texts:
Passengers injured as US fighter jet comes close to Iranian plane

The Iranian plane, belonging to Mahan Air, was heading from Tehran to Beirut on Thursday when the pilot staged a safety manoeuver, in an incident that Iran's Foreign Ministry said would be investigated. ... Central Command spokesman, said the F-15 "conducted a standard visual inspection of a Mahan Air passenger airliner at a safe distance of about 1,000 metres (3,280 feet) from the airliner this evening". "The visual inspection occurred to ensure the safety of coalition personnel at Tanf garrison," ... "Once the F-15 pilot identified the aircraft as a Mahan Air passenger plane, the F-15 safely opened distance from the aircraft." He added the intercept was carried out in accordance with international standards.

My questions are the following:

Is there such thing as "standard visual inspection" at all? Is it normal in such circumstances? What's its purpose and how necessary is it?
Isn't there any other method to this end, instead of "visual inspection"?
Is "1,000 metres" distance considered "safe" for such conditions?
In what conditions do passenger airliners stage a "safety manoeuver" like this?

Update

Are there similar incidents? Some military aircraft approaches an airliner to "inspect" it and see if it has really passengers on-board, in a manner they consider "safe" and "in accordance to international standards". The airliner considers this "unsafe" and stages a "safety maneuver", leading to injuries.


texts: Why would a commercial flight make banked turns five minutes before landing / low altitude?

texts:
As a passenger on a commercial flight into Essaouira From London Luton a short while ago, I noticed the aircraft made several quite steep banked turns, all to left, very close to landing. When I say close I mean about five minutes before we touched the runway, and I'd estimate 600-1500 feet off the ground at most. It was possible to make out individual bushes in detail in the scrub. What was more concerning was that the terrain became undulating and was rising into rounded hills with a height difference of around 250 feet.

Sky was clear, and I don't remember any turbulence near the airport.

Is it normal to bank that close to the ground? I thought an approach was lined up further out and higher up.


texts: Calculating the horizontal distance the payload would travel with a parachute (horizontal drift)?

texts: When you release a payload with the help of a circular parachute, and you want to find out the range in which it would land. And how would you find the descent gradient of the parachute?


texts: Why do some non-precision approaches have stepdown fixes after the final approach fix?

texts: Some of the non-precision approaches have a stepdown fix after the final approach fix. My understanding of a stepdown fix with an altitude restriction is that it is to keep you clear of obstacles before continuing your descent right? However, why does it so happen that some stepdown fixes are after the final approach fix rather than let the final approach fix be the "stepdown" fix of an approach?


texts: What is the fuel/air ratio of the CFM56-5A1 engine (in the A320 model)?

texts: I could find the fan-bypass ratio, which was 6:1 (on some models 5:1) but I was unable to find the fuel to air ratio used in this engine. For reference, it is a high-bypass turbofan engine.


texts: Why aren't aeroplanes controlled from a control center (without a pilot inside)?

texts:
Nowadays we have space crafts that go as far as to the Mars and they are controlled by people sitting in the earth (by some remote control method).Why are aeroplanes not controlled in this way?Are pilots absolutely necessary?

Thanks for any help!!


texts: What are the WAAS requirements for RNAV (GPS) approaches?

texts:
Is a WAAS GPS required to fly in RNP airspace (e.g., RNAV (GPS) approaches)?

Or, can you be approved to fly RNAV (GPS) approaches with, say a military EGI (embedded GPS/INS)?


texts: Do Landings in a Simulator Count Towards Landing Currency? (FAA in the USA)

texts: If a pilot is trying to complete 3 day or night landings every 90 days in a multi-engine aircraft in order to be multi-engine current per FAA requirements, can those landings be done in a Simulator or a Flight Training Device?


texts: Do the DO-178 standards include guidelines on cyclomatic complexity?

texts: Is there any guideline related to the cyclomatic complexity of software that complies with the DO-178C or DO-178B standards?


texts: Are there specific mass breakdowns for aircraft?

texts:
I am interested in the engineering and weights for aircraft around 8,059 lb (3,655 kg) Citation 505) and  18,900 lb (8,570 kg F-16).

Curious about specifically structural mass and landing gear systems. How much can landing gears lift?


texts: What's the name for this part on a Cessna 172P?

texts:
I am trying to figure out what the name for this part is.

I believe that's the door seal, but all seals I am looking at, seem to be glued to the outside now.


texts: How is fuel stored and routed on a trijet with one engine at the tail?

texts:
This question pertains to trijets with two engines on the wings and one at the tail, like the Lockheed Tristar. It does not pertain to trijets with all engines at the tail, like the Tu-154. (And it doesn't matter if the rear engine has an S-duct or not.)

How is fuel stored and routed on a trijet that has only one engine at the tail? Does the rear engine have totally separate fuel tanks and lines?


texts: What is the definition of "geometric height" referred in the ISA Model?

texts:
The International Standart Atmosphere document always mentions the "geometric height" (along with the geopotential hieght) in their calculations. I predict that it means orthometric height, which is the distance from a point in the atmosphere to the Geoid (as an approximation of the Mean Sea Level). My questions are:

Is it actually  the same as orthometric height? Is there a reliable source with the definition? I need to be certain because I am going to be using these formulas in a critical setting. There is no definition I could find in the document and other sources that I found have been unreliable.
If they are the same, why don't they use the term "altitude" instead of "height" since they're referring to the distance to Mean Sea Level and not to the Earth's surface?
If they are not the same, how are they different? And again, is there a reliable source that has the definition.

Thanks in advance.


texts: Where can I find references that directly relate drag coefficient increases to passenger capacity reductions?

texts:
In these notes, the authors state that:

  On the Concorde, a one count drag increase (∆CD = .0001) requires two
  passengers, out of the 90 ∼ 100 passenger capacity, be taken off the
  North Atlantic run.

and refer to this article (paywalled). I've seen other statements that an increase of one drag count is equivalent to 5-10 passengers, but do not recall the source.

Do you know of any other references that list the equivalence between drag count increases with reduced numbers of passengers?


texts: What are the effects of camber location in an airfoil?

texts: Am I correct to assume that for a low speed aircraft, the location of the camber in the MAC's airfoil will correspond with the aerodynamic center? Also, does that affect the moment coefficient? And what about a high speed aircraft (M>1)?


texts: Are pressurized passenger aircraft usually completely airtight?

texts:
Various sources on the internet indicate that the passenger cabins on pressurised airplanes are not 100% airtight. I'm not talking about ventilation/pressure valves/cabin pressurisation system, but about unintentional leakages due to various imperfections in the construction.

Is that true? If yes, what would be the "usual" value for some commonly used airplane in easy to understand units?

I'm trying to imagine if the (possible) unintended leakage might cause any trouble in flight, if the pressurization system failed.


texts: Where should the support points be for testing a model wing in a wind tunnel?

texts:
When testing a certain wing profile inside a wind tunnel where should the model, small scale wing be supported? Should the support be under the center of mass of the wing or under the aerodynamic center? If so, why?

My understanding is that, for similarity reasons, the Reynolds and Mach numbers for the model wing tested inside the wind tunnel must be the same as the those for the actual aircraft...


texts: What is the third airport near Dubai visible on Google Maps?

texts:
I know Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai World Central (DWC). What is the third Dubai Airport, not named on Google Maps?

Is it military, GA or commercial. Why there is no clear access road to it?


texts:
In this comment on this question about stall warning systems, it was stated that:

  You can stall at any airspeed (see this question and this one) and in any attitude, only the AoA is important because that's what causes the airflow to separate from the wing.

Why, then, does the Cessna 172's POH (Page ii or 2 of 422) list stall speed, not stall AoA?

I can understand how flying slower than the listed speeds would cause a stall, but the comment above seems to imply that one could stall the plane by flying at 60, 90 or even 120 KCAS but at a high AoA.


texts: Could an airliner legally (using a common regional jets or less likely airliners) and safely perform acrobatic maneuvers that would otherwise not be permitted for commercial passenger flights. Why? For thrill seeking passengers. I enjoy turbulence, so maybe others may pay a little more for a short roller coaster flight. Is there a guide book of commercial aircraft acrobatic limitations and thresholds and special instruction on how to fly inverted, barrel rolls, stall recovery, and so forth?


texts: Why didn't planes land from the sea in the old Kai Tak Hong Kong airport?

texts:
Reading up on the old Hong Kong airport Kai Tak, I'm left with the question as to why the planes didn't land from the sea?

I know that takeoff was done towards the sea, but is there any reason that you couldn't land from the same direction you take off? Or is this less feasible due to traffic?

It otherwise seems to me that largely congested airport areas could (have) benefitted from bi-directional use of the runways. And I don't think wind direction could have made much of an impact for Kowloon, given the mountains and skyscrapers everywhere.

This question seem to suggest that landing and takeoff in/from the same direction is not standard in aviation, but with very limited details.


texts: My question is simple.. Why do we need wing bending tests, what can we learn from them and how can this help us evolve the product?


texts: Why do turbofan jets fly faster in cold weather?

texts:
Why do turbofan jets fly faster in cold weather at high altitudes?

I read somewhere that prop planes do it due to cold weather means air is more dense, and the prop therefore produce more power.

But what about jet aircraft at say 36000 feet? I looked at performance chart of a jet fighter, and at ISA-15 it could fly 0.17 mach faster than ISA.

Do not misunderstand I am NOT asking why it flies faster higher up. I am asking why it flies faster at winter than in summer at same (optimal for speed) altitude.


texts: Why does stall speed decrease when flaps are deployed?

texts:
I've been told that deploying the flaps on approach enables the following:

Potentially steeper approach
Slows down the plane
Lower stall speed

It's the last one that confuses me.

Given the equation for lift:

$ L = \frac{1}{2}C_l  ρ V^2 S$

with:

$L$ - lift
$C_l$- lift coefficient
$\rho$ - density of the air
$V$ - velocity
$S$ - surface area of the wing

When we deploy the flaps, we automatically change the camber of the wing which does the following:

Increases the surface area of the wing
Increases our current angle of attack

As a result of the change in surface area of the wing, we can decrease our V in the equation and generate the same amount of lift that was needed before flaps. Does that sound correct?

For most practical purposes, your average GA pilot doesn't deal with the AOA because it can't be readily calculated so the POH typically lists the stall speed Vs. However, as I understand it, stall speed is indirectly correlated with our plane's "critical angle of attack".

What I don't quite understand is, why exactly does our stall speed decrease when we deploy the flaps?

Is it because of what I outlined earlier, that we can produce an equivalent amount of lift at a lower speed because of the change in wing surface area?


texts: How are elliptical winglets better than blended winglets?

texts:
I've read in few papers that elliptical winglets give better performance than blended in terms of their L/D ratio. I am not able to find why elliptical winglets are better. the two differ by their profile followed.
Edit 1: Here  are few references
http://ijari.org/CurrentIssue/2017Volume4/IJARI-ME-17-12-148.pdf

http://www.iaeng.org/publication/WCE2015/WCE2015_pp1144-1148.pdf

Edit 2: The papers explain that elliptical winglets are better than blended just through observations from CFD study.But they do not draw conclusions on how it is better and I couldn't understand that from the contours also.


texts:
When talking about T-tail configuration, I don't understand the statement that, "The vertical tail can be shorter due to the end plate effect of the horizontal tail."

What exactly is the endplate effect and how does it affect the aerodynamic characteristics of the tail?


texts: Does the rudder need to be held throughout a coordinated turn?

texts:
It's widely known that to perform a coordinated turn, rudder must be turned as well as ailerons. My question is what to do after the desired bank angle is achieved?

In the Airplane Flying Handbook we read:

  After the bank has been established in a medium
  banked turn, all pressure applied to the aileron may be
  relaxed. The airplane will remain at the selected bank
  with no further tendency to yaw since there is no
  longer a deflection of the ailerons. As a result, pres-
  sure may also be relaxed on the rudder pedals, and the
  rudder allowed to streamline itself with the direction
  of the slipstream.

So does that mean that the pedals will remain in "shifted" position as a result of the rudder remaining slightly turned?

I also wonder how this is imitated in simulators (I'm using FlightGear) as all (even expensive) simulator pedals return to "zero" position themselves?


texts: How can I calculate the glide time for a B737 with engine failure?

texts:
We talked today in our flight school about the following scenario: if I climb in my 737-800 to FL100 and then have a dual engine failure, how many seconds would it take me before I reach ground?

I'm assuming:

I want maximum glide time (not distance)
I'm within 10NM of the departure airport
Flaps 15
Gear extended
No speedbrakes


texts: What is the difference between fixes and waypoints on an arrival plate?

texts:
This is a followup to my other question on this topic. Figured I'd just make it a whole separate question.

The plates below show STAR arrivals to KMEM. The points along the route are marked with two different symbols. When I look in the FAA guide it refers to the triangular symbols as non-reporting fixes and the star shaped symbols as non-reporting waypoints. What is the difference between the two? Why are they marked with different symbols?


texts: Is mode C required for CVFR in Canadian Class B airspace?

texts:
(This is in reference to Canadian Airspace)
Can you fly in Class B airspace under CVFR (Controlled Visual Flight Rules) without a transponder with Mode c (altitude encoding) capability?

To enter Class B airspace you'd require ATC clearance to begin with, I'd assume if you didn't have a transponder with Mode C, they wouldn't clear you, but I'm not certain.

I'd assume aircraft flying under IFR would have this transponder with Mode C capability, but aircraft that typically fly VFR may not.


texts: Can wing-tip vortices be reduced/eliminated with a rear-facing propeller near the wing-tip?

texts: Let's say we have a propeller-driven aircraft in the pusher configuration (rear-facing propellers). If we could somehow put an engine at the wing tip (ignoring structural concerns), and maybe make the propeller rotate in the opposite direction of the way the wing-tip vortex wants to spin, would this eliminate or at least drastically reduce the wing-tip vortex?


texts: How do aviation regulatory bodies relate to each other?

texts: I am trying to make a overview how regulatory bodies in aviation safety interrelate. Maybe something like a  hierarchy. I would start with ICAO and IATA, but where comes then for example FAA, CAA, LBA? Thanks for trying to help me...


texts: How much does the FAA private pilot's license checkride cost?

texts: I can't find a strong number for this and I would like to know. I'm compiling a list of total cost for each part of getting a private license (training, study material, headset, medical exam, etc), but I can't find how much the checkride will cost.


texts: How does the aspect ratio of a wing impact its lift?

texts:
The wing lift formula shows that lift of a wing is proportional to its area.

$
L = {\dfrac 1 2 \times \rho V^2 \color{magenta}S C_L}
{\small
\begin{align}
&{} &&\text{where:} &&L = \text{lift,} &&\rho = \text{density of air,} \\
&{} &&{} &&V = \text{velocity,} &&\color{magenta}S = \text{wing area,}\\
&{} &&{} &&{}&&C_L = \text{coefficient of lift.}
\end{align}}
$

So why are most conventional wings shaped the same (swept back rectangles)?

Imagine a conventional airplane but with the wings shaped as 2 thin long rectangles attached to a fuselage from the cockpit until the tail with the same area as the original wing.

With all other things (like angle of attack, etc) being equal will the same lift be generated as the original wing?


texts:
If you have an airship filled with helium, how can you adjust your altitude?  i.e. how do you "go up" or "go down"?

Even staying still would be a challenge: The way I see it, you'll never have exactly the same average density as air and therefore will always be either slightly falling or slightly rising.

Is it the case that they have an extra tank of compressed gas as well as vents on the blimp and they make adjustmenst by increasing/decreasing internal pressure of the balloon?


texts: Was this bumpy Boeing 777-300 landing caused by windshear?

texts:
I was watching a Video of a Korean Air 777-300 landing at Narita International Airport (IATA: NRT). The Comments on the YouTube Video are again unprofessional.

I want to ask here, what caused this very bumpy landing?
Some comments state this was a wind-shear, is that correct?
Is required by rule to make a maintenance check after such a landing?


texts: Is is possible to have an aircraft launched from a submarine or directly from under the water?

texts:
There are actually small UAV launched by submerged submarines and projects around submersible aircraft, I'm interested in a view of the current state of launching aircraft from submarines.

Does anything prevent aircraft to be launched and recovered using submarines platform today?

What is the current state of deployment of such technology around the world?


texts: What is the possibility of technology like Google's balloon reducing overall connectivity and internet costs?

texts: What is the possibility of technology like Google's balloon and its Facebook equivalent replacing satelite technology for internet access in aircraft given the rise in the next tech revolution on the internet of things, aircraft will soon be among those always connected devices and possibly autonomous? Are there regulatory impediments and would one such project on a massive scale congest air traffic?


texts: What are these things on the horizontal stabilizer on a Diamond DA40?

texts:
What are these things encircled on the horizontal stabilizer on the Diamond DA40? And why are they used from an aerodynamic point of view?

Source: grupooneair.com


texts: Could a quadrotor use a main gas powered rotor with small electric rotors for attitude control?

texts:
Here is my idea of heavy lifting quadcopter. (Although it is not a quad copter anymore because of the center rotor)

Have a big coaxial fixed pitch rotor at the center. The rotor is gasoline fueled.
Have the other rotors at extended length with electric motors to control pitch yaw and roll.
The center coaxial rotor will do the heavy lifting.

Can it work? What are the difficulties?


texts: How does British Airways permit a 23 kg bag in hand baggage?

texts:
The carry-on baggage policy on British Airways states that:

  Maximum weight per bag is up to 23 kg (51lbs).

Two passengers, with bags near the weight limit could easily go well over 40 kg. And then there will be a few smaller laptop bags etc. inevitably stuffed into the overhead compartment, I imagine it can touch 50 kg.

However, the overhead compartments themselves have a stated limit of 32 kg. Isn't this an unsafe practice? If so, how is British Airways permitted to do so, and if not, why do other airlines not follow the same practice?


texts: What is a typical altitude for a dogfight?

texts: At what altitude(s) do dogfights typically occur? How has this changed from World War I up to now?


texts:
From Are squawk codes used with ADS-B?:

  Yes, squawk codes are still used and required with ADS-B.

The post is 3 years old though. And from Wikipedia List of transponder codes:

  1000: Used exclusively by ADS-B aircraft to inhibit Mode 3A transmit (USA)

The way I understand that, if the flight will be in complete ADS-B coverage, say a domestic flight, it is assigned 1000.

Is 1000 indeed assigned to ADS-B flights, or are they given discrete* codes still?

* Oops. I didn't mean discrete as in hex discrete, but the 4-digit one that changes from flight to flight.


texts: How bad is the efficiency of jet engines under low loads?

texts:
VTOL operations need 4-5 times more thrust than a conventional take-off of an aircraft.

If you don't want to install additional lift-engines into a hypothetical aircraft and use thrust vectoring to turn the thrust towards the ground, you naturally end up with largely oversized engines for the cruise flight.

But how bad does the fuel efficiency (thrust per amount of burned fuel) get, when the engines run at their minimal self-sustaining throttle setting during cruise?


texts: What is the coordinate system used in an Aircraft?

texts: I know that from nose to tail the aircraft is divided by STA (station). At least for Boeing and Airbus this is the case but I am not familiar with other manufacturers.  However, there is also two other dimensions that give every location of an aircraft an identifiable point location. It's obviously not x,y,z.  What is this coordinate system and approximately what does one unit along each access mean in terms of inches or centimeters?


texts: Why did the Daimler-Benz DB 605 compression ratio vary between cylinder banks?

texts:
The Daimler-Benz DB 605 was an inverted V12. The compression ratio of the 2 banks varied slightly. Why did the designers do this?

  Compression ratio: 1:7.3 right bank, 1:7.5 left bank (museomotori.unipa.it)


texts: How do I calculate the tail size of my rc plane?

texts: I'm in the conceptual design phase and my plane is supposed to be of 1.7kg. Wing dimensions are 1m*0.3m and AoA that it will fly at will give a pitch down moment of 0.03. The moment arm between CG and tail is 1m. How do i calculate the size of the tail. It's supposed to be a conventional tail.


texts: Why is this airfoil curved upwards on the bottom part of the airfoil?

texts:
Image source datawiki.net

Is this to slow down airspeed. I know that the high pressure and low pressure above and below the wing both contribute to downwash, but how does this airfoil form downwash?


texts: Disks and disk-like objects (frisbees, pie pans, round cardboard piece, hats of all sorts, and many other things) can fly well when thrown along with a spinning force which creates a gyroscopic effect stabilising the object. What causes disk objects to be able to generate lift?


texts: Course of other planes approaching the airport

texts:
I flew from MUC to TXL recently and made a weird observation. I was sitting in the port side of the plane and -just a few minutes before landing- saw a red light at approximately our height just before our wing tip. "Ok, I thought, that's odd. That other plane appears to be flying in the opposite direction but it cannot have just started, so maybe a holding pattern or something". While I was pondering that our plane switched on the landing (?) lights. And to my irritation that other plane did as well. "If they are about to land, should they not be behind or in front of us?", I thought.

But what irritated me the most was that the relative position (i.e., the bearing) of that other plane did not change at all. I've learned in boat school that another object with a constant relative bearing is probably on a collision course. It could also be on a parallel course with the same speed, but we were descending towards the airport - TXL does not have parallel landing strips AFAIK. I have no idea how far away that other plane was.

So here are my questions:

Is my assessment of the situation correct or do I miss something?
Is there a point during a landing approach were planes can be on a collision course (because one or both are to make course changes), I always thought that planes would be arranged in some long line twoards the airport, much like a highway.
When is it a good idea to mention such an observation to the crew? How would one do it without looking like a busybody?

edit: Thanks to the great comment about flightradar (I did not know about the playback), I could sort out what probably happened.

There was indeed a flight on a collision course. A plane from STR on its way to TXL came from the south. We came (roughly) from south-southeast. Our flight paths would have crossed somewhere north of TXL. We turned right into the queue first, the other plane did the same, but slightly behind.
A third plane heading southwest crossed roughly (from my perspective) the line between the two planes.

So I must have seen the third plane first and then the second plane. We were indeed on a collision course, but with a rather large distance and with both planes scheduled for right turns.


texts: Why does the Airbus A320 series seem to rock left and right in level flight?

texts:
I have noticed on all Airbus of the A320 series that I have flown as a passenger (which includes the 319, the 320 and the 321), that whilst in level flight, the aircraft has always a longitudinal axis rocking motion. It is very low but if you focus on the horizon from the window you can actually notice the aircraft rocking left and right. Almost not perceivable but it is actually there! This does not happen on the A330's or A340's

Is there any particular reason for this type of behaviour?


texts:
I am 17 and am going to be taking my check ride for my private pilot's license very soon. What tips do you have before I go up? (Oral exam and check ride).

I am more looking for personal experience and tips from people who have taken the check ride. I know what goes on during the check ride already, I'm looking for things people know would be useful from their own experience that they want to pass along.


texts: Can winglets be used to compensate the high induced drag created by a low aspect ratio wing?

texts: I have read in some articles that the major advantage of having a high aspect ratio (AR) wing is to reduce the induced drag. If winglets main job is also to reduce the induced drag, how much drag does it reduces? Would it be possible for a low AR wing with well-designed winglets to have the same induced drag as a high AR wing?


texts: Can I use the load factor to estimate the lift?

texts: If I have a fixed aircraft as the baseline, then I am not sure the specific flight condition, can I use the load factor to estimate the lift on the wing?


texts:
Shortly before take-off, and again before landing, the cockpit (no way to tell whether it was the Captain or First Officer) came on over the speakers, stating:

  Flight Attendant's, prepare for take-off/landing and cross-check

What is a cross-check?


texts: Can an airline reject a passenger for being overweight?

texts:
I have a Cessna 172S and despite having 4 seats in the cabin, I cannot take 3 more passengers besides myself as the pilot with a full tank of fuel due to safety in weight balance issues.  As the pilot, I'm 100 lbs overweight.  Hypothetically, we can imagine a situation where a small regional carrier using a turboprop can have only one seat left but the length chord from center of gravity for that seat may cause an unsafe weight balance for the aircraft loading if the passenger is very overweight.

In that case, if not other solution can be found, could the airline reject to passenger for the motive of their weight?


texts: Based on what concept/strategy is a new aircraft ICAO code assigned?

texts:
I refer to the official ICAO database.

BOEING  747-8 BBJ   B748    LandPlane   Jet 4   H
BOEING  BBJ (747-8) B748    LandPlane   Jet 4   H

I fail to understand when ICAO assigns a new code, and when not. As an example, I do not see the reason why there are 2 entries (in the database) like the ones above.

In other cases there are no ICAO codes at all, like for the A330-800/900 NEO. So I wonder what process does ICAO use to create a new code. Any idea?


texts: Help in decoding this ATC instruction with landing clearance?

texts:
I was reading the FAA ATC phraseology document (FAA JO Order 7110.65W) and wanted to see if I could get help on decoding what this phrase meant (from the same document):

“American Two Forty−Five, Runway One−Eight, cleared to land, number two following a United Seven−Thirty−Seven two mile final. Traffic will depart prior to your
arrival.”

Does this mean:

A) American 245 is sequenced to land after the United 737, and the United 737 will vacate the runway before the American lands?

B) American 245 is sequenced to land after the United 737. After the United lands, a different aircraft will use the same runway to depart before the American lands?


texts: How is notification of UAV flight handled in an area with multiple heliports?

texts:
I'm trying to get up to speed on drone licensing and regulation. I'm in central Houston, well away from either of our major airports; but there are literally 50 heliports listed on B4UFLY as being in my immediate area. AirMap shows 32 of them actually overlapping my current position. Houston did just get the brand-new shiny "Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability", but of course only for the two major airports.

I'm absolutely not interested in doing anything wrong; but does this mean I can't legally fly a drone in circles around my back yard at eye level without calling 32 different helicopter operators to let them know? If I managed to find a nearby spot where only, say, four or five areas were overlapping, could I actually call them and notify them, and would that make me properly compliant?

Answers relating either to Section 336 or Part 107 are appreciated. At the moment I'm just a hobbyist; but I do plan to get a remote pilot certification, because my ultimate use is academic research, which falls under commercial rules. Thanks!


texts: What is this on the starboard engine of the Dash 8?

texts:
On the inside of the starboard engine of the Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 there is a small aerofoil shaped object* protruding from the casing. There also appears to be pipes protruding from the end of it.

Can anyone identify what this is and explain its function?

** Probably not an aerofoil just looks vaguely like one.


texts: Why there is a 'MACH' in this Compressibility Correction Chart?

texts:
I couldn't find what 'Mach 1.0' and 'Mach 0.8' are trying to indicate in the middle of the chart.

Can anybody explain about this please?


texts: Is it possible to fly with counterbalanced single blade engines?

texts:
Refer the image for counterbalanced single blade (Source http://www.aviastar.org/helicopters_eng/bo-103.php).

In ground school, they took us for aircraft inspection at end of our ground school classes. The instructor told us that "counterbalanced single blade engines" are efficient.

I have 2 questions here

Why development under these fields are stopped (Bo-102/103)?
How Single blade will be efficient than 2 blades rotor-craft engines?


texts: Why does IRS alignment take so much time?

texts:
Home GPS systems (like your car navigator) is able to locate you in like a few seconds, but 737NG needs to align itself for 6-8 minutes.

Why do navigation systems in aircrafts take so long to align themselves?

Full name:
INS = Inertial Navigation System

IRS = Inertial Reference System


texts: Does a safety pilot for a PPL practicing under the hood in VFR conditions need a current medical?

texts: Am I legal to fly under the hood with a safety pilot who does not have a current medical? VMC only, not IMC.


texts: Would a chain strip built in the airport taxiways, help airlines in saving money and time during taxi?

texts:
I am referring to the mechanism used in aircraft carriers, which help in catapulting fighter aircraft. What I had in mind is a milder version of the same concept. It would massively save cost, due to it being operated by electric power, save energy and time of the pilots, less exertion.

Would such a system be feasible?


texts: In a gyroplane, how can the angle of attack of the rotor disk be calculated?

texts:
In a gyroplane, how can the angle of attack of the rotor disk be calculated as a function of the relevant variables?
Those 'relevant variables' are the rotor's angular velocity, the aircraft's airspeed, the blade chord and pitch, the rotor diameter, the slopes of the drag and lift at the relevant intervals of the blade profile and the air density...


texts: Do modern airliners have oxygen sensors in the cabin?

texts:
I know that airliners have pressure sensors to check the cabin pressure, and thus check if we can breathe (and get enough O2) inside it so we don't get hypoxia. But that got me thinking:

Is there any oxygen sensor to check if there is enough O2 inside the cabin?
Is there any situation (emergency or not) in which some other gas could pressurize the cabin and lower the O2 percentage inside it?


texts: What causes a plane's wing tips to leave a small white vapor trail?

texts: What is the source for what looks to be small trails of smoke or condensation sometimes coming from the very tips of a jet aircrafts wing tips?


texts: What is 20NM reference point in "CTC SOCAL WITHIN 20NM"?

texts:
In Los Angeles TAC you'll see magenta boxes with SOCAL frequency and other information.

I was just wondering what is 20NM reference point is? in other word, 20NM from where or what?


texts: What are the legal requirements to be a "crewmember"?

texts:
14 CFR 1.1 includes the following definitions related to crewmembers:

  Crewmember means a person assigned to perform duty in an aircraft during flight time.

  Flightcrew member means a pilot, flight engineer, or flight navigator assigned to duty in an aircraft during flight time.

Some of the regulations (although not all instances) also refer to a required crewmember.

Anecdotaly I have heard of people being assigned as a crewmember on the spot so that they could fly in an aircraft that is limited to "crewmembers only" (i.e. some world war two era aircraft, etc.) by saying something like:

  "If the normal gear extension fails during this flight, then you will be responsible to pull this emergency handle over here.  Okay, got it?"

I'm not sure whether or not that would technically qualify someone as a crewmember, so are there any legal interpretations from the FAA or any guidance on what actually does qualify someone as a crewmember?


texts: What are the criteria for classifying which generation a fighter aircraft belongs to?

texts: Current jet fighters have been classified as 4th generation, 4++ generation, and so on, with 5th generation being the latest, i.e F- 22. What is the criteria for such segregation? B-2 is a stealth aircraft but considered 4th generation whereas Mig-35 is classified as 4++.


texts: What is the type of nozzle used on the MiG-21 and MiG-27?

texts:
Generally supersonic fighters have convergent - divergent nozzles. What is type of nozzle used in MiG-21 and MiG-27?

Also please explain that how in a convergent nozzle where the max velocity in the nozzle is limited to one mach , how can the ac still go supersonic??


texts: Is winglet height equivalent to duct height?

texts: Winglets increase effective wingspan by causing vorticies to be generated further away from the wing root in proportion to the height of the winglet (if vertical), likewise with winglets on propellers. Therefore I came to the assumption that a duct wall around the propeller also increases it's effective wingspan in proportion to the height of the duct wall above the propeller. Is this correct?


texts: Why don't we place the engine in the front of the wings?

texts:
I learnt in class today that fast-moving air over the wing of the plane, which causes a difference in pressure on the airfoil due to something called Bernoulli's principle.
If this is so why cant the engine be placed in front of the wings since the exhaust from the engine can help the plane in take off.
I'm only a beginner at fluid dynamics thus the silly question.


texts: Why do some helicopters have such complicated flight control mixers?

texts:
Image source

Some helicopters have a very complicated set-up that mixes flight control inputs to many or all of the swashplate actuators, like in the picture above for the S-76.

Why are all the cross-couplings required, would the helicopter not be controllable without the flight control mixing action? We only need to cant the swashplate for cyclic control, lift it for collective, and connect the pedals to the tail rotor, right?


texts: Why bits are mixed up (interleaved) during ATC transponder mode A and mode C reply format?

texts:
In the image above from radartutorial.eu, we can see that the sequence of bits are c1 a1 c2 a2 c4 a4 during the reply of ATC transponder mode A.
Why are the bits not transmitted like c1 c2 c4 then a1 a2 a4. Why this mixing up or interleaving?


texts: Aircraft Emergency Evacuation slide inflation system: Why is a mixture of CO2 & N2 used instead of pure N2?

texts:
I was intrigued knowing from this SE-Aviation post that modern, aircraft Emergency Evacuation-Slide inflation-cylinders are often filled with a CO2+N2 mixture.

See  here:

Which gas is used to fill the evacuation slides of modern aircraft?

Intuitively the reason behind the CO2 addition instead of using simply pure N2 is not very obvious to me. Digging deeper into the technology, Wikipedia reveals that "The CO2 is used to slow down the rate at which the valve expends the gases."

Any idea about the science behind this? Why would CO2 slow down the inflation rate? And why do we want to slow the inflation in the first place? Fabric damage?

Also, what is the CO2 percent in the mix, anyone know?


texts: Which is longest Oceanic crossing for any commercial flight route?

texts:
During oceanic crossings, there are limited to no terrestrial radio communications available, so I would think that most flight routes are designed to minimize ocean crossing time.

Which commercial flight route have the longest oceanic crossing?


texts: What is the FAA regulation for the 3 mile / 1,000' separation for a commercial airliner?

texts:
I need help finding the Number/Citation for the FAA regulation/order that states commercial airliner separation should usually be at least 3 miles laterally, or 1,000 feet vertically.

I cannot find anything that clearly states the **"or" part.**


texts: How to hold the heading on the Boeing 777 autopilot?

texts:
I have X-Plane 10 with Boeing 777 Worldliner Pro- Extended Pack, which is designed to model the real-world operation of the 777.

Why does the AP never go to the heading hold direction even if I press the hold button?


texts: How fast can fuel be siphoned out if you leave the cap off?

texts:
It is a dreaded scenario; forgetting to secure the fuel cap.

I understand the low pressure area generated above the wing will siphon fuel out of wing tanks, how fast would this happen in a smaller GA airplane with wing tanks (something like the Cherokee perhaps) if the fuel cap was to be completely forgotten (rather than just not tightened)? Also, would it be able to suck the tank completely dry or would there be some limit to the amount of fuel that might be lost this way?

I just had X-plane do this to me while doing some IFR practice and it reduced my fuel with about 2 gallons/minute per tank until they were both completely empty and I was wondering if this is realistic.


texts: What do the abbreviations on this Jeppesen Dataplan mean?

texts:
Attached is a screenshot from a flightplan created with Jetplan. Can someone help with decoding the format? What do the abbreviations mean in the table header?

I understand the following:

FLT = Flight Level *100

T = ?

WIND = Wind speed & direction

TAS = True Air Speed

S = ?

GRS = ?

MCS = ?

DST = Distance to next waypoint

DSTR = Distance remaining

ETE = estimated time en-route

ETR = estimated time remaining

FU = fuel used?

FR = fuel remaining?

FF/E = ?


texts: What is the difference between DINS and the regular FAA NOTAM website?

texts:
Plain and simple, what the heck is the difference between the Defense Internet NOTAM Service (DINS) and the FAA NOTAM website? They are both located behind a faa.gov url.

DINS Example: https://www.notams.faa.gov/dinsQueryWeb/

"Regular" NOTAMS: https://pilotweb.nas.faa.gov/PilotWeb/

Thanks!


texts: Does 14 CFR 25.1310 apply to hydraulic systems?

texts:
I'm struggling to understand if this particular rule was intended to apply to Electrical Power Generation Systems only or if this rule was also intended to apply to Hydraulic Power Generation Systems.

At first glance I assumed only electrical power generation systems would be applicable.  Then when I go to the EASA AMC for 25.1310 which reads the same it says the following:

  "When alternative or multiplication of systems and equipment is
  provided to meet the requirements of CS 25.1310(a), the segregation
  between circuits should be such as to minimize the risk of a single
  occurrence causing multiple failures of circuits or power supplies of
  the system concerned.  For example, electrical cable bundles or groups
  of hydraulic pipes should be so segregated as to prevent damage to the
  main and alternative systems and power suppliers."

So EASA puts the words "hydraulic tubes" in as part of their example.

Is there some other guidance material out their that would clarify if the reg really applies to 25.1310?


texts: Is there a difference between how commercial jets and GA aircraft use airways?

texts:
In the answer to this question about why people use airways, one of the commentors pointed out that GA aircraft often use airways in a different fashion than commercial aircraft.  I couldn't tell from context why this is true though.  Is it laziness, spite, lack of knowledge?  Or is it simply that GA aircraft are instructed to use them differently?  Or, even, is it that GA aircraft are typically at a lower altitude so they simply have different airways?

Why do GA aircraft use airways different than large commercial planes?


texts: Does ARINC 825 (Aviation CAN bus) follow the same protocol as automotive CAN buses?

texts: From what I can gather it is derived from the automotive industry standard CAN (Controller Area Network) bus, but I was wondering if they share the same protocols. If you took an automotive bus reader and hooked it up to a ARINC 825 system would it read the same?


texts: So, I am very familiar with the 737NG, and there is a trim switch on the yoke for vertical trim. However, I can't seem to locate this trim switch in the A320. Is there a trim switch on the joystick in an A320? If not, how do they trim?


texts: How criminal is it to take off without authorization?

texts:
In the US, how would someone like the Seattle guy be punished (that is, plane heist without passengers, unauthorized take-off and midair stunts ) if he hypothetically had not died, but landed the plane intact?

Background story: Richard Russell, Who Stole Plane Near Seattle


texts: What is the guy in green showing to the F/A-18E pilot before catapult launch?

texts:
In the following frames, you can see a guy in green showing a panel-like device with numbers on it to the pilot of the Super-Hornet that is about to launch from the carrier USS John C. Stennis.

What is this panel for?
What information is the pilot given?
Why just before takeoff and not while boarding/briefing?

(YouTube)

Edit:
I won't accept this question as a duplicate. It may contain the answer

  Taxiing up to the catapult, a green shirt will hold up the weight board. If the weight on the board matches the weight on the weight chit, acknowledge ...

but the question isn't really about that part and quite "hidden".


texts: Would turbulence created by two jumbos less than 100ft apart cause both of them to crash?

texts:
In a scene from Spider-Man 2 (2014), which you can see in this video, two jumbos almost collided. At the last possible moment, the pilots were able to save their planes, but both planes came to within 100 feet apart from each other (I guessed the distance). Both planes survived.

I wonder in real life with real science and no Hollywood involvement, could any plane survive this close encounter with another jet?


texts: What are those tiny circles on fan blades of Trent 1000?

texts:
From Sam Chui's video, there are tiny circles on the surface of three fan blades of next generation Trent 1000 engine. Why aren't they present on remaining fan blades?
Below comments suggest they are for optical purposes. What optical information can be inferred from these circle?

My prediction: They are embedded explosive charger to test explosion testing(specifically Blade off testing of an engine.


texts: Why is more oxygen required at higher altitudes?

texts:
Referring to a chapter from Aircraft Maintenance And Repair

Normal air contains approximately
21 percent oxygen, and this provides adequate oxygen for
the human body at lower altitudes. At 34 000 ft [10 363 m]
altitude, a person must be breathing 100 percent oxygen
to absorb the same amount of oxygen as when breathing
air at sea level.>

Why is it required for us breathe 100% oxygen to absorb same 21 percent of oxygen we would breathe at ground/ lower altitudes?


texts: Engine options for the 777-300ER: GE90-110B1 or -115B?

texts:
The Wikipedia page on the Boeing 777 says that the 777-300ER can have either the GE90-110B1 or the GE90-115B, however it was my understanding that the 777-300ER does not have engine options and is only available with the GE90-115B.

Furthermore, this unofficial production list confirms that there are no 777-300ER with the -110B1.

With that said, here's my question: has the 777-300ER ever been offered with the -110B1, whether as a factory option or as a retrofit/modification?


texts: What is the difference between a "compass swing" and "check swing" procedure?

texts: What is the difference between a "compass swing" and a "check swing" procedure?


texts: What is the meaning of this information provided by Air Traffic Control?

texts:
Air traffic controllers seem to broadcast this information, is anyone able to tell me what this is or what its use is for?

LTBA 162120Z 03008KT 360V080 9999 BKN035 06/02 Q1028 NOSIG

Especially the last part, what does NOSIG mean?


texts: Does a high "wing loading" require a high approach speed or does it cause a high approach speed?

texts:
Raymer says:

  Landing distance is largely determined by wing loading. Wing loading affects the approach speed, which must be a certain multiple of stall speed (1.3 for civil aircraft, 1.2 for military aircraft). Approach speed determines the touchdown speed, which in turn defines the kinetic energy which must be dissipated to bring the aircraft to a halt. The kinetic energy, and hence the stopping distance, varies as the square of the touchdown speed.

My question is : In which manner does wing loading affect approach speed?

I'll explain my question better:

The first option:
Higher wing loading implies less wing surface. Therefore, you have a higher value of stall speed (because, for the same lift needed and the same CL and the same density, with a small wing surface area, you have to increase speed to compensate for less surface), so you need a higher value of approach speed.
In this case : a higher wing loading REQUIRES a higher approach speed.
The second option:
Higher wing loading causes less wing surface. Therefore, you have less exposed surface, so you have less drag, so it’s easier to maintain a higher speed.
So if this last sentence is correct (I’m not sure), in this case it’s not only the required speed, but the CAUSED speed.

What do you think?

SOURCE:   DANIEL P: RAYMER “Aircraft Design: A Conceptual Approach”, Chapter 5 “THRUST-TO-WEIGHT RATIO AND WING LOADING”, Paragraph 5.3 WING LOADING, Subparagraph: “Landing distance”


texts: Why don't turboprop planes have push engines that use thrust more effectively?

texts: The Piaggo P-180 is one of the fastest private planes out there and uses the push system.


texts: Does anyone know an equation relating wingspan to gliding distance for a glider?

texts: I found this equation online but it is not from a reputable source and has no derivation. Could anyone help me by deriving this equation or even verifying its accuracy? I would love to cite and use this equation in my assignment so urgent help would be most appreciated.


texts: Can "Center" provide VFR flight following?

texts:
Whenever I've requested VFR flight following, I've always requested it from So Cal Approach/Departure because I'm usually flying within their reach.  If I'm flying outside the reach of So Cal Approach (out in the desert), can I contact Los Angeles Center for VFR flight following?  If I do this, the frequency for contacting Los Angeles Center doesn't seem to appear on the VFR charts, but is shown on IFR low charts.
Also, does the radar coverage of the various "Centers" cover all of the continental US, or are there remote areas where Center's radar and radio communication can't reach?


texts: How can investigators tell the difference between impact damage and explosion damage when investigating debris from a crash?

texts:
When reading this article on the debris they found from Flight MH370 they mention a lab in France that is supposed to be able to look at the debris (a flaperon), and figure out if the flight had exploded in mid-air or if it had broken up on impact with the ocean.

This has left me wondering, how would they do that?  How can the folks from that lab tell from an exterior control surface1 that the plane had exploded or broken up on impact?

1 Examples may include elevons, flaperons, elevators, ruddervators, basically anything that helps the plane maneuver and is exterior to the fuselage.


texts: Can a US pilot fly a foreign registered aircraft in the US?

texts: Is it legal for a pilot with an FAA license to fly a foreign registered aircraft within the United States?  Is it covered by FAA regulations, or the country of aircraft registration?


texts: Mode A selected on the transponder provides identification of the aircraft to the secondary radar; Mode C will add an automatic height read-out of an aircraft. Mode S is a selective addressing. But previously there was a Mode B which nowadays is not in used anymore. What was it used for, and what information was this mode able to provide?


texts: To which security domain does the Cabin Intercommunication Data System (CIDS) belong?

texts:
I've read a lot about Cabin Intercommunication Data System (CIDS) functionalities and features, but yet it is not really clear to me if CIDS is part of the Airline Information Services Domain (AISD), or the Passenger Information & Entertainment Services Domain (PIESD).

Does CIDS receive information/messages from the Aircraft Communications and Reporting System (ACARS), and if so, through which ARINC protocol, and does it have any kind of connection to the Aircraft Control Domain (ACD)?


texts: How would a tricycle-geared aircraft be recovered from a tip-up?

texts:
If improper loading leads to a tip up on a tricycle-geared aircraft:

Image source
what methods are used to right level the aircraft?
I can imagine inflating airbags under the tail, or lifting it with a crane, but what prevents it from slamming down on the nose gear once it passes the tipping point?


texts: What is the difference between flight watch and home reserve?

texts:
Can anyone explain the difference between 'flight watch' and 'home reserve' with regards to flight and duty periods.
This is in regards to a charter operation, where crew members are on standby at the local crew house (home reserve), and are required to keep track of aircraft via satellite tracking while on standby (flight watch).

I am unsure what the distinction would be according to the law, as flight watch would still be considered as a duty period, as with standby time. Would the two be classified together as duty periods?

The reason this is of importance is crew members can do 12 hour shifts of Standby time , however the law has a different max time for duty periods


texts: Why turn mobile phones off on take off and landing?

texts: Why do commercial airlines insist on turning phones to airplane mode? Does it really interfere with the planes dedicated frequencies?


texts:
If I want reduce the landing roll distance, for example to clear the runway at the nearest exit, I was told by some instructors that to increase the drag using following methods:

Pull up and hold the elevator at the upper extreme position.

Question 1: does that mean I should try to keep the nose wheel in air as long as possible?Is there any risk I leave the ground again due to aggressive pitch? Will there be any effect after all the wheels touched the ground, like keep the elevator up can increase the friction of the main wheels?

Retract flap to reduce the lift to create more frictions.

Questions 2: when flap is retracted, I will have less lift so more friction force could be induced but does that mean the aircraft is in a cleaner config, so the drag is also reduced?


texts: Do crews look for "Dr." on a passenger manifest to identify medical doctors?

texts:
With many airlines, when a passenger buys a ticket online, there is a space for them to select a "title", such as Ms., Mr., Dr., Rev., etc.    In most social circumstances, the title "Dr." is applicable to anyone with a doctoral degree (M.D., Ph.D., D.D., etc).

I have heard a rumor that in the event of a medical emergency on the plane, the cabin crew will check the passenger manifest for people who have given the title Dr., in hopes of finding a medical doctor who can assist.

As a consequence, goes the rumor, a passenger who has a doctoral degree, but is not a medical doctor (say, a PhD in mathematics), should not choose the title "Dr." when buying a ticket, since if there is a medical emergency, the cabin crew might waste time asking this mathematician for assistance.

I have also heard it said that this is nonsense, that crews would not bother looking at the manifest, and would simply make a PA announcement asking for anyone with medical training.  (This has the advantage that it would also identify medical professionals such as nurses, paramedics, etc., who would not use the title "Dr." anyway.)

Which of these reflects actual crew training or standard procedures?

What is the best practice for a passenger who holds a non-medical doctorate?  I've never seen any official guidance from an airline on when to use the title "Dr" on a ticket.

(I wasn't sure if this question would be best here, or on Travel.SE, or maybe even Skeptics.SE, but I thought this site would be most likely to have people with first-hand knowledge from the crew side.  I'm open to suggestions for migration.)


texts: Do these red stop signs apply to aircraft or only to vehicles?

texts: I mean; do planes also see these signs on their way to runway? Or just cars and other vehicles encounter this stop sign on their service road or interconnection roads that are assigned to them?


texts: What is the wing span in aspect ratio's calculation?

texts:
We all know that the aspect ratio of an airplane is calculate as:
$$AR=\frac{b^2}{S}$$

Where:

$AR=$ Aspect ratio

$B=$ Wingspan

$S=$ Wing's area

In an airplane, wing span is the distance from tip to tip of the wing. That means the fuselage also calculated. Below are two picture of two different kind of airplane: Boeing and Cessna. As you see, the wing is placed in different position. The Boeing is below of the fuselage so it look like integrated to the wings. But the Cessna is placed on top of the fuselage, make the fuselage is like the separator of the two wings rather the integrator.

But in another time, what we call wing is a thing that is attached to the fuselage. The picture below shows what the wing span is. The fuselage itself is not considered as part of wing.

To avoid miscalculation, I would like to know what is exactly b in that equation. For this case, just consider the wing shape is fully rectangle. Appreciate if with reference.


texts: Would more throttle when using reverse thrust reduce stopping distance?

texts: If more throttle is applied after engaging the reverse thrust, would it shorten the braking distance?


texts:
Inspired by this question.

My knowledge concerning helicopters is quite limited:

what is auto-rotation?
are there other "rotations" possible?
in what do they differ?


texts: What can cause the engine temperature to be high in piston engines?

texts: What can cause the engine temperature to be high in piston engine aircraft?


texts: What kind of assistance can another aircraft provide to an incapacitated pilot?

texts:
A recent incident unfolded as follows:

An aircraft overflew the planned destination and did not respond to radio calls on any frequency.
ATC decided the pilot might be incapacitated and asked another pilot whether he could get close to that aircraft to take a look.
The other pilot did that and observed no reaction to signals such as rocking the wings or extending the landing gear, however the incapacitated pilot was changing the course slightly to maintain separation.
Eventually the pilot resumed radio contact (speaking in a slurred voice) and upon insistence from ATC landed at the closest airport without further incident. All this time ATC was asking the other pilot whether they would still stay in the area, which they did until the landing.

There’s a VASAviation video with the entire radio conversation.
How can the other aircraft help beyond what they already did? Why did ATC want them around after getting in touch with the incapacitated pilot? Despite the aircraft belonging to the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia, it’s not like they could provide medical help. What else could have happened after radio contact was restored that would have necessitated some kind of action from the other pilot?


texts: What are the properties of a good general aviation training aircraft?

texts: I've been told that the best kinds of planes to train in are very small ones, like Cessna 150s and 152s.  But I've never been clear as to why.  I know they are cheaper to operate, so is operation cost the only thing?  Or are there aerodynamic properties that 152s have that make them "easier"?  What makes for a good training aircraft?


texts: Can you identify this plane from 1920 and prior vintage?

texts:
My grand uncle, that is my grandfather's brother had a flight school and performed in barnstorming shows somewhere in the midwest and it's not a Jenny. His name was Ralph Bloxham and is seen with his flying cap on in the rear cockpit.

I've found a few planes with similar characteristics but none with them all. Can you identify the plane?

Single bay biplane.
N- type interplane struts.
Little to no dihedral.
Rear cockpit is just below the trailing edge of the top wing, no cutout in the top wing.
Dual (upper and lower wing) ailerons with push/pull link.
Non-radial (inline or V engine, likely water-cooled but possibly air-cooled such as a Franklin)
Two blade prop.
Bipod cabane struts at the front spar, single rear spar cabane strut.
Mild stagger of the top wing forward, Wire wheels (may be missing covers)
No brakes, interesting side panel on fuselage with a radiused front edge, rather long- coupled empennage which is not visible in the photo.
Fuselage is rather slab sided with pretty constant taper and is very slender aft of the cockpits.
Bottom of engine cowl tapers up toward the front, and no protruding push rods or exhaust manifolds visible.
Engine cover is not higher than the fuselage contour line (no hump)
Exhaust out the side or both sides, don't know but there's some semblance to the liberty engine.

The N strut design seems to be a rather uncommon trait as I search, most are wired only, and so is the completely enclosed long engine cowl/cover which rules out all radial or rotary types. Single bay rules out many. What do you think?


texts:
I recently came up with a conceptual idea for creating aerodynamic lift which would use an unconventional centrifugal impeller. I would like to know if this conceptual design of mine is something that has already been built and tested in the past.
I have emailed this design over to some aerospace historical societies and aerospace institutes inquiring if they know if this particular design, or something very similar to it, has already been built and tested by an aerospace company in the past. They replied back saying they had not seen this particular design. So, I thought it would be worth asking the Aviation community on Stack Exchange if anyone has already seen this particular design.
I have created some CAD drawings (shown below) to illustrate what this mechanical apparatus would probably look like. Its primary components would be a centrifugal impeller with two rows of blades, a motor to turn the impeller, and a curved panel which would be fastened to the fuselage or to a wing of an aircraft. I want to point out that the curved panel would not rotate along with the impeller, rather the centrifugal impeller would rotate around the curved panel.
This mechanical apparatus would have a simple working principle. The centrifugal impeller would have an inner row of blades and an outer row of blades. The inner row of blades should create high air pressure along the bottom surface of the curved panel and the outer row of blades should create low air pressure over the top surface of the curved panel. This should result in aerodynamic lift.
EDIT
I am thinking now that it may be better that the outer row of blades be backward-curved in order to reduce turbulence and to maximize the static air pressure drop along the top surface of the curved panel.

Would this mechanical apparatus be a new means of creating aerodynamic lift?


texts: What exactly is an "engine surge" in a jet engine, and what causes it?

texts:
Surge suggests that something speeds up, yet I read elsewhere that in fact in jet engines, an engine surge is actually a compressor stall.

Whether that is correct or not, what exactly is doing the surging in the case of an engine surge?

What kind of fault within the engine or conditions of its environment causes an engine surge?


texts: What should the pilots do when fire is detected during the takeoff roll at high speed?

texts: Let us say fire or smoke is detected during a takeoff roll when the speed is so high that the pilots can not make a full stop using the remaining runway. What is the best option: using full brake to stop even if that will cause a runway excursion or continue the takeoff and re-land?


texts: Why is Iceland an efficient connection point between London and Boston/NYC?

texts:
Air connections thru Iceland (Keflavik) have been increasing explosively in recent years. Keflavik is used as a transfer point on trans-Atlantic itineraries.

The highest-traffic city pair involving Keflavik is Keflavik-London, so Keflavik is evidently being used as a way station between London and North America.

Also, NYC and Boston are the top North American routes for Keflavik.

However, Iceland is quite out of the way of the US northeast-London direct path. Why is it economical to stop over in Iceland, despite it being off-course?


texts:
I understand the lift coefficient shown above. But does lift increase with speed, and how?

I understand I can't apply this to the graph as it is a coefficient, but if I had an angle of attack of 10 degrees and a speed of 0 knots, we would obviously have no lift assuming there isn't any wind, but if we increased our thrust and speed, we would gain more lift, and if we increase AOA even more, we get even more lift and the same with thrust.

But what about 0 degrees with symmetrical airfoils, does lift also increase with speed, and does it work similar?


texts: What should you do when the pattern is crowded?

texts:
If you're approaching a non-towered field and you find that the pattern is too crowded to enter what do you do?

Provided you have adequate fuel to wait for an opening is there a standard place and altitude to hold?

What if you don't really have enough fuel to hold? Do you call on ctaf and say that you need to enter the pattern right away?


texts: How much extra work to get a glider licence?

texts:
I have my SEL Private VFR licence.  I recently went on a glider flight, and I loved it.  How much extra work does it take a typical pilot to transition from SEL to gliders?

What extra material will I have to learn?  And what overlaps?


texts: Is it legal to use RC quadcopters for commercial purposes?

texts:
Is it legal to fly a drone with a go pro or something and take photos and video for commercial purposes?

This is what I found on the FAA website.

  All UAS operations for commercial or business purposes are subject to FAA regulation. At a minimum, any such flights require a certified aircraft and a certificated pilot. UAS operations for commercial or business purposes cannot be operated under the special rule for model aircraft found in section 336 of Public Law 112-95.

http://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/uas/uas_faq/

Many news articles say that the FAA will not really care.


texts: Are Air Traffic Flow Management Algorithms mostly based on linear programming techniques?

texts:
I'm really interested in knowing the methods used by the Air-Traffic-Flow-Management (ATFM) providers to increase the throughput of the airspace by balancing safety, efficiency and cost. I've been reading different research papers and most of them conclude on using algorithms based on linear programming to manage the arrival and departure slots.

For instance, there are many articles explaining a possible resolution of the Ground Holding Problem, that allocates departure slots so that no sector is violated, by using linear programming and mathematical optimization techniques. Airport capacity as well can be improved by the use of linear programming.

I know that linear programming is based on minimizing/maximizing a certain objective function, subject to a set of constraints.

I see that these techniques can be a good idea to have a big picture of an optimal configuration of slots, for instance. But are these linear programming algorithms actually used?

Is linear programming so much effective to carry out air traffic management according to this method? What other methods are powerful and used nowadays to manage air traffic?


texts: Where can I find the correct POH for my Cessna 152?

texts: I'm training in a C152 and the POH in the backseat has seen its days and I can barely use it, much less keep it from being getting worse than it is. This is a 1983 C152 Trainer aircraft. A lot of questions that I am doing in my flight planning and solo quizzes can be answered through the POH but because the plane is shared I don't want to take it out of the cockpit because it would anger other pilots who also need it. Is there a resource online I can find the POH? Also, I'm not sure but I figure I can't use any C152 POH, it has to be the one for my year and model, is that true too?


texts: Does the US export the Mark 77 aerial bomb?

texts:
The Mark 77 bomb used by US fighter aircraft detonates with an impressive array of inferno when dropped in a cluster which is often done at airshows.

Questions

Is the Mark 77 bomb solely used by the US air force only, or has such ammunition been exported to other countries? Even the typical delivery platform, the F/A-18 Hornet has been exported to a few countries military. According to Wikipedia, it seems like there are no foreign operators of this munition. (given that this is older technology, there is no need to hide its mechanics, and that ammunition usually comes as a package deal with the aircraft)
Are there any Russian, Chinese or foreign manufactured equivalent bombs (guided or dumb) capable of that sort?

EDIT: I know of US's MOAB and Russia's FOAB, but I would like to know if other countries have conventional incendiary bombs


texts: How does the FAA decide whether an aircraft is deemed a helicopter?

texts:
This is a followup to this question.

How does the FAA decide whether a new aircraft will is deemed to be a helicopter for licencing and registration purposes?

Is there a law or regulation? Are there guidelines? Is there any case law where a manufacturer challenged a particular classification?


texts: What are these antenna-like protrusions for on an airliner?

texts:
This is a JetBlue A320:

I've always wondered what these are for, but could never find the answer. I'm guessing a few of them are for receiving information from satellites.


texts: In Spain, can I land and take off from my own property?

texts: I have a property in Spain with a big field; is it legal to take off from and land on your own property in a light aircraft?


texts: Is there an offline airplane route software similar to the in-flight entertaiment map?

texts:
Regarding the software that displays on a video the map with flight information for passengers, I would like to know:

1) The software from various airline companies seems to be more or less of a standard. So they should work in a similar fashion. Which input is needed in order to make it work (i.e., altitude, lat/lon coordinates, temperature)?

2) Is it possible to acquire one version of this software and run it offline as a simulation, giving as input the needed information?

3) Is there a freeware solution to this? I'm more interested on information like the geography, cities, countries and borders.


texts: The thrust-reverse thrust sound in PW jt8d

texts: Why  is the thrust-reverse  sound of some aircrafts engines (ex PW jt8d) loud, while some others engines (ex RR Tay-650) has low thrust-reverse sound?


texts: How does a labyrinth seal work when the engine isn't rotating?

texts:
I believe I understand how a labyrinth seal in a turbine engine works when a the engine is running.

Any oil that makes it past the first part of the seal is thrown outwards due to the centrifugal force, forms vortices and therefore cannot pass the second part. I know there's a bit more to it, but to me that seems to be the important part (please correct me if I'm wrong).

However I can't understand what stops the oil passing through when the engine stops rotating. Can anyone explain this?


texts: Does the commercial helicopter training in 61.129(c)(3)(i) require a CFII?

texts:
For the commercial ticket in a helicopter you need 5 hours of hood time. Can any CFI provide this training or does it require a CFII?

14 CFR 61.129(c)(3)(i):

  Five hours on the control and maneuvering of a helicopter solely by
  reference to instruments using a view-limiting device including
  attitude instrument flying, partial panel skills, recovery from
  unusual flight attitudes, and intercepting and tracking navigational
  systems. This aeronautical experience may be performed in an aircraft,
  full flight simulator, flight training device, or an aviation training
  device;


texts: What aircraft "don't respond well to tarmac runways"?

texts:
On the Shoreham Airfield Website they wrote, they have a tarmac runway for most aircraft and a grass strip (actually two) for "aircraft which need a grass strip".

Quote:

  We appreciate that older, more fragile planes don’t respond well to tarmac and that’s why we offer both grass and tarmac runways to cater for a wide range of aircraft.

Page link

What aircraft are those not responding well to tarmac? What does it mean they don't respond well to tarmac? I could imagine this to be old WW2 Aircraft or similar.


texts: What are these bomb-shaped things attached to some propeller aircraft?

texts: I've seen them on a few prop machines and searched here and via Google but couldn't find anything.


texts: What is meant by the term "Code on request"?

texts: I recently flew from a small airport under a Bravo shelf into the nearby Bravo airspace above. When I advised the ground controller that I was doing as such, he cleared me to taxi, then added the frequencies for the Bravo approach control and said "code on request". A moment later he came back with a discrete squawk code. I'm assuming "code on request" meant he had requested a squawk code from approach control and was waiting for the reply, am I correct? Is any response required by me? I got my PPL at a smaller airport and had never heard that before.


texts: How often are turbine blades in jet engines replaced?

texts: How often are the turbines in the hot section of the jet engines replaced due to deteriorated TBC? or just how often are they replaced? lets say for CFM56-7


texts: When helicopters fly over a city, how do they avoid colliding with each other? For example, after a shooting or accident, both police and news helicopters could head to the same spot.


texts: What kind of planes are on this old photo?

texts: Not sure what kind of planes are on this old photo? Does anyone have any idea?


texts: What are the benefits of a 'cranked arrow' delta wing?

texts:
What are the benefits of the 'cranked arrow' delta wing that was used on the variant of the F-16, the F-16XL?

Sourceenter link description here


texts: What's the precise meaning of "landing south (north, east, west)" in STARs?

texts:
"JetBlue six zero two leaving flight level two one zero descending via the Ivane Two arrival landing south."

Does "landing south" here mean the aircraft will be landing on the runways north to south?


texts: Shouldn't there be ATIS/sign information on sloped up runways?

texts:
I landed on Catalina island runway 22 last Saturday after the installation of a new concrete runway.

To make it easier for heavyweight planes to land and after a short roll stop, they have made the runway curving up. It was very tricky to land. Because of optical illusion.

I realized at the numbers I was barely a few feet up and considering the fact that the runway starts at the edge of a deep cliff, it was potentially catastrophic.

I make sure I watch out for this and adjust my glide slope next time.

My question is shouldn't they provide some sign or on the ASOS add a heads up.

To clarify, the US Marines did the renovation of Catalina project recently which apparently has finished about a week ago. They have changed the topography of runway in a certain way, made it like bowl apparently, to make it easy for heavy airplanes to land in this short runway.

The changes have not been reflected in VFR charts or Supplement, or other aviation documents, at least to the best of my knowledge.

EDIT

I just add my comment for pilots who plan to land at Catalina.

Because of the fact that the vanishing point (the point the sides of the runway merge in horizon in pilot's perspective) has changed, appearing higher than before, at the short final one perceives they are flying at a higher altitude, look out for this.


texts: KIBM RNAV (GPS) 10 -- did I find a charting error, or what is the TERPS rationale for this?

texts:
I was looking at the RNAV (GPS) approach to runway 10 at Kimball, NE (KIBM):

and was left wondering "How on earth could the straight-in visibility minima for approach categories C and D be lower than for approach categories A and B?"  Is this merely a charting error, or is there some strange clause in the TERPS that I'm not aware of that makes this possible?


texts: What is a raw data takeoff and is there a benefit to performing them?

texts: I heard a pilot mention a raw data takeoff in offhand conversation. The topic was generally about maintaining hand flying skills. What exactly is a raw data takeoff and is there a benefit to a pilot's flying skills from practicing them?


texts:
I found this topic on an external site, it's about a Boeing 737-4 damaged during engine run up at Sialkot international Airport (Pakistan): NL B734 Damaged During Engine Run Up (photos)
In the comments/discussion, people say that there is similar apron paving made of blocks at other major airports.

Are there any photos or verification of lose-block apron?

One comment says that London Heathrow has some, does somebody have any verification or Link?

Block paving is very common at airports. All over Heathrow and Gatwick. It works fine when its built correctly but if it's not maintained well then that happens.


texts: Is it possible to do a Live-stream web cam on an airplane over the oceans?

texts: Just wondering if this technology exists or has been attempted. For positioning purposes.


texts: What are these thermal spots on this infrared image of an F-16?

texts:
In this question, Hephaestus Aetnaean posted the following cool movie:

which showed the following still:

As indicated by the red circles (the yellow marking can be ignored) there seem to be a few hotspots visible on the IR image. What are these hotspots? They seem to be rather random, so I'm not sure what they exactly are.


texts: How do commercial flights get overbooked?

texts:
The other week my flight was overbooked and so the airline looked for volunteers to take another flight the following morning. I can't stop thinking about this since the number of seats available and sold should've been known to the airline for quite some time.

Someone claimed that airlines expect a number of passengers to rebook or not show up and thus with purpose overbook sometimes. Can this really be true? Or is it a data consistency thing where availability for ticket booking is prioritized? Or was it perhaps due to an unplanned change of aircraft model? I'm certain there might be other answers and that reasons may vary from occasion to occasion and different airlines, but please enlighten me here!


texts: Pre-50's, how was electricity generated without using an Integrated Drive Generator?

texts:
The question How do airplanes regulate the output frequency of AC generators? here on SE already answers why we need an IDG with a constant speed drive on airliners.

  [IDG's] have been used in aircraft electrical power generating systems since the 1950's.—Wikipedia

Before the 1950's, in the early jet airliners, turboprops, and big piston planes, how did they manage the same task of regulating the AC frequency?

Or did they rely purely on DC via alternators and a bank of batteries? I'd think old big planes had plenty of pumps, etc., to require AC.


texts: Is the increased humidity on modern jets artificial?

texts: Aircraft manufacturer’s including Boeing and Airbus have emphasised on greater passenger comfort owing to an increase in humidity on newer jets such as the 787 and A350 artificial? Or is it a direct result of a greater cabin pressure?


texts: What missile defense systems would be used against hypersonic glide vehicles?

texts: What missile defense systems would be used against hypersonic glide vehicles and cruise missiles (like Avangard or Sky Star)? What challenges would nations face developing them?


texts: Is it a bad idea to brush your teeth with water from an airliner sink faucet?  Does some sort of health risk from said water outweigh the risk of poor dental hygiene?


texts: How do we calculate top of descent (TOD) in flight?

texts:
What is the in-flight trick?

I know how to calculate it in theory, but how can I calculate it fast? For example, I know I can use this formula for calculating the rate of descent:

[ground speed + add 0]\2

I'm trying to find a formula like that for TOD.


texts: Can the overwing exit slide be used when ditching in an A320?

texts:
I want to ask if an overwing exit slide in an Airbus A320 can be opened at all when landing or ditching. Is the exit still usable? Or it is blocked and we have to move the passenger to another one?

And in ditching is the water level one of the reasons why it will not be opened and the reason the exit is blocked? If it was the case, why to consider the primary exit in ditching is the over wing exit? If it is deployed we will not use it in ditching.


texts: Why do we lean the mixture in a turbocharged airplane (C182T)?

texts: An increase in Altitude will result in a decrease of atmospheric pressure -1 in. Hg. / 1000ft (ISA conditions), but with a turbocharged airplane it will keep the pressure constant (+/- MSL pressure) up to the critical altitude? Why do we have to lean the mixture although pressure is kept constant or has it do with the fact that density decreases and thus reduce the amount of molecules for a given fuel molecule? What is the relationship between pressure and density? Thanks :-)


texts: For CG calculations, where is the root chord located on a swept wing aircraft?

texts:
With a swept wing aircraft (specifically a MiG-25 I am modelling) where is the root chord taken from to calculate the location of CG?
Is it the root chord of the wing (where it attaches to the fuselage) or a projected line extended from the the leading / trailing edge to the centreline of the fuselage?


texts: Why do entertainment system headphones on aircraft have two pins?

texts:
In most commercial flights where headphones are provided for inflight entertainment they have two pins, unlike single pin connections which we use on the ground (e.g. for mobile phones).
Is there a particular reason why it is done that way?

One reason could be that people can steal a single pin headphone. But still it is not compelling enough reason.


texts: Has there ever been a report of a helicopter flying into a downburst?

texts:
I was recently flying my quadcopter and it started to go out of control. It was because I was flying it below a ceiling fan which acted as a mini downburst shoving the little quad to the ground.

So have there ever been reports of a helicopter accidently flying into a downburst?


texts: What would happen if an aircraft were to touch down on EMAS?

texts:
What would happen if a jet (say, a A330) were to touch down on the Engineered Materials Arrestor System (EMAS) just before the runway, instead of on it?

According to the FAA the EMAS is designed to "reliably and predictably crush under the weight of an aircraft". Will an aircraft touching down with its main landing gear crush and sink through this material as it would if it hit the EMAS after trying to stop on the runway or will the plane's momentum carry it on to the main part of the runway unharmed?


texts: Up to what thrust setting of a gas turbine engine can the airplane stay stationary on ground?

texts:
I noticed that when a jet engine airplane is started or is conducting run-up, the airplane remains stationary even though the engine is already burning gas and is supposedly producing thrust.

What keeps the aircraft stationary while the engine is spinning? Up to how much percentage of the engine's maximum thrust can you put the thrust setting on as to not have the aircraft move about its stationary position?

An alternate question would be: "On what thrust setting on each engine (assuming twin engine) will the airplane start to move and accelerate?"


texts: Should I open a door or window when there is smoke in the cockpit?

texts:
Let's say when flying, I encounter smoke and the smell of something burnt in the cockpit. Should I open the door or a window to clear the smoke?

My thoughts: the smoke may be toxic; opening the door brings in fresh air and avoid incapacitation. But, if something is burning, opening the door also brings in plenty of oxygen, and the fire will spread very rapidly.

I'm asking about GA planes.


texts: What type of airfoil do low-supersonic aircraft use?

texts: I understand that supersonic airfoils have better performance supersonically, but it seems at if they are not always used for any aircraft that goes supersonic and that supercritical airfoils are often used instead. What Mach number or other quality determines whether a plane will go with supersonic or supercritical airfoils?


texts: Which "warnings" are issued when a military aircraft is going to enter foreign airspace?

texts:
There are reports in the media saying Turkey shot down a Russian military aircraft after ignoring several warnings and after they entered Turkish airspace.

Which "warnings" are these? Are they standardized somehow?


texts: How does one tell whether a corkscrew approach is stabilized or not?

texts:
A corkscrew approach is an unusual type of approach used in places like BGW/ORBI to minimise an aircraft's exposure to antiaircraft fire on the way down; it involves staying at cruise altitude until one is directly over the airport, then descending to the runway in a fast, tight spiral.

Given that the tight, spiralling descent would seem to make it almost impossible to determine whether the approach is stabilized or not, how does a pilot performing a corkscrew approach make this determination?


texts:
This question came up while reading the Wikipedia article on core lock and Pinnacle Flight 3701.

If my understanding is right then if for example inner parts of the jet engine heats up that so much that the metal will expand, then after that it cools down rapidly it can result in a lock of the ball bearing of the blades. This means the engine is not functional anymore?

The Wikipedia article says that a windmill and a APU-restart is not possible anymore - is this because the engine has been rendered permanently inoperable?

Could somebody explain exactly what a core lock is to me, possibly with pictures?


texts:
I don't know if this is the right place to ask, but I am looking for lift-to-drag ratios (L/D) of different airliners. I have found a paper [1] which has some estimates of L/D for some jetliners, but it's a limited sample
Table 3. Estimated aerodynamic characteristics of jet airplanes (L1011, a few Boeing, Douglas and Airbus). This question also looks promising, but delivers airfoil numbers, not aircraft numbers, sadly. Is there any online resource or a place that might point me in the right direction?

  [1] Historical evolution of air transport productivity and efficiency
      Rodrigo Martínez-Val, Emilio Pérez and José F. Palacín
      Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain, 28040


texts: Which commercial aircraft are capable of computer-only landings, without human assistance?

texts: Currently what models of commercial aircraft are capable of landing and safely stopping the aircraft, without any human assistance, other than inputting instructions to the onboard computers.


texts: What does the flashing green-light signal (return for landing) actually mean to NORDO aircraft?

texts:
Studying for the PSTAR I see that a flashing green signal while in the circuit means "return for landing" but this is not actually defined anywhere. What does that mean?

NORDO = "is an aircraft flying without a radio"


texts: When do pilots hold behind ILS Critical area?

texts:
I understand the puropse of the ILS critical area. But I have never operated at an airport having an ILS critical area. So I do not know when pilots hold outside the critical area but not at the RWY holding position marking.

Do pilots always hold behind ILS holding position marking?

Otherwise, pilots hold behind RWY holding marking and with a particular ATC instruction pilots hold behind ILS holding making?

If so, how will a controller instruct the pilots?
I want to know controller’s comments.


texts:
In the modern aviation context, is the word "supercharger" generally assumed to mean a gear-driven system rather than an exhaust-driven system?

At one time the word "supercharger" often was used to encompass both turbosuperchargers (aka turbochargers) which were exhaust-driven, and gear-driven superchargers.  But I have seen the word "supercharger" used to specifically mean a gear-driven system as distinct from an exhaust-driven system.  Would this usage be generally considered unambigous and good practice in the modern aviation context?  Or at least, very common practice in the modern aviation context?

(Include belt-driven along with gear-driven, if such a thing even exists in aviation engines.  The question is about exhaust-driven versus mechanically-driven devices, and how these two different sorts of devices map out against the various terminology in current aviation use.)

A supplemental question might be: "Has the word 'turbosupercharger' completely disappeared from modern aviation terminology?"


texts: Why do IFR charts show TACAN paired frequencies when there is no collocated VOR?

texts:
The image below shows a low IFR chart with a VORTAC on the right and a TACAN on the left. I understand the VORTAC is labelled with both VOR frequency and TACAN channel so that a civilian user could tune the VOR and a military user could tune the TACAN.
Why does the TACAN on the left show the frequency 112.3? I understand it's a paired VOR frequency, but if there's no VOR then why show the freq? My best guess is that perhaps a civilian user could tune 112.3 to receive DME information from the TACAN...


texts: What route should I fly in this lost comms scenario?

texts:
As I've studied, when a pilot faces a lost comm situation the pilot considers two things which are 'fly to altitude' and 'fly to route'.

For 'fly to route', the pilot follows or chooses the route following the orders Assigned-Vectored-Expected-Filed. It is a little hard for me to understand this concept.

For example, take a clearance like this:

  555AZ is cleared to Grand Canyon Airport via DVT One departure PHX VOR
  vectors to DRAKE, Altitude 10000', Frequency 120.7, Transponder 3435

If my comms fail before I arrive at the PHX VOR how can I manage this situation? Do I have to go to Grand Canyon Airport directly? Or go to Drake and hold there?


texts: Can jetliner pilots program departures when specific RNAV procedures do not exist?

texts: Can commercial pilots (e.g. 737 and 737 Max) program departures into their on-board GPS navigation system for the first portion of a flight that doesn't have specific RNAV procedures?


texts:
I wonder what is a Cruise Captain, albeit I assume they are here to fly the cruise phase.

Differences in responsibility / authority with a Captain?
From training / certificate standpoint, what is required?
When are they seen on board?
Is the Cruise Captain the pilot-in-command when they officiate?


texts: How does an aviation business get an AFTN address?

texts: How does an aviation business get an AFTN address to receive FPL messages from Air Navigation Service Providers?


texts: Are magnetic compass acceleration errors due to the southern side of the compass being weighted?

texts:
When I was in college, I had an instructor who taught me that the acceleration errors in a magnetic compass were due to a counter-weight installed on the south-facing side of the compass that was intended to counter-balance the magnetic dip on the northern side.

It makes sense that this would reduce or prevent north/south-facing turning errors, and would also create acceleration errors while facing east or west.

For example, flying east the weight would be on the right, south-facing side, of the compass, which is the side labeled as 'N'.  Now imagine a straight line acceleration...

The heavier, right side, would move rearward in relation to the aircraft due to its inertial lag, bringing the, weighted, southern side of the compass (which reads north) closer to the compass window causing the viewed indication be a number closer to north, making the "accelerate north" error, true.

The thing is, I have never seen this explanation on paper, just that it is "magnetic dip" error.  Is it true, and can you find a source that says so, or was my professor wrong?


texts: why do wings have high aspect ratios on commercial airliners?

texts: On the Boeing 777x they have made the wing span large to increase area and therefore lift. why don't they change the aspect ratio so that the wings don't have to be that long but maintain the same area and therefore lift? this would mean there is no need for the hinge and therefore less complex. Wouldn't this also mean the wings are less of a lever so less force so their could be lighter (proportionally less strong) joint to the plane? To be clear I am not talking about a blende wing body. The wing would be no thicker than normal. Is there a name for this?


texts: Is an FAA Pilot License valid in the U.S. if held by a foreigner?

texts:
My question is relatively simple.

Suppose I come to the U. S. and get my whole flight training over here. I hold a green card but the academy only used my Venezuelan passport for the enrollment process. Would my licenses be valid here in the United States even though I'm a foreign person?  I'm taking about the validity of my licenses regardless my status (I'm a permanent resident, green card holder)


texts: Can I make an emergency landing in Area 51?

texts: In an emergency situation, it is permitted to land the aircraft anywhere. But does that include military bases such as Area 51? If my plane crashes and I determine that the safest place to land is Area 51, can I land there?


texts: In what conditions are visible Wingtip vortices created?

texts:
If I would want to create a visible wingtip vortices on a given plane, what are the conditions that I would need to meet?

Wikipedia gives the following explanation:

  The air cools adiabatically in the center of the turbulence at the end of the wing, as this is an area of particularly low pressure. The air often reaches temperatures below the dew point temperature, which leads to the condensation of the water in the air to water vapor / mist and a vortex is visible. When approaching with moisture-saturated air, you can see such vortex heads even at several points on each wing, in addition to the outer edge often, for example, at the respective end of the buoyancy aids (flaps).

Now to the question:
What conditions would be needed the have them built on a oltimer plane like the Douglas SBD Dauntless or the Douglas TBD Devastator?

I would assume Ideal conditions would be a tropical climate near the Ocean with a high humidity near ground level.


texts: What is the difference between ARINC 429 labels 025 and 102 for Selected Altitude?


texts: Does "cleared into the Bravo at 3500" mean I must wait until I hit 3500 before entering it?

texts: Let's say I'm two miles away from entering the class B, heading straight for it at 1500 feet and climbing. Approach control gives me my clearance as "...cleared into the class Bravo at 3500 feet...". On one hand, they know my heading and altitude, so I assume that I should continue straight on, entering the Class B in my climb and level out at 3500 feet, which I have done often with no consequences. However, a very literal interpretation of the clearance would have me turn away and remain clear of the Class B until I had leveled at 3500, at which point I could turn back and enter it. If push ever came to shove, which interpretation is correct?


texts: What are the three sources that are relayed to the brakes and steering control unit of an A320?

texts:
There is the sentence:

  Electrical signals from the three sources are relayed to the brakes and steering control unit (BSCU) and are computed into the nose steering angle.

The question: What are these sources and where they located?


texts: Can a general aviation aircraft be forced to land when crossing the airspace of a country?

texts:
I don’t know how to fly yet but my friend has a Cessna, he says it’s awesome to have and fly one and he also said he will take me for a flight one day.
I have been researching and reading online and I have a question because I’m a bit scared.
So in order to take your plane for a flight, you have to file a flight plan and when you are flying you have to, using the radio, let them know that you are on your way. Let’s say I’m flying from Italy to Germany by going over Austria and I have filled the flight plan and all the necessary paperwork.
Can the Austrians ask me to land in their country for any reason, even if I’m only going over their country to go to Germany and they have notified of this before the flight?
Will they shoot me down if I don’t comply with them and land in Austria?


texts:
In the Denver metropolitan area (where I fly), we have a large class B area around KDEN, with the associated approach control providing services to the surrounding airports (KAPA, KBJC, KFTG) as well.

Whenever I fly IFR and am in contact with Denver Approach, I am given the Denver altimeter instead of the altimeter of the closet airport which is usually (slightly) different.

I use the Denver setting while in contact with Denver Approach, since I've always assumed everyone else in contact with them are doing the same, and only switched to the destination altimeter after being handed off to the tower controller at my destination.  Is this considered the correct procedure?


texts: Lockerbie bombing - amount of debris (confusing numbers)

texts:
As mentioned on Pan Am Flight 103:

  ... In total 4 million pieces of wreckage were collected and registered on
  computer files. More than 10,000 pieces of debris were retrieved,
  tagged and entered into a computer tracking system.

This is a bit confusing, at least to me. So which one is the actual number? Or if both sentences are correct, what is the difference between them?