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What is the measurement system used in the aviation industry? I saw this question from History Stack Exchange and noted that the US is still using the imperial measurement system such as feet, miles and pounds. Given that a plane may need to fly from one country to another, is there any standardisation across the gl...	I can tell you that all of the airplanes that I have flown (which are US registered, but some are French built) use the following: Feet for height Knots for airspeed (Nautical Miles/Hour)
Why doesn't the aviation industry use SI units? This is a followup to What is the measurement system used in the aviation industry? and related to this question from History . I can understand the arguments as to why adoption of SI units would not make sense for the general population, but aviation is a specialised...	Pilots would have to become accustomed to the new units and to learn the changed values which they will probably have memorised, such as important airspeeds. All reference material would have to be converted.
Where can I go to sit in the cockpit of a Boeing? This might sound like a silly question to some, but is it possible to go and sit in the cockpit of a Boeing 737, somewhere in the UK? (Otherwise in Europe, or beyond). Maybe at a museum or something? I'm building a [currently tiny] home cockpit based on a 737, and I'd ...	There is a company called Flight Experience which builds 737 simulators and offers their use to the public.
How do airliners cross the ocean without GPS? How do airliners cross the ocean without GPS? Do they use dead-reckoning or are there navigation aids floating out there? <Q> The INS feeds into the flight management computer which is used to cross-check the GPS position, and can be used as a primary navigation source sho...	Well, most airlines do cross the ocean with GPS in today's world. The general idea was to use a combination of dead-reckoning, radio beacons where you can find them (small islands and coastlines), the sun (with the help of a sextant ) during the day, and the stars at night. That being said, most (if not all) transconti...
Can large airliners be operated without ground support? I'm wondering if large A3x0/B7x7 airliners could be operated without ground support. Short of using the inflatable slides, I guess at least stairs would be required to load/unload passengers. Apart from that, assuming fuel and push-back is not required, would it b...	Large commercial airliners can be designed to function nicely without a ton of ground support. It is possible with the old soviet wide-bodies; they have built-in stairs and even allow for luggage stowage by the crew during boarding.
How are backlit aircraft panels (for simulators) made? I'm wondering by which method this sort of aircraft panel that enabling backlighting are made? What is the process? I've gathered they are acrylic but how is the gray paint selectively removed? pic http://www.simparts.de/WebRoot/Store/Shops/15465782/4B72/6E37/0B...	Clear plastic with an opaque layer that is engraved off, and lighted from beneath.
What noises can you hear as a passenger? I'm just curious as to what the noises are that you can hear as a passenger in the cabin of an airliner? For example (ignore the crew talking), the noise at 7:09 - 7:30 on this video ; is that the flaps? What other sounds might a passenger be able to spot? <Q> On the ground y...	There are loads of noises you might hear; there are fuel pumps, hydraulic pumps, air circulation, adjustment screws, servos, and on Airbus aircraft a strange clanking noise when you go over bumps in the tarmac. cargo pallets rolling on the hold, and the hold doors being opened and shut.
What can the Flight Attendant Panel do? I've noticed that on some airlines (I may have seen it on SAS) the cabin crew had a small touchscreen at the front of the plane which they were using to select recorded audio messages etc, in both their language, and English. Searching the internet, I found out it's called a Fli...	Cabin lighting controls Cabin system monitoring/testing Passenger entertainment system
What is a "Flight Director"? What is a Flight Director , and how does it differ from Autopilot ? <Q> The flight director is related to the autopilot system. <S> It displays a guide on the artificial horizon, which shows the attitude of the airplane, but does nothing to control the plane. <S> The guide represents a re...	The flight director serves as a visual indication of where the autopilot wants the plane to go.
What are these things hanging off the trailing edge of the wing? What are these things hanging off the trailing edge of the wing? I've seen them in almost all of the aircraft I've flown in, and can't remember if they're exclusively Boeing or Airbus. <Q> Those are static wicks -- Basically these are little wires scre...	It's called static dischargers since aircraft body or fuselage is made up of metal and carrying tonnes of fuel and electronic devices, we will have to remove the static electricity charge from the fuselage to the air in order to not ignite the fuel or disturb the electronic devices, and that's how it's done ! :)
Why are FDR's called "black boxes" when they are actually orange? Why do they call flight data recorders a "black box" if it's orange in color? Just curious about this since I've seen several images of black boxes but they all come in orange colors, and not black. I can understand orange being used to help brightly ...	First, it suggests that we're not talking about a literal box which is black and you might imagine they'd say something like " 'black box' (which is now actually orange)" if they were formally literal black boxes. Bright orange color make them stand out easily, because nature didn't make many things orange, besides ora...
Does an aircraft's nose landing gear extend on take off? Something I noticed while flying - while on takeoff it feels as if the plane is tilting upwards even though the plane is clearly still on the ground with all sets of landing gear. Does the nose gear extend immediately upon acceleration to perhaps generate more ...	Let's be clear, the nose gear does not "extend" anywhere during take-off since its damper/shock absorber is not an active component, but rather a passive one. What you are perceiving during takeoff is the somatogravic illusion .
Why is laser illumation of a cockpit an emergency? Another answer pointed out that laser illumination of a cockpit may be considered an emergency, and that pilots may take evasive action when under laser illumination. Why is laser illumination considered an emergency? Have any documented instances of laser illuminat...	Some of the cheap, powerful lasers available now are capable of blinding pilots and in some cases causing lasting injury.
Is there a limit of how close a runway can be to the water? Somtimes planes can either come up short or overrun a runway, ending up in the water. Is there some limit for how close a runway can be to the water? Does it factor into the runway safety area that is required to be clear of obstacles (i.e., is water an o...	Going even further, ICAO defines a Runway End Safety Area (RESA) for some types of runways which further increases the minimum distance of water to the runway. The answer to the question is yes, there are limits.
Can I be a commercial pilot if I've had a dental filling? Is there something like a health requirement in serious airlines? Or is it just a myth? How are potential pilots screened when it comes down to physical requirements? <Q> Here are the mouth and throat requirements for a pilot physical. <S> The main thing is ...	Commercial pilots need a first class medical certificate.
How are airspace fixes named? Aircraft use nav fixes as waypoints or reporting points along their routes. I have noticed some interesting combinations. Some make sense, like LUCKI to LYNDI on the LYNDI arrival into San Diego International, known as Lindbergh Field, or KSINO LUXOR on the GRNPA arrival into Las Vegas. ...	Very often enroute fixes are named for small towns or other points of interest near the fix.
Why is the total count of people on a plane given as the number of 'souls' on board? Why don't they just say 'people' on board, why souls? What is the origin of this term? I'm thinking it comes from sailing as I think I've heard that term in reference to crews out at sea, but I'm not a sailor so I don't know. <Q> The p...	So, "souls" effectively communicates the number of living humans on board.
Why can't an airplane stall at zero G? You may be surprised to find out that an airplane can stall at any attitude if the critical angle of attack is exceeded, but it cannot stall at 0 G. This quote found in the April 2014 issue of Flying magazine , but it seems counterintuitive to me. Why can't an airplane sta...	To stall, the wing must exceed the critical angle of attack. You can't stall because your AoA is constantly 0 degrees and cannot exceed the critical angle.
Have B-25's and B-26's been converted for private business use? In the movie Cash McCall , the main character, McCall, owns an aircraft that looks remarkably similar to a B-25 or B-26, but is painted yellow and has no turrets. Have these aircraft been converted for private business use or were there business aircraft...	McCall's plane is a demilitarized Douglas A-26 Invader, a type used in WWII.
Why do parked planes lock the control surfaces? After a discussion in chat about control surface locks I was wondering why they need to be locked in the first place. Why do they need to be locked? What is the best position to lock them in? up, down, neutral. <Q> In the small planes I fly, it is called a "Gust Lock"...	Generally it's better to lock the controls than leave them unlocked to bang around in the wind, so on some light aircraft not equipped with control locks pilots use the seatbelt to hold the controls in place.
Have any passengers crashed planes? The question Are pilots allowed to let passengers fly the plane? is interesting to read, noting that pilots are permitted to allow passengers to fly. I recall an Air Crash Investigation episode ( AFL593 ) where the pilot pretended to allow his son to manipulate the controls of a...	It seems to be very uncommon for children and/or other passengers to enter the cockpit midflight and cause a crash.
Is it illegal for Joe Public to listen to ATC in the UK? I recall that in the UK (unlike in the rest of the world) we have a law forbidding the listening to of air traffic control, dating back a century, to the days of paranoia over spies! What is this law, exactly? Is it illegal for a member of the public to listen t...	From the same Ofcom site: … it is illegal to listen to anything other than general reception transmissions unless you are either a licensed user of the frequencies in question or have been specifically authorised to do so by a designated person. Yes it is illegal.
How do pilots decide what their cruising altitude will be? When filing a flight-plan for a long-haul high-altitude IFR flight, how do pilots select a specific cruising altitude? Typically in the range of 25,000 - 35,000 ft. <Q> As has been stated, ATC will assign you an altitude, taking into account your requested alti...	Airlines may have their own performance tables, choosing a custom balance of efficiency and speed.
Is there a general radio frequency in Class G for broadcasting intentions? Let’s say you’re in class G and doing some aerobatics. Is there any standard frequency you might use (perhaps MULTICOM on 122.9?) to communicate your intentions? Assume you’re not using flight following and that you’re VFR. <Q> I'm not aware of...	You can listen to the closest airport or approach control frequency, but that would only help if the other aircraft is on the same frequency. As far as I can tell, according to the AIM 4-1-11 you should use 122.9, which is described as follows (my emphasis): (MULTICOM FREQUENCY) Activities of a temporary, seasonal, eme...
What is the bag for on a passenger oxygen mask? We may all be familiar with the part of the cabin safety briefing where they say that, in the event of a reduction in cabin pressure, oxygen masks will drop from a compartment above our heads, yadda yadda, the bag may not inflate. What is the purpose of the bag? <Q> Oxyge...	Because of the construction, the bag seems to act as a buffer, as Jan Hudec states in his answer.
How do airliners get from the factory to the client if the aircraft does not have the required range? Today I flew on an Embraer 190 of Kenya Airways. Checking in the tech specs this aircraft has a range of roughly 2900 km. Considering it is built in Brasil, I was wondering how do they deliver it to Africa since they w...	At Oshkosh every year (EAA Airventure) I hear about pilots crossing from Africa (the furthest western point) to the furthest eastern point of Brazil in a single engine small plane. I don't have the answer to your question specifically, but I would guess they either add temporary tanks and go from SBNT-GUCY which is not...
Why don't horizontal stabilizers have winglets? Winglets are used to reduce induced drag on the main wings of an aircraft as per explanations on wikipedia . Since they are very effective I was wondering why they are not installed also on horizontal stabilizers. For sure there must be some sort of induced drag being ge...	Stabilizer winglets on their own, when there's no pressure difference, would simply result in drag, whereas the main wing winglets are constantly effective while flying.
Does night takeoff and landing currency also count for daytime currency? My initial thought is that night currency satisfies daytime currency, but what gives me pause is FAR 61.57(a)(2) notes that a non-current pilot is allowed to conduct day VFR or day IFR flights without passengers to obtain currency. There is no ...	Yes, night landings count for day currency.
Why is water in the fuel tank bad? I mean, on the one hand it seems kind of obvious, if you had a fuel tank that was mostly water then you would lack combustible materials for the engine, but I get the impression that having any water in the fuel tank at all is considered a really bad idea. Why is that? Is it all rig...	A tiny amount of water probably mix with the fuel and simply reduce the power output slightly, whereas anything more will be drained from the tank first, and it'll be very hard to restart the engine.
Can aircraft other than rockets go to space? I always wondered if it was possible for planes and other aircraft to leave the Earth's atmosphere. Normal commercial transport airplanes can fly pretty high, but then they need air to get the speed boost from. Reactive engines seem like a better idea, but I don't know how m...	No, at those altitudes you do not have enough oxygen to keep your engines running, you have to bring your own (and thus use a rocket)
Do commercial aircraft have electrical outlets? As we see trains nowadays with sockets for you to plug your laptop into, as well as Wi-Fi on-board both trains and planes, I'm wondering why you don't see electrical outlets on planes? Do any airlines have sockets in the cabin? How about in first class? <Q> Several of th...	Yes, some airlines do have electrical outlets in the cabin. You can check with your specific airline or with sites like Seat Guru before booking to determine what is available on any given aircraft and at which seats. In Economy you are out of luck, but if you consider that most airlines have reduced Economy seating pi...
What are the advantages/disadvantages of diesel/Jet A-1 piston engine? Some GA aircraft, notably the DA40/DA42, are equipped with piston engines that use Jet A-1 and/or automotive-grade diesel instead of aviation gas (avgas). An example of such engine is the Austro Engine AE300 : What are the advantages/disadvantage...	Aero-diesels have turbochargers, electronic fuel-injection, and computer-controlled mixture which gives them better performance and efficiency. The GA market is simply too small to support the design of new engines.
What are the reasons for using an instrument approach on a clear day / CAVOK? As a new VFR pilot, I was wondering why anyone would fly (or be assigned) an ILS (or other) approach in clear weather? I ask this because I watched Vienna - Tokyo (Narita) on PilotsEye.tv where the F.O. flew the approach looking at the displ...	There are various visual illusions that can cause a pilot to fly an approach too high or too low and monitoring the vertical guidance can help to mitigate those. Sometimes instrument approaches are used for noise abatement reasons. All other things being equal, if your currency is about to lapse you might request to fl...
Have there been any cases of collision/airprox of small drones with manned aircraft? Small civilian mini-drones such as the DJI Phantom or professional surveying drones are becoming increasingly widespread, raising concerns about the potential collision/airprox with manned aircraft (especially GA where flight altitude ...	The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating a helicopter crash landing in South Carolina that may have been caused by a civilian drone, according to a report from Bloomberg .
What is the advantage of combining the rudder and brake pedals in aircraft? I've read about several aircraft having their rudder and brake pedals very close together. To me this seems confusing and prone to error. It looks easy to mistake the rudder / brake pedals and inadvertently press the wrong one when flying or ta...	The rudder pedal/brake assembly is very easy to understand and master. The pilot needs to be able to use both at the same time.
Don't all airspeeds change with weight? Ok, so I'm a student pilot, and I'm going over the Vx, Vy, Vne, ... etc., and I see that "maneuvering speed" (the speed at which you can safely apply full flight controls) "changes with weight". Which airspeeds don't change with weight? I can pretty much guarantee the the take...	Your instinct is correct; almost all of the key airspeeds — those at which something special happens aerodynamically — vary with weight.
Is there a practical way to demonstrate sustained flight on the back side of the lift curve without an AoA meter? Here is a $C_L$ / $AoA$ curve that I took from Wikipedia . The better textbooks say that a stall is that condition in which a further increase in angle of attack will result in a reduction of lift . Th...	I doubt if it is practically possible to fly on the backside of the liftcurve without special automation.
Why is one of two parallel runways sometimes closed in foggy weather? A few times, when flying into SFO, me and my fellow passengers were informed that due to foggy weather one of two parallel runways there is closed, causing delays. So, a few questions: Why can only one runway be used during fog? During an instrumen...	If the runways (centerline to centerline) are separated by at least 4300 feet (and other conditions are met), the airport can conduct simultaneous instrument approaches.
How is the pressure difference in passenger plane toilets generated? The toilets on passenger planes flush with an impressive amount of force - Is the negative pressure inside the tanks generated by a pump or are the tanks connected to the outside air pressure? Considering that the toilets should also work on the groun...	There is a vacuum-pump that draws the air out of the waste tanks.
What is the effect of changing the autobrake setting after touchdown? If an autobrake setting is chosen prior to touchdown, but after touchdown and nosewheel compression (i.e. after the autobrake has engaged) a different setting is required, is it safe to change the setting during the roll-out? What happens when the se...	There is nothing that says the system can't be armed after touchdown, however the system will only engage when the spoilers are being activated, or are activated.
What is the fastest airplane? There are many airplanes that claim to be the fastest piston, private jet, airliner, but what is the all time fastest airplane? How fast does it travel? <Q> This is a broad question. <S> The Wikipedia page on vehicle speed records gives a nice breakdown by various categories. <S> Some cr...	The SR-71 was the world's fastest and highest-flying operational manned aircraft throughout its career.
Why do slats deploy first? I know on the 737, the leading edge slats deploy at the first flap setting, and the trailing edge flaps deploy after that at higher flaps settings. Why do the slats deploy before the trailing edge flaps? LE Flap and slat schedule as it relates to TE Flap position for the 737-300: <Q> The out...	The slats help to protect the outer wing from stalling when the flaps deploy.
Do you ever get to practice ejecting out of a plane as a fighter pilot? The military throws away a lot of equipment simply because it doesn't hold up to current standards. So I was wondering the following. As a fighter pilot, would you ever get a practice run ejecting out of a plane, or is it just kind of one of tho...	Air forces use special training rigs rather than real ejection seats.
Why tap the brakes on take-off in fixed gear aircraft? The Socata TB10 checklist indicates that you should touch the brakes after lift-off. I assume this is to stop the wheels from turning, but why? In a retractable gear aircraft this would make sense to avoid using anything in the wheel-well to stop the wheels and po...	It is good practice to stop your wheel after you lift off due to flailing tread.
Who assigns an arriving aircraft a runway and runway exit to use? I recently bought a simulator for tower controllers ( Tower! 2011 ) and have some questions about the responsibilities of the tower controller: When an aircraft wants to land at 'my' airport I get contacted once they are established on the approach pat...	The approach controller is responsible for assigning the runway to the aircraft, but the pilot of the aircraft is responsible for verifying the runway is long enough for his aircraft and rejecting the approach clearance if he feels it is unsafe.
Has a commercial passenger airliner ever had its cockpit fully upgraded? In an earlier question What are the barriers to feasibility of stratospheric cruising for commercial air travel? (i.e. Concorde?) it was suggested that Concorde was not properly maintained as its analogue flight deck had never been upgraded. Co...	Vaslan developed an STC for a two man Boeing 727 cockpit on the re-engined B727-RE.
Will landing gear with wheel fairings keep spinning due to airflow? I asked this in a side note to a previous question , but I figured it warranted its own question. If a fixed gear aircraft is fitted with wheel fairings, even if you tapped the brakes after lift-off, would the wheels start turning again? With typical...	Airplane wheels are the same way, and it all depends on the airflow, the tires and the bearings. So the answer is: Sometimes they spin, sometimes they don't. The airflow over tires sticking out from wheel pants is going to be turbulent and unpredictable.
How would an airplane land if the on-board radio breaks down? Is there a special protocol for a situation where the on-board radio communication equipment suddenly breaks down? Would the pilot be able to land on a busy towered airfield or would they be forced to look for a small landing strip in the middle of nowhere? ...	If your radio stops working, one option is to fly to a non-towered field and do what the NORDO planes do: Overfly the field at a safe altitude, note wind direction from the wind sock or tetrahedron, note other traffic in the area, and fit yourself into the traffic pattern... and land.
If turning off electronic gadgets is so important, why are there no detectors used to find them? It's supposed to be that electronic gadgets' emission are dangerous for airplane systems. If this is true, why don't they use any detectors to locate such emissions? <Q> Three reasons I can think of: It's easy to detect t...	On the whole the answer lies in the fact that the interference for the odd electronic, people forget to turn off is low risk and does not justify the expense of an advanced locator system.
Do hot air balloon pilots file flight plans? Are hot-air balloon pilots ever required to file flight plans? (can they file?) <Q> As a balloon pilot: no we do not. <S> We do fly regularly in classes G, D, and E and will occasionally wander into class C; but it is very frowned upon... <S> and you better have an aircraf...	A quick look at the FAA rules regulating hot air balloons makes it sound like, in the USA, they can enter any sort of airspace provided they can do it safely.
What were the disadvantages of early prop driven blended-wing aircraft? I've been researching the history of pre-jet aircraft and I've come across several famous, and not so famous, blended-wing aircraft. The idea seemed to show promise but never really caught on, even for a limited span of time or confluence of techno...	The length of the fuselage means that it creates considerable lift at small incidences, even with the low lift slope of slender bodies.
Why turn off pitot tube heating? I'm merely an amateur simulator (X-Plane) pilot. On a flight yesterday the airspeed indicator stopped working. After the initial panic I remembered reading something about pitot tubes freezing, found the pitot heating switch, and turned it on. The problem was resolved immediately. This...	On the ground, without airflow over the pitot tube to cool it, it will burn out very quickly. By operating something like this when it's not needed you risk not having it available when you need it.
Did Wolfgang Langewiesche ever change his mind about rudder pedals? I get the feeling that if aviation was a religion and had a holy book, that book would be Stick and Rudder . Mostly because it's often spoken of with great authority by people who have never read it. Well, I'm reading it right now. And let me tell ...	NO There is no written record that I have found in researching this question that Langweische ever 'recanted' his beliefs.
How do pilots detect and respond to windshear while landing and taking off? How does wind shear affect aircraft while landing and taking off? How do pilots detect that they are encountering wind shear and what would they have to do to prevent it from turning into a bad situation? <Q> The most dangerous form of windshea...	Detecting windshear from the ground is done with doppler radars ( TDWR ) and multiple wind sensors ( LLWAS ) which can detect the changes in wind which will be relayed to pilots in accordance with regulations (3-1-8) .
What is a general rule for crosswind correction, especially when landing? I am wondering what is the rule of thumb with correction of the bat? Is it 2° for every 5kts? Now i know you can use a E6B.But im talking about landing ILS or visuals without bracketing the approach. So lets say you landing on runway 06 the ma...	For IMC approaches, take the crosswind and divide it by the number of miles per minute you're traveling.
Can a small plane be floated off of an aircraft carrier? Would it be possible to float a small plane (say a Cessna 150 ) off of the deck of an aircraft carrier without the Cessna achieving any forward motion with respect to the aircraft carrier? If not a Cessna 150, is there a standard GA aircraft that could do it? E...	So, given a lightly loaded cub and an Enterprise -class carrier at flank speed, it is at least theoretically possible to float that aircraft off the deck (if it were lightly loaded, and thus had a lower stall speed).
How does a large cargo plane like the C-130 Hercules take off and land in such a short distance? So I was at an air show and saw a C-130J Super Hercules showcasing its capabilities. The take-off distance it covered was amazingly short (I guess equal to fighter jets), even though it uses propeller based engines. The la...	The lower weight means that takeoff performance will be increased by better acceleration and a lower liftoff speed.
Is ground school required to get a Private Pilots License? I know that there is a written exam that you are required to take, but do you have to go to a class in order to study for that test? If I'm really good at just learning from a book, can I just learn that way, maybe take a couple practice tests and then take th...	The FAA says : If you are unable to attend a ground school, the self-study method can be satisfactory, provided you obtain the proper study materials and devote a reasonable amount of time to study.
Why is it rare for small aircraft to have winglets? I've noticed that winglets are very rare on small aircraft. I wonder why this is the case. Wouldn't they have the same advantages, especially because they travel at low speed? Or is it just a wrong impression I got and they aren't that rare? <Q> I've talked to a coupl...	For larger aircraft that fly long distances, the proportion of the aircraft's weight that is due to the winglets is much smaller than it is for small aircraft, so they don't have this problem and that makes winglets a viable strategy.
Why are swept wings better for breaking the sound barrier? I'm told that swept wings perform better when an aircraft is trying to break the sound barrier. I was wondering why that would be? <Q> It's all about the 'effective' Mach number that the wing sees. <S> In essence, for a swept wing, the Mach number that the w...	By sweeping the wing back, you can get closer to the speed of sound without getting supersonic flow over the wing (remember, a wing generates lift by accelerating the air flowing over it, thereby decreasing the pressure -
What does the Boeing 777 autopilot do after reaching the last programmed waypoint? As I understand it, a series of waypoints can be programmed, by a pilot, into one of the autopilots on a Boeing 777. If the autopilot is engaged, the autopilot will cause the aircraft to fly to each waypoint in turn, automatically steeri...	If the last waypoint was a marker it will reach that marker, and then continue at that heading and speed; even though there are no more commands coming to it from the FMC (since its at the end of the programmed flight plan).
Why is Thunderbird 5's number upside down? Why is Thunderbird 5's number written upside down? <Q> This is because Thunderbird 5 is the opposing solo, and spends almost all of its time inverted. <S> Apparently though, this plane's number was not always painted upside down: Just guesswork on my part, but maybe the...	The #5 is painted upside down because it represents how the lead solo spends most of his time during an aerial demonstration.
Where can I find Air Traffic Control information material suitable for beginners and students? 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? <Q> Another good reference would be the...	The Air Traffic Basics course is the first information new FAA controllers are exposed to, and it is available to the public .
How much data do FDR and CVR generate on commercial jets? I'm wondering about how much CVR and FDR data an A320 (for example) would produce and at what intervals. I believe that there are 4 or 5 voice channel and several sensor data things. I'm trying to get some data on commercial jets. Is there any place I could get...	The NTSB report on the US Airways 1549 accident notes that the FDR recorded 178 parameters during the flight.
Can a super land without flaps/spoilers? Can the Airbus A380 or Boeing 787 land safely without flaps/slats/spoilers or thrust reversers? <Q> See a report here <S> where an A380 landed with no flaps. <S> This was at the Auckland, New Zealand airport, where the runway is 3,635 m (11,926 ft) long. <S> The pilots have...	Even the largest commercial airliners are able to land without flaps, since flap failures do happen occasionally.
Is it technically feasible to make a solar hang glider? Is there any hang glider with solar sheets on top that can charge the e-trike or the e-Lift's battery in flight ? Just like the Sunseeker ... <Q> I think you've got your terminology crossed here (but it's not your fault - your sources don't seem to clear on...	One could conceivably create a solar-powered ultralight using flexible solar cells on the wing - in fact a little Googling reveals that it has apparently been done with an electric paramotor (a type of powered parachute)
Why shouldn't you use HF radio while refueling? FCOM limitations for many aircraft state: DO NOT USE HF RADIO WHILE REFUELING Why is this? I have heard from people that it's because most of the big airliners have a 'notch' antenna for HF; it's a small notch cut at the base of the vertical stabiliser. HF transmissio...	HF radios can put out several hundred watts of power - this makes them more likely to generate a spark that can jump the gap between say a refueling nozzle and the refueling port/tank, igniting fuel vapors and ruining everyone's day.
In an airliner, does the Captain or the First Officer fly the airplane? If there is such a thing as a 'normal' flight (in a commercial airliner), who flies the plane? Is it usually the Captain, the First Officer, or whomever needs the hours? <Q> At the commercial airline level, there is very little difference between a...	The duties in the cockpit are divided between the Pilot Flying (PF) and the Pilot Not Flying (PNF)/ Pilot Monitoring (PM).
Where are the microphones for the black box located in the cockpit? All modern commercial airliners have a CVR (Cockpit Voice Recorder) on-board to record what the pilots are saying during the duration for a flight. I feel that the location of the microphones is important because they should be in a place that can easi...	Additionally, there is at least one microphone embedded in the cockpit, usually overhead.
When might a pilot hand-fly a jet at cruise altitudes, and is it difficult? How difficult is it to hand-fly a jet at cruise altitudes? Other than autopilot failure and just doing it for the fun of it, when might you want to hand-fly at those altitudes? I suspect the answer to the first question varies with different a...	Insofar as when you might want to do it, I found hand-flying produced a smoother ride in heavy to severe turbulence than the autopilot's turbulence mode, which tended to try to keep the assigned altitude and aircraft pitch too slavishly.
How do PAPI lights work? Usually, there are four lights at the sides of runways which show airplanes' altitude status: four red lights: too low two red, two white: appropriate altitude four white lights: too high. If two airplanes with two different altitudes approach, do they see different number of white and re...	The PAPI lights are not set for any airplane, they're unintelligent displays that are visible in different ways based on the angle of the viewer.
Why is the flight going north just to go south? I am tracking my kid's flight from LAX to EWR. It seems like a pretty straight West to East kind of flight but the flight path has the plane moving somewhat north through Ohio and then angling back to the south Why wouldn't the flight just keep going East? <Q> Aside from...	Another factor for this flight, was that it looks like once they went North to avoid the weather in Indiana, when they came east of the weather, if they'd have gone straight towards Newark at that time, there is a NOTAM for a TFR in Western Pennsylvania.
What is a flight leg and why it is so important for an aircraft? 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,...	It is obviously important administratively for scheduling and financially for optimizing return on investment etc. From the point of view of an aircraft's operator, it is a smaller part of an overall journey which involves landing at an intermediate airport.
Does the weight of the battery count as "fuel" in a battery powered ultralight? 14 CFR 103 compliant powered aircraft should be less than 254 pounds (excluding fuel). Do the batteries account for fuel in case of electric engine? <Q> The jury (i.e. FAA) is still out on this question as of early June 2014. <S> FAA ...	Although batteries may indeed be used to provide power to an electric motor, the FAA does not agree that those batteries should be equated to usable fuel and excluded from an ultralight vehicle's empty weight.
How did aircraft communicate during early air travel? During the initial era of air travel how do the pilots/Navigation officers would communicate with ground stations? Do they use radio communication? Or Telegraph was used? <Q> Radio was not widely used until the 1930s, before that, mostly light signals were used. <S...	In World War 1 there were aircraft spark gap transmitters and the pilot could send messages in Morse code to receivers on the ground but he could not receive wireless (now called radio) signals. When Lufthansa opened the first night connection between the Reich and East Prussia in 1926, they posted burning oil drums al...
Why do the engineers need to be on board during testing? I just finished watching National Geographic's Megafactories: Boeing 747-8 . During the test flights, a bunch of engineers are on board the plane, presumably controlling the water tanks that distribute weight, and collecting the data. Another time I'd seen it...	The engineers give the pilots guidance on getting the airplane into the right configuration. The engineers help monitor the data and make sure that things don't get out of hand.
How do airplanes get stacked in a holding pattern? This question prompted me to wonder how it works at a major airport. Let's say four airliners all are scheduled to arrive within a few minutes of each other to a major airport, perhaps from the four cardinal directions. Things are already backed up at the airport, let...	When arrivals resume ATC will peel airplanes off the bottom of the hold, one at at time at intervals dependent on the spacing requested by the approach facility.
Can I use a 150mw green laser to scare pigeons and not interfere with air traffic? Pigeons are annoying since they make aggressive cooing noises near my house. Considering many options for their dispersal, it seems lasers are one options since for some reason the lasers drive the pigeons crazy. In one video pigeons are...	There are many other ways to get rid of pigeons , some of which are used at airports and many of which are more effective (and safer) than your laser idea.
What aircraft has the highest suggested landing speed? Just out of vague curiosity, what aircraft has the highest recommended landing speed for an earth bound (atmospheric) craft? And, btw, when I say "landing" I define it as thus: Controlled Powered (though if you want to note unpowered, feel free) Safe, with the...	According to an ostensibly legitimate NASA source (link below), the X-15's normal landing speed was 200+mph (173.8kts=321.9kph), http://www.nasa.gov/centers/armstrong/news/FactSheets/FS-052-DFRC.html
Single engine failure in a light twin after lift-off: what to do? In a previous question the case about if a turnback would be feasible, specifically for a single engine aircraft, has been analysed. But given a twin-engine general aviation aircraft and a single engine failure immediately after lift-off, consider...	Testing the aircraft at altitude with one engine throttled is highly recommended, but be aware that the remaining thrust / drag of the throttled engine might be different from that of the stopped engine.
How do you repair a grounded aircraft at a remote location? If a large passenger airliner needs repair at a remote airport without services, are there "flying repairshops" that can swoop in and do the work on site? <Q> If you can, you'll fly in maintance yourself to get it fixed, perhaps by chartering a cargo plane on ...	If the problem is a bad engine and the aircraft is a 747, the most cost effect solution is usually a 3-engine ferry to a repair station.
Why do (almost) all military transports have high wings and civilian transports low wings? I've observed that almost all military transports have high wings (with a pronounced anhedral) and almost all civilian airliners have low wings (with a pronounced dihedral) — why is this? The high-wing configuration gives the mi...	But high wings protect the engines, and that allows high wing airplanes to operate in rough conditions. They need to be able to load large objects and vehicles, and with little or no ground support available.
What are the steep ramps often erected at large airports? For example, the following white and orange striped ramp: I've seen these at a couple large airports but I've never seen them actually used for anything. <Q> Here in the United States these are called blast fences. <A> Apart from blast fences, they also serv...	They protect whatever may be behind them from the direct effects of jet blast by directing the blast upwards.
Is LPV considered a precision approach? WAAS LPV approaches can have decision altitudes as low as 200 AGL, the same as many Cat I ILS approaches. Previous opinions on the Internet have quoted the FAA as saying LPV is considered a non-precision approach, but many of these entries were made more than seven years ago, whe...	LPV, LNAV/VNAV, and Baro VNAV are considered to be an 'Approach with Vertical Guidance (APV)'.
What are good books to learn basic aerodynamics in plane design? Well, since this stack is in beta, I thought I'd take a wack at asking a book question to see how it fits in this particular community (of if it even fits to begin with). I'm very curious about how aerodynamics work in plane design (especially wing desig...	I would recommend that you you can go for a book like Fundamentals of Aerodynamics by John D. Anderson, Jr., and simultaneously refer to a mathematics book which will give you the necessary background knowledge. Advanced Fluid Dynamic Lift & Fluid Dynamic Drag both by Hoerner
What is the difference between being instructed to land "as soon as possible" or "at nearest suitable airport"? On commercial airliners, the FCOM (Flight Crew Operating Manual) sometimes gives instructions to the pilots to land sooner than planned, following various in-flight failures or emergencies. For instance, for ...	LASAP Land as soon as possible at which a safe landing can be made or is assured ANSA Land at nearest suitable approved airport Land as soon as Practical Extended flight not recommended.
Is a single-engine ferry flight allowed with a twin-engine plane? If a twin-engine aircraft has an engine problem and could fly somewhere for maintenance, is a single-engine ferry flight ever allowed? If so, do airlines or pilots ever decide to do this? <Q> Civilian aircraft are not designed for this - but some militar...	Edit:With one engine inoperational, any twin-engined civilian aircraft would not be legal if it attempted a one-engine take-off.
What may be the cause of hot start problems in a Lycoming fuel injected engine? Cherokee Six, 32-300 1969. Lycoming engine is fuel injected with 450 SMOH. Cold starts are easy: 1/2" throttle, full rich, fuel pump on and hit starter after fuel flow starts. Runs great once running.Hot starts are hit or miss. If it sits o...	Also have the injectors checked. In the fuel injected Lyc 540, the fuel injection plumbing is on the top of the engine which is the cold side of the engine when you are flying but when parked, heat rises! I have a 1969 PA 32 300 with 420 hours on engine, for the last 12 months it has been very hard starting after a fli...
Is it an overkill to request to see airplane maintenance logs at a new flight school? I'm getting a checkout at a new flight school, so I don't know anything about the maintenance records of their airplanes other than this school has been in operation for some time and so I assume everything is in order. As PIC, thoug...	Schools generally do a good job maintaining their aircraft (they're used hard, but kept airworthy because if they're out of service the school is losing money).
How can I find telephone numbers for FAA ATC facilities? It is often desirable to call an FAA air traffic control (ATC) facility on the telephone: To ask a question about a " mark-the-tape " incident To request a tour To notify the facility of unregulated nearby operations like RC plane flying How can one find ...	Your best bet would be to contact the Flight Standards District Office that covers your area - they can get you in touch with whatever other branches of the FAA you might need to talk to.
What measures were taken to keep Soviet airline pilots in the Soviet Union? How did the Soviet Union keep airline pilots from leaving the country? It seems like it would have been pretty easy to do since the pilots are already in the air. And I would guess at least some flew close to the borders. <Q> Civilian pilots ...	In a few words: what kept pilots from defecting from the USSR was that, on the whole, they didn't have a reason to want to .
Why are gate numbers also marked on the outside of a terminal? As per this question. What are these numbers visible from the runway at Narita airport? A UK document is linked in the accepted answer but it doesn't list big number marking on the outside of the terminal. Surely such numbering is of little value to pilots...	The signs on top of the jet bridges are useful in identifying your assigned gate.
Is a smartphone required to control a DJI Phantom 2 Vision+? Not sure if this is on-topic here, as the official guidance seems a bit vague. Anyways, I've got a relatively simple question. I'm considering purchasing a Phantom 2 Vision+, but am a little unclear about what options there are in terms of controlling it....	It is not a requirement to use it standard control for the P2V+ is via the physical remote it comes with, you can also set waypoints via the app (You may take over control at any time)
What's the name and purpose of a barrier raised behind a carrier based jet? I saw this picture in Wikipedia with a Su-33 jet on carrier deck with some barrier raised from the deck behind the jet tail: What is this barrier for and what's the official term for it? <Q> The official name is a Jet Blast Deflector . ...	It's a blast fence to prevent that the groundcrew walking behind the jet get blown away by the jet blast.
What are the length requirement for US aircraft N-Numbers / registrations? Many small aircraft registered in the US seem to have a registration that follows the pattern of N, 4 numbers, and ending in a letter. Sometimes they only have 4 characters, or less. And then there's the FAA Gulfstream N1 . Who decides on what...	Here's what the FAA has to say: U.S. registration numbers may not exceed five characters in addition to the standard U.S. registration prefix letter N .
What is this molten metal coming from the engine of an Avro RJ 100? Yesterday I flew in an Swiss Avro RJ100. As soon as we landed I was shocked to see some sort of molten metal which was incandescent and glowing red dripping down from the vent as indicated in the picture. It was almost catching fire! I was suprised to ...	What you saw may not have been metal, but simply some other fluid (fuel, lubricant, hydraulic) leaking out of the engine, reflecting the sunlight.
Why does a T-tail produce a pitch-down moment in sideslip? Here is something which I did not find in any book, but confirmed in several wind tunnel and flight tests: A T-tail causes a strong nose-down moment in sideslip. This can even be observed in a potential flow analysis, so no fancy viscous effects should be requi...	On a t-tail, the wind shadow of the vertical stab affects the low pressure side (lower surface) of the horizontal tailplane which is the aerodynamically sensitive side causing a greater loss of effectivity of the tailplane.
Can I land a plane in a field? If I had a plane that could take off and land in a short distance (eg., the SD-1 Minisport ), do I have to use a recognized airport in order to land in the US? Or can I just land anywhere so long as it's class G airspace? FYI, this question is for non-emergencies. IE., if I just wante...	You can land wherever you want as far as the aviation regulations are concerned.
Why don't planes have a reverse propeller as air brakes? When I first heard the word air brakes it came to me that maybe the engine start rotating in the opposite direction for that, but since that's not possible, why can't we have an extra engine for air braking? Did I just invent a new braking paradigm? <Q> Planes w...	Most jet airliners and some propeller-driven aircraft (chiefly those designed for short-field operations) do in fact have some sort of thrust reversal system already. Even if reverse thrust was beneficial, reversing the engine's rotation would be totally infeasible; engines are simply not designed to run either way rou...
Can a commercial aircraft be detected by ATC's / Radar systems if all its engines fail? In an event of failure of all engines of a commercial aircraft in mid air and no secondary backup or generators powering the plane (plane is virtually powerless and no comp systems work on board), would the ATC still be able to dete...	yes, If the aircraft with all engines out is in radar range and ATC are attentive, they can track the aircraft's location.

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