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Is there any part of a flight where the pilot would pitch down? Would the pilot ever pitch down (even slightly) during a flight, or would he/she simply reduce power to reduce altitude? This question is not similar to Why do airplanes lift up their nose to climb? (asked by Chris) for it the reasons aircraft pitch up....	In particular during the approach-to-landing, extending the flaps will substantially increase the drag, and in order to maintain airspeed, you'll need to pitch the nose down.
Why is the aircraft boneyard in Tucson, Arizona still active? I understand that an aircraft boneyard is an amazing tourist attraction for aviation enthusiasts. However, the number of planes that the boneyard in Tucson has accumulated today is mind-boggling. I know that, initially, the purpose of the boneyard was t...	Even if it just seems like the planes are sitting there idle, the boneyard also serves as a huge collection of available spare parts that is continuously being used to supply the aircraft that are still in service.
How do pilots determine the takeoff distance of an aircraft? While making a flight plan, depending upon the weight of the aircraft, I'm assuming pilots determine the takeoff distance. How do they do so (is there a formula to calculate the takeoff distance)? <Q> Most airplanes have a POH (Pilot Operating Handbook) with ...	The air carrier I flew for had a performance chart for every runway we operated from (all scheduled and alternate destinations) that we could reference for the max allowable takeoff weight for that runway, flap configuration, wind condition and temperature. As mentioned, external data sources are used.
Why is stall speed listed in a POH? In this comment on this question about stall warning systems, it was stated that: You can stall at any airspeed (see this question and this one) and in any attitude, only the AoA is important because that's what causes the airflow to separate from the wing. Why, then, do...	They are given as a speed rather than raw AoA because most non-aerobatic small airplanes lack AoA indications in the cockpit, while all have airspeed indicators.
When to turn base at towered airport? When at a towered airport and instructed to make " left pattern for runway 3, " am I supposed to wait for the base leg turn until tower clears me for landing? This seems to be the norm, but I can't find anything in the FAR/AIM to indicate what is acceptable. Related: I often get ...	While it is the towers responsibility to clear you for landing and what not, controllers are not perfect, you can continue on towards the runway in your pattern but if you have not been cleared you should go-around or ask for clearance. There’s no official rule as to when.
What would happen if a pilot were to use the parking brakes after touchdown in order to slow down? The situation that I came up with is merely hypothetical. Say a pilot was unable to land right after the runway threshold, for whatever reason it may be - a crosswind, etc - but was determined to land the aircraft. I und...	The parking brake would have no effect if the pilot were not already on the brakes, and would not be able to add any additional braking than the pilot could otherwise apply.
What is currently the longest commercial flight in terms of distance? Flightradar24 has announced few hours ago , that Qantas QF7 is taking off for its 13,804 km long flight and named it the longest commercial flight (by distance) . Is that correct? I was more than sure, that I heard few years ago, that current reco...	If we instead include 1-time-only flight by a commercial airliner, the longest one has been flown in November 2005 between Hong Kong and London, as a demo by Boeing.
How is it possible for manufacturers to constantly get data from their planes all over the world? I've heard that manufacturers (like Boeing and Airbus) constantly get data from their planes. So in the case of an emergency, ATC's or pilots can contact the manufacturers for assistance. How do manufacturers constantly ge...	Boeing have AHM AHM sutomatically monitors, collects and transmits service levels using ACARS through the installed Aircraft Condition Monitoring System (ACMS)
Why is the manufacturing process of an aircraft mostly manual? Why is the manufacturing process mostly done by humans, and not by robots as in case of most other industries? Video <Q> Although robots have taken over many jobs in the process of manufacturing things like cars, airliners are much larger and more complex. ...	A robot is an investment - a big one, since robot costs are proportional to size, task, precision etc. A robot specializes in one task or one type of task, while humans can do many different tasks. Here in Russia we have two main reasons: Conservatism in Aviation sphere.
What prevents a passenger from opening the emergency door on his own will, mid-flight? I have never sat on the emergency seats near the wings, with the emergency exit. I have seen cabin crew instruct the passengers seated near the door on how to operate the door. My question, what prevents a 'rogue' passenger from ope...	Latch type doors have interlocks or over-center latches that prevent operation with a pressurized cabin.
“ , remain VFR” — may I enter Class C airspace? During a flight yesterday, the approach frequency for a local Class C was unusually busy. I was heading back to an underlying Class D and the frequency finally quieted down enough for me to poke in a call of Huntsville Approach, Cessna 123AB, VFR with request . ATC resp...	Yes, you were allowed to enter the class C in that case, but you weren't cleared to do it because no clearance is needed to operate in class C, just communication with ATC.
What is the maximum age limit for getting a pilot licence? Can I do pilot training courses even after age 26 ? <Q> As far as I know there are no maximum age restrictions on getting a pilots license anywhere in the world. <S> Many countries have a minimum age restriction for getting a license, that usually does not pr...	a number of aeronautical regulatory bodies, including the FAA, do not specify a maximum age for flight training or executing the privileges of Pilot-In-Command under most circumstances ; as long as you hold a valid medical, you're in the clear. 26 is fine, in fact 76 is fine as long as you pass whatever medical is requ...
How much power is needed by aircraft IFE systems during flight? How much power is needed by aircraft In Flight Entertainment systems during flight if they operate all the devices connected in the cabin? <Q> I don't have specifics but lets extrapolate for a minute (using the Boeing 777-300 for size filled with lets <S> ...	It depends on how many lights are on, and how much the in-flight entertainment system is in use. I found to this document that suggests that the power supply draws around 100 watts (that would fit with the suggestion above).
How much power is used by cabin lighting systems during flight? How much power is used by cabin lighting systems during flight when all the lights are ON? <Q> Almost all lighting systems installed today use Light Emitting Diodes for weight savings, reduced power use and less maintenance. <S> Compared to other aircraft ...	The power consumed is the power used by each lamp multiplied by the number of lamps.
For an electric airplane are propellers the only option for propulsion? This is for an electric airplane (so no fuels for combustion): Are propellers the only option? Is there a turbine-jet possible with only air intake, electrically compress, and a turbine and nozzle and get equal or more thrust than a propeller ...	You aren't really going to want to carry fuel AND batteries, so some sort of ducted fan is the best solution for a high speed aircraft. Propellers in some form are really the only option.
Do planes use autopilot when flying in formation? 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...	First, the lead aircraft has an entirely different task than the wingmen: his objective is to be a stable platform for them to maintain formation off of, and so for Lead to have the autopilot engaged is entirely possible in many scenarios.
Why isn't the V flight formation being used for commercial purposes? The V Flight Formation has been found to be helpful in achieving greater fuel efficiency and range. Though it is currently used mostly for military purposes, what restricts it from being used for commercial purposes? <Q> This possibility has actually...	No person may operate an aircraft, carrying passengers for hire , in formation flight. All relevant regulations on separation, formation flying and so on would need to be reviewed and changed which in most countries means changing the aviation laws, and changing any law is usually a long, slow process
Is the Mach number shown by an Air Data Computer considered a "true" Mach number? I am trying to find more information on "true" vs. "indicated" Mach number (not airspeed). I've found older fighter aircraft manuals online that have a conversion chart from one to the other, but the modern jets I've flown don't have such...	The true airspeed is calculated by the ADC from the Mach number and the outside air temperature.
How is the actual ground speed of an airliner measured? Do pilots have the "ground speed" information available? If so, how is the ground speed measured? Or do they rely on GPS info to calculate it? <Q> There are generally two ways of determining the ground speed from within the aircraft. <S> The first is by using a...	Nowadays this is mostly GPS, but ground speed is also determined by using a number of VOR (VHF Omnidirection Range) and/or DME (Distance Measuring Equipment) stations.
Why are contrails not visible from the cabin? If you observe a plane flying whilst on the ground, plenty of times you will see contrails: Why are they not visible from the plane itself when sitting in the most rear part of the cabin even by trying to look towards the rear of the plane fuselage? They seem to be quite ...	It has alredy been written that contrails may form aside or behind an aircraft, so you may or may not be able to see them from the rearmost seats.
Electric Airplane - Hybrid / dual type engines how would that work? If you have an airplane with electric propellers for take off and landing and you have a turbofan/jet to reach higher speeds for cruise.For example, electric propellers can go to 250mph and turbofan to 550mph Do you switch off the electric propellers...	The electric motor could supply extra power during takeoff and function as a generator/dive brake on the prop during descent.
What's the relation between cabin pressure and altitude? Usually, cabin pressure of an airliner is kept at a value corresponding to an altitude of not more than about 2000m. Now, I heard that before takeoff, the pressure is already increased a little for higher stability of the fuselage. Maybe, this is wrong, but I h...	You can see a small increase in pressure right before takeoff.
When a large commercial jet touches down, is it committed to stopping? I was reading about flight RWAF9268 earlier today when a questions popped into mind. When a large commercial jet touches down, is it required to try and come to a complete stop? Or is it allowed to take off again if part of the craft fails (like...	No, when an airliner touches down, it is not committed to stop.
Will driving experience benefit flight training? I think my question/situation is a little bit of rare so I start this question and want to hear from you experience pilots. I'm a 30+ migrant from China working as a software engineer for 10 years. Now I use my weekends taking flight training for Private Pilot Licence i...	You can have no driving experience and still be a good pilot, but there is a thing called "Pilot Aptitude".
How is the D8 Double Bubble aircraft by NASA so efficient? How does the 'double bubble' fuselage cross-section of the " Double Bubble D8 " aircraft (developed by MIT for NASA) help improve overall efficiency by around 70%? Image credit: NASA/MIT/Aurora Flight Sciences <Q> The main advantage is its lower flight Mach n...	The biggest contribution is from lowering cruise Mach (and increasing cruise lift coefficient, which allows to reduce wing area) and from engine optimization.
How similar/different are the roles performed by Military and Civil pilots? Broadly, Military and Civil are the only two categories in which the Pilots can be classified on the basis of the roles performed by them. What are the similarities and differences in tasks performed by them? <Q> The biggest difference is that ...	The military operates troop transport and cargo planes much like commercial operations do and they have pilots who fly them.
How is an aircraft aligned at a jet bridge? I see these jet bridges (or aerobridges) at nearly every new airport I go to. How are aircraft aligned with these bridges, particularly the A380 which has doors on both decks? <Q> How are aircraft aligned with these bridges <S> They are not (but read on) <S> Aircraft a...	After the aircraft stops the jet bridge is aligned with the aircraft's door by an operator that commands the various bridge actuators (wheels, extension, rotation).
Flare: low, slow, and uncoordinated? I'd like to rephrase the question: Often I forward-slip on final right right rudder. During this time, I use the ailerons to keep the aircraft headed down the center-line; the aircraft's bank varies slightly from left wing down, to right wing down. At some point during this proce...	You do need to be careful not to flare too soon, as that might cause your airspeed to bleed off to the point were you will either begin to sink too rapidly and touch down hard or, in a really bad outcome, actually induce a stall and run the risk of losing control of the aircraft.
How does take off mass impact induced drag? In this answer to another question, it was stated that: Take-off mass: If you take no payload, the aircraft will produce less induced drag and reach a slightly higher range How does a change of weight inside the same shaped container increase induced drag, since the ai...	If weight(mass) of the aircraft decreases, the lift required to fly the aircraft decreases.
Can a plane with 2 sets of shorter wings fly? I am proposing a plane that has 2 short wings of the same size on either side of the fuselage (two in the front and two in the back). Rather than using the horizontal stabilizer to destroy lift, the wings in the back help create lift and adjust the pitch of the plane. One ...	Anything with a strong enough engine pointed in the right direction can fly :)
What will the impact to GA be if DTC DUAT goes away? Data Transformation Corporation issued the press release below. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DTC DUAT Contract Extension May 21, 2015 — Data Transformation Corporation, DTC DUAT which supplies the DUAT Service for the FAA for the past 25 years, has announced that i...	I assume the main impact would be on people who use DTC DUATS as their primary flight planning and filing tool and use it directly, rather than via another tool.
Why are Low Cost Carriers ordering several hundred aircraft? Indigo is a low cost carrier, which already has 99 A-320s in its fleet has ordered 431 more. This airline currently covers 35 routes, while the full service carrier Emirates has 221 planes, and covers a fancy 164 routes. In its home country as well, the...	This, together with the rebates connected to a big order, enables the airline to win any price war with its local competition, because its aircraft will consume less fuel and will be profitable at lower seat-mile prices than those of a competitor which operates a mixed fleet of different types and older aircraft.
Why do some fighters have two engines and other have only one but still give the same performance? The F-16 , F-35 , and Gripen have single engines. On the other hand, the Ching-kuo (Taiwan) and F/A-18 have double engines, but the combined thrust of two engines is almost equal to the single engine thrust. Why...	Generally, a single, bigger engine will be more powerful and more efficient per unit of mass, because manufacturing tolerances will be relatively smaller in the bigger engine, if the same technology is used for both.
What types of air traffic controllers are there? I've heard of many different types of controllers, but I'm not sure exactly what their responsibilities and interactions are. Here are some examples: En route controllers Approach controllers Ground controllers What types of controllers exist and what aspects of a...	There may be a Tower controller (if there is a tower): who deals with airplanes on, to and from the active runways.
What is meant by a "congested area of a city/town/settlement" in FAR 103? FAR 103 .15 states: No person may operate an ultralight vehicle over any congested area of a city, town, or settlement, or over any open air assembly of persons. I'm wondering what is meant by "congested area". It sounds like you can fly ove...	If flying over occupied homes or businesses it is by definition congested.
Do modern aircrafts like 747/787/A320/A380 have some Plug and Play subsystems/sensors? Do modern passenger aircafts like 747/787/A320/A380 have some sub-system or sensors which are plug and play that might include some kind of sensors or radars which comes as optional and can be used plug-play as and when needed as per...	By definition "plug and play" would means that the avionics automatically and silently adapts to whether whether the optional device is present or not.
What is the standard procedure in case of inconsistent sensor readings? After reading the answers I now know there are three independent sensors. I will leave the question as-is, to not take the answers out of context: I do remember reading that airliners have two independent sensors and channels to deliver readings l...	With the aircraft under control, and when directed by the checklist, you start analyzing the situation, to see if you can rectify/isolate the faulty source. In the case of unreliable altitude, in case you can't determine a reliable source, you can typically use radio altitude below 2'500 ft.
Do fighter jets experience a reaction or recoil force upon firing a missile? When fighter jets fire a missile, do they observe any kind of reaction force due to firing the missile? If yes, how is this observed by the pilot? If no, why not? <Q> No, rocket missiles are recoil-less weapons. <S> When firing a gun, the ch...	When firing a rocket missile however there is open space behind he missile and the reaction force only accelerates the generated gasses that are ejected off the back and does not affect the launching platform significantly.
What callsign would a medical emergency flight use? I see medical emergency helicopters taking off and landing several times a day from the hospital near my office. As I understand from an earlier question, they are probably flying VFR, below controlled airspace and likely without ADS-B . I would assume, however, tha...	In radio communications, use the call sign“MEDEVAC,” followed by the aircraft registration letters/numbers.
Why do the missiles on an F-16 point slightly down? I've been wondering this for quite a while: Why do the missiles on the F-16 point down a little bit? I went and did a little searching and found out that the F-16 isn't the only plane that has this feature, so I'm going assume it's not the F-16s frame specifically....	There might be more to it in terms of aerodynamics, but I didn't engineer the jet. Usually stores are hung off an aircraft in such a manner to facilitate a safe auxiliary free-fall release. That might also be part of the reason for that alignment; to make it more convenient for the pilot to aim when shooting in BORE mo...
Can a commercial airliner be used for military purposes? Is it possible that in case of some very serious emergency, a commercial airliner such as the B777F could be used for dropping bombs or to serve some other fighting purpose? I am simply asking about this from a technical standpoint. <Q> Retrofitting is (as the...	In the 1980s there was a proposal for a Cruise Missile Carrier Aircraft (CMCA) version of the Boeing 747, which could have carried and launched around 70-100 AGM-86 ALCM cruise missiles with nuclear warheads.
How many people can stand on airliner's wings? This photo of Allegiant Air flight 331 got me wondering: how much weight would a typical airliner's wings be able to hold? Aside: Apparently these folks didn't realise that if they smell gas in the cabin, they probably shouldn't decide to go out of the emergency exits...	Each aircraft has its own design for how much it weight it has to hold on the wing.
Is it possible for an airliner to safely fly with doors open? From another question asks about the possibility of dropping bombs from converted airliners. My question: is it possible to safely fly aircraft with a door open for the whole flight envelope? Would the aerodynamics be affected if we did not close the door?...	UA Flight 811 was able to make a safe decent and return to airport after its door blew out so large planes are maneuverable with out door. In short it depends largely on the plane but in the most general way of looking at it.
Could the US Air Force ever replace the Thunderbird pilots with drones? Would it be possible or practical for the US Air Force to replace the Thunderbird pilots with drones? The drones could perform more difficult maneuvers and do them more precisely. The University of Pennsylvania is successfully working on small-s...	To answer the "ever" aspect: Once the services field UCAVs (unmanned combat drones) with a good power-to-weight ratio , having them fly aerobatic displays looks almost unavoidable, but I expect it will not be the Air Force, but the marketing department of a big contractor driving this.
Why are the call signs of some airlines completely different than their name? The call sign of U.S. Airways is "Cactus", and that of British Airways is "Speedbird"; while for Malaysia Airlines is "Malaysia", Qantas is just simple "Qantas". Why is it that the call signs of some airlines are so different from their name...	Companies' assigned names may change as a result of mergers, acquisitions, or change in company name or status; British Airways uses BOAC's old callsign ("Speedbird"), as British Airways was formed by a merger of BOAC and British European Airways.
How can I see all commercial destinations to a country from a particular airport? I live in Las Vegas, which obviously has a large airport with a broad array of international flights. Is there a quick way for me to see all the non-stop commercial flights that are available to Mexico? I don't need to necessarily know th...	And, you can use any flight tracker for all the cities served by an airport.
Do all B777 family aircraft have the same engines? I think there are multiple variants of engines for the different variants in B777 family but I am not sure but is it GE90-115B in one while Trent and PW in others? <Q> TL;DR: <S> No. <S> For the true answer refer to the FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 777-200 2 P...	The Boeing 777-300ER is always equipped with General Electric GE90-115BL1 engines, while the baseline -300 can be ordered with four different engine models from General Electric, Pratt& Whitney or Rolls Royce.
Exactly what kind of radios are prohibited for passengers inside an aircraft? I know that passengers are asked to put their cell phones on flight mode. But some carriers allow use of WLAN on-board. So, what radios should passengers refrain from using?Also, if a person uses a GPS receiver on his/her mobile phone (on fli...	In general, no electronic device that has a transmit function may be used because of possible interference though, unless specifically approved. The GPS receiver would not cause problems, but this doesn't mean that you are necessarily allowed to use it, and there are other things in your phone that could cause a proble...
Is there a downside to trying multiple flight instructors? My local airport has a Part 61 flight school and gives students the option of selecting among three Certified Flight Instructors. Farhan and others have posted excellent explanations of characteristics to look for in instructors. Other than wasted time and m...	Different instructors have completely different styles and areas of emphasis, so it can be very useful to get "alternative points of view" from time to time. You're about to spend a ton of money - do the due diligence and spend more up front to make sure you don't waste time and money with someone whose teaching style ...
How do aircraft land on snow? It is very common today for planes to land on snow (for example, in Antarctica). How are planes kept in control with so little friction against the ground? What is the procedure to perform this kind of landing? How much extra distance, on average, does an aircraft cover by landing on snow,...	Careful use of reverse thrust and braking along with not making any turnoffs from the runway until sufficiently slowed are the name of the game.
How do modern helicopters tackle Vortex Ring State? According to the wikipedia page : Air vortices can form around the main rotor of a helicopter, causing a dangerous condition known as vortex ring state (VRS) or "settling with power". In this condition, air that moves down through the rotor turns outward, then up, ...	The preventative measures are: Be aware of the flight conditions under which vortex ring state may occur.
Why are turbofan inlets leaned/angled forward? (Image Source: Wikipedia ) Seeing that everything is radially symmetric (apart from the nacelle mount, naturally), I wonder why the inlet (the front part of the nacelle) is usually skewed? <Q> The inlet angle is a compromise between cruise, when the aircraft has a low an...	I'm quite suprised that this wasn't mentioned in any of the previous comments or answers, but since the inlet is quite far in front of the wing, it sees some significant upwash from the wing.
What kinds of planes can tow banners? Planes can sometimes be seen towing banners around large cities or events. What kind of plane is good for this type of flight? With banners they appear to be flying slower than usual. Is this just an illusion? What are the practical or regulatory requirements that the plane mu...	Joking aside, the exact airplane to use depends on the size of the banners or billboards you're going to be towing, but generally speaking you want something reasonably rugged, with good slow flight characteristics, sufficient engine power to be able to overcome the added drag from the banner, and, hopefully, some dece...
How are cruise missiles different from ballistic missiles? Cruise missiles and ballistic missiles are used by many nations as offensive and defensive technology. How do cruise missiles and ballistic missiles maneuver, and what are the differences between the basic principles of these maneuvers? <Q> Most have wings, alt...	A cruise missile is rocket or jet powered and flies to its target within the atmosphere, using lift to stay up.
Can small airplanes be towed (or carried) as cargo to be dropped at some other location by air? Is there any present technology where a large plane can carry a small plane (or multiple small planes) and drop it midair where the small plane deploys itself? This would be very good from defense point of view, where small ...	During the era of the zeppelins several countries experimented with launching fighter aircraft from airships, mainly as a way to get the fighter crafts to a relevant altitude while conserving fuel. If you are talking about externally carrying/deploying other aircraft, this has already been done with the B-52 (albeit fo...
Does 3D Thrust vectoring (TVC) provide improved maneuverability over 2D TVC? What are the additional capabilities that 3D thrust vectoring (TVC) provides over 2D thrust vectoring? <Q> Thrust vectoring allows to control an aircraft when the airflow over its control surfaces has separated. <S> Before thrust vectoring, th...	In short, yes; the ability to vector thrust to the sides of the aircraft, inducing yaw, does provide an advantage in maneuvering over pitch-only vectoring.
Can a commercial airliner be too heavy to take off? According to this question's answers, MTOW (or MTOM) is the Maximum Take Off Weight, which is everything up to and including trip fuel. Then there is one step above that, MRW , or Maximum Ramp Weight, which is MTOW plus fuel used to taxi out to take-off. Can a...	Correct on virtually all points; it is possible for an aircraft with high payload or long range expectations to require more fuel be loaded at the gate than it could make it off the runway carrying; however, it wouldn't have to lift off with any fuel it needs to burn just to get to (or even down) the runway.
How did SR-71 spy, flying at 80,000 ft and 3500 km/h? The SR-71 Blackbird is a famous supersonic reconnaissance/spy aircraft, undoubtedly one of the most amazing flying machines ever. Now, with the capabilities it had: Maximum speed: Mach 3.3 (2,200+ mph, 3,540+ km/h, 1,910+ knots) at 80,000 ft (24,000 m) How...	The plane was equipped with an Optical Bar Camera "The Optical Bar Camera (OBC) is a high resolution panoramic camera with a "folded" ----------- lens system.
Would it be possible to use 3D printed node based structures to make cheaper GA planes? A car boasting 700HP and under the U.S LSA weight limit was just announced by Divergent Technologies . I was curious on peoples thoughts on using this technique in planes. Obviously there are some issues with the surface of the str...	I work at a company that routinely uses 3D printers for design of new components - although not for the aviation industry.
What is the highest possible thrust generated by 15cm ducted fan? I recently developed a sudden interest in flying. I'm wondering whether a pair of small ducted fans could lift a person off the ground. Lets say the ducted fan is 15cm in diameter. What would be the most thrust a fan like that could produce? <Q> A 15cm...	Apparently, a 50cm diameter disc can possibly generate 45kg thrust on its own.
Are drones used in firefighting, agriculture and pest control? Well, as the question says I am interested in the use of drones in agriculture. Are there any drones designed to carry a tank of some chemical or water? How large are those tanks? I have seen that airplanes are used in agriculture and in extinguishing fo...	Ignoring the military drones out there most of the commercially available unmanned vehicles are on the smaller side and simply don't have the useful load of something like a Piper Pawnee that is used for current crop dusting.
Why do fighter jets land faster than Jumbo commercial aircraft? From my own understanding, the bigger (and heavier) aircraft, the higher approach speed it needs to keep itself from stalling. According to this site , the approach speed of an A380 is 140 knots, and 160 knots for a 747. In contrast, the F-16's landing s...	Although the fighter plane provides less lift at the same angle of attack and requires a faster airspeed to stay aloft without stalling, the control over a wider range of airspeeds is worth the tradeoff for the fighter jet performance and maneuverability. Landing speed varies depending on several factors.
Could the non-smoking sign still be turned off in modern airplanes? Yesterday, I flew on Germanwings 4U2379 with an Airbus A319. The plane's interior looked pretty modern, and while I can't find a construction year online, I'm pretty sure it was built way after the total smoking ban. This plane still had illuminated ...	One option, used by at least some airlines, is that while the lighted "no smoking" signs have been replaced by placards (no lightbulbs to ever need replacing), the cockpit switch itself still works in that it produces a single tone chime when turned on or off.
Why are Russian cockpit panels painted in turquoise? Almost all cockpit panels of Russian aircraft types are painted in turquoise, whereas elsewhere the cockpit panels usually exhibit a dark grey color.As this "rule" seems to be quite prevalent, I am curious as to the reason/origin. This can be seen in the cockpit of ...	According to Cold War Air Museum : ...the color chosen by Soviet designers helps to reduce stress and maintain a pilot's effectiveness on long missions.
Why do airplanes have to retract landing gear? Why do all the airplanes have to retract their landing gear, once they reach some specific height? Why can't they simply leave their landing gear deployed all through the flight? <Q> In the early days of aviation it was simply easier to have the gear fixed. <S> The landing...	Retracting the gear into the airplane allows for a cleaner form, which reduces drag.
How are aircraft filmed in sky? We have several spectacular and amazing videos of aircraft, flying high in the sky. How are these videos filmed, at great altitudes? <Q> Two words: chase planes. <S> Here's one article on how that's done , including images captured from both sides; the chase plane (a Learjet 25B) ge...	A few more words: The easiest way to film an airplane in flight is with another airplane in flight.
How can I take off in a straight line if the runway isn't visible ahead? In a C152, flying VFR, if you point your nose up you wouldn't be able to see the runway, thus it would be difficult to keep yourself aligned to it. So once you take off with a C152, do you climb in a fixed climb rate or do you level off at a cert...	Generally speaking you fly the runway heading after you have rotated and you do this using the heading indicator
Why couldn't my aircraft depart fully fueled on a 44C day? My flight from Abudhabi to SFO was postponed. Official reason given to us was outside temperatures were too high - around 44+ degree Celsius and aircraft can not take off with full fuel loads at such high temperatures. While sitting at terminal I saw other fli...	If it gets too hot then the aircraft might not have enough runway to get airborne.
Why fewer operations on weekends? Why are there fewer air carrier operations on weekends? Looking at PHX data, we have the following annual trend that clearly shows a weekly drop of about 8% on weekends: and when I average the data a strong weekly pattern is evident: Is this simply telling us that most traffic is bus...	Also, at smaller airports, it might be difficult for airlines to modify the number of flights that support business travelers.
Could turbine or compressor stages of a jet engine be switched off to improve fuel efficiency? Active fuel management is a technology developed by General Motors, which is used to improve engine efficiency in the times when the engine is operating under loads which are considerably less than the rated load, as shown in...	If a jet engine doesn't need to produce as much power, it can simply inject less fuel in the combustion chamber. You cannot "switch off" a stage of a turbine engine.
Why have different pattern altitudes for different aircraft? In the FAA AFD for Santa Rosa airport (KSTS), the pattern altitude is given as 1,000’ AGL for small aircraft, and 1,500’ AGL for large aircraft. Why do these altitudes differ? Doesn’t it compromise having a uniform pattern altitude so aircraft can see each o...	As other people mentioned, the fact that larger planes travel at different speeds is one reason they may place them in a different pattern, and I suspect it helps with wake turbulence as well.
How is rudder used in a aileron roll? Rudder is usually used to maintain coordinated flight. When banking to one side to begin a turn, the rudder is usually pushed towards that side. I guess this is still valid in inverted flight: in normal flight, if the pilot bank the plane to the right, it also push the right pedal ...	A little rudder at just the right time can help keep the nose up in a slow roll or even an aileron roll, as the plane rotates through the sideways portions of the roll when gravity is otherwise not countered.
How does turbojet thrust change with altitude? I am studying the rate of climb of turbojets, I don't know how the thrust varies with altitude and in particular which are the differences between necessary thrust and effective thrust. Hope being clear, I can't translate properly maybe so ask and edit ! <Q> The thrust var...	Since higher air-speeds are normally used at higher altitudes, thrust generally decreases with an aircraft's altitude.
What kind of aircraft may land on iced areas, like Antarctica? I know some aircraft may land on iced surfaces. what are the difficulties associated and is this limited to specially designed aircraft. Is there some conditions necessary for the landing and the next takeoff.Where are the main iced airfields currently ac...	As far as I know, a well-groomed snow / ice runway can accommodate any plane in good weather. Most flights to McMurdo are on C-17s or C-130 Hercules.
Why does aviation use Zulu time instead of the local time? When reading aviation literature, it's common to find references to Zulu Time . What is Zulu Time ? Why does aviation use Zulu Time instead of the local time? <Q> Zulu means the letter Z in radio communication. <S> The letter Z designates UTC time. ...	As aircraft may be operating over several time zones during a cross country or international flight, it makes sense to file flight plans with departure and arrival times listed in Zulu time for easy reference. Zulu time is UTC time .
Why are pilots asked to provide a reason for a go-around? Why does the tower ask pilots what the reason is for a go-around? This seems to be standard for commercial flights. <Q> The reason 1 pilot goes around may also be the reason the next pilot goes around, The second pilot would like to know before hand whether the ...	The only reason for a go-around is that the pilot or ATC thinks that landing is not safe or possible for this approach.
How do I locate a list of restrictions that would prevent a pilot from flying in the US? I have a privacy preserving technology that could conceivably help prevent the Germanwings crash of 2014 . The idea would be there is a long list of issues that would prohibit a pilot from flying encoded on a ID card that anonymi...	It would be illegal to fly for obvious medical reasons, e.g. you're taking a medication that the FAA doesn't allow You're legal to fly, but your employer's policies don't allow you to fly, e.g. you haven't had some specific internal sign-off required for a certain aircraft, route or crew combination Immune System —HIV ...
Why aren't airliner windows aligned with their seats? On a recent airline flight, I noticed that the spacing of the plane's windows was different from that of the passenger seats: some of the rows had a window directly in line with them but for others, the windows were partially obscured by the seatbacks in front or be...	This system of configuration is better for both the aircraft manufacturer (because it is cheaper to build one basic airframe as opposed to hundreds of slightly tweaked ones) and the airline (because they are able to customize the interior to their liking).
What are the factors behind increasing aircraft window sizes? Modern airliners like the Airbus A380 and Boeing 787 have bigger windows than older designs, like the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320. What factors have led to this change of window size, opposite to the trend of almost every other thing in the interior of the ...	It is the use of composite materials in the aircraft body structure that has enabled larger windows.
What is the effect of opening airplane bay doors on the radar cross section of the airplane? How does opening airplane bay doors (especially in the case of bombers), increase the radar cross section of the airplane and make it more visible to the radar? These are usually combined with active measures such as carefu...	Opening weapon bays will break up what was a single surface before into several, and the need to align the doors with airflow will create a new edge orientation which will result in a new reflection spike where none was before.
Is there some functionality of an airliner which is not controlled by the cockpit? We have had a blockbuster question , asking about the complexity of the cockpit, which was answered very well. With so many controls, are there any flight- or safety-critical functions which cannot be controlled by the cockpit? <Q> Yo...	The doors (through which the passengers board or disembark) are not in control of the cockpit, in an airliner. In addition to many other things listed in answers, the biggest thing that pilots can't control from cockpit are "tools" like drunk passengers, cell-phone during flight users, loud passenger groups.
Could you ever legally authorize yourself to fly an aircraft that would require an LOA, based on your other certs? The question about being certified to fly aircraft that don't fall under a type rating got me thinking. For all knowledge possessed by humans there must be a source. If you want to get certified on a Bom...	For one‑of‑a kind aircraft, first‑of‑a‑type aircraft, amateur‑built aircraft, practice in a single‑place aircraft, or other special cases, a temporary LOA may be issued.
What are the hurdles to overcome before purely electric commercial aircraft can fly? What are currently the largest issues with purely electric commercial aircraft (large scale ones like the size of a Boeing 737)? Are there any organizations right now that are trying to solve those issues? <Q> The biggest problem wit...	The gist of the answers is: Energy storage using batteries is out of the question, because the energy needs of aircraft are an order of magnitude greater than those of cars.
What is the difference between ICAO Annexes and Documents? I have gone through many ICAO and aviation related sites, but I still can not understand the basic difference between annexes and docs. What is it? <Q> An Annex to the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation (which established the ICAO) is adopted...	It is a document that is annexed (or "appended' or "attached") to the ICAO convention (where "convention" means a document).
When crossing a mountain ridge at low height above terrain what consideration is given to turbulence? Some background: I am not a pilot, but a researcher studying air-flow across mountain terrain using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). During my studies, I have been particularly interested by high-altitude ridges (...	Ridges and mountains provide all sorts of lift, which is the key to great soaring, and we are taught to fly IN it, not away from it.
Which wheel or wheels get the chocks? As a quick follow-up question to my earlier one about the retail cost of chocks , which wheel(s) typically get the chocks on a GA tricycle-gear plane? Do you buy one roped pair for the nose wheel (make sure your chocks are away before starting up), or two pair for the main gear, o...	With two chocks the main gear should be secured on each side of the aircraft to keep it from pivoting.
What exactly is VMO and how does it affect a plane when it is exceeded? I read an article that mentioned "V MO " speeds of a 747 and that the plane, when it exceeds its V MO , shakes uncontrollably and destroys itself. I've never heard of planes doing this and the article explained V MO in a way that is beyond my und...	When the aircraft exceeds $V_{NE}$, aeroelastic flutter may develop that will destroy the aircraft and/or important parts may break off as the dynamic pressure becomes higher than what they are designed for.
Does an increase in air temperature actually improve aircraft performance? Mainly because of what pilots learn about density altitude and aircraft performance, any idea that an increase in temperature could improve performance seems counterintuitive. And indeed it is. Here's what got me thinking about it. In studying ...	Of course, with most engines, if the throttle setting stays constant, engine power is less in warm air.
What would prevent the installation of windows on the roof of an airliner? What prevents airline manufacturers from putting a strip of glass along the roof of the aircraft? It would be a good addition in terms of cabin view, light inside the cabin, etc. Would it compromise the structural integrity too much? Edit: Th...	On smaller aircraft, they probably could install small windows like the ones beside the passengers in the roof of the aisle, but it would add design complexity and also heat up the cabin (especially when sitting around on the ramp.)
Can planes flap their wings like birds? Birds use their strong breast muscles to flap their wings and give them the thrust to move throught the air and fly. In a way, birds use a swimming motion to get the lift needed to fly. Plane wings have a similar shape as bird wings, but instead of flapping their wings, we use en...	From a biological point of view, flapping wings is a viable means of flight.
Why is it more difficult for ATC to manage a larger airliner? After playing a few ATC simulation games, and reading at a few places (don't remember where), I am certain that it is more difficult to manage a larger airliner for the ATC. Suppose that one A320 and one A380 is trying to land at a certain airport. In anoth...	They must leave a greater amount of time in between landings/take-offs as the size of the aircraft increases due to wake turbulance
How could an airliner as big as B777 make a U Turn on ground? I just heard about this 4 month old incident, where a United Airlines B777 made a U-turn, while it was on way to runway. What is the turning radius required to make such a U-Turn? Also, is so much space available near the taxi area at the IGI Airport? At l...	Theoretically it is possible to make a pivot turn on a B777, according to the Flight Crew Training Manual (FCTM) from Boeing.
Why do trijets (3 rear engines) usually have a T-tail instead of a normal tail? I'm thinking of trijets like the Tu-154 , which has three jet engines in the rear. Not something like L-1011 Tristar which has only one engine at the rear. Tu-154: Source: Wikipedia L-1011 TriStar: Source: Wikipedia Why do these k...	When the vertical tail is swept, a T-tail will allow to make the horizontal tail smaller as well, because it gains additional lever arm in this configuration. Placing the engines at the rear fuselage put them higher, so FOD became less of a worry, and the wing could be kept clean for maximum lift resulting in shorter r...
What is the relation between airspeed and altitude at fixed throttle setting in a private jet? In the world of private jets, say a G-450, at a fixed throttle setting, does it simply go faster the higher it climbs/flies? <Q> The basic principles needed for an answer are: Thrust varies linearly with air density. <S> ...	Simple answer: within normal operating altitudes, mostly yes, due to the thinner air causing less drag while the engines are producing approximately the same amount of thrust Other simple answer: it depends, and there will be an optimal altitude above which the aircraft travels slower due to the engines losing thrust. ...
How are squawk codes assigned? How are the 4-digit squawk codes assigned to individual flights? This answer indicates that there should be a "correct" one. How does ATC know what is "correct" and what is "incorrect"? <Q> To start out with, I'll be referring to how the US does it, and it's generally laid out in the N...	In CCAMS a computer system allocates codes to flights based on the planned trajectory through the CCAMS area and ensures there will never be a code conflict. For every region there are 'local' codes which are only used for regional / domestic flights, and there are 'transition' codes for region boundary crossing flight...
I hold both a Sport Pilot License and a Student Pilot certificate. Can I do my BFR in a C-172? FAR § 61.56.(c).(1) states that every two years I must have Accomplished a flight review given in an aircraft for which that pilot is rated by an authorized instructor. The answer to my question hinges on the exact mean...	A pilot who holds only a sport pilot certificate may only take a flight review in a light sport aircraft for which he or she holds an operational privilege.
Are pilots generally trained for crosswind landings? A YouTube footage of a KLM Boeing 777 landing at Schiphol airport in the Netherlands is certainly scary as the plane bumps and weaves and rolls from side to side. Are pilots generally trained to handle such eventualities (or are such landings common in certain r...	Yes, pilots are trained for crosswind landings.
How do pilot and copilot operate and coordinate the radio? How do the pilot and copilot of a large commercial jet operate the radio when talking to ATC? Is there a push-to-talk button, or some voice-triggered mechanism? Also, how do they coordinate it? How do they decide which pilot should be talking to ATC? <Q> Both ...	In some crews the pilot flying is also the pilot talking, while in other crews the pilot not flying (if not on "in-seat rest") will handle secondary tasks including navigation and radio.
Why do full service airlines prefer to run a separate low-cost carrier? 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 sepa...	And legacy airlines are mindful of the risk to see their profit cannibalised by the new cheap fares so they need to maintain as much segmentation/price discrimination as possible. I would imagine this has to do with branding.
Should landing light be off during line up and wait position? What is the proper position for the landing lights when on the runway in a line up and wait position? <Q> Counter-intuitively, the FAA answer (see chart on page 1-9 and text on page 1-10) is actually, they should be off during the line-up-and-wait phas...	If you intend to use your landing lights, there's no reason they should be off as your aircraft crosses the hold short position. I’d turn it on once in position.

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