontal tail stalls (making stalls completely unrecoverable for lifting-tail aircraft using only the usual aerodynamic surfaces for control).


texts: what is the earth resistance to be maintained while aircraft is on ground and during ground checks for military aircrafts

texts: While aircrafts are under servicing on ground, the external dedicated earth wires are connected to the aircraft to avoid static hares effect to human beings. How much resistance value has to be maintained?.Is there any standards available for the same.


texts: How does increasing the RPM result in a higher AOA for the blades?

texts: I know that an increase in velocity (TAS) reduces the AOA and that makes sense. But how just simply increasing the blade rotation (RPM) results in higher AOA?


texts:
What is the reason that airplanes in English have a female gender?
Please illuminate the historical or scientific reason.


texts: Why do model aircraft fly and maneuver so differently from real aircraft?

texts:
I recently viewed on Youtube many videos of small and giant models of airplanes. In some cases they are small (for example an A330, 1 meter long) and in others they are huge (for example an A380, 5 meters long).

As far as I can see, the smallest ones seem to have electric engines (maybe fake jet engines in which fans act as propellers?) but the bigger ones seem to have internal combustion engines, even if I don't know how they run.

Anyway, the general impression is that even from a great distance it's obvious that they are models and not real aircraft. They are all too quick, too agile, make very short takeoffs, have very low inertia, make quick turns and so on.

Can you tell me why these handling differences exist in models that otherwise tend to simulate with great precision every other detail of the real aircraft (lights, shape, colors, fine details, landing gear, etc.)?


texts: The title says it all, how do you fly a parabolic arc? Me and my friend Ben, are starting a research lab. We want to learn how to fly a parabolic arc.


texts: Where can I get the FAA data that defines airspace, including MOAs etc.?

texts:
I was looking at http://www.gelib.com/aeronautical-charts-united-states.htm, where you can download shape files for Google Earth that show US airspaces.  I'm writing some software that has a similar need and need to find a source for this data.  I'm looking for data that defines the extents of airspaces including MOAs, restricted areas, etc.

I have been pouring through the FAA's website with no luck.  The link I referenced above says its source was the National Aeronautical Charting Office (NACO), which I'm having very little luck finding as well.  I think it may have been renamed, thus the poor results.  I also called the FAA and can't seem to find anyone there that knows where to transfer me.

So, does anyone here have any helpful pointers on finding said information?  I want to pull it directly from the source to make sure it is always up-to-date and accurate.


texts: What are the most common reasons an aircraft to depressurize while flying?

texts: What are the most common reasons that cause an aircraft to depressurize while flying? For example, a broken window, a failure on the Outflow Valve, etc.


texts: Can St. Elmo's Fire cause instruments to fail?

texts: Can St. Elmo's Fire on an aircraft cause instruments to fail or give erratic readings, primarily with glass cockpits? Are there backup instruments that would not be affected? Does it affect radio transmissions?


texts: How long can I use an FAA license in Colombia without having to validate it?

texts: What is the maximum range of time that an FAA certificated pilot can stay and fly in Colombia, without the need to validate his license there?


texts: What is the effect of airflow speed on separation?

texts: We know that in real viscous flow, boundary layer exists around the airfoil and there will be a separation point which flow starts to separate from the back of the airfoil( velocity gradient equal zero at separation point). If the flow speed increases, will separation occur earlier or later?


texts: Where to find the parking coordinates of the aircraft in the Apron?

texts:
Is it possible to find out the coordinates of where the aircraft park in an the Apron? I mean some sort of list for each terminal or aeronautical chart.
I was thinking about the AIP (Aeronautical Information Publication) but i could not find it.


texts: Has any airliner ever collided with a glider?

texts: I've read about many near-collisions between gliders and airliners, but did such a collision ever happen in mid-air, actually?


texts: As a drone hobbyist, is flying below the listed FAA UAS ceiling a violation of controlled airspace?

texts:
FAA (emphasis mine):

  In Class B, Class C, or Class D airspace [controlled airspace] or within the lateral boundaries of the surface area of Class E airspace designated for an airport, the operator obtains prior authorization from the Administrator or designee before operating and complies with all airspace restrictions and prohibitions.

The FAA also has this interactive map showing where airspace restrictions on drones exist.

In the screenshot depicting class B airspace around PHX, it shows that there is a ceiling of 100 feet in the selected square.

Hobbyists cannot currently get permission to fly in controlled airspace due to the absence of LAANC. Is authorization required to fly a drone below 100 feet in this area, or can a hobbyist fly without authorization up to 100 feet since it's within class G airspace and the class B airspace doesn't start until 100 feet? Or, is this location "within the lateral boundaries of the surface area of Class E airspace designated for an airport," requiring authorization for that reason?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airspace_class_(United_States)


texts: While flying having trouble estimating how far I am from Airport

texts: When approaching an uncontrolled airport especially, standard procedure demands to make the first call 10 miles out announcing my location, entry procedure, etc. and then more calls at 5 miles, 2 miles, etc. I find myself having a hard time estimating how far I am from an airport so I can announce my position. The same applies when I'm asked to report a 8 mile final in a controlled airport. I'm curious how others do it and if there's a more reliable way to judge distance from an airport. Thanks.


texts: What is the minimum glide ratio of a motorized glider?

texts:
What is the minimum glide ratio of a motorized glider, enough to climb in typical summer afternoon thermals over a dark field or similar?

In other words, at what minimum glide ratio would a glider be considered more of an ultralight rather than a glider, at least conceptually, or based solely on glide ratio?

I don't think anyone would consider an aircraft a "motorized glider style", irrespective of the class the aircraft is registered in,if the glide ratio is 4:1.

A glide ratio of 20:1 seems like a more realistic cutoff. Is this correct, at least conceptually?


texts: Is there any theoretical problem powering the fan with an electric motor

texts:
A question that I have been wondering about lately is whether it would be possible to power the fan in a modern hi-bypass turbofan with an electric motor and achieve performance comparable to the kerosene-fueled engine. Or is the 10% of air that flows through the combustion chamber crucial for the operation of the system?
(I wish to ignore all things that make electric aircraft unviable, like power-to-weight ratio of engines and battery capacity)
Edit: I have realized that the "electric" part of the question is really not the core of the question. What I am really interested in is whether it would be feasible to power a plane using only the fan and not the exhaust jet with a performance similar to a current jet (which would make the engine similar to a turboprop with many blades and a cover around it)


texts: How do mixed-bag-of-hardware military coalitions handle communications, IFF, et. al. interoperability?

texts:
Back in the Cold War era, there were Western-allied air forces on one side using NATO-standard communications and IFF equipment, and Warsaw Pact-allied air forces on the other side using Soviet-standard communications and IFF equipment, and they never met except as adversaries in battle.  Both sides exported equipment aggressively, but only to countries they considered friendly enough.

Now, the Cold War is basically over.  The major players (US, Europe, Russia) continue to make sales in the export market for their equipment, while more independent-minded folk in minor powers are not restricting themselves to a single source, leading to cases like the Royal Malaysian Air Force where Flankers and Hornets share the same flightline.  However, in that case, the RMAF has the power to order or retrofit everything with the same comms radios and IFF gear, and probably has done just that so they can all talk to each other and figure out who's who securely.

However, the fall of the Cold War has also meant that fighting has centered around coalitions to neutralize specific belligerent "hotspots" (the First Gulf War being a prime example of this).  This means that in some areas of the world, it is quite plausible that you have an air force with MiGs and an air force with F-16s on the same side of the fight, trying to work together against a common foe.

This raises a question though: how do you get everyone on the same side of the fight on the same page regarding communications and IFF gear?  Did the Russians reverse-engineer and adopt the NATO COMSEC and IFF standards, relying on key control to keep the streams from mixing?  Or would there be much furious last-second swapping of radios and IFF boxes in such a coalition situation to allow the MiG pilots and their F-16 pilot friends to talk to each other securely and to know where each other is?  Would the communication situation fall on ground relays to straighten out?


texts: Can airline ignore or get exception from V1 and other safety rules?

texts:
In this famous video with not to good quality now

             I don't believe this IL76 was able to takeoof if the engine failed. Are the rules ignored? Or it's possible to get permit takeoff without V1 and any consideration for engine failure on multi engine airliner?

Update:Ok V1 maybe is not a rule. It's a number that you get after application of certain rules. But MEP aircraft doesn't have V1 and single engine aircraft as well. They all operate and even can carry people.
Maybe it's possible get an exception to operate ME turbine aircraft without consideration of an engine failure? For example runway is very short or you are heavily leaded and aircraft will not climb at all with -1 engine.

I was not asking about the V1.

Maybe there is an airport somewhere very high with 40 degrees outside, short runway and down slope. Guys have IL76 fully loaded. They see that there is no way they can takeoff applying standard safety rules. But they run calculation and they see that if they use 100% of runway for take off run they will get 1% climb gradient with all engines on full power. If you want to depart very much maybe it's possible to go to aviation authority and ask for a special permit?


texts: What is the difference between Bell AH-1Z Viper and Apache Longbow in terms of role?

texts:
What is the difference between Bell AH-1Z Viper and Apache AH-64D Block III Longbow in terms of role?

When does someone use AH-1Z Viper and when does someone use AH-64D Block III?


texts: What is the trim wheel behavior on the A320 family?

texts:
The Trim Wheel in the A320s usually is moving by itself, representing the current stabilizer position (or rather command). Before takeoff I believe it is set by hand to set the takeoff trim.

During flight it is not touched unless the aircraft goes into direct law or "worse".

What happens though if the pilot touches the trim wheel in normal law?

Will the aircraft shift into another Law where manual trim can be used? Will it move the stabilizer to the position set by the pilot and then adjust back to where it would usually be, possibly turning off any AP that is engaged? Will the aircraft ignore the manual input?


texts: Does anyone have photos of internal parts of ELAC, FAC, SEC or Boeing 777 flight computers?

texts:
I'm an electrical engineer and I'm interested in civil aviation, more specifically in fly-by-wire planes like the Airbus A320, Boeing 777 and others. But I fell in love with the Airbus A320 as it is the first civil fly-by-wire plane. I read a lot of its flight computers (FAC, SEC, ELAC), I saw its photos. But I want to have a look at their internal parts.

Does someone have photos of these internal parts? I want to have a look at those computer's internal boards. At last, I would appreciate any deep technical overview of how they work.


texts: Can it be determined from beyond visual range whether an unknown aircraft is armed or not?

texts:
In a typical situation, where an unknown aircraft appears on radar, and doesn't respond to any radio message, sooner or later fighter aircraft are scrambled to take a closer look.

However, can it be reliably determined whether the unknown aircraft in question is a military aircraft or a civilian one, before the pilots of the scrambled jets can take a closer look with their own eyes?

By armed I don't mean deciding whether it carries real missiles or just harmless training dummies, but whether it's a military aircraft or a civilian one. Do we know of cases when this was determined before making visual contact (assuming the UFO didn't respond to any messages)

For example, is it a fighter jet or a small private business jet? Is it an airliner or a strategic bomber? From how far can you tell the difference?


texts: Can you be cleared to cross a runway *behind* an aircraft on takeoff?

texts: Taking KEWR as an example, let us say that aircraft are taking off from 4L at N and landing on 4R.  Can I be cleared to cross 4L at say V, behind the aircraft taking off on 4L, without interrupting the departure flow? Or will the runway need to be clear full-length to let me cross it?


texts: Why do cargo airlines frequently choose passenger aircraft rather than aircraft designed specifically for cargo?

texts:
Cargo airlines are known to regularly use planes designed primarily for passenger travel.

Why don't they almost exclusively use aircraft designed specifically for cargo?


texts: What are the differences between intertank valve and crossfeed valve?

texts:
Regarding the fuel system in an aircraft, I read that there are two valves: the intertank valve and the crossfeed valve.

They are both motor driven butterfly type valve which function is to allow fuel from the left and right hoppers to combine.

What are the differences between them?


texts: If a pilot ejects, what is the autopilot programmed to do?

texts:
If a pilot uses their ejector seat during flight, what is the autopilot programmed to do?
As a developer myself, I'd want to build in a way for the plane to try and save itself if possible (to save money) by auto-landing, or at the very least, calculate the nearest least-populated area for a crash-landing. So I'm wondering if anything like this is even written into the software.


texts: Why is the gear handle shaped the way it is?

texts: In the aircraft cockpits I've seen, the gear handles all seem to have the same general shape (they look like a little wheel). Is there a reason for this beyond simply making it absolutely obvious that it's the gear handle?


texts: From RAF fighter pilot to commercial pilot

texts:
I’d like to become an RAF fighter pilot for many reasons but to become a commercial pilot once I leave the RAF is not one of them. I am, however, curious to know, if I were to become an RAF pilot and served the mandatory service length (12 years) would I be able to then transition into a commercial pilot? How easy would this transition be? What steps would be involved (rough outline)? Would I need to attend a flight school as if I had no flying experience?

Any answers would be appreciated!


texts: Do aircraft really have text communication over FMC?

texts:
I saw a photography that is obviously Photoshopped that sparked my curiosity

Does aircraft have text messages transmission? Can text messages or text strings be transported over the air like transmitting METAR strings over a frequency like ATIS? I remember something about in flight printers that would print hard copies of mid-flight flight plan changes so perhaps something like that can be theoritically used for transmission.

In a simple manner. Is communication over FMC ever done?


texts: What is the hole located below the 2nd or 3rd window of Boeing 737?

texts:
I see there is a hole located below the 2nd or 3rd window. What is its purpose?

(Sources: flickr.com and planespotters.net)


texts: Where can I find detailed dimensions of aircraft panels?

texts:
I'm thinking of building some of physical aspects of a flight simulator, such as the overhead panels and pedestal.

Is there a publication available where I could find detailed dimensions of cockpit panel sizes of say Boeing 737 and A320s? I've found some pictures online but they don't quite have the detail I would like. Google images shows a few results with detailed dimensions, so I'm wondering where they got theirs from... actual measurements perhaps? (there are photos of measurements, but i'd like something maybe a little more exact)  Is there maybe a standard size of these panels, also on the larger jets?

Sort of thing I'm looking for:


texts: Why is this equation for TAS only valid for subsonic flow?

texts:
I came across the equation for calculating True airspeed (TAS) on Wikipedia:
$$ \text{TAS} = a_0 \sqrt{\frac{5 T}{T_0} \left[ \left( \frac{q_c}{P} + 1 \right)^{2 / 7} - 1 \right]} $$
But this equation is apparently valid for only subsonic flows.
Why is that? Does this have something to do with pressure?


texts: Do concurrent operations on a single runway occur anywhere else besides AirVenture?

texts:
At the EAA's AirVenture fly-in in Oshkosh (KOSH), landing and sometimes takeoff operations are very often done by dots which are painted on the runway, making it so that multiple operations (a landing or a takeoff) are done at the same time on a single runway.

A diagram of those dots for those who don't know what I am talking about:

Image Source

Does this kind of runway operation (i.e. concurrent landings or takeoffs on a single runway) happen anywhere else or is this special to AirVenture?


texts: What's the difference between multiple disc brake and segmented rotor brakes?

texts:
Going through FAA's aircraft maintenance manual I came across a topic under braking systems, which had two different types of brakes: multiple discs and segmented rotor disc brakes
Looking at the their construction:
Multiple discs brake

Segmented rotor brakes

These look pretty much of same construction.
Also, reading through the description, I couldn't find much information apart from just that "Segmented rotor disc brakes are used on even higher performance modern aircraft"
Aircraft brakes
The information provided in the above-attached link is the same information as printed in the FAA AMT Handbook VOL 2
How are they any different? Or am I missing something here?


texts: How to compute thrust to weight ratio of a Cessna 172?

texts:
Cessna 172 has weight about 1 ton and it's engine produces about 213 Kg of thrust, and it flies great.

So if I make a plane with a weight of 100kg including pilot and fuel so will 15 kg thrust good for the plane, and if not please recommend me engine which is perfect and please also recommend me the best prop size.

What is thrust to weight ratio of Airplanes.
Sorry for bad English. thanks


texts: Do swept back wings affect the moment of inertia of an aircraft enough to be relevant for the roll response?

texts:
I have studied that swept back wings help in delaying the shock waves formed on the wing, but also to my understanding I feel swept back wings reduce the moment of inertia (like for example a ballerina dancer where she spins so easily when she keeps her hands close to her body).

This in turn helps in improving the roll response which is an advantage to a fighter jet. So is my understanding correct?


texts: Is there a worldwide association for stunt/trick/tournament hang-gliding?

texts:
I'm wondering if there is any prevailing organized body of sports-people in hang-gliders, other gliders, and/or personal non-powered glide craft in general?

I'm particularly interested in stunts related to gliding, competitions, and how to find people in each locale (presumably) thorough an 'organized' body of sports-people.


texts: What is a typical ratio of airline pilots to aircraft?

texts: Delta has about 800 aircraft for their current operations; how many pilots does the company have? What is a typical or average number of airline pilots employed per aircraft in the fleet?


texts: Is there any alternative to isolating the vibration of an ultralight engine other than using engine mounts?


texts: Why is Carb Heat less of an issue on Lycoming Engines? and if this is true, how much less of an issue is it?


texts: What is this device on the nose of an MD-11?

texts:
In the following photo there is some sort of cover or opening (for an optical device I assume) on the nose cone.

What is this and what is the system behind it?

(link to source)


texts: Does thin airfoil theory work at very high angles of attack?

texts: Thin airfoil theory says that lift coefficient is directly proportional to the angle of attack in radians. I haven't been able to find any limit, short of stall, for applying this theory. It would give us a huge lift coefficient at 90 degrees, where lift is actually zero, and double even that at 180 degrees, where again the lift is zero. This is basic reasoning. So, what am I missing?


texts: Can you fly a light GA airplane into a major hub? What operational considerations are there if you do?

texts:
I did my training around the Seattle area, and was told that landing at SeaTac Airport (the region's major International/Commercial airport), while not strictly forbidden, was definitely frowned upon because it can slow down and interfere with the big planes on schedules. To discourage GA aircraft from using the big airport, they have a variety of landing fees, ramp fees, and prior-approval requirements.

But later, I moved near MCI, and was told that landing at the big airport was no big deal.  That they're actually happy to have little planes there.

If you fly small GA planes, do you land at the major airports in your area?

What advanced preparations can you make to minimize your impact on the "big boys", and remain a good airspace citizen?


texts:
I have looked at the sectional legend and FAA aeronautical chart user guides and have not seen any answer for this.

What is “abnd” on the U.S. VFR Sectional Chart?


texts: What are the procedures for flight checking a glideslope and localizer?

texts: What are the FAA and ICAO requirements and procedures for flight checks and calibration of glideslope and localizer transmitters? I'm interested in both the engineering and piloting aspects.


texts: What is that hole on the front portion of the empennage of a CRJ-1000?

texts:
I've noticed that there is a hole on the front tip of the "dorsal fin" of the CRJ-1000. I've been thinking that it would be logical if that's the intake for its APU unit. But I'm not really sure.

Image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Garuda_Indonesia_Bombardier_CRJ1000_@BPN.jpg


texts: Will the Boeing 737 MAX 8's software update require recertification of the aircraft?

texts: Will the upcoming software update for the 737 MAX require the plane to go through a new certification like a new plane?


texts:
Small GA-Aircraft like a Cessna 172 or a Piper PA-28 have an engine similar (I think) to the one of a car.

But why don't planes have a gear and a lever to change the gear?

Would'nt they achieve a faster prop speed by doing that?
Would it be possible?
Would it be useful?


texts:
When planning an IFR Flight into KTPA using the BRDGE 8 STAR, I saw this NOTAM:

  !FDC 7/5458 (KTPA A1015/17) TPA STAR TAMPA INTL, TAMPA, FL BRDGE EIGHT
  ARRIVAL... BRDGE STAR UNUSEABLE BELOW 5000FT PIE VORTAC RADIAL 138
  UNUSABLE BELOW 5000' 1705151500-PERM

Would that mean that I can't use the LBV.BRDGE8 transition below 5,000, so then I would need to be higher on the en-route portion?

What does the NOTAM actually mean when I fly the STAR?


texts: What are the advantages of centerline armament?

texts: In the ME 109, Messerschmidt went through a lot of effort to squeeze a cannon into the fuselage firing between the piston banks of the DB engine, exiting the spinner. Why not just put the cannons in the wings? Is it because the trajectory of a center-line shot doesn’t need to converge (as wing-mounted guns do) and therefore has a longer range of sight?


texts: For what is VMCL the minimum control speed?

texts:
I would like to ask which of these options is correct:

  VMCL is the minimum control speed for:

  A) approach in go-around configuration
  B) approach in landing configuration
  C) go-around in approach configuration
  D) go-around in landing configuration

I would choose B but my friends disagree due to Certification Standards CS25.19 Minimum Control Speed stating that:

  VMCL must be established with -
  (6) Go-around power or thrust setting on the operating engine(s).

However that doesn’t mean that my VMCL is the speed that I use for go-around, right? It just says that to establish my VMCL, I need to use go-around power as a reference.

Therefore I think that VMCL is basically just the minimum control speed during an approach in landing configuration.


texts: Why does a phone's flight mode also disable FM radio?

texts:
I had two phones being capable of listening to VHF FM radio (in Germany about 90 to 104 MHz).
However when turning on flight mode, the radio receiver is also disabled, and I wonder why:
Listening to radio does not transmit any electromagnetic waves (more than when playing some game I guess).
I thought it would be some fun listening to the different radio stations while passing countries from above.


texts: Why can't helicopters or Zeppelins drop fire-fighting material on burning buildings?

texts:
There have been a number of tragic cases where tall buildings have caught fire for various reasons, and fire-fighters on the ground appear to have been unable to reach the upper stories with fire hoses.

As a child watching 9/11 unfold, I remember wondering why, given that helicopters were being used to film the events, it would not be possible for helicopters, or perhaps airships, to be loaded with water or foam and fly over burning buildings, dousing them.

Of course, in retrospect, I understand that the World Trade Centre buildings were so vast and the fire (and structural damage) so enormous that this would have made little practical difference.  But what about cases of relatively smaller tower blocks, such as the recent tragedy in the Grenfell block in London?

I assume that there must be some practical reason why this cannot be done, on the grounds that this is something which presumably would be being done if it were possible.

Is it simply that the weight of a large amount of water would be too heavy for a helicopter to carry?  Would this apply to airships?


texts: How are AOA sensors tested after working on them?

texts:
If a maintenance or replacement has been done for an AOA sensor, would the mechanic be able to test if the sensor now works correctly? Can such a sensor be tested on the ground?

If there is no reading from the AOA sensor available while in the flight, and there is no alert that redundant sensors disagree, I cannot imagine how even pilots could help during the next flight.


texts: Are overwing exits still useable if the flaps can’t be lowered?

texts:
Essentially all narrowbody airliners (except for the very smallest propliners), and many widebodies as well,1 are equipped with one or more overwing exits for use in an emergency evacuation; these hatches, located at the window ends of rows of passenger seats, open (as the name suggests) onto the wing, from where, during a land evacuation,2 occupants escape off the trailing edge (almost never the leading edge, for some reason) in one of two ways:

On aircraft where the flaps reach within 6 feet of the ground when fully extended (the 737 is an example, as are most regional jets - DC-9, CRJ, etc.), the occupants simply slide down the extended flaps to the ground.
If the flaps don’t reach low enough on their own, as with widebodies, big narrowbodies, and the A320, one or more evacuation slides inflate from the exits over the trailing edge of the wing, providing a safe path down to the ground.

Either case presupposes that the aircraft’s flaps can be lowered completely; even if an aircraft has inflatable overwing slides, these are still designed to deploy over the lowered flaps (a slide designed to deploy over retracted flaps would trail on the ground with the flaps down, impeding egress from the bottom of the slide), while, with low-slung aircraft, the flaps are the slide.  However, many types of malfunctions can prevent an aircraft’s flaps from deploying fully, or at all:

A flap jam at a position other than fully-down will, obviously, prevent the flaps from deployed to the full-down position.
As flaps on essentially-all-but-the-smallest airliners are hydraulically-driven, a total hydraulic failure will render the flaps inoperable; on many-to-most airliners, even a loss of just one or two hydraulic systems will disable the flaps, as the flaps are less critical than the primary flight controls (the aircraft can still be safely landed with flaps retracted without much difficulty, while a safe landing with the primary flight controls inoperative is a crapshoot at best) and require a great deal of hydraulic force to deploy against the aerodynamic loads opposing their downward movement, making them a top candidate to be sacrificed if hydraulic-pressure-generating capability is limited (for instance, if all engines have flamed out and the hydraulics are running on RAT or battery power).

Do aircraft with overwing exits have special procedures for safely using the overwing exits in a land evacuation if the flaps can’t be lowered (or can only be lowered partway), or are the overwing exits simply unuseable on land if the flaps don’t deploy fully?

1: In some widebodies, the role of overwing exits is instead filled by full-size conventional exit doors a short distance forward and/or aft of the wing; these full-size exits allow for faster evacuation compared to the same number of overwing exits (which are limited in size by wing-root structural considerations), but create gaps in passenger seating, and, thus, are only used on aircraft large enough that the extra space required isn’t a problem.  Some widebodies, such as the 767, have both overwing exits and full-size near-wing exit doors.
2: In the event of a ditching, the water level typically comes all the way up to the wings, eliminating that particular problem (although creating several others).


texts: Why do most commercial airplanes use hydraulics instead of electric/servo motors?

texts:
I'm sure it's possible to use servo motors to get precise control of the ailerons, elevators or the rudder. But still, hydraulics are widely used instead.

Hydraulics do have a disadvantage that a damage to the hydraulic pipes can cause loss of control. Even with redundancy, there are cases where all three hydraulic lines get damaged at the same time and there's complete loss of control (can't remember the example). I think in some smaller aircrafts servo motors are used. But why not in the larger ones. Is it because of the torque required?

What are the issues with using electric motors?
If used what are the safety concerns?
In terms of safety, how different are they from hydraulics?


texts: Why is this video of a G36 Bonanza taking off so scary?

texts:
Why is this video of a G36 Bonanza so 'scary'?

If they had clipped the top of the trees, would it really have brought the plane down? (And even if yes, it looks pretty survivable).


texts: Does a RC glider always loop when launched?

texts:
In the below video, the guy sets "launch mode" for hand launch where he adds a little bit of elevator.
Will a glider always loop up when launched horizontally, even if the tail is set to produce zero lift?
And what determines whether the glider will loop up or loop down (and crash, if possible) during launch?


texts: What accident or safety data is available for ultralight aircraft?

texts:
Is there any source of reliable accident or safety data available on ultralight vehicles (FAA Part 103 or similar)?
I'm interested in comparing them to other aircraft types.


texts: How important are my EASA exam scores for getting a future airline job?

texts: I'm doing my ATPL and I hear a lot of stories about what scores you should get in your exams to get a job as soon you get the licence. Does anyone have any information about how important the exam scores really are for a future job?


texts: Do I need AFSP TSA approval once I get my PPL?

texts:
I recently got my PPL and wondering if I still require to renew my AFSP TSA approval each year/
I looked into AFSP FAQs but its unclear if I require it again. Any help is appreciated.
Thanks


texts: Straight vs. angled aircraft carrier decks: tradeoffs for rolling takeoff?

texts:
I have some questions about modern aircraft carriers and the tradeoffs they make when choosing between straight or angled runways when used with modern jet aircraft for rolling takeoffs.

This question is not about old (e.g. WW2) aircraft carriers with straight decks nor is it about propeller planes or jet aircraft with VTOL or STOL.

So let's establish a few things first (obviously please correct me if I'm wrong on anything):

a. Angled runways allow simultaneous launching and recovery.

b. Angled runways allow aircraft to bail out and try again during recovery.

c. Angled decks have a shorter takeoff runways and shorter landing
    runways than straight decks (which can just have a single longer
    runway for both tasks).

d. As a result of (c), assistive devices for landing and takeoff (such
    as catapults) are much more critical with angled decks than straight
    decks. (FALSIFIED because carrier decks are several times shorter than required and a little extra runway length is not going to matter)

So here are my question:

Are modern non-VTOL/STOL jet aircraft still not able to take off from the single longer runway of a straight deck without catapults?
If the following image is correct, on modern straight decks, aircraft stored at the end or on the sides? Because it seems that if the aircraft were stored on the sides, although you couldn't perform simultaneous launch and recovery, you could at least switch between launch and recovery fairly quickly since you would not have to move any planes out of the way except for the one that is on the runway. You could also bail from a bad landing.

How closely does this "fast-switching" between launch and recovery compare against actual simultaneous launch and recovery?

I assume this just wasn't done on WW2 carriers because they were smaller so there was no room to store aircraft on the sides; They had to be stored at the end which meant no landings until every plane ready for takeoff was cleared.
I read that angled decks are much more expensive than straight decks. I imagine this is because angled decks require a runway extension and catapults (since planes would not be able to launch off the shorter takeoff runway of a angled deck without one), plus a nuclear reactor since you need one for a steam catapult. However, if it turns out that modern non-VTOL/STOL aircraft cannot takeoff without catapults from an straight deck, then where is this supposed cost difference coming from? If both straight and angled deck carriers need catapults and nuclear reactors to take off, that would imply this "huge" cost difference is attributed to solely the deck extension which doesn't seem to add up. Although, it may not be true anymore that you need a nuclear reactor for a jet-capable catapult since there is apparently an alternative to steam catapults now with electric catapults, but those don't sound very cheap either even if no reactor is required.


texts: Are thrust levers synchronized by default when pushed/pulled?

texts:
When I watched this video about the last flight of Juergen "J.R." Raps from SFO to FRA in an A380 (before his retirement) I noticed he lines up or synchronizes the four thrust levers as shown between 08:05 and 08:20 (while taxiing, if that matters).

I used to think the levers are synchronized by default (same precentage of thrust on each engine) and it isn't crucial to have the levers in a straight line as long as the difference between their positions is below a reasonable amount. I further thought that in case the thrust needs to be distributed asymmetrically for whatever reason (say 70% board and 60% starboard), one would need to press some button on the levers to release some sort of lock and move them separately instead of simultaneously.

I personally would find it hard to move four levers simultaneously at the same angle, let alone people with small hands who may only grab three of them at once.

So how does it work? Or is the pilot's behaviour just a personal habit?


texts: Is there a procedure to safely handle a PED battery problem on a commercial flight?

texts:
On a recent flight, I heard a (somewhat unsettling announcement) from the flight attendant (paraphrasing from memory):

  Dear passengers, if you currently have a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 device in your possesion, we kindly ask that you turn your device off completely and make no attempt to charge your device while in flight. If you see or smell smoke or hear unusual noise coming out of your device, alert a member of our staff immediately.

(at the time, I had no idea what this is about, but apparently the device was recalled due to a faulty battery)

I'm curious at this point, in the unlikely event of a (normally-safe) device like this displaying symptoms of imminent fire or explosion hazard, how would the staff react after being alerted of it? Is there a standard procedure for something like this?


texts: What is the procedure for an air traffic controller after a major crash or incident occurs on their watch?

texts: How will an air traffic controller will be treated right after a major incident?


texts: Why aren't flights continued after losing a tire on rotation?

texts:
I have read about a lot of incidents where airplanes lose one of the tires on rotation, yet they cancel the flights and go back for an emergency landing at the departure airport, risking overweight landing or burn fuel for 2 hours until they are within the MLM.

My question is why don't they choose to continue the flight to the destination since they already airborne?

Fixing tire out of station seems much cheaper than burning or dumping fuel to me.


texts: Can a company be both an airplane manufacturer and an airline?

texts:
It may be advantageous for a company that manufactures its own aircraft to also be an airline. For example, the airline business would likely have reduced maintenance and parts costs relative to other airlines, and there would be a tighter feedback loop between manufacturing and end consumers.

I have read that Boeing, who used to own United Aircraft and Transport (UAT), was forced to dissolve UAT after investigation into the scandalous "spoils conferences" (source):

  In a move clearly aimed at Boeing, new Postmaster General James Farley and, later, Congress banned the award of the new contracts to any companies that also built aircraft.

I managed to find what I believe is the Air Mail Act of 1934 that supposedly bans these vertically integrated companies here, but I don't see where, specifically, the act bans these companies. It's unclear to me whether this was a one-off ban of combined aircraft manufacturers and air mail companies, or whether this ban continues through today with modern airlines. I am specifically interested in the US here, but would also be curious about other countries (e.g. could Airbus do this?)

Is it still illegal for all manufacturers to start their own airlines, or does this law no longer apply today?


texts: What are the qualifications for a small airport manager?

texts:
I live in a small city in the Southeastern United States and the county's airport has an opening for the manager. The airport is paved but no control tower, serves general aviation as well as company jets for regional businesses. They sell aviation gasoline as well as jet a, oil, etc.

What are the qualification for being a good candidate for this job? Are there certifications that would be needed? Would one need to be a pilot?


texts: What is the term for an aileron that’s also used as a ground spoiler?

texts:
Ailerons and spoilers1 have a considerable amount in common; both are wing-mounted panels, hinged at their leading edges, that move up and/or down to alter the aircraft’s aerodynamic characteristics.

Ailerons are mounted on the wing’s trailing edge, are useful only during flight, and move up on one side and down on the other to increase the lift of one wing, decrease it on the other, and roll the aircraft to one side.
Spoilerons (also known as “roll spoilers”) are mounted on the wing’s upper surface, are useful only during flight, and move up on one side to decrease the lift and increase the drag of that wing, rolling and yawing the aircraft towards that side.  They are more useful than ailerons at low speed, as (unlike ailerons) they do not increase the angle of attack of any part of either wing, create proverse rather than adverse yaw, and, thus, are immune to the crossover-airspeed phenomenon inherent to ailerons.2
Lift/drag spoilers move up symmetrically to decrease the lift and increase the drag of both wings simultaneously, either in flight (when they are called “flight spoilers”; this enables the aircraft to descend more quickly, or to use a higher power setting on approach,3 without excessively increasing its speed) or on the ground (in which case they are known as “ground spoilers”; this enables the aircraft to slow down more quickly during a landing or rejected takeoff, both by increasing the aircraft’s drag and by dropping its weight onto the wheelbrake-equipped main landing gear); they can be (and almost always are) combined with spoilerons, to provide a single spoiler system with both spoileron and flight/ground spoiler functions.

As ailerons are useful only during flight (since an aircraft generally can’t  roll left or right on the ground,4 due to said ground being in the way), the aileron panels on most aircraft don’t do much of anything useful on the ground.  It isn’t too hard to visualise a system in which the ailerons, when on the ground, deflect upwards to decrease lift and increase drag, acting as additional ground spoilers, but I’ve no idea what these combined ailerons/ground spoilers would be called; “spoileron”, as noted above, is already taken by a different type of system (one using asymmetrical spoiler deflection in flight to roll and yaw the aircraft).

What would be the term used for a control surface that functions as an aileron in flight, and as a ground spoiler on the ground?

1: (and flaps)

2: Additional advantages of spoilerons over ailerons are that, being located on the wing’s upper surface rather than at the trailing edge, they do not interfere with flap placement, and are much less prone to causing the wings to twist when deflected; as a result, some aircraft use only spoilerons (and no ailerons), either to allow flaps to be placed along the full span of the wings (thus reducing takeoff and landing distances and speeds) or to allow the use of thin, flexible wings at high speeds without encountering wing-twist-induced control reversal.  Disadvantages of spoilerons are their lower maximum control authority at intermediate speeds and their greater total drag penalty.

3: A higher approach power setting makes go-arounds safer by reducing the time needed for the engines to spool up to full power; this is especially important for jets, as jet engines are slow to accelerate, and accelerate ever more slowly from lower and lower initial power settings.

4: Barring a collapse of one or more of the main landing gear, which is not generally a planned, or desired, occurrence.


texts: Can I fly a UAS that weighs more than 55lbs if I'm on private property?

texts: Can I fly a UAS that weighs more than 55 pounds within my own private property if I stay below say, 200 feet? I do not have 333 exemption


texts: What's the maximum bank angle of a glider?

texts:
I know that stall speed and wing load increase with the angle of the turn and I have experienced 65 degrees turns in a glider (demonstrated by an instructor).
Let's say a collision is imminent (or we are in some other emergency situation) what would be the theoretical maximum bank angle? I'll check on the placard the next time I'm in the airfield, but I don't think it's in there.


texts: What kind of valves are used to prevent flashback in turbine engines?

texts: In a college experiment with Small Turbine Engine, we were told about the use of Valves for preventing flashbacks in engines. What are the available valves used for preventing flashbacks and what are the pros and cons of using different kind of flashbacks?


texts: Can weather groups contain multiple descriptors in a METAR?

texts:
I understand that a weather group in a METAR is composed of qualifiers (intensity, descriptor) and the weather phenomenon: precipitation, obscuration and other phenomena.

My question is can weather phenomena have multiple descriptors? Eg: Are TSSH or TSSHRA valid in a METAR?


texts: What is a simple way to explain why best range airspeed is below normal cruise airspeed?

texts: Without using complex mathematics, please explain why best range airspeed is less than normal cruise airspeed.


texts: What is the average speed used by modern jet fighters when in dogfight?

texts:
I am asking this question pertaining to a game I'm designing.

It is well known that many modern jet fighter aircraft can fly at supersonic velocities however I read that this top speed is hardly ever used in combat situations, owing to things like larger turn radius etc.

Can someone tell me a rough estimate of what is the range of speeds most dogfights take place at for modern world jet aircraft?


texts: How do airlines bring spare parts to aircraft stranded outside their main facilities?

texts:
No professional relationship with aviation. Just an avid follower. I guess it depends on location/part availability, etc, but looking for what typically happens. For the purpose of the question, aircraft can not fly without repairs.

I see many instances where certain parts of the aircraft need to be replaced like this UPS instance where aircraft burst 4 tires and was stranded for many hours.

I don't know, but most likely aircraft is stuck in this scenario because new set of tires are not available or lack of repair facilities. On the other hand, I have read many incidents on same site where tires were replaced and aircraft was on its way in couple of hours.

How do airlines manage scenarios in such cases? For example, will the UPS fly in parts from their main facility or there are part distribution centers available across globe and they can order the parts from these centers? Can such parts be rented? Do airlines rent/buy parts from each other?


texts: How exactly did engineers come to the final design of jets like the F-16 or SR-71?

texts:
I ask this question because I read somewhere that SR-71 was designed in 60's with hand calculations and drafters and when engineers later tried to improve the design with modern computers they found that they got original design exactly correct!
I take this with a pinch of salt but I find it intriguing that engineers were able to do this 60 years ago without CFD tools and CAD programs. Can anyone give me an insight on how they got each curve and line correct? Was it purely a lot of hit and trial in the wind tunnels? What technology or math tools did they use?
Can a mechanical engineering graduate with GA design experience succeed in designing jets like F-16 considering available literature, reports and findings,modern engineering tools and computers available in 2021?


texts: How can this kind of confusion about taxi instructions occur?

texts:
A few days ago, I (a student pilot on a solo) had landed on runway 9 for a full stop taxi back. The taxi instructions were "alpha to 27 remain on this frequency". I missed some words in between these instructions, but after responding "alpha to 27" there were no corrections, so I continued my taxi to 27. At this point I should have asked for clarification. A jet was landing and I was blocking the exit as I had taxied and was holding short of 27. ATC responded saying I was at the approach end of 27 and instructed me to do a 180 and taxi to runway 9 (they were very nice about it though).

I've been racking my brain trying to think what those missing words were. I can't imagine they'd have said departure end of 27 instead of just 9. This may be one of those moments I'll never figure out, but would anyone more experienced have any idea what might have happened?

Unfortunately the airport is not on LiveATC.net and my GoPro died from low battery so this is all from memory.


texts: Why do commercial flights avoid overflying Shandong Province?

texts: I noticed this a few months ago on a flight to Shanghai. Since then I've been looking on FlightAware occasionally, and every flight I've seen on a similar route has made a turn to the east just before reaching the coast of Shandong. My first thought was noise abatement, but that far out I believe they'd still be at cruise altitude. Any ideas?


texts: What are these spinning discs next to the throttle of the Boeing P-8 Poseidon?

texts:
The source video can be found here and the GIF is from 0:21 onwards.

What are those 2 spinning things next to the throttle ?


texts: Why do drones near airports necessitate cancelling flights?

texts:
From Wikipedia's page on the Gatwick drone incident:

  Between 19 and 21 December 2018, hundreds of flights were cancelled at Gatwick Airport near London, England, following reports of drone sightings close to the runway. The reports caused major disruption, affecting approximately 140,000 passengers and 1,000 flights.

I assume that drones can crash into aircraft, negatively impacting the safety of flights.

Suppose airport staff report sightings of a drone. What should the airport do?
Is this considered an emergency? Why or why not?
Can other planes request clearance to avoid the area?
Have any documented instances of drones resulting in injury to or loss of crew, passengers, or plane?


texts: What equipment is required to operate in Class "C" airspace?

texts: I'm nearing my pre-solo test and I need to know this answer.


texts: How much N1 difference between two engines are acceptable?

texts:
While I was flying with 10+ year Airbus 320, IAE engine with EPR, I saw a constant difference between N1 parameters around 2%. I checked the Engine Hours and Engine Cycles that they are almost the same. Oil consumption of a greater N1 valued engine was less than the other one.

So why N1 parameters different? is it a sign of an engine part problem?

Note: 2% value difference at cruise level, on the ground it is around 1%


texts: What careers are available for someone with a PPL?

texts:
I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask this question, and I'm sure that some of the answers will depend on the country, so I apologise if this is "too local" or "off topic".

I'm considering getting a Private Pilot's License. Ideally it will be for both recreational use and also to make money.

I've read that there are some limitations on how you can make money as a Pilot with only a PPL. But some of the things I've read a pretty vague and open to interpretation.

What kind of jobs/careers can you get with a PPL?


texts: Who pays for the damages in this Asiana-Aeroflot collision?

texts:
I just came across this article where an an Asiana 747 'collided' with an Aeroflot IL62 at the adjacent gate. As per the reports, IL62 had to be scrapped. From, what I read, it was like the Asiana pilot had a brain freeze.

I was wondering, in this case who payed for the damages and what happened to the pilots?

Here is the accident description from aviation-safety.net and here's a photo of the 747's wingtip embedded in the vertical stabilizer of the IL-62:


texts: What kind of Chinook helicopter/airplane hybrid is this?

texts:
I had this question: Could this helicopter's body be a flying wing? and this picture came up.

What kind of helicopter is this?
 What is the extra wing for?


texts: How does the FAA compute the values in TPP's Climb/Descent Table?

texts:
The inside back cover of the FAA Terminal Procedures Publication contains a table headed “CLIMB/DESCENT TABLE,” excerpted below.

Source: FAA, p. 19

How do required ascent or descent per nautical mile and ground speed combine to give feet per minute? What is the relationship between the values in the two leftmost columns?


texts:
How much extra drag does landing gear incur?

I'm interested in large commercial airplanes. For a concrete example, let's say a 747 flying at 1,000 m above sea level at 800 km/h. Edit: Looks like 800 kmh is too high for lowered gear at 1,000 m. Let's say 400 kmh instead.

In those conditions, what is the drag with the gear lowered, and what is the drag with the gear fully raised?

Drag is a force measured in newtons.


texts:
Being a passenger, I usually will have view from only one side of these planes and hence don't know if same thing is happening on other side of the plane. I have observed hoses connected to wings, but there are always many connections to plane when its on ground and never sure which one is for fueling.

Looking at the answers for fuel tank description here or here, when they are filling fuel, do they connect hoses to each tank individually or just connect to one tank? Or is it per side - fill up each side individually.

Also suge/vent tank at the tail end of a380 seems to too high. Do they fill in those tanks too?

After fuel calculations are done, is there a standard fuel distribution that has to be done to every tank for weight/balance reasons?


texts: How do pilots do a preflight inspection of tail-mounted engines?

texts:
The recently released first part of an Air Clips documentary of a Lufthansa Cargo MD-11 FRA-NBO flight shows in some detail the pilot carrying out the preflight visual inspection of the aircraft (from ~ 6:20 min). As in many other pilots' accounts of these 'walkarounds', the captain states one important aspect is the condition of the engine, including e.g. fan blades, intakes, checks for any foreign objects.

I understand that a major point of this visual inspection is to have the pilot-in-command getting a full picture of the aircraft condition before assuming the final responsibility for the flight. Obviously, the PIC cannot inspect a center tail-mounted engine like on the MD-11 by himself during the walkaround – so when or how is that inspection done for the center engine? I imagine that an inspection of the center engine is just as important as for the wing-mounted ones, prior to each takeoff.


texts: How would I confirm the DC polarity of a 1960's Turn and Slip Indicator?

texts:
I have a 1960's gyroscopic turn indicator which I would like to power up. It has, what I presume to be, some kind of standard connector and the plate confirms 28 Volts DC.
The pins are labeled "A" and "B".
How would I confirm which way round the polarity is? Neither pin is connected to ground/the chassis.


texts: Does FAA or EASA has any requirement for Supervised Take off and Landing?

texts: India has a regulation of conducting supervised Take off & Landing. Same requires particular experience for Captain and First officer. Is there any similar requirement in FAA or EASA?


texts: Should I wait for Tower to provide runway exit instructions?

texts:
This is somewhat already answered here (Is it a flight violation to mishear ATC instructions for exiting the runway?), but this question is more geared toward taking action before hearing from Tower.

I fly out of a towered airport somewhat often. 99% of the time when they provide me with a runway exit (Taxiway B in this case), it's the same one.

Sometimes however, they do not provide me an exit instruction quickly enough despite the fact that I'm rolling up to where I should be exiting for Taxiway B. They might either be busy with other aircraft or simply don't call out an exit instruction. Sometimes I've just rolled past Taxiway B and other times I start heading my aircraft in that direction just to finally hear Tower give me instructions to exit via Bravo.

So, the question is, if I know I'm almost always going to be assigned a given taxiway, should I take it or should I always be waiting for Tower to assign one and thus just keep idling down the runway until I get an assignment from them?

This becomes even more important when flying into unfamiliar airports. Do you just keep rolling or do you take a taxiway when you know you can?

I will like to clarify, 100% of the time, I have received a taxiway instruction AFTER I've started to point the nose of my aircraft at a taxiway. I have never actually exited the runway without finally receiving the instruction.


texts: Why don't solar powered aircraft use wings with more surface area

texts:
I was looking at some solar aviation projects, and I noticed they appear to follow the designs of a glider.

The Helios drone above is basically a flying wing with a high aspect ratio.

And the solar impulse above is a textbook glider with minimal cord length and a long wing span.

I understand the idea is a wing with a high aspect ratio reduces parasitic drag by decreasing its surface area, however in this case don't you want the most wing surface area possible?

This answer shows that induced drag is unaffected by the wings aspect ratio, so if it's only parasitic drag we're trying to combat here, why not keep the wing span the same, but make it's cord longer?

Won't the added solar panels you could fit on a wing make up for any friction drag caused by the longer cord?

Taking this to the extreme could you make some kind of solar powered rectangle that has a width (span) comparable to the gliders above, but a length (cord) twice as long as the span?

Surely you'll have enough power to make the aircraft fly, so are there other design considerations that factor in when choosing the cord length of these solar powered projects?


texts: How are multi vs single engine helicopters categorized?

texts:
When looking at the FAA category, class, type list, you have airplane single-engine land, multi-engine land, etc. but just rotorcraft helicopter, gyrocopter, etc.

How do I specify a multi vs single engine helicopter? Does the FAA differentiate, or are you able to fly a multi engine helicopter the day you get your helicopter certificate?

For context, I'm making a web form where an operator can add their aircraft, and I want to be able to sort by single or multi engine helicopters because sometimes people request a multi engine helicopter.

I ended up just doing this: