texts: On the LAANC map for sUAS operations, why does the permitted ceiling drop to zero southeast of KGFL?

texts:
Above is a screenshot1 from the LAANC map for obtaining authorization to operate sUAS (model airplanes, "drones", etc), centered on KGFL, which is Floyd Bennett airport near Glens Falls NY.  Why does the permitted ceiling drop to zero AGL southeast of KGFL?  Even though the permitted ceiling is as high as 400' AGL between this area and the airport?  This configuration is very unusual.

Above is a screenshot of the sectional chart for this area.  The airspace in question is E2 Class-E-to-surface airspace.
Would aircraft likely be operating under Instrument Flight Rules in IMC at very low altitudes (well below 400' AGL) in the airspace SE of KGFL?  Are there aspects of the instrument approaches into or out of KGFL that would justify banning all sUAS operation in the airspace 5 to 10 miles southeast of KGFL, even though there are many other airports with similar long arms of E2 Class-E-to-surface airspace where the permitted ceiling is all the way up at the maximum value of 400' AGL?
Are there any other similar cases in US airspace where as one travels in a straight line away from an airport, remaining within E2 Class-E-to-surface airspace which encompasses only a single airport with associated instrument approaches, the permitted ceiling indicated by the LAANC system increases, and then decreases again?
It's probably safe to assume that the zero-ceiling designation is not to protect the small airport "Argyle" (1C3).

After all, in the above zoomed-out screenshot of the sectional chart from this area, we can count 33 other airports, none of which are protected by LAANC grid squares.
The following screenshots of the airspace around KSHR shows the FAA's more typical treatment of E2 Class-E-to-surface airspace: the areas distant from the airport have a 400-foot ceiling on the LAANC grid.

Here's a screenshot of the sectional chart showing KSHR:

Below are screenshots of the sectional chart and LAANC grid for another airport -- KTHV -- that has three outlying airports within the E2 Class-E-to-surface airspace.  Note that the permitted ceiling is 400' AGL in the vicinity of these outlying airports.  Reinforcing the point that the zero-ceiling grid squares southeast of KGFL are unlikely to be designated for the purpose of the protecting the airspace of the small airport "Argyle" (1C3).

So what is the reason for the unusually large area of zero-permitted ceiling on the LAANC grid SE of Glens Falls airport?
Footnotes:

All LAANC screenshots taken 12-23-20, and still were current as of 2-3-21.


texts: What is the temperature of intake air at several speed of sound intervals from 1x to 10x?

texts: I watched a YouTube movie about Reaction Engines development of the Sabre engine which main feature is cooling intake air. However, I cannot find an overview of the temperature of intake air at different airspeed levels. I am looking for an overview based on speed of sound levels and the increase on intake air temperatures.


texts: Why can't pilots drink alcohol after a flight?

texts:
Why are pilots told not to drink alcoholic drinks even after landing, even when their next flight is more than 24 hours later?

Is this some kind of precautionary rule?


texts: What's the Canadian equivalent of a Biennial Flight Review?

texts: Is there an equivalent? Googling I didn't learn much.


texts: Why does the QNH of an aircraft change or need to be changed?

texts:
This is mainly a 3 part question.

First, is it the QNH of

of the aircraft?
of the aerodrome?
of the region or area?

Or am I understanding it wrong my looking at it like that?

If the QNH is set to show the airfield elevation above mean sea level, would it change at a specific aerodrome? And if so, why?
What are areas of low and high pressure and why would the QNH need to be changed in those areas?


texts: What clues would have indicated KAL 902 was off course?

texts:
Korean Airlines Flight 902 was shot down by a Soviet fighter in April 1978 after the pilot turned through 150 degrees and entered Russian airspace. The New York Times reported it happened around 8.30 pm Paris time, so this happened during sunset. But if he had kept to the correct course, he should have been flying over the North pole and into the middle of the day.

Given that magnetic compasses are not helpful at this latitude, the aircraft did not have an inertial navigation system, and the Earth's surface (if visible) is presumably similar in both directions, what other clues could the pilot have to his heading?

In other words, for flying at high latitudes in the late 70's, what checks were available to the accuracy of navigation?


texts: What is the "departure cable" that tower mentions?

texts:
Sometimes the tower will advise aircraft that the "departure cable" is up or down. What are they referring to?

KPDX is one airport where this can be found.


texts: Is there a formula to convert SFC to air-fuel equivalence ratio λ?

texts:
Speaking about aviation internal combustion engines, is there a way to get the current value of air–fuel equivalence ratio (λ) given current specific fuel consumption (SFC) and current power?

Is the relationship between SFC and λ fixed or does it vary with engine displacement and/or power?

The data I currently have is:

The engine SFC at best power as watts/Kg*sec
The current engine power output in watts
The current engine fuel flow in Kg/sec
I know that λ is about 0.85 when SFC ratio is about 1 (best power)


texts: Is a winglet better than an equal span extension?

texts:
Is there indisputable evidence that a winglet improves performance over an equal span extension? Please note: I am only interested in L/D improvements.

Winglets do improve roll performance, that is not what I am looking for. Also, if span is restricted, winglets improve L/D over straight wings. Again, that is not what I am looking for.

Boeing and Airbus use fancy wingtip designs to demonstrate technological sophistication and make incredible-sounding claims about them. This is not the kind of proof I ask for. Is there theoretical or practical evidence comparing winglets with span extensions of equal wetted surface which show that the winglet produces better L/D values at any point of the polar?

Bonus points for a comparison of net lift to drag comparison, so the structural impact of both wing extension and winglet get subtracted from the generated lift. This should be the fairest way to compare both, but it seems such research is not published at all.


texts: Does speed or angle of attack generally have the greatest impact on total induced drag?

texts: I know induced drag varies with speed and angle of attack in straight and level flight.  Which factor primarily determines the amount of induced drag?  The speed of the airfoil through the air, or the angle of attack of the airfoil?


texts: If I own land, can I create a private runway on my property for my own use?

texts: In the United States, if I own land that has an area suitable for landing a small general aviation airplane, can I just create a private runway, or do I have to officially be registered with the FAA or some government agency?


texts: In a slip or skid, how does one wing have a higher angle of attack and more lift?

texts:
I've discussed this with my instructor numerous times, and I have the concept memorized, but from an aerodynamic point of view, I can't see how the angle of relative wind to chord line is different per wing (assuming a Cessna 172, if that makes much of a difference).

The wings are essentially a straight line over the top of the plane, and relative wind is a single vector - to me, it looks like they should have identical AoAs.

If you know of a graphic or video, I think it would help explain best.


texts: Why were these Hawkeyes flying in a circular pattern?

texts:
A couple of months ago I was near the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, when I saw 3 or 4 planes flying in a tight circular pattern. The planes were on the larger side, prop driven and had large radar dishes mounted to the top of the fuselage. Based on that, I'm guessing they were E-2 Hawkeyes of some variant. I don't remember the livery, unfortunately.

The planes were flying roughly 200ft above ground level. They were all on the same rough flight path, and were circling. The circle was probably 0.5 to 1 miles in diameter. The flight was right over the eastern edge of the base. I didn't see the planes take off or land, but in the time I was watching, they probably flew 4 revolutions.

At the time I was guessing that the planes were flying like this because they were doing some sort of weather detection, but I was wondering if any of you could provide me with a more definite answer. So my question is:

What was the purpose of having those planes circle the area?


texts: Could sprinkling cool water on the runway in hot summer decrease air density?

texts:
Why is there no such technique used where cool water gets sprinkled on a runway?

Cooling down the air above the airport would decrease air density and therefore lead to a shorter starttime for airplanes.

This image explains exactly what I mean.

(related article: https://www.boldmethod.com/learn-to-fly/performance/prevent-a-density-altitude-crash-on-takeoff/)


texts: Which airliners could survive an EMP pulse?

texts:
The incredibly bad, postapocalyptic tv series Revolution begins with a mysterious event that causes all electrical systems to fail all over the globe.  Even batteries don't work anymore.

In the first episode, after the "event" airplanes immediately start falling out of the sky in flat spins.

This had me thinking: which airplanes could survive an EMP-type event (FN1) that fries all electronics and renders electrical systems unusable?  This means that even RATs would not be a viable choice.

Piper cubs and other single-engine planes with purely mechanical linkages could still keep on gliding and land safely.

I don't think any large airliner currently flying could make it. Could even a B-17 or DC-10 make it with no powered electrical systems -- just on unpowered hydraulics alone?

Bonus question: if they did fall out of the sky, I'm assuming it would be in lawn dart mode and not in flat spins?

Footnote 1: While the apocalypse event in Revolution turns out to not be an EMP, you can assume it was something similar for the purpose of this question.


texts: What is the smallest manned jet aircraft?

texts:
In the movie Spy Kids (2001), there is a scene where the characters board a small jet aircraft "built for one passenger". The aircraft is about 2 meters tall with a 3 meters wingspan, and features a single jet engine, air intake located below the canopy, and tricycle landing gear.

Which got me wondering: what is the smallest fixed-wing jet-powered aircraft to date?

Some clarifications:

The aircraft must be able to takeoff and land under its own power (i.e. aircraft launched mid-air does not count).
The aircraft is propelled by one or more turbojet or turbofan engine(s) (i.e. no propellers, no rockets).
"Smallest" is measured by wing span.
The aircraft must be pilot operated (i.e. RC aircraft does not count).
This is not a question about whether an aircraft that small is possible, since there is already another very similar question. Rather, this question is about the smallest aircraft successfully flown in history to date.


texts: Is it possible for a higher aspect ratio wing to have increased drag compared to a lower aspect ratio wing of the same area?

texts:
Since increasing aspect ratio while maintaining wing area decreases chord, one can expect Reynolds number to decrease. Are there cases in which the resulting increased coefficient of friction would outweigh the induced drag benefits of the higher aspect ratio?
Edit: In response to @Zeus's comment, let's presume we're talking about glider speeds, so something between 70kph and 250kph.


texts: What is the purpose of the Dash 8’s “TOUCHED RUNWAY” warning light?

texts:
The DHC-8-400 (and possibly other DHC-8 variants) has (or, at least, had in late 2007, according to Appendix G of this AAR) a warning light labelled “TOUCHED RUNWAY”.
The extract of the DHC-8-400’s QRH quoted in Appendix G of the aforementioned AAR mentions this warning light at the end of the landing-gear abnormal-procedures section, and says what to do if the light illuminates, but not what the light actually indicates:

”TOUCHED RUNWAY”
(Warning Light)

Do Not Start APU
Advice [sic] ATC for Runway Inspection

Note: Continued flight operations require maintenance approval.

The landing gear of a DHC-8-400 (or, indeed, of any aircraft so equipped) routinely touches the runway, and the ramp, and the taxiways, and the hangar floor, all the time during routine operations - indeed, touching the ground (including, but not limited to, the runway) is literally the primary, and very nearly the entire, purpose of landing gear!  So what does the “TOUCHED RUNWAY” warning light indicate that is severe enough to warrant possibly grounding the airplane?


texts: Why doesn't civil navigation equipment support TACAN?

texts: Now even handheld aviation radios have GPS, VOR and ILS! I wonder why modern LCD screens with radios and navigation doesn't have TACAN? Is it coded, not useful, not certified or not used anymore? I don't think there is a problem to implement the electronics nowadays.


texts: Where can I find airspace maps for Turkey?

texts:
I am trying to learn more about airspaces. It would be nice if I had the airspace map of my region to look and observe.

skyvector.com shows very few information about Turkey, not useful.


texts: What are the FAA regulations on grass airstrips?

texts: What are the FAA regulations on grass airstrips like grass height, lighting, necessary aircraft equipment, and the like?


texts: Why do farmers register their fields as airports?

texts:
(this seems to be primarily a US phenomenon)

So in the vicinity of my parents' place (in a rural area in Indiana), there are several registered airports within several miles' radius.  I remember when I was a kid, there were a few farmers in the area who liked to fly ultralights, and I wonder if some of these might be for that.  And some of these are listed as having certain aircraft based there.  For many of them, however, looking at their fields on Google Maps there is nothing to indicate that it is ever used for anything but growing crops--in some places there is no obstacle-free area even reasonably close to the listed runway dimensions.

What's going on here?


texts: How can one achieve supersonic cruise capabilities without afterburners?

texts: I have read that in order to have stealth capabilities of the F22, it was designed such that it could cruise at supersonic speeds without using afterburners, which increase RCS. How is this possible? what is the technology behind this?


texts: How do I renew/revalidate my lapsed JAR PPL?

texts:
I obtained a JAR PPL in 2003 and flew regularly for a few years afterwards. My last flight as Pilot in Command was around 2006 and as I have not kept up the required number of hours per year since then I'm assuming my license will have lapsed.

What do I need to do to regain my PPL? Will I need to retake the exams, the radio telephony license, and the Skills Test?


texts: How does a Hawk jet avoid pitching down when its air brake is applied

texts:
Some aircraft have air brakes in an aerodynamically neutral position with respect to rotational forces on the airframe (e.g. F-15)...

source

... more often, others have brakes that are aerodynamically neutral by being opposing (lots of examples, F-16, Space Shuttle, here's a Buccaneer)

source

... but the Hawk has an air brake that, because of its position at the tail end of the aircraft, and without any opposing force, I would have expected to generate a severe downward pitch as it is deployed, in much the same way as the elevator.

[source - Ministry of Defence]

It obviously doesn't, so the question is - why not?


texts: Does a Second In Command have to be landing and instrument current like a Pilot In Command does?

texts:
When flying an airplane that requires more than one crew member, does the SIC need to be landing current and instrument current, or is this a requirement only for the PIC?

Does it matter which regulations that you are operating under (Part 91, 121, or 135)?


texts: What legal actions would be taken against a drone pilot if they flew a drone into class B airspace?

texts:
Let's say someone has bought one of those quad copter camera UAVs and wasn't completely aware of FAA rules regarding airspace and where they can fly their drone, etc.  Then let's say that they flew it into the airspace of a Class B airport by accident.1  What would happen?

I assume the airport, if they knew about it, would shut down the airspace until the drone had cleared (kind of like that recent fire.)  But after that, what happens?  Does the FAA have a way to figure out who was flying the drone?  And even if they do figure it out, is their an FAA based penalty for flying into controlled airspace with an unauthorized drone?

1  Here's an example of a Class B airport, for anyone who isn't sure what that is: Lambert-St. Louis International.  So, basically, a really big airport.

For those who seem to think this question is a dupe of "Is it legal to fly a Quadrocopter/Drone into an Airport?  What will happen?":  The only fragments that kind of deal with my question are as thus:

From dvnrrs regarding legal action:

  Were you to actually fly it over the fence, you could be charged with
  trespassing. If you had any intent to cause harm, other charges might
  apply (up to attempted murder if you were trying to bring down an
  airliner).

From ratchet freak regarding what the airport might do:

  When the tower sees unauthorized entry of a drone they will clear the
  airspace and send security to catch the guy controlling it.

Both of these comments lack detail, and that's probably because both of those snippets are from answers that were mostly dealing with the safety aspects of the question rather than with the legal aspects (eg., could a drone actually cause damage).  I am after the legal aspect, and I am looking for more detail than "It's not legal, you may get charged" plus "they'll send security."

CGCampbell did start down that road by listing a statute that contains more detailed rules about what you can do, but it doesn't say what will happen if you don't follow said rules.

I want to know what laws the FAA will use to prosecute, how they will track down the perpertrator and, lastly, what evidence they will need to either fine or charge them with a crime.


texts: I analyzed 2 nearly identical flying wing in XFLR5, how come the one with the thinner tip chord has a higher cD?

texts:
I made two flying wings, one with half the wing tip chord as the root chord and one with the root and tip chord being equal.

I then did VLM2 analysis on both at 7 m/s, and used the same airfoil on both. surprisingly, the wing with the thinner wingtip chord had a higher coefficient of drag (which i believe leads to higher drag). How come?

Everything I know leads to less drag, less induced drag because a thinner chord, thinner airfoil due to proportions, and same parasitic drag because everything else is constant. What causes the one with a thinner wingtip to have a higher CD? Does this make sense, or is it just the inaccuracies of trying to calculate CL and CD?

XFLR5 project file

I designed another plane with the same 30 deg sweep, same airfoil and an aspect ratio of 10 (span .5m, root & tip chord .05 m, no twist). Performance keeps getting worse. Only AOA at 0 makes sense to me but that's out the window.


texts: Are there any aids (like a padded "belt") that can ease hip discomfort during aerobatics?

texts:
When flying aerobatics, particularly maneuvers such as a slow roll, I frequently experience rather high discomfort on my jutting hip bones.  I've googled "padded belts" but I have not found anything that would seem to help.  Is such a thing an actual product, and if so, is there a proper term I could search for?

Basically, I'm looking for a garment/belt I could wear that would provide sufficient padding around my hip bones to mitigate this discomfort.  (The discomfort is caused by the tight seatbelt combined with negative G's -- the belt itself is standard issue on a Pitts Special.)


texts: Why doesn't the air force order more F-22's?

texts:
I've come across several articles touting the F-22 as the most formidable air-to-air killing machine to date, such as this one:

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/f-22-nearly-unstoppable-air-force-has-too-few-them-32152

However, this article and others are also quick to point out there are too few of them.

It is not clear to me what the problem with restarting F-22 production is. The cited article appears to state that the USAF will focus on the sixth generation of aircraft, and integrate the F-22 into that.

Doesn't this seem like a huge gamble? When will sixth generation aircraft be ready in massive numbers?

There are new F-15's and F-16's being built, even today, and they still comprise the bulk of the entire USAF inventory. I don't buy the argument that they can simply "skip" the fifth generation in terms of air superiority fighters and wait for the sixth generation.

With the F-35 being in full production, is it really that hard to restart F-22 production as well? I'm aware that probably nothing at all on the F-35 can be just bolted on to an F-22 airframe -- but shouldn't advances in avionics on the F-35 (if any) only compliment a restarted F-22 production?

It seems at least plausible that the personnel and facilities involved in making F-35 would be able to be adapted to build new F-22's.

However, I'm sure it isn't as plausible as I imagine, and I'm just curious what are the reasons.


texts: What crash does FAA SAIB CE-10-11 refer to?

texts: The Federal Aviation Administration released Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin CE-10-11 on December 23, 2009 advising pilots of what procedures to use when resetting tripped circuit breakers. The background section refers to a crash where the airplane's weather radar system wiring caused a burning smell and the pilot pulled the breaker. When the breaker was reset for the next flight that flight subsequently crashed. I'm curious what flight this bulletin refers to because I'd like to read its associated NTSB report.


texts: What items could you bring on-board to maximise your chance of survival in an emergency?

texts:
A question on Travel (Are parachutes allowed on airplanes as cabin baggage?) got me to wondering: hypothetically, what items could the "über-paranoid" passenger or pilot bring on-board to potentially save their life in an emergency?

I.e. a parachute, oxygen, a portable smoke hood?

What are the technicalities? I.e. would a parachute be of any use above a certain altitude? What about with oxygen?


texts: What is the table top runway maximum slope?

texts: What is the maximum permissible slope for a table top Runway (elevation 1600 m) to be made on hill top ?


texts: Are there modern airplanes with two propellers driven by one single engine?

texts:
Except 1903 Wright flyer, are there any other airplane using one single engine driving two coplanar propellers?

Coplanar means push-pull and coaxial designs are not in the question's frame.
Tilt rotor aircraft that able to fly with one engine driving two rotors in case of an engine failure are also outside the question's frame.


texts: What priviliges and limitations does an Aircraft(General) mechanic have versus an A&P?

texts:
The FAA provides practical test standards for Airframe, Powerplant, and General mechanic certificates. Mechanics seem to demonstrate a preference for Airframe & Powerplant, so much that "A&P" is common shorthand for "aircraft mechanic".

That being the case, my questions are:

What can a mechanic who is only "general"-certified do and not do, compared to an A&P?
Is there any real-world benefit in holding a general mechanic certificate?


texts: What is the weight difference between 100 hp and 150 hp Continental engine?

texts: What would be the approximate difference in weight for a Continental 100 hp engine compared to a 150 hp?


texts: What's the difference between "Nonstop Commercial Air Tour" and "Aerial Photography"?

texts:
I work for an FBO that has a LOA for Nonstop Commercial Air Tours, which are limited to a 25 statute mile radius of the airport. I was contacted by a man who is a semi-professional photographer who would like to be taken on a flight for the purpose of getting some nice pictures of mountains.

He says that because he is doing aerial photography that he should not be restricted to the 25sm radius per the exemption in 119.1(4)(iii). However, if this is the case, then all of our scenic flights conducted under the LOA would also be exempt, because the passengers always take pictures, and there would be no purpose in having the LOA.

So, what is the line between a Nonstop Commercial Air Tour conducted under a letter of authorization, and aerial photography?


texts: Can an increased current rating of a Ground Power Unit damage an aircraft?

texts: Assuming you are working on an Aircraft, where the Ground Power Unit (GPU) is rated at 28V DC with max. 1000 amperes. What is the danger involved if your are to increase the current rating of the GPU to 1200 amps?


texts: How does an auto-pilot control altitude changes?

texts:
When changing the set altitude with an autopilot with speed control engaged how exactly does the control system work...

I can envision one of three (four) methods.

Control throttle and adjust attitude to maintain speed at required descent rate, or
Change attitude to descent slope and adjust throttle to maintain speed, or
Change attitude to maintain descent rate and adjust throttle to maintain speed. or
Some combination of the above.

Follow up question....

When setting the descent rate alone, i.e. no target altitude, is there a difference in control method.


texts: What is the comparative roughness of fabric surfaces?

texts:
"The Design of the Aeroplane" by Darrol Stinton (1983) lists comparative roughness of aircraft skin material (pg 154). Unfortunately it does not list dope & fabric.

What is the comparative roughness of dope and fabric surfaces?


texts: What is the most critical takeoff shear margin condition for a Type IV anti-ice fluid?

texts:
Type II and the more common Type IV anti-ice fluids use non-Newtonian thickening agents so that they can stay put during ground operations, yet shear stresses on the fluid during the takeoff roll cause the fluid to come off the wings, leaving a clean wing behind that can provide proper lift at rotation.  However, if the fluid itself fails to detach from the wing, it can degrade the aerodynamic performance of the wing just like any other contaminant.

Under what conditions of liftoff/rotation speed, aircraft design, temperature, and precipitation is the margin between "shear forces available to get the fluid off the wing" and "shear forces required to thin and remove the fluid" the least?   You can assume that the fluid in use is a standard SAE Type IV fluid applied as per SAE ARP 4737.


texts: Is the aircraft neutral point a function of the tail incidence angle?

texts: While using XFLR v5 for a basic analysis I am facing this issue. For a fixed configuration I varied the tail incidence angle and XFLR is displaying a change in the Neutral point location. But as per theory neutral point location is not dependent on the tail incidence angle at all. I was hoping if someone could help me with this issue.


texts: Is there a minimum level of lighting required for a runway to have an instrument approach?

texts: Is there a minimum amount or type of lighting, in the form of runway or approach lights, that must be present for a runway to have an instrument approach? I'm curious to know in the context of both the FAA and ICAO.


texts: Do ferry flights to the US that are not ADS-B Out equipped require a special ferry permit from 1 Jan 2020?

texts: The aircraft is not compliant with ADS-B Out DO 260B and will be parked in Arizona after return. Can this aircraft fly to the State for ferry flight only to US without ADS-B Out DO 260B? Should I apply to FAA about ferry special permit in advance?


texts: Are return springs on a carburetor throttle mandatory or not?

texts:
In many GA aeroplanes throttle control is connected mechanically to the throttle of carburetor via a cable. I read in some AFMs that in case of a cable failure, return springs will open the throttle so an engine will be at full power.
Is it mandatory to have those springs installed (a certification requirement or something) or it is optional? I'm asking about EASA regulations, but a reference to FAA regulations will also be helpful.


texts: Is an area of localized reduced visibility considered to be a cloud?

texts:
If there an area containing visible moisture in an otherwise clear sky and that area of visible moisture is transparent is it considered a "thin cloud" or simply a "localized area of reduced visibility"?

What about areas of mist and haze with no definite border below an overcast layer that present in the sky as large areas of reduced visibility still above VFR visibility limitations for aircraft within them?


texts: Is there any specific location on airframe for gaining higher drag?

texts:
I have a model rocket and I want my rocket to reach specific height above the ground level. As soon as desired height is reached, an air brake (umbrella type) is allowed to deploy. In order to have higher drag, what is the best position for the air brake? Will I obtain same drag if the air brake is below or above the Center of Gravity (CG)? Is Cd different for different locations of the air brake (having same surface area)?
Note: Although this question is about a rocket, this really has to do with aerodynamics.


texts: Was the miracle on the Hudson saved exclusively by the APU?

texts:
In the film Sully, (staring Tom Hanks) the APU is switched on straight after both engines rollback, why was this step necessary; Airbus said this was the "15th thing" to do on the checklist.

How or why did this step in particular prevent the loss of lives of over 100 people?


texts:
I read that with each LRU or Module in the IMA it is associated a BITE, Built-in-test Equipment.

Can you describe more in detail what it is and which is its scope?


texts: Do planes use autopilot when flying in formation?

texts:
I've attempted to fly formation over a multiplayer flight simulator, and it was incredibly hard. It felt really hard to have the two planes go exactly the same heading, so it was always necessary to sway the yoke back and forth, constantly overshooting and undershooting.

When real planes fly formation, do they use some sort of short-range radar system and an autopilot to maintain the formation shape? I could imagine that manually flying formation would cause extreme fatigue due to the need to constantly fiddle with trim and yoke, and would be very dangerous.

Or is this simply a case of actual pilots having actual training, instead of my amateur "training" of fiddling around in the simulator overusing instruments?


texts:
Does a multi-engine ATP with single-engine commercial privileges provide single-engine instrument privileges?

I received my ATP certificate recently, and the back of my FAA certificate reads as follows.

AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT
  AIRPLANE MULTIENGINE LAND
  ...
COMMERCIAL PRIVILEGES
  AIRPLANE SINGLE ENGINE LAND
...

I left out the specific type ratings and limitations as noted by ....

The ATP supersedes an instrument rating, but the ATP is for the multi-engine category. Shouldn't the certificate reflect an instrument rating in the single-engine category?

The changes to my certificate were completed in IACRA and I have had part of a rating inadvertently removed before using the IACRA system.


texts: Is it legal to listen to aviation frequencies in the UK?

texts: Am i allowed to purchase an ATC scanner and listen tho what is being said in the control tower? Thank you


texts: What are the FAI rules for circumnavigating the world?

texts:
If I want to solo circumnavigate the world by plane as the youngest pilot, what are the FAI requirements regarding the routing?

Most standard routings include the Hawaii to California leg, which is about 2200NM, a bit far for my plane.

However, I found this guy, who had a max leg distance of 975N. Would that max 975NM variant still be officially acceptable to the FAI?


texts: Gray cargo prop plane with ∇ or Δ symbol on side and French-like tricolor flag tail?

texts:
What type of plane flown today has the following characteristics?

gray body
cargo/freight
4 props
∇ or Δ symbol on side
vertical, French-like tricolor flag on tail's rudder


texts: What is going to change with auto-pilots on commercial aircraft in the next decade or so? Will airlines allow an auto-pilot to control an aircraft when it lands and takes off? Will we start using


texts: Can a flow which is initially supersonic, become subsonic without a shock wave?

texts: I am doing my college project in which air is first accelerated to supersonic  conditions in a nozzle. Then it is added into slow moving subsonic air. I see that my flow becomes supersonic and then subsonic but I don't see a shockwave. All this is done on Fluent using various 2 equation models.


texts:
I am designing an aircraft and it is my first that will use a combustion engine rather than electric, so I am curious, if I had a single engine in the fuselage and gear shafts to the wings that drove propellers, how would I achieve different speeds on the propellers? The 'plane' itself is more similar to a VTOL so the different speeds are needed. I would be fine with a solution that used smaller electric motors in it's mechanism.

Or maybe I'm approaching this in a terribly inefficient way and there's a much better method to what I'm trying to achieve, I just feel stuck after battling it for a few days.

The aircraft itself will look similar to this:


texts:
Can someone please explain in simple terms how to work out your QNH from QFE?

For example, you take off at 0' but leave the circuit, what do you set the altimeter to? How do you know the QNH?


texts: Why do airliners have to park so accurately?

texts:
I was watching some airport documentary and I noticed that the planes always had to park precisely. I honestly didn't think so much of it before, but in the documentary, an aircraft parked badly because the VDGS couldn't detect it correctly due to fog, so it had to be pushed back to park again with the help of a marshaller.

The only two reasons for this I could come up with are the following:

Jetways: I figured it's because of the jetways, but they can move about so as to adapt to where the plane is. Plus, when parking on stands, the accuracy is the same and there is no jetway.
Aesthetics:  I also thought it could be about aesthetics, but the systems used to help the pilot park (a marshaller or VDGS) can be expensive so business-wise, it wouldn't make sense to be so strict on parking if it's just for the looks.


texts: Why is the Concorde, and not other aircraft, getting this fog/condensation, over the wing, at *takeoff*?

texts:
Several pictures of the Concorde taking off, show a cloud of water droplets (fog) above the wings.  Like this:

I assume the fog is created due to low pressure over the wings. But, doesn't the size location and visible turbulence of this pattern suggest that the wing is stalled?  It certainly doesn't look like laminar flow.

I don't recall seeing this on other aircraft at takeoff.
What's going on?
Is it unique to the Concorde?
Is it exacerbated by ground effect?

This Wikia entry says:

  ...the undercarriage had to be unusually strong. This was due to the unusual loadings due to the high angle of attack that Concorde needed to take-off due to its delta-wing.

The "high angle of attack" would support my guess that the upper wing is stalled?
I could understand a stall if the aircraft was landing, but these seem to be near stall during takeoff?


texts: Why are most turbofans tractors, but most propfans pushers?

texts:
Turbofans and propfans are, in concept, quite similar: both have a turbojet core, plus one or more additional turbine stages that drive a fan(s) which blows air around the core (this is known as bypass air, because it bypasses the core rather than going through it).  The single defining difference is that, with a turbofan, the fan(s) is enclosed in a large cowling (hence the alternative name "ducted fan", as the bypass air passes through an enclosed bypass duct), while, with a propfan, the fan(s) is left un-cowled (hence the alternative name "unducted fan").

However, in practice, there is one additional, rather odd, difference between most turbofans and most propfans.  Most turbofans operate in the tractor configuration, with the fan(s) placed out in front of the compressors and pulling the engine (and the airplane attached to said engine) through the air, while most propfans operate in the pusher configuration, with the fan(s) aft of the turbines and (surprise, surprise) pushing the engine (and, hopefully, aircraft) through the air.  There are exceptions on both sides; the General Electric CJ805-23 turbofan, powering the Convair 990, operated in pusher configuration, while the Progress D-27 propfan, which powers the Antonov An-70, operates in tractor configuration; however, both are exceptions, and the tractor-turbofans\pusher-propfans rule holds true for the vast majority of engines in both categories.

Why is this?


texts: What are the specs for runways at international airports?

texts:
1) What are the materials that international airport runways are made of? If runways consists of several layers, what are they made of, and what is their depth and other specifications?

2) What are the surface specifications/properties required of such runways?

3) What kind of routine maintenance drills do such runways require?


texts: Can a Cessna 162 Skycatcher be flown IFR in IMC?

texts:
This question is similar to these questions:

Are there any LSA aircraft that can be flown IFR in IMC?
What are the FAA requirements for an aircraft to be IFR certified?

Unfortunately I couldn't find a definite answer to the following question:

If a private pilot is instrument-rated, can he/she file an IFR flight plan and fly IFR in IMC in a Cessna 162 (Skycatcher), assuming the C162 is equipped with the optional autopilot? (is it really a requirement to have a functioning autopilot for IFR in IMC?)

As far as I know, the Skycatcher has all the required equipment for IFR, including a "real" Continental engine (unlike most other LSA's using Rotax engines)


texts: How does supercruise thrust compare with static thrust ASL?

texts: As I understand it, turbojet thrust decreases both with altitude due to rarefied air reducing massflow, and airspeed due to a smaller speed increase between intake and exhaust relative to the airframe. However aircraft designed for sustained supercruise such as Concorde or Blackbird had intakes that used various amounts of ram-effect pressure recovery, so I was wondering how much that would offset the effects of being fast and high i.e. what was Concorde's mach 2 max thrust compared compared to sea level dry thrust, and/or the Blackbird's mach 3.2 turboramjet thrust compared to take-off wet thrust?


texts: When would a pilot request a "VMC descent" or "VMC climb"?

texts:
Can anybody explain what's the point of this and in what kind of situations a pilot needs it?
ICAO Doc 9432 "Manual of Radiotelephony"

8.3.3 An aircraft may request a clearance to climb or descend maintaining own separation while in VMC, in daylight, below 10 000 feet in airspace classes D and E. The clearance shall include information on essential traffic.
Example:
P: FASTAIR 345, REQUEST VMC DESCENT TO FL 60
C: FASTAIR 345, DESCEND TO FL 60, MAINTAIN OWN SEPARATION AND VMC FROM FL 90 TO FL 70, TRAFFIC WESTBOUND FRIENDSHIP FL 80, ESTIMATING WICKEN VOR AT 07.


texts: In helicopter's forward motion, how is the forward pitching moment taken care off?

texts: When the rotor disk is in the position shown by the dashed lines, the net Lift is at an angle. It should produce a forward pitching moment about CG (Center of gravity). That can cause the helicopter nose to go down with a further increase in the moment angle and further pitching. What stops/controls this from happening in the actual scenario?


texts: Why is it advantageous to vary sweep angle with relative thickness?

texts:
In the answer to this question, Peter Kampf stated that:

"In the majority of cases it is aerodynamically advantageous to vary sweep with relative thickness, but it is not structurally and economically efficient."

Why is this the case?


texts: Why does NASA's B-52 008 have a smoking engine in this photograph?

texts:
This is a photograph from the launch of an X-43 from the NASA owned and operated B-52 '008'. It appears that one engine is producing a plume of smoke in the photograph. Why is this?

Source


texts: What precautions prevent 'insiders' from stealing a large aircraft, as in the Horizon Air Q400 incident?

texts:
For those who haven't heard it yet, a ground worker stole a Q400 at SeaTac this week, performing an unauthorized takeoff and going for a joyride before eventually crashing into an island. The plane was empty and fueled at the time of departure.

My questions are:

How easy/hard would it have been for this mechanic to get on this aircraft alone and take-off without assistance or authorization?
What precautions are in place to prevent something like this?
And if I may ask a speculative question, what do people familiar with airport operations think will change as a result of this incident?

This is not a duplicate of this question because I'm asking about a) insiders who already have access to the aircraft, and b) large/transport aircraft like airliners.


texts: Where can I find Air Traffic Control information material suitable for beginners and students?

texts: I would like to learn more about how the Air Traffic Control system works - are there any resources available which describe the system that would be suitable for a beginner or student?


texts: Do flight simulators imitate turbulence effectively?

texts: I know that flight simulators (which are used to train the pilots for commercial airlines) try to simulate almost all kind of weather conditions, but how effectively and realistically are they able to reproduce turbulence in the simulated environment?


texts: What is a flight leg and why it is so important for an aircraft?

texts:
A flight leg is basically flight from one point to another point, (I'm not sure if flight leg number increase with touch and go around). I would like to know more about flight leg under what all conditions usually it increases and when it is reset.

Also, most important why is it so important for an aircraft/airlines because usually it is 1 or 2 flight leg per travel. From what I know, flight leg is most important parameter in case of recording or storing data in NVM but I believe flight phase should be sufficient enough.


texts: Where is it documented an airport is military?

texts:
On sectional charts (at least in the US) military airports appear with the same symbols as public airports, eg. KBKF.  Some military bases are within restricted airspace.  I would assume all military airports are restricted to public use.

Is there a way to see this on the sectional chart?  Would this information be found in the A/FD?  Is it just assumed that AFB, NAS, etc. indicates military?


texts: This biplane from the 1930s is from an English airshow. Can anyone identify it?


texts: Do propellers generate static electricity in flight and how is that handled?

texts: How is the risk of tribocharging (static electricity generation) by the propeller managed on an airplane? Regardless of airplane size, it seems the rotation of the propeller or engine blades could cause tribocharging somewhere in the electrical system, and that charge would have to be grounded or dissipated somehow.


texts: For the N1 fan and N2 compressor to move, the turbine needs to spin in an airliners engine. How does energy from the ignited gas spin this turbine? Do the blades on the turbine generate lift just like a wing and spin to spin the N1 fan and N2 compressor?


texts: How does this very long tube deployed from the back of a 787 measure pressure?

texts:
Photos in the CNET's Up close with the first Boeing 787-9 include the one below with the caption

  Boeing 787-9 at Farnborough The back of the first 787-9 has coiled tubing extended from the back of the plane's tail during test flights. It's used to measure the true air pressure to compare with the different higher and lower pressures near the plane.

Apparently this is from 2014.

Question: What is this kind of tube called, how is it used, what structure is at the far end of the tube when deployed, and why does it need to be so long?

Published:July 13, 2014 Caption:Stephen Shankland Photo:Stephen Shankland/CNET


texts: Are there any documented example usages of film (ie, film film, not video or digital) for in-flight entertainment?

texts:
Regarding this excellent question: What was the inflight entertainment in the early seventies?

There's a mention that the "TRANSCOM 8mm film cassette" (that was film-film, ie the plastic stuff you can see-through, not video tape) was used on some planes.

I've found all the references to this on the WWW are poor references copying each other with no details (but I may be missing something).

Can anyone find literally an image of film-projector technology being used for in-flight entertainment?
Are there any specific references / image examples to the "TRANSCOM 8mm film cassette"
What year was about the last year film projection technology was used (if it was ever used?)

Or indeed -- memories of these things, even better! Cheers.


texts: What is the difference between ADS-B UAT and ADS-B ES?

texts: Why would an owner decide to put in an ADS-B UAT transceiver versus an ADS-B ES transceiver?  What are the advantages and disadvantages of both systems?


texts: What is that yellow square to the right of the main entry door of this Lufthansa A350?

texts: My question is: is it just part of the paint job, or does this yellow square serve a purpose? I haven't seen this square on any other airlines.


texts: Why do full service airlines prefer to run a separate low-cost carrier?

texts:
There are various full service carriers (FSCs) who have a separate low-cost carrier (LCC) subsidiary. For example:

Germanwings by Lufthansa
Air India Express by Air India
JetKonnect by Jet Airways

Why do the FSCs prefer to launch a separate LCC, rather than providing seats at a cheaper rate with reduced comforts within their existing structure?


texts: What are the names of the forces acting upon the side of a vessel?

texts: People often refer to the four forces in navigation as weight, lift, thrust and drag. Are there separate names for the forces acting upon the side of a craft?


texts: Does angle of rotation during takeoff affect the g-force?

texts:
(Original)

When an airplane banks 60° during row, 2 g of force is induced. When an airplane pitches 60° during takeoff, is 2 g induced on the airplane?

Is the angle of rotation during takeoff related to the amount of g-force made during takeoff?


texts: How are change-overs between regional air traffic patterns communicated?

texts:
The airport near me that has two major landing/takeoff patterns part of a large regional air traffic control plan involving other major international airports (SFO/OAK/SJC)

The duplicate-cited question addresses the general question of change-over. I am in need of public service information on when this change happens.  I have edited this question to remove the general curiosity.

Generally  I would like to know how  the changes between two regional plans  is communicated or published to the public or if it is available on a public service. Specifically, the East-Plan/West-Plan change in the SFO/OAK/SJC area (CA, USA)

90% of the time the take off direction is in direction that does not impact me.

When the prevailing winds change the takeoff pattern is directly overhead. This has an impact on alarms and equipment. In order to automate the shutdown of certain equipment I would like to monitor regional ATC information.  I have considered simply monitoring flight patterns, prevailing winds, and weather conditions. A definitive source is preferred because it takes some time to reconfigure the equipment.  Does such a ATC or FAA source exist for the general public?


texts: Why does camouflage make some planes fly slower?

texts: Why does camouflage decrease some airplanes' speed? I have noticed that some planes fly slower with camouflage than without it. For example, when the RAF applied camo on the P-51 Mustang, they noticed that it was 8 mph (About 12.87 km) slower than without it. This is why the Mustang usually had no camouflage on. My question is why did the camouflage make it go slower? Did/does this apply to other planes too?


texts: How to remove a course reversal (hold) on a Garmin 530W?

texts: How can I remove a course reversal, (hold) from the FLP page on an RNAV approach ?  If I want to do a straight in (NoPT) it will not allow me to remove the hold without removing the whole waypoint.


texts: Why do we have to check that the fuel x feed is properly functioning before departing for an ETOPS flight on the A320?

texts:
In the A320 family series FCOM under the special operations procedure chapter it is mentioned that we have to check the fuel x feed on ground before departing.

Any specific reason why we only check it before departing for ETOPS flights?


texts:
(twitter.com)

An Air India flight from Delhi to Tel Aviv started very far to the south before turning west. Why did it do that? Which airspace did they have to circumvent for political reasons? The India-Pakistan border is way further up north, so that shouldn't be the issue, or is it?


texts: Are there any known maintenance issues with older Mooney wooden wings?

texts: Are there any maintenance issues or ADs for the older Mooneys with wooden wings? I'm looking at a 1958 M20A (always hangared) and I'd like to know if there are specific points to check.


texts: What is "Hotel Mode" on a turboprop engine?

texts:
I have heard that some aircraft that do not have an APU can run an engine in "Hotel Mode".

What is hotel mode? Are there any advantages to having it instead of an APU?


texts: Would there be any advantages to a wing with a concave upper surface?

texts:
A wing with a concave upper surface could have the same area as one with the normal convex shape of an aerofoil.

I can think of many potential disadvantages: additional complexity of design and construction, reduced volume for fuel tanks, having rain fill up rather than run off the the wing.

Could there be any advantages to such a design? Has it ever been tried, or studied?

For clarity, this is the kind of cross-section I have in mind. Yes, it's ugly, and I don't think that better draughtsmanship would improve it.


texts: What is the object on the nose of this HondaJet in this marketing video?

texts:
In the third Hondajet marketing video there is a sword-like object visible on the nose of the aircraft.

What is this used for?


texts:
How many AOA sensors does the 737 MAX have?

Given that it's reported in the media, that one faulty AOA probe activated the MCAS on the Lion Air flight, I was wondering if anybody also knows how an input consensus is reached for the AOA value that gets send to the MCAS system.


texts: Have I made a calculation mistake in this ATPL question that uses the CAP 698 Chart?

texts:
I have been calculating this question but I just don't seem to get the correct answer.
For this question use Performance Manual CAP 698 SEP1 Figure 2.3.
Using the climb performance chart, for the single-engine aeroplane, determine the   ground distance to reach a height of 2000 ft in the following conditions:

Given:
OAT at take-off: 25°C
Airport pressure altitude: 1000 ft
Aeroplane mass: 3600 lb
Speed: 100 KIAS
Wind component: 15 kt Headwind

My Workings
*TAS = 104kt (from using CRP-5)
GS = 104kts - 15kts = 89kts*
Climb Gradient = 10.7% (from chart)
Still Air Distance = (2000 / 10.7) X 100 = 18,691ft
Ground Distance = 18691 X (89/104) = 15,995ft

But the CAE Oxford ATPL says that 16,850ft is the answer.
The next closest answer is 15,750ft which is what I would choose.
Please help me out here, thank you in advance!

Reference:
CAE Oxford ATPL Chapter 8, Question 4.


texts: Why does the DC 4 airplane not tip backwards?

texts:
The wheelbase of the DC-4 is very short relative to the fuselage

The 4 engines weigh a combined 7,000 pounds. It would seem like even with the weight of the engines, it's not enough to prevent the plane from tipping backwards. If a really fat passenger sat in the back of the pane, it would tip.


texts: Why do airplanes have complex air conditioning systems?

texts: I'm wondering why do planes have complex air conditioning systems with several coolers, compressors and turbines. If these devices are powered by bleed air from the engines, why isn't the bleed air simply cooled and depressurized with valves? Is it due to easier pressure regulations as the pressure of the bleed air surely changes depending on the amount of current thrust from the engines, altitude of the plane etc. or is there some other reason?


texts: What is the radius of a VOR compass rose on a VFR sectional chart?

texts:
I thought I read somewhere that it was 10 nautical miles. Does anyone have a reference on whether that's the case or not?

I'd like to use the measurement of a compass rose to aid in my estimation of how far away I might be from something else.


texts: Isn't only pitching up/down and yawing right/left enough for travelling from one location to another?


texts: Where can I find US ARTCC sector boundary coordinates?

texts:
For an academic purpose, I would like to map US airspace using GIS tools with coordinates. I found the airspace boundary coordinates from the eNASR, but no luck with the sector boundaries.

Any information you can provide me would be greatly appreciated.


texts: Why should some piston engines not be run lean of peak?

texts:
Leaving aside the claimed pros and cons of lean-of-peak (LOP) vs. rich-of-peak (ROP), the C172S Lycoming IO-360-L2A handbook I have says "Continuous operation at mixture settings lean of peak EGT is prohibited", and indeed I was always taught to run the engine ROP.

Obviously you should always follow the POH for your aircraft, but considering piston engines in general, why would running LOP be prohibited?


texts:
When waiting to depart Edinburgh today I noticed a square hole (looked to be something that can be opened and closed) on the rear of the right side of the aircraft.

Never seen it before and no idea what it's purpose is. Anyone know?

The opening is below and to the right of the rear door on the right hand side of the aircraft

(image source)


texts: What protections and feedback does the fly-by-wire on the Boeing 777/787 provide?

texts:
I know the Boeing 777 and 787 run on Fly-By-Wire. I was wondering:

Do they have the Alpha Floor or Flight Envelope protections Airbus aircraft have?
Do they have force feedback/force feel? The 737, for example, is connected using physical cables that move the flight control surfaces, so you can feel the yoke trying to move and when there is turbulence, it will actually shake a bit. Can you see or feel this in Boeing Fly-By-Wire aircraft?
When banking (without any pitch input), will the aircraft start to descend, or does the system counteract it like in an Airbus? In non Fly-By-Wire aircraft, they will start to descend a bit when banking, but Airbus Fly-By-Wire counteracts it by adjusting stabilizer trim.


texts: What causes the vortex on the tip of this vertical stabilizer (CFD Simulation)

texts:
This is a computational fluid dynamics simulation of an airfoil that is oriented to look like a vertical stabilizer. After watching the video, it becomes clear that the tip of the stabilizer causes a counter-clockwise vortex (if looking at the trailing edge). According to this answer, vortices only form on vertical stabilizers if a control surface (the rudder) is deflected. In this simulation, the rudder appears to be completely in-line with the rest of the airfoil.

Furthermore, there also appears to be a slight clockwise rotation on the bottom of the stabilizer, where it would attach to the aircraft's tail. This seems even harder to explain, given the opposite rotation and angular velocity of the top one. I can only assume this is partially caused by the disturbances from what look like hinges farther up. Is this reasonable?

TL;DR: What causes the strong vortex on the tip of this vertical stabilizer?


texts:
Tonight I watched Nova's "The Impossible Flight", a documentary film about the around the world Solar Impulse project where a solo pilot set the world's record for a 5 day non-stop flight from Japan to Hawaii with a ~35mph TAS! The documentary showed the pilot practicing 20min naps and said "this is a technique military fighter pilots are taught...". (It is supposed to keep them from going into a deep sleep)

Many commercial sleep questions have been answered on stack such as;

Is a pilot allowed to sleep during a flight?

How are emergencies handled during In-Seat Rest?

So this question pertains to military pilots.

Is this practice common among most nations?
How is a fighter pilot woke up?
Is there a alarm in the radio system?
Does an air or ground controller wake them?
Or perhaps the documentary was misleading and only sleep is allowed with two or more crews?


texts: What is the best way to align with centerline on final, rudder or slip?

texts:
Like many student pilots, I consistently find myself slightly left of centerline in the last few seconds before touchdown (e.g. between crossing the threshold, through roundout and flare), despite flying a stabilized, on-course approach on Final, with no crosswind component.

My question is how to realign with centerline in those last few seconds? I've been suggested two techniques (see below), but I'm not at ease with them.

I did see the "Crosswind, crab or slip?" question, but I believe mine is different. I am wondering what is the correct technique without crosswind. Even if they have the same answer, it's not necessarily the same question, as the technique one uses MAY be different w/crosswind (or not! I don't know).

My CFI suggested imagining the centerline extending vertically into the air, and using rudder pedals to align with it as if I was 'taxiing' on that centerline. So if the plane is to the left of this imaginary centerline, apply right pedal to yaw the aircraft to the right, and vice-versa. In either case, the longitudinal axis of the aircraft is intersecting the vertical centerline at some point down the runway.

Problem is, when I do this, it doesn't feel like the plane moves towards centerline at an appreciable rate. It just feels yawed, but without any "movement" towards the side that I'm pointing to.

Alternatively, I've seen in some videos online to use the rudder pedals to align the longitudinal axis of the aircraft PARALLEL to the vertical centerline, and instead use ailerons to slip back to centerline. So if the plane is to the left of center, point the nose of the aircraft parallel to centerline, but roll aircraft to the right.

Both unnerve me a bit, but for different reasons. For the former, I'm not used to the 'crabbed' orientation so close to the ground. For the latter, I'd prefer the wings to be level so close to the ground.

Which technique is preferable?


texts: Aircraft pilot's seats: what is the notch for?

texts:
If you do a Google or Bing search for "Aircraft Pilot Seat" then choose images, you might notice a large number, perhaps majority of them, have a notch cut out of the front of the seat. What is this notch for?

Notches are circled here:

Original Source

(Please, no potty humor or scatological jokers need apply here)


texts: Can anyone identify this biplane from a TV show?

texts: Could someone help identify this biplane from a TV show, please? No other scene / camera angle is available though.


texts: Would an A320 override the autothrottle due to an erroneous radio-altimeter?

texts:
The pilots of Turkish Airlines Flight 1951 had multiple issues with the auto-throttle setting itself to idle during approach: despite manually adding throttle, the plane stalled and crashed before reaching the runway, from a sequence of events initiated by the reaction of the auto-land system to one faulty transducer.

The fault was masked because:

The PF was the first officer, his radio altimeter was working correctly.
Autothrottle in the 737 only looked (looks?) at the captain's side.
The glide path was intercepted from above and throttle reduction was expected.

The F/O was an ex military pilot with 4000 flight hours receiving line training, when the stick shaker activated he immediately gave full throttle. The captain took over command, during which the autothrottle set back to idle again. The plane then stalled and re-applying full thrust was ineffective. Full investigation report pdf here.

The plane was a Boeing 737-800. Had it been an A320, would the autothrottle have reacted in the same way, and set the throttle to idle upon detecting zero radio altitude?


texts: How does an Airbus pilot decide whether to use HDG-V/S or TRK/FPA guidance?

texts:
The Flight Control Unit of modern Airbus aircraft has a pushbutton for selection of either

heading / vertical speed (HDG-V/S), or
track / flight path angle (TRK-FPA)

guidance for the Autopilot and Flight Director. I know in principle what these modes mean (i.e. difference of heading vs. track, or between vertical speed and flight path angle) and how the guidance on the Primary Flight Display changes from Pitch/Roll bars to the Flight Path Vector depending on the selected mode:

What I would like to ask is when is each mode used. How do pilots decide which guidance mode suits them most in a given situation? For example, is it related to

personal preference of the Pilot Flying?
specific flight phases or situation/circumstances?
procedures that require a certain selection?


texts: Could a airship be built using vacuum as the lighter-than-air “material”?

texts: Could an airship be built that uses instead of a very light gas a vacuum to keep it floating? Or would the materials needed to keep its volume even without the pressure from the inside always be heavier than the lift by the vacuum could handle?


texts: What is the aerodynamic advantage to a cuffed wing like the Cirrus SR-22?

texts: What is the aerodynamic advantage to a cuffed wing like this Cirrus?


texts: For a unmixed turbofan engine what does ‘unmixed’ mean in regards to the flow of air?  How does this differ from ‘mixed’ also in terms of air flow ?


texts: What is this propeller on the A330 MRRT refueling pod?

texts:
Illustration taken from this youtube video

Earlier in the video, it can be seen moving:

Is it to provide mechanical power for the boom operation ?


texts: Can rotorcraft pick up a dangerous electric charge?

texts: So, I was re-watching The Hunt For Red October, (in light of current Russian shenanigans with Sweden), and there was a scene in which a crew-member on the ground was electrocuted by making contact (and presumably grounding) the helicopter, which had picked up a charge in the stormy weather. Can anyone explain more of what is going on here?


texts: What happens when an airplane gets struck by lightning?

texts: I know that they certify airplanes for lightning strikes (at least some of them anyway), but does it cause any damage to the airplane or to the electronics?  Are there any required inspections if an airplanes is struck by lightning?


texts: Does a 3-blade prop handle up/down drafts better than a 2-blade?

texts:
I'm about to order a plane kit (RV-10) and one of the choices I'll be making is a 3-blade vs 2-blade propeller. A 3-blade prop should be: easier to balance, quieter and capable of generating more thrust - assuming engine has adequate power - which helps to shorten the take-off distance. However, it also adds more drag (i.e. it's less efficient) so it's common to see a reduction of top-speed.

Can anyone comment on their relative performance in winds or high density altitudes? I'm not concerned about the top-speed as much as dealing with adverse weather. I plan to fly in or near the Rockies. If benefits are negligible, the cost savings are considerable when going with a 2-blade prop. I reached out to Hartzell but have not heard back.


texts:
I had this question posed to me the other day and I wanted to make sure I responded correctly.

When do you contact ATC when departing from a non-towered airport into class D controlled airspace?

This is the situation where the uncontrolled airport sits under the Class D shelf.


texts: What is this racetrack-shaped Special Use Airspace, and why isn’t it on the VFR sectional?

texts:
What type of SUA is AR633A, the cyan racetrack-shaped SUA north of Knoxville, Tenneessee (KTYS) depicted below on sua.faa.gov?

Why doesn’t it correspond to anything on the VFR sectional?


texts:
Does anyone have good resources on how piston-engine primers work?
Looking for literature, schematics, or better yet, videos.
I was told that in carburetor engines, it bypasses the carburetor and goes straight into one of the cylinders, but the I was told it goes through a different path in the carburetor.
Thanks in advance!


texts: What are the typical facets of ownership costs, for a single engine aircraft?

texts:
It's easy to go online and look at prices of a Cessna 172, but what are some examples of how to break down the real world costs of ownership?

How much other maintenance should you plan for?
How much does an engine overhaul cost?
Insurance
Hangar
etc..

It would be great to also get some typical costs and ranges, since some element are more predictable than others.  Obviously the costs will vary based on individual aircraft and location, as well as over time, but I'm looking for information that would help someone make the buy/rent decision.

I'm asking for the structure of the costs to start making a plan for cost analysis and diligence. For example, with an IFR aircraft, what costs are involved with keeping it current?


texts: How do pilots decide whether to circumnavigate bad weather?

texts: How does an airline pilot decide in the air whether to circumnavigate or fly through bad weather visibly looming ahead and/or displayed on the weather radar ?


texts: How does one address a first officer in conversation?

texts:
If I am just deplaning a commercial flight and I see the captain (4 bars on the epaulet) and want to thank him/her for a safe and enjoyable flight, I would say "Excuse me, Captain, thanks for the nice flight".

However, if I were to encounter the first officer (3 bars), how should I address him or her? "Excuse me, First Officer...?"

Presumably not "Hey co-pilot!" :)


texts: Can you bust a TFR while operating under IFR?

texts:
Is it possible for the pilot to be held responsible for violating a Temporary Flight Restriction if the controller makes a mistake while you are operating under an Instrument flight plan (ie: does not deviate you around it, or allows you to go through it without clearing you with the responsible body)?

It is a commonly held belief that the pilot is immune from TFRs while under IFR, but I found a forum thread that seems to indicate the opposite, where both the pilot and the controller were at fault and both received a suspension.  http://www.studentpilot.com/interact/forum/archive/index.php/t-17212.html

(Bonus: Can anyone find a more official reference for that story, and whether there was any legal followup from AOPA Legal or otherwise?)


texts: Why would a plane descend rapidly in uncontrolled manner after a steep turn?

texts:
Here's some footage from 2010 Red Bull Air Race.  At 0:17 the plane is passing through a gate and then makes a steep turn to the left and that requires the plane to have left wing pointing almost downwards and right wing pointing almost upwards - this is how such turns are typically done. Right after the turn ends - at about 0:18 - the plane just starts falling down. It's only the pilot's skill which prevents it from entering water with left wing pointing down - the pilot promptly levels the airplane such that wings are now horizontal and this mostly stops the incident from developing.

How is this turn different from "good" turns which don't end up with plane falling down?


texts: What does "transition of glideslope intercept waypoint" mean in the 737 FCOM?

texts:
In the Boeing 737NG FCOM, I've read this statement:

VNAV mode is terminated by any one of the following:

selecting another pitch mode
glideslope capture
reaching end of LNAV route
transition of glideslope intercept waypoint if G/S is armed
crosstrack deviation exceeds twice the RNP value during PTH descent for
an active leg with a database vertical angle and LNAV not engaged

In the event of glideslope intercept waypoint transition, VNAV can be re-engaged.

What does "transition of glideslope intercept waypoint if G/S is armed" mean here?


texts: Why do commercial flights turn / bank so sharply?

texts: When I take commercial flights, or you see turns in the vapour trails, they turn very sharply. What's the reason for this - wouldn't it be more efficient to turn gradually?


texts: Can hours at an FAA flightschool be credited to an EASA PPL?

texts:
Does anyone know if it's possible to put FAA flight school hours towards an EASA (UK/CAA) PPL?

I've heard answers from "NO" to "Of course" and everything in between, but am struggling to find any documentation that gives a definitive answer one way or another.

From what I can see FAA hours can't be used for credit towards specific training but they can be credited towards the 45 hours total time needed for the license. If anyone has links to appropriate documentation I'd really appreciate it.


texts: What is the major source of engine noise for non-propeller aircraft?

texts:
Sparked by this question:

Take any non-propeller powered aircraft, when idle, the sound produced by the engines are fairly low pitched, and as the engine spins up, increasing in pitch before becoming a full on roar.

I figured that the major sources of engine noise could be

The air rushing out of the exhaust,
The noise of combustion in the engine,
The mechanical noise of engine parts

My question is what causes the majority of the engine noise at idle vs full power.

To stop this question being too broad, lets discount noise coming from any source that's not the engine's of the aircraft in question. I just want to know about engine noise.

I had a look at this question, but that doesn't have any information about the source of engine noise, just that the turbine itself will also produce noise which is something I didn't consider.


texts: I got Aircraft Design: A conceptual approach for Christmas, and I'm having a hard time with lift coefficients because I honestly have no idea what "lift force per unit span" means, so can someone please explain this to me?


texts: What was the lift-to-drag ratio for WWI biplanes?

texts: I will be interested to know what was the lift-to-drag ration for a few more known WWI biplanes at take-off, cruise and landing speed; with the propeller running, stopped or non existent (tests in wind tunnels).


texts: Where do the names "First", "Business" and "Economy" class originate from?

texts: As said in the title: where do the names "First", "Business" and "Economy" class originate from? Why they didn't use the names "First", "Second" and "Third". After all it can be hard for someone not that familiar with English to find out that "Business" is ranked higher than "Economy".


texts: What are the difficulties in building transonic airliners?

texts: If the sonic boom is an issue, why don't we build airliners that are capable of flying just below Mach 1? Big airliners fly at Mach 0.85 at most, and the record for current sub-/transonic civilian aircraft is the Cessna Citation X+'s Mach 0.935. Why don't we build airliners that cruise at Mach 0.95? Also, what would happen if the Citation X+ tried to reach or surpass Mach 1, since it's anyway close? There it isn't answered.


texts: How can I find out what time an airport was closed due to weather?

texts: Where do I find at what time an airport was closed, due to inclement weather, on a specific date? I completed the first leg of my flight, which was one hour from take-off to landing. When I arrived in my connecting city, my final destination airport was closed due to weather conditions. Why did they not cancel my entire flight before I departed on the initial leg of the flight?


texts: Should the pitching moment be up or down?

texts:
I had a question regarding the direction of the pitching moment.

To make sure we are on the same page, here is what I know so far (please correct me if I am wrong).

Lift acts through center of pressure
Normally moment is taken around Aerodynamic Center because then the moment does not vary with angle of attack.
In a cambered airfoil, the aerodynamic center and center of pressure are not at the same place, so the lift created also generates a moment at the aerodynamic center.
In a symmetric airfoil, the aerodynamic center and the center of pressure are at the same place, so you do not have a pitching moment.
Location of Aerodynamic Center is fixed for an airfoil, it does not change with speed.

I am trying to understand the concept of longitudinal static stability and in all the diagrams, the pitching moment is shown to be nose up.

But I would imagine that the center of pressure is further downstream on a airfoil than the aerodynamic center, so shouldn't the pitching moment be nose down? As shown in this picture

Thanks for your help,


texts: When do pilots perform a CAT II/III autoland?

texts:
If I understand correctly in good, visual weather get conditions airline pilots generally do ILS CAT I, when at some point they disconnect autopilot at some point and land manually. If the visibility is low, they do ILS of higher category (II/III)  with autoland.

My question is, what are the criteria that pilots decide they will be shooting autoland? Is it RVR below CAT I minima or below some higher limit, just to be sure? Also, does ceiling matter in making this decision? For example OVC001, or OVC002 with good RVR and visibility - is it then required to autoland?


texts:
I was reading something at work that said the company has installed an Enhanced Vision System on the aircraft.

  FedEx Express added Enhanced Vision Systems to 250 aircraft, which will greatly improve pilots’ ability to land in low visibility conditions and mitigate potential weather delays. The company is the only U.S. carrier with FAA approval to use the technology as low as 100 feet on instrument approaches.

What is this system and how does it work? Is it some type of FLIR?


texts: How changes in Air masses, Air flow direction and intensity affect lift?

texts:
I have a question regarding the airflow an aircraft experiences during 3 distinct scenarios:

An aircraft during landing, experiencing a sudden gust of 40 knots from the tail. What would be the immediate consequance- Airspeed, lift?
All this if the aircraft does not correct the situation with pitch/ engine thrust.
An airliner cruising at 270 IAS, suddenly experiencing into an area of tailwind- meaning- the tailwind component of the wind aloft changed and increased by 40 knots. How would the airspeed look- just the following moment, and from there- lift? Regard to the situation without any compensating action by the pilot,
A fighter jet, at 20,000 feet, turning from at 25 degrees per second, meaning doing 90 degrees in under 4 seconds, from a situation of 50 knots headwind to no headwind. If the air mass is stable and blowing at a constant 50 knots, would there be any change in the characteristics of flight to the jet, meaning deteriorating airspeed which he/she would have to compensate for using pitch/thrust adjustment? In this situation, we assume that the pilot doesn't care for maintaining ground speed or track, just keeping the turn at a constant rate of 25 degrees per second.

My question is (and we discussed it in the previous question)- is there any diminishing effect to the fast change of airflow that was just ahead and changed to sideways/behind- when the change is caused by the aircraft itself, just as witnessed (by me recently) in an airliner when suddenly encountering a different air mass (I witnessed increasing Ground speed but decreasing IAS, until the Autothroottles commanded a slight increase in thurst).


texts: Do you know the exact model and use of this rotorcraft?

texts:
I've tried to identify this. Someone suggested it is a Bell 206, possibly a Jet or Long Ranger. I disagree.

I think it is a US Coast Guard helicopter. It flew over my house in Mobile, Alabama. It's been difficult identifying from this angle I photographed it.


texts: How is GPS RAIM availability calculated?

texts:
I recently had someone ask me if there was a GPS RAIM availability calculator available for the iPad.  There isn't, but it got me thinking that I could write one.  After doing some searching, I can't find a good explanation of how to calculate RAIM availability, so am looking for the formulas used to calculate it for a specific route.

I want this to be an offline tool, so the calculations need to be complete, rather than relying on a website for the information.


texts: What materials are suitable for making a mini gas turbine engine?

texts: What materials are suitable for a mini/model gas turbine engine, specifically the fan, compressor, combustion chamber and turbine?


texts: How long can an ELT run before the battery is dead?

texts: I recently learned that ELTs are required to run a maximum of 60 minutes before the power supply battery has to be recharged or replaced.  This really doesn't seem like a great amount of time for this device to operate in order to facilitate locating by search and rescue crews.  I would have said a more reasonable figure would be around 24 hours.  Is it really true that ELTs are only effective for such a short period of time?


texts: What separation and information does ATC provide in different airspace classes?

texts:
I am busy studying radio for my PPL in South Africa, but I'm struggling to understand the ICAO definitions of the different airspace classes, and how ATC separates traffic in them.

I understand that the difference between airspace classes is based largely on which flights are "controlled" or "separated" by ATC, and which ones are only getting "traffic information". But I don't understand exactly what the difference is.

I fly a rotor-wing at a class D airport. Under VFR, we should only receive "traffic information", correct? But in reality, we still have to request ATC's permission to take off etc. and they can instruct us to hold, give way and so on. Doesn't that mean that we are in fact being "separated" from other traffic?

And theoretically, if IFR traffic is controlled by ATC in class D but VFR is not, and IFR is not separated from VFR, how should conflicting traffic avoid each other? If an IFR flight sees a VFR one in its way, who should do what? (Practically, the pilots will obviously maneuver to avoid each other, but what does the theory say?)

Finally, since IFR flights only get "traffic information" about VFR flights but not "separation", what happens if a VFR flight gets in front of an IFR one on final approach to land? Won't ATC tell the IFR flight to go around, or will they do nothing because they don't provide "separation"?


texts: What hardware and software is needed to put together a basic flight simulator?

texts:
Due to financial impediments (other priorities in life) I had to postpone my PPL. While browsing the questions on the site here, I was having a look at this question: Can Microsoft Flight Simulator help me learn to fly (or make me a better pilot)?
In that question there is an answer by abelenky where he posts a picture of his old simulator rig. I was wondering about the process to put a similar simulator rig together.
What hardware and software would I need? I've heard about joysticks, but is it necessary to have pedals to move the rudder? To make things as specific as possible, here's how I imagine using it:

The purpose of the simulator
I would like to practice the use of the instruments while enjoying myself. Maybe flying some of my favourite second world war planes for instance, if possible.

What types of planes and flying is it for?
I would see what is available. I have been flying only Cessnas so far. I would love to fly a Focke-Wulf Fw 190 if it's possible.

What types of training or practice?
Navigation, landing, instruments, anything to help with the PPL.

(This is a similar question; it has been closed because it was too broad, since it asked about all possible solutions. I'm only asking which are the essential components to make a basic simulator for PPL-level skills.)


texts:
I’m sitting in the lounge waiting to board this flight. Saw a dent in the attachment of tail wing to the body. Is this common?

Also I could be wrong and it is part of the design of the airplane.

Any guidance is appreciated!


texts: How is an air accident's probable cause determined?

texts:
I constantly hear that air accidents are caused by a range of shortcomings. However, most accident reports declare a main "probable cause". You can see below a bar-chart with the causes of fatal accidents by decade (data source):

Does anyone know which criteria are used to determine the main accident cause?


texts: What is this instrument above the EGT in the Boeing 737?

texts: I would like to know what is this instrument that is above the EGT of the Boeing 737. What does it indicate?


texts:
My friend and I are currently working together in a multirotor competition.  He's an experienced flyer and I'm more of a numbers guy (though my background is in software engineering, not aviation).

Our latest challenge involves maximizing our Lift to Weight ratio.  Essentially, we're going to measure how much our craft can lift and divide that by our craft's weight.

My preliminary research seems to show that the most obvious way of doing this is by adding more motors+props to the craft.  So, we're considering building a bare-bones dodeca-copter.

This seems like a very simple approach... maybe too simple.  I'm worried that although it's very intuitive it may also be very naive.

So, I ask the community, is our approach sound?  Are we missing some common optimizations that could help us?

In other words:  How to maximize your practical lift/weight ratio in a multirotor?

Update

We've been able to find more powerful motors (E800 instead of E310).  We have fewer of them, but I think we're still better off with them.  Here's the the breakdown of our build:

Main components (Flight controller, receiver, nuts, screws) = 313g
We're using E800 motors

Unit weight: 106g
Unit lift: 2100g

ESC weight = 44g
Prop weight = 14g
Battery weights = {410g, 584g}

The only frame material we have access to right now is square aluminium tubing.  Each "bar" of tubing weighs about 88g.

I did some calculations for a few different setups and this is what I got:

4 motors, 4 arms

This configuration requires 1.5 "bars" of frame materials.  This gives me the following total weight:

(4 * (motorWeight + EscWeight + PropWeight)) + (frameWeight) + batteryWeight + MainComponentsWeight
(4 * (106g + 44g + 14g)) + (1.5 * 88g) + 410g + 313g
= 1511g

The total lift is 4 * 2100g = 8400g which gives us a L/W ratio of

8400g / 1511g = 5.56

6 motors, 6 arms

This configuration requires 4 "bars" of frame materials.  This gives me the following total weight:

(6 * (motorWeight + EscWeight + PropWeight)) + (frameWeight) + batteryWeight + MainComponentsWeight
(6 * (106g + 44g + 14g)) + (4 * 88g) + 410g + 313g
= 2059g

The total lift is 6 * 2100g = 12600g which gives us a L/W ratio of

12600g / 2059g = 6.12

8 motors, 4 arms

This configuration requires 4 "bars" of frame materials but has two motors mounted per arm.  This gives me the following total weight:

(8 * (motorWeight + EscWeight + PropWeight)) + (frameWeight) + batteryWeight + MainComponentsWeight
(8 * (106g + 44g + 14g)) + (4 * 88g) + 584g + 313g
= 2561g

The total lift is 8 * 2100g = 16800g which gives us a L/W ratio of

16800g / 2561g = 6.56

Conclusion

If I'm doing my calculations correctly then it seems that our best option, given our limited resources, is an octocopter on 4 arms.

I'm not all that surprised since this configuration has the highest %age of total weight associated with motors.

Is 6.56 a decent Lift to Weight ratio?  Is there anything else we can do to improve it?

Competition Results

Weigh-in: 2460
Lift (meters of rope): 34m @ 346g/m
Lift (grams): 11764g

Lift/Weight ratio (excluding craft): 4.78

Lift/Weight ratio (including craft): 5.78

So, all in all, not too far off from our "ideal" prediction.


texts: Where can I find the turn radius on the ground for the Piper Seminole?

texts:
I meant to be doing a quiz for a class and one of the questions is asking for the turn radius of the Piper Seminole. However I cant find it anywhere in the POH.

Do you know where I can look?


texts: Can hypersonic aircraft be agile without the G forces harming the pilot?

texts:
I read that high G forces associated with hypersonic flight could kill the pilot.

Is there any way of making this survivable yet keeping agility at hyper sonic speeds (irrespective of the plane's capabilities) and how do they work.


texts: Reasons for significantly lower than normal approach

texts:
Not sure if this is going to be answerable to be honest, as I'm sort of asking for a bit of retroactive mind-reading! But here goes anyway!

I was driving along Clifton Drive North, Lytham Saint Annes, England on 17/11/18 (~3:30 pm if that matters) and I saw a plane approaching the adjacent Blackpool Airport at an exceptionally low altitude (not sure on model but looked like it might have been a Cessna 400-series). It's always hard to estimate altitude accurately (particularly given I was also driving at the time) but somewhere in the order of 200-300ft at the point it crossed over the road and descending (suffice it to say I was at least half expecting a crash!)

It was highly unusual - I've lived in the area for 5+ years, and travel that road frequently (typically at least 1-2 times a day and have been using the airport for even longer) and I've never seen a plane take that approach before. Here's the aerodrome chart for BPL:

Pretty much every plane I've ever been on (either flying or being flown) has approached and landed on runway 28 - even when coming from the west (e.g. coming from IOM) the approach has always been from the SW, bearing around 50° and then turning right to about 270-280° before descending to runway 28 to land.

As far as my limited knowledge allows I believe standard altitude for approach to BPL for this is 2000ft and there is not a cat in hell's chance that this plane was anywhere near that!

I think it is possible to land on runway 10 - but that the approach path for doing that is to be coming in from the east at 1600ft bearing 256-281° and flying over before turning right to 92° and descending. The OCA for this path is 450-1000 depending on aircraft category, it's distinctly possible that the plane was at 450 (as I mention above my altitude as estimate was based off Mk 1 eyeball from a moving car so unlikely to be especially accurate!) but curiously I'm 95% certain that the aircraft didn't pass over coming from the east, I had been on the road for a good few minutes and there's nothing that would have obscured my view of them doing so - and I must admit I'd been watching the sky quite closely as I'd spent a large amount of the drive musing that conditions were fantastic and wishing I'd booked myself a lesson for that afternoon!

The plot thickens in that probably less than a minute after the plane passed over a helicopter (reasonably large - probably a offshore-rig transport) flew over on roughly the same path, but if anything even lower!

So I was wondering whether there was some circumstance causing ATC to advise a different approach from typical and what that might be?

As I mention above conditions were fantastic wind was very slight (unusually so for Blackpool at this time of year!), visibility was great  - sunny with light hazy cloud that was well above (would probably have said 10,000-12,000ft +). Could operations at WRT (~6 NMi to the SSE) have had an influence?


texts: How do different training paths to multi-engine rating compare?

texts:
I am going to be initiating my private pilot license shortly and wanted some feedback and comments with regards to utilizing single engine (minimum) and multi-engine to obtain my multi-engine rating quickest.

I know that most people start and stay with a small single engine to obtain their license. Then start putting some time in (later) to get their multi-engine.

However, I am thinking that after a little time in a single—doing most of time in a twin (even though the cost is significantly more) because my time in the twin will apply later on towards the multi-engine will be more efficient.

If it's been objectively compared before, I'd like to know the different paths taken, and which is better when?


texts: What challenges may be foreseen to adapting the Wittman Tailwind as an E-LSA?

texts: The Wittman Tailwind is a great performing aircraft which can be built on a budget.  Many potential builders have considered adapting the design as a light sport aircraft.  What challenges could be expected in getting this design to meet the LSA requirements?


texts: Is delta wing design on a fighter a compromise?

texts:
I apologize for not providing a reference, but I recall reading a Russian designer, I think he had something to do with Mig-29, while talking about Mirage 2000, said that a delta wing is essentially a compromise. He mentioned some technical challenge faced by the designers and if they cannot overcome they fall for a delta. It overcomes something but leaves something else to be desired.

Can somebody please shed some light on it? I am just an enthusiast.

One thing is for sure, no US fighter is a delta.


texts: Did this aircraft illegally exceed 250kts below 10,000ft?

texts:
As far as my knowledge goes: There is a 250 kt speed limit under the altitude of 10.000 feet. This screenshot seem to show an aircraft below 10.000 feet and traveling at 285 kts at the time i captured the screenshot.

I don't think this aircraft posed any threats to other aviation traffic as there is no other traffic in the airspace. I was just curious.

EDIT:

Shortly after: I see this aircraft taking off from the same airport. Doing the same thing as the first plane.


texts: How frequent are TCAS resolution events?

texts: The question is a little open, but I'm wondering how many TCAS resolutions (i.e. the serious type) occur every week or month over sizeable region like the United States or Europe.


texts: How does one specialize in a certain sub-field of aerospace engineering?

texts: I want to become an aerospace engineering but want to be specialized in Aerodynamics. How do I do this in college?


texts: What is this white-tail, short upper deck 747 I just saw?

texts:
It was seen taking off from a US Air Force base, which is part of Air Mobility Command.  A great deal of their operation is departing or returning troops from abroad, so it gets a lot of rare visits from oddball commercial aircraft.

This 747 had the short 3-window upper deck area, so it was a -100,-200 or SP, and it wasn't an SP.    It was a "white tail", entirely white except for some numeric markings.

No USAF marking, that's not a surprise since the Air Force has six 747-100/200s: all accounted for by four NEACP planes (why would they come to an AMC base?) and two VIP transports (and they have a distinctive paint scheme, so, I wouldn't be asking).

It did not carry the distinctive markings of several Arab state head-of-state aircraft, the NASA paint scheme, nor the Las Vegas Sands Corp. scheme, nor Earnest Angley Ministries.   It did not have any funny engines on it.  Kalitta Air doesn't fly them anymore.

I have to assume none of the nine in Iranian service would be visiting a USAF/AMC base.

I'm sorry, I tried to get a photo, but could not safely stop.  What could this airplane be?


texts: How did shortening the 707 increase its range?

texts:
According to the Wikipedia entry for the 707-120:

  The 707-138 was a −120 with a fuselage 10 ft (3.0 m) shorter than the others, with 5 ft (1.5 m) (three frames) removed ahead and behind the wing, giving increased range. Maximum takeoff weight was the same 247,000 lb (112,000 kg) as the standard version

With the same MTOM between the -120 and the -138, what made the difference in the range? Was it simply less parasitic drag from the shorter fuselage?

I would presume that the fuel capacity (stored in the wings - center section tanks didn't come about until the -320) would have been the same.

I see notes on the -120B which switched to the P&W JT3D-1 engines which were more fuel efficient. That would account for greater range, but that doesn't apply to the -138 (at least not at launch).


texts: I'm an aspiring naval aviator (preferably a Hornet or an F-35) and a DCS player. Here's a question for any former navy aviators or LSOs. What would get you a good or bad landing grade on the carrier? What would the desirable landings look like?


texts: Is there a standard international Minimum Obstacle Clearance Altitude (MOCA)?

texts: In Turkey, the Minimum Obstacle Clearance (MOC) in primary areas is 300m; what about other countries and region?


texts: Can a private pilot receive recurring training while waiting for a special-issuance medical approval?

texts:
In the last year, I have had to undergo bypass surgery. I am fully recovered now (and past the mandatory 6-month waiting period), but have just been apprised by my AME that my 3rd class medical deferral is likely to take a month or two for the FAA to process.

I am also in a partnership, and our insurance requires annual recurring training. Normally, all four of us (partners) take the recurring training at the same time, and get a discounted rate as a result.

As fate would have it, this year's recurring training will fall into the time I am waiting to hear back from the FAA. Since the flight portion of the recurring training (essentially an IPC) is conducted under the supervision of a CFII, can I complete it without a current medical certificate?


texts: Why do some aircraft have pods on their wing tips?

texts:
By JetPix [GFDL 1.2 or GFDL 1.2], via Wikimedia Commons

Why do some aircraft have pods on their wing tips, like this Cessna 414?


texts: How could it be possible to fully prevent wing tip vortex formation?

texts: I know that winglets and swept wings are ways to reduce the vortex that are currently in use on many aircraft. Are there any aircraft design concepts out there that completely eliminate the vortex effect?


texts: "Total time away from gate", "Longest time away from gate" - what does this mean?

texts:
In the US, airlines or airports report two figures regarding canceled flights:

  the total time away from the gate and the single longest time away from the gate.

and regarding diverted flights:

  the total time on the tarmac at the diversion airport and the longest single time on the tarmac.

I don't understand this distinction, nor the individuall phrases.

What is a "single time"? A single time period out of multiple ones?
Why would a plane be away from the gate multiple times? i.e. leave the gate, return to the/a gate, leave again and return again?
Why would a diverted plane be on the tarmac multiple times at the same airport?


texts:
I found this word "boot" in one book. The chapter was connected with ICING operations, and I found this word with little explanation:

  A tube bonded to a surface, e.g. wing edge. When pressurized with fluid, it breaks up ice.

Please explain what is it?
What aircraft equipped with it?
Photos would be nice.


texts: Are peer-to-peer communications feasible between aircraft?

texts:
I have several questions regarding plane-to-plane communications (P2P), by which I mean air-to-ground communications where instead of a satellite, planes act as the intermediate nodes between a given plane and its controller on the ground. Or in other words, peer-to-peer communication.

Would P2P be a feasible model for communicating between ground and aircraft? For example, could ATC or other operational messages be routed to an aircraft using a P2P method? Is this already possible? Does communication with aircraft require a satellite or terrestrial endpoint, or could P2P work instead? How much data and power would be required for all the messages needed for a typical transatlantic flight?


texts: What does a passenger aircraft galley ('kitchen') look like?

texts: What equipment is installed in passenger aircraft for catering the passenger?


texts: What is the fuel consumption per mile for a full CEO A320?

texts:
I’m writing an essay as part of my GCSE HPQ and one of the statistics I need to base my research and answer on is the fuel consumption per mile or kilometre for a CEO A320.
It doesn’t have to take into account onboard weight like pax and luggage (however if there is someone with that knowledge it would be greatly appreciated) and it would be a normal flight, so both engines running around 50% or whatever cruise speed is and there are no faults with the engines.
Preferably I would like to know it on a plane with tip Fences on the wings but if someone knows the answer for blended winglets instead then it will still be greatly appreciated.