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Why would a commercial flight make banked turns five minutes before landing / low altitude? As a passenger on a commercial flight into Essaouira From London Luton a short while ago, I noticed the aircraft made several quite steep banked turns, all to left, very close to landing. When I say close I mean about five minut...	If you make a step turn so close to ground you need to apply a lot of thrust due to load factor to achieve level flight.
Does the expression "stall speed" have a definition? I read, not only on this site, that the stall speed of an airfoil doesn't exist, and I usually make the effort to stay away from this expression. While an airfoil can stall at any airspeed, it's clear that the stall speed refers to the airspeed at which the stall ...	For aircraft, the stall speed is given as where the wing reaches the max. There is not a single stall speed, because stall depends on Angle of Attack Pitch rate Mach number Reynolds number Load factor
Why do naval jet aircraft need to have strengthened undercarriages? I've read several times that the navy versions of jet aircraft need to have a strengthened undercarriage. Here is one example , and another . I've always just automatically assumed this was needed because aircraft landings are "rough". That is, the ...	It's not just the undercarriage; the whole airframe has to be ruggedized to withstand the greater shock of carrier landings.
Do I need to get a new AFSP approval if I change to a new part 61 instructor? I have an AFSP (TSA) approval to train with a part 61 provider. I want to transfer from them to an individual part 61 CFI. Do I need to go through the AFSP approval process again? <Q> Yes , you will need to apply for AFSP approval for your ...	So if you needed AFSP approval for your original training provider, you will need a new approval to switch to a different provider.
What is the difference between dry operating weight and dry operating mass? What is the difference between dry operating mass and dry operating weight in the context of rotorcraft? What is the formula for converting mass to weight? <Q> Weight is a force. <S> Mass is a property of matter. <S> Acceleration makes mass ...	edit - And to specifically answer your question: Dry weight and dry mass mean the same thing in this context.
Are commercial pilots incentivized to reduce fuel consumption? Commercial airlines spend a lot of their operating income on fuel, so in order to maximize shareholder value presumably like to use as little fuel as is safely possible. Are commercial pilots ever given incentives (e.g. financial, performance review) for r...	An example of an actual-vs-scheduled block incentive program intended to help with on-time performance existed at Silver Airways in their Beech 1900D fleet, whereby pilots would be paid a bonus for each minute they were able to shave off a baseline target time. But at no point were they incentivised to reduce their add...
Why does this plane not pitch up after a dive? I've tested my RC plane yesterday. It's a canard. After hand launching, the plane goes straight, then I change the elevator to go down and it's going down, but when I pitch up the canard doesn't work and the plane crashes. The plane is at full throttle. When diving the ...	My vote is that the surfaces aren't rigid enough and get twisted so much that the control surfaces can't overcome the effect. My thought too is that you're tail heavy, tail heavy will pitch both ways and you can get stuck in either positive or negative stall (or tuck).
Has anybody done gliding experiments with exact replicas of the birds or other real world flying creatures? The most obvious way to verify if birds are stable or not in at least gliding flight would be to make the exact rigid model of the bird (including weight distribution) and launch it into flight. The simplest appr...	A number of experiments and papers by Robert Hoey (from the early 1990s on) have used models of flat-winged soaring birds such as ravens.
Can a Diesel Aircraft engine be run on Car Diesel? What are the operational differences between normal diesel fuel used in cars and the Jet-A diesel type fuel used for some prop aircraft such as the Diamond DA62? I know that aircraft use Jet-A fuel, but could an airplane be run on car diesel? <Q> In at least some cases...	Yes, and diesel cars can run on aviation jet fuel.
How is a horizontal stabilizer attached to the fuselage and works as a trimmable Horizontal Tail as well? I am trying to figure out how does the horizontal stab attached itself to the plane and moves up and down? Is the HS attached by the rear spar and to the fuselage? <Q> Fighter aircraft usually have their tailplane ...	Apart from those listed above, some unique aircraft have the horizontal stabilizer attached solid to the vertical stabilizer and then the entire pair pivots around a point on the empennage.
Why are airports like Roswell and Fresno so popular for flight tests? I recently visited Roswell, NM, and was surprised at how many flight tests have been performed there. Even the fatal Gulfstream flight test crash happened there. My research shows that a lot of flight tests happen at places like San Bernardino, Rosw...	Given that the distance from Los Angeles, a major aviation industry hub, to Fresno is only a bit more than 200 miles, flight testing in predictable weather and over the open terrain west of Fresno becomes very attractive.
Why does fuel consumption decrease with increasing aircraft altitude? I have a chart where the thrust ($F$) and the thrust-specific fuel consumption (TSFC) are plotted against the aircraft flying speed, for several altitudes (i.e. sea level, 3000 meters and 11000 meters). This is for a generic turbojet. I don't kno...	High altitude means - less thrust because of lower air density - less power in the gas generator due to less oxygen density - far less losses from air resistance to the fuselage
Why are test crashes not made harder on the airframe? This is one of the videos of the crash: 727 Test Crash . It seems it was more of a hard landing without gears. Why wouldn't the experimenters have made it more of a really hard crash if they needed to study the effects of a crash on a plane? Would slamming down the...	Because they wanted to analyse survivability, making the crash non survivable would have defeated the point.
How long does flight planning take / when is it done / how is it done? When I left an A320 today, the fuel truck was already there and refueling the aircraft. (At least, the hose was connected.) Also, a FA said they will fly back within 40 minutes. This isn't much time, and I wonder if they start to refuel the aircraf...	It is done 1-2 hours before the flight by dispatchers using computer software.
How do the cabin noise levels of the A380 and the 777 300 ER compare? I couldn't find any official comparison for noise level (dB) in Airbus A380 versus the Boeing 777 300 ER. Does anyone have some info about it? Which one is better in terms of acoustic isolation? <Q> From a luxury round the world flight on several d...	The difference between the two aircraft was amazing the 380 noise levels are only a quarter of the 777, in the 380 ear plugs were not needed however in the 777 you did plus the audio head phones further reduced the noise in the 777 was unbearable and sleep was not at all possible. So with this I can give you only my op...
Could a plane land inside or on top of another plane in flight? I'm sorry if this is a little fantastical, but I'm just wondering if this type of maneuver is possible in any way. I understand if this question gets pulled. I'm trying to make a little action-animation-cgi and just wondering if this was ever a last-resort...	The airforce used to have Parasite Fighters that could be launched and then recovered by a larger aircraft. So, in summary: Most big planes are not big enough to fit small planes inside Small planes
Why do you have to keep your seat belt fastened after landing? What's the point of the usual "please keep your seat belt fastened until the aircraft stops completely (at the gate)" in large passenger aircrafts? Since the plane is on the ground, it is not moving very quick. Even if it stopped abruptly, the seat belt won...	A plane that has just landed is actually in a new and vulnerable condition.
Why are trailing-edge control surfaces usually split? I've noticed on many military and commercial jets, the trailing edge control surfaces (ailerons and flaps) are separate from each other. Why is this? Can't both serve the same function? It would save weight and complexity if one combined control surface ran the len...	The inboard surfaces deflect at higher speeds and the outboard ones are locked, reducing the twisting (torque) forces on the wings.
Why do the F/A-18 and the F-22 Raptor have horizontal stabilizer as well as canted rudders for pitch control? F/A-18, F-22 Raptor have a horizontal tailplane as well as canted rudders? Why can't the horizontal tailplane done away with (as in the F-117) and have only the ruddervators for pitch control? <Q> They're very ...	The horizontal tail is a necessity for pitch control and to trim the flap moments in the landing configuration.
Why there is such a strong correlation between the range of an airliner and its passenger capacity? Why we rarely see an A320 (or equivalent aircraft) on a long route with all premium business seats or an A380 (or equivalent aircraft) with high density seating and on a short route? On top of that, it is a much easier ...	Using small planes allows for more frequent service and more flexibility even if there is enough demand to use a smaller number of larger aircraft.
Why does the speed of commercial airliners fluctuate, sometimes as high as 1,060 km/h or as low as 800 km/h? I've noticed that (long-haul) airliners sometimes travel at as high as 1000 km/h (I believe I've even seen 1040 km/h), but usually they fly closer to 800 km/h, for most of the trip. This seems odd to me. ...	The reason is that the local airspeed over the wings are higher compared to the undisturbed flow-
Is a fixed wing more efficient in reaching a certain altitude than rotary wing? Given the limited amount of energy (battery or fuel) let's reach the maximum possible altitude! Rotary wing aircraft pushes the air directly downwards and propels itself straight up. Fixed wing, however, must gain forward speed to produce...	Fixed wing aircraft are more efficient than forward flying helicopters because: The rotor flow in forward flight causes fearsomely complex aerodynamic interactions in flow with the fuselage and other components, which causes a particular type of drag that a fixed wing simply does not have.
Could the experience of inflatable structures in boats be applied to large aircraft design? Inflatable structures in boats have proved extremely successful and versatile since they began to find widespread use in the 1930s. I'm aware that experiments have been made with inflatable wings - very light, delicate structur...	A paraglider (or powered parachute or powered paraglider) is an example of a popular style of inflatable aircraft.
What is a skidding turn (vs slipping turn)? I am trying to understand the concept of 1) What qualifies a turn to be skidding or slipping 2) how we need to give elevator back pressure if we do not want to 'slip' the turn. While browsing for answer I read that skidding occurs in the absence of back pressure. Why does...	The general practice is to put back pressure on the stick.
Are GA airports typically accessible 24/7? Is access to GA airports 24/7? I always thought it was. Every airport I've visited had gate-codes to open gates after hours. But I recently started planning a flight to Salina, KS (KSLN), and the local FBO told me field access shuts down entirely at 10p.m. As a transient ...	The general answer is that the airport manager is in charge of ground access (unless the TSA is involved; see below) and individual FBOs can open or not whenever they like. This will vary from field to field and I do not think there is a regulation on the matter.
Why do some flights make turns shortly after takeoff? I have seen that flights will make a turn, after traveling some large distance (say after some kilometers), but that can be done before. Why not flying directly like in 2 ? I am not expecting a passenger flight to do like fighter jets and perform nearly vertica...	Some turns are only allowed at that FL to avoid collisions with other airplanes. Just off the top of my head, here are some of the more common reasons: Standardised routing.
Why do you never see any other planes in the sky whilst flying? I was just wondering as I passed the airport this morning why, whilst we are flying, do we never see any other planes nearby? There must be millions of planes and millions of people flying each day, I appreciate the sky is massive but these planes must fol...	Sometimes you have two for the price of one: From my personal experience, seeing other aircraft is really common, as already commented and answered, even far from busy airports.
Are turboprops more efficient than piston engines (thrust per fuel consumption)? I want to compare two types of engines: Turboprops and piston engines. I want to know which one is more efficient. There are many types of efficiencies, so I will specify: thrust (in newtons) per fuel consumption (kg/second). Right now I ...	So for the fuel consumption criteria, a piston engine is more efficient.
Why is the VFR traffic pattern area at some airports different from its IFR circling approach area? Take Half Moon Bay Airport (KHAF) as an example. Under VFR, the traffic pattern is right pattern for RWY 30 and left pattern for RWY 12. This implies the downwind leg is to the EAST of the RWY 12-30, and therefore w...	It’s because of the marine sanctuary.
Is a recoil start (hand propping) allowed if it isn't mentioned in the aircraft manual? Is a recoil start (hand propping) allowed without it being referenced in the aircraft manual? In a Cessna 150, for example. <Q> You didn't say exactly what "allowed" means, <S> e.g. do you mean approved by the manufacturer, or leg...	Unless an operation is prohibited by regulation, the laws of physics, or the limitations section of the POH/AFM, it's not illegal.
How are wooden aircraft protected from lightning strikes? A wooden aircraft is not conductive and if a lightning hits the wood it will instantaneously ignite. How would you protect a wooden aircraft from this occurrence? <Q> By not flying through thunderstorms. <S> For a small aircraft, the lightning is not the most ha...	Well, first off a wooden aircraft is not totally manufactured from wood; it does have metallic or otherwise conductive components throughout the airframe and is engineered with conductive pathways throughout the airframe for electrostatic dispersion and lightning protection as per the requirements of 14 CFR 23.1306, 25...
Why would pilots "call the company" after an aborted takeoff? I was skimming through the RealATC videos on YouTube today and watched this one . In it there are two flights taking off from Chicago-Midway ( KMDW ); Delta flight DAL1328/DL1328 and SouthWest's SWA3828/WN3828. They are each taking off from crossing runways...	Maintenance Make sure the airline's maintenance stationed at the airport can deal with the issue.
What is the relation between pressure and airflow speed above an airfoil? Does decreased pressure on the top surface of an aerofoil cause high velocity airflow or does the high speed airflow result in decreased pressure? <Q> Above the wing, decreased pressure causes the air to accelerate. <S> But it is the plane's velo...	Bernoulli's principle states that within a steady airflow of constant energy, when the air flows through a region of lower pressure it speeds up and vice versa. We see pressure varies inversely to the velocity.
Why did this plane fly in a zigzag pattern? I was tracking flight NKS739 from LAX to SEA this morning and saw that it made some some odd turns. If you look at the track from FlightRadar24.com you can see that it was heading toward SEA then it took a large turn to the right then to the left then returned to its original...	Undoubtedly traffic management delays going on for some reason, either too much traffic or reduced runway capacity.
In what ways do air traffic controllers communicate with pilots in class A airspace? I know they use two-way radio, but is that the only communication pilots receive from air traffic controllers? Also, in general in class A airspace, how often do pilots hear from air traffic controllers? <Q> HF is used in oceanic areas...	Changes to route are also relayed. Methods VHF radio is one method.
Partial Serial numbers on Military Aircraft - what combination is unique? Modern US military aircraft have partial serial numbers painted on their tails. Interestingly, it seems these serial numbers are actually not quite enough to be unique on their own, being comprised of only the year the aircraft was ordered, follo...	The US Navy uses two numbers to identify the aircraft: the Bureau Number, and the side number/call sign.
Do any airplanes really have this piece Tom Cruise is hanging onto in this movie? The piece Tom Cruise is holding onto on this moving plane seems useless as a component, maybe even inductive of drag. Is this a real airplane component, or just a film prop? I don't know the model of the airplane; I'm hoping maybe the...	It's a blast deflector as said above, but most importantly, it's a blast deflector for combat drops .
What is the longest range single-pilot certified (FAA and/or EASA) business jet? I suspect the single-pilot business jet with the longest range is the SyberJet SJ30x : NBAA IFR Range with 100 nm Alternate M 0.76 (1 pilot + 2 passengers; passenger/pilot at 90 kg each) 2,575 nmi (4,769 km). But I am not sure; al...	There aren't any civilian, current-production jets that come close to the range of the SJ30 for single pilot operations based on my research, although one or two turboprops have comparable ranges. The Honda Jet and the D-Jet come in roughly in the 1300-1500 mile mark which is far less than the SJ30x. the Cessna CJ4 is ...
What are the options for installing ADS-B OUT in a Cessna Citation to meet the regulations? So I have a friend that works for a company that owns a Cessna Citation. His company is looking to comply with the ADS-B regulations. He has been given the task of making a business case for actually doing this, but so far the o...	In cooperation with avionics manufacturers, the FAA maintains a list of approved installations: List of certified ADS-B Out installations. I found a presentation by Textron (ppt) that discusses ADS-B installation for various models. There are other makers out there making transponders
Why is the trailing edge sweep angle smaller at the wing root? Many airliners have a distinct unswept part at the wing root at the trailing edge. See for example this image from Wikimedia of a B737-400. Other examples include the B777, A320, Embrear 145, and many more. Virtually all airliners have at least some de...	In order to have enough space for the landing gear when it is retracted, and to have a part of the wing structure that is dedicated to support the landing gear, this part of the wing has a larger chord, and thus a smaller trailing edge sweep angle. Swept wings suffer from interference at the center of the wing.
Why must IFR be cancelled? Watching flying videos and listening to LiveATC, you will sometimes hear a pilot cancel IFR approach. Why does the ATC care if you are on IFR or VFR? So long as you get on the ground safely, it seems like it wouldn't matter if you were looking at instruments or out the window. Surely the "r...	Sometimes pilots will cancel an IFR flight plan when arriving at an airport if the local weather accommodates VFR flying for reasons of expediency; you can quickly enter the VFR traffic pattern and land as opposed to being vectored out to an initial approach fix for flying an instrument approach. When an aircraft rever...
Can a passenger force a Go Around? Sorry if this question is too stupid, but I wonder what would happen if a passenger on the first row just behind the cockpit (ie. on a 737) starts screaming "GO AROUND" when the plane is about to touch down. Can it confuse the pilots? <Q> Not likely. <S> Pilots wear headphones, so we ...	No, but the passenger is likely to be arrested for causing such a disruption and face serious charges.
Are "Tally-ho" and "no joy" acceptable ATC terms for civil operations? I keep meaning to ask this question. I heard "Tally-ho" used for the first time by a pilot on Liveatc.net. I know these are pretty standard phrases in military aviation but I wondered if civil pilots use them. Are they acceptable under either FAA or...	As stated earlier by others - the term has no official recognition and would only serve to confuse. Apart from anything else, many pilots have no military background (or are foreigners) and have no idea what these or other slang/military phrases might mean. "No Joy" or "Tally-Ho" are not acceptable when talking on avia...
(Why) Do airliners travel together sometimes? While browsing through the planes in FlightRadar (once again), I've noticed that sometimes some airliners from the same airline company seem to travel "together" on long distance flights to destinations located relatively close to each other (Like Finnair from Helsinki to...	They do this to allow convenient transfer times for passengers at major hubs (in this specific case, Helsinki).
What role, if any, does visual aesthetics play in the design of modern airliners? Another way of asking the question: Are there any distinctly identifiable features of particular modern airliners that are there for design reasons that have less to do with engineering than with appearance? or: Could one look at a...	Depending on if you consider the cockpit "inessential" since its an interior part of the design there are some very easily identifiable cockpit features when we are talking about the Boeing/Airbus comparison.
Why evacuate wing at the front side after water landing? When looking at the following Transavia B737 safety cards, I noticed that after a water landing, passengers who evacuate via the overwing exits should leave the wing at the front, while during evacuations on land they should leave via the rear side of the wing. ...	It may have been determined that it would be easier for people to deplane at the leading edge of wing it water as opposed to the trailing edge for that reason.
Do modern aircraft have the functionality for the pilots to look behind the aircraft? Basically like the functionality of a rear-view mirror in a car. It's made known that pilots have all the information, hence they might not need the feature, but my question is to know if such a feature exists in modern commercial air...	On the canopy's frame are located three adjustable mirrors (like the one on the windshield of a car) the pilot can use to see what's happening behind him.
How do pilots set the exact amount of thrust needed for a reduced power takeoff? I know jet-powered airplanes very rarely use 100% available power for takeoff, and most often reduce power to increase engine life. How does a pilot set thrust to an exact level? The airplanes I'm referring to are common commercial jets s...	The thrust levers had a detent that selected "100%" thrust for the given mode the FADEC is operating in.
Would there be any advantages to a wing with a concave upper surface? A wing with a concave upper surface could have the same area as one with the normal convex shape of an aerofoil. I can think of many potential disadvantages: additional complexity of design and construction, reduced volume for fuel tanks, having rai...	It might just lead to the wing stalling at relatively low angles of attack,which would limit the amount of lift you can get from it.
How do pilots estimate glideslope visually without PAPIs? If my (enthusiast-level) understanding is correct, on instrument approach there are specific glideslope paths a plane is expected to follow. On ILS this is self-evident, but (again, if I read approach plates correctly), VOR DME approaches also entail a certain a...	It comes from experience and practice combining with the human brain's excellent spatial processing capabilities.
Why is the drogue parachute jettisoned on the runway? Why is the drogue parachute of a military plane jettisoned on the runway? Why not drag it to the parking area for safe removal, inspection, and repacking? <Q> For several reasons. <S> First to protect the drogue from damage by scraping on the pavement second t...	One downside to jettisoning the drogue at a lower speed (< 40 kts) is that it now creates a FOD hazard on the runway and requires a waiting cleanup crew to retrieve it before another recovery is possible.
Why do fighter pilots wear helmets? I notice that fighter pilots wear helmets, although pilots of aircraft like C-130s do not. What is the purpose of this? I have heard that it could be helpful in the event of an ejection, but considering the explosive force of an ejection, if you hit your head I would be surprised if...	A fighter airplane can make many sudden turns and a helmet provides reduction of the risk of a head injury.
Where can one buy old 737 parts? I'm trying to build a home cockpit for the PMDG 737-800. I'm looking for some landing gear position indicator lights but I don't know where to get them from. I've tried ebay and amazon, but it returned no promising results. The other alternative is of course to make them. Does anyone kn...	There is a very large market for used airplane parts but you need to understand the types of parts you can buy.
Why the lack of faster piston-powered planes? There aren't very many fast piston airplanes in production. By "fast" I mean, if you look back in the early to mid 20th century, before turbines won out, there were lots of piston airplanes in production that pushed the practical velocity limit of propeller-driven aircraft,...	A piston means a propeller, and a propeller is more efficient at lower altitude and much less efficient at higher altitudes (that's part of why there are variable pitch propellers ).
Is it currently possible to build a jet engine with 1,050 kN of thrust? (236,049 lbf) Do we currently have the engineering know-how to build a 1,050 kN jet engine? This question originated from the idea of changing a 4-engine aircraft into 2-engines. I chose the A380 since it seems to have the highest takeoff weight. ...	As far as I'm aware there's no technical reason why not, but designing an engine with double the thrust of the current most powerful (GE90-115) would take a vast amount of money and time, especially as nothing on a similar scale has been done so it could not be a derivative design like many engines Jet engines have bee...
Can a jet cruise with asymmetric thrust? If a twin turbojet aircraft has an engine failure during takeoff, does it return for landing or does it continue to cruise with asymmetric thrust? <Q> As a practical matter, the aircraft will probably land ASAP. <S> Having lost an engine pretty clearly qualifies as an emergency ...	In cruise, modern twin jet airliners like the B777 and A330 are designed to fly ETOPS ("Extended-range Twin-engine Operational Performance Standards") for up to 330 minutes engine to a suitable landing field on ONE engine.
How would one define or explain the term "unloading the controls?" I've heard people say "unload the controls" or "unload the wing/propeller." What does this mean exactly? It is usually followed by releasing back pressure on the elevators or starting/ending a turn. <Q> When maneuvering the aircraft by deflecting the c...	Unload means immediately reduce the lift being produced by a lifting surface.
Why don't airliners use noise cancelling? Some cars have started using noise cancelling in their cabins, through the speaker system. It's a well established technique for dealing with low frequency noise like engine rumble and wind noise. So why don't modern airliners use it? <Q> First, some airliners do use it - the ...	The aircraft cabin is quite big and complex, and it would be very difficult to achieve noise cancellation over the entire volume; as active noise cancellation depends on the cancellation of sound waves using opposite phase, it works best in small, confined spaces.
Why don't aircraft (commercial and military) use reflective visor windshields? Just like those used on an astronaut's helmet, these reflective visors can help in better visibility when facing the sun (or any bright light source). But the windshields of most aircraft (commercial and military) look transparent from both ...	Reflective materials cut down the amount of light let into the cockpit, which is useful in very bright sunlight, but would be undesirable at night. Add this that these coatings are expensive - outfitting them would be a significant cost.
How safe are airplane tours of the Grand Canyon? I'm curious as a complete layperson who's looking at scenic flights with Scenic or Papillon . I'm not afraid of flying on commercial airplanes, but this is a private, single-engine flight around the Grand Canyon. I think the company has had a bit of a history of crash...	An air tour of the Grand Canyon sounds like a great time and the risk of injury is negligible.
Is the A330F main deck cargo compartment pressurized? If not, what is the purpose of the structural cargo access door? I know there is a related question already asking if cargo holds in general are pressurized . My question is specifically about the A330-243F in the below photograph. That looks like a pressure withs...	The door is used to allow access to the cargo area during loading and during flight for various reasons.
What happens to cabin pressurisation when the engines fail? I was reading about the cabin pressurisation mechanism from Wikipedia and another article here . According to both of them, the aircraft's engine plays a vital role in the pressurisation process. My question is: I have come across many air crash investi...	If the engines of the aircraft fail, the APU can supply the required air for some time.
How do airports manage gate assignments for aircraft? Today, some companies like Delair, SITA and INDRA provide airport Resource Management Systems (RMS) for gate allocations, which show information as a Gantt Chart. I know that air traffic controllers use a flight progress strip to track flights under their control,...	Most airlines or airports (if they control gate allocation) have their own software to do this.
Do "water bomber" aircraft pilots have more relaxed rules? I have no exposure to aviation regulations, but I'm curious if some rules are different for emergency aircraft pilots. Similar to ambulance drivers and police officers being allowed to speed or run red lights for the sake of emergencies. Specifically, this v...	As for altitude, in the USA over sparsely populated areas and open water there is no low altitude restriction other than staying 500 feet from a building or boat. No, law enforcement and fire department aircraft have to comply with all of the same safety guidelines that regular aircraft do.
Are tail strike landings preferable for an emergency landing on water? In this video , would it have been better if the pilot had attempted a tail-strike landing instead of a normal flare? <Q> While there probably is an "ideal" attitude to impact water, and it would be nice to crash-land with exactly the correct attit...	If the tail of an aircraft can withstand the sudden deceleration of striking the water without breaking off, then a tail-first landing should be ok, if the AoA is still close to level. Having your tail hit the water first probably isn't the best idea. It would be preferable to avoid such an impact.
What is the viability of stacking passengers in an airplane cabin? I've came across on youtube a new design for stacking passengers in an airplane cabin, that looks at first sight interesting. What would be the advantages and drawbacks of such a design? Why this is not common in today's airplanes? <Q> I see sever...	This design would greatly limit carry-on storage to only what could fit under the seat in front of you Airplanes are incredibly expensive to build. you are increasing the passengers, making them lay down more (more time to get up/out of those compartments), and maintaining the same volume.
Was a 7300-mile non-stop flight possible in 1979? I'm listening to the On Wings of Eagles audiobook by Ken Follett and found some information about a non-stop transatlantic flight between Teheran (IKA) and Dallas (DFW). GCM says that this is 7,300 miles and Google says that's 11,750 km. Was there any aircraft ca...	Sure it was possible as for the list of planes that depends on if you consider the planes in their base configuration or not.
What are these symbols on the runway? As just a passenger, not a pilot, this may be a very basic question, but when I am on an airplane leaving the terminal, it goes over a symbol on the tarmac that looks like this: Also I see signs on the side of the runway pointing to those markers. On a related note, there is...	The sign you saw is a "Runway Safety Area / OFZ and Runway Approach Area Boundary".
Where can I find reliable data on maximum turn rates for jet fighters? I'm looking for reliable data on maximum instantaneous turn rates for jet fighters, something coming from reliable sources, ideally official flight manuals or specifications. I can't seem to find anything. I've seen reports of turn rates around 35°/...	PublicIntelligence.net is a great source for these documents, as they have them for the F-14, F-16, F/A-18E/F, AV-8B, A-10, just to name a few.
Why don't aircraft fly over Tibet? If you open www.flightradar24.com or their app, then this is what the scene commonly looks like: As you can see, the South-Central China area is strangely empty and the aircraft look to take a circular route around it instead (like this Emirates A380 to Incheon): So, my question...	While Him's answer is correct, part of the reason that there aren't many airways over central China is just that there's rarely a reason to fly there.
Can radars detect small drones? I've just started working with weather radars and such. With weather radars, it is possible to detect bird migrations with a specific algorithm and a lot of information about birds, but it would be a problem to detect a single bird (depending on the bird size) because of the radar's reso...	Yes, small drones can be detected by radar, if the radar is designed for it.
In general terms, is a Constant Speed Propellor equiped aircraft more expensive to maintain? I've been looking at possibly buying a used Mooney M20 or a used Cessna 172 . One of the big differences between the two is that the Cessna is a fixed prop , and the Mooney is a constant speed propellor . While CSPs soun...	As mentioned the CS props can be more expensive simply because they have moving parts.
May an uncertificated pilot log non-PIC flight time for future certification? Let’s suppose I as a PIC take a friend up flying with me and this friend does not have a pilots license. Now let’s suppose I teach him how to control the airplane and let him fly for a while. I even go on a cross country flight and let him ...	A person may log training time when that person receives training from an authorized instructor in an aircraft, flight simulator, or flight training device.
What is the difference between reversible and irreversible controls? What is the difference between reversible and irreversible controls ? <Q> For example the cable linkages in a light aircraft up to an MD-80. <S> Irreversible is when there is a hydraulic power control unit in the way, it can be mechanical or fly-by-...	Reversible is when there is a direct linkage from controls to control surfaces.
Why is white light more visible than red and green on this Cessna model on a sunny day? Source: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/hNgu1vypV3g/hqdefault.jpg VS Why is the white Landing light more visible on a fine sunny day and not the other two? I would have assumed the Red one to be most visible during flight, followed by Gr...	The landing light however is pointed directly along that extended centerline, which makes it easier to spot if the aircraft is approaching you.
When is QFE used? When is QFE , instead of QNH, used for the altimeter setting? QFE: If you set the subscale of your altimeter to read ... millibars, the instrument would indicate its height above aerodrome elevation (above threshold, runway number ...).—Wikipedia It seems like a good setting for flying in Class G...	In the UK, General Aviation traffic typically uses QFE in the circuit, and regional QNH in the cruise.
What effect would there be if the brakes were locked at touchdown? I'm imagining if you had a panicky passenger sitting in the right seat who had both feet firmly on the brakes while landing. Unless you had a crosswind and needed rudder as you touched down it's possible you wouldn't be aware of it. Or if there was a ma...	If only one side is locked you will risk a ground loop.
Why was the U-2 so different from the SR-71? Both were designed for the same goals: taking photographs at high altitude, avoiding radar. Both were designed by the same company with a few years apart. Yet one is a "jet glider", with large wingspan, small chord, subsonic, and the other is a ultra high speed, delta wing a...	The U-2 was designed in an era when the main threat to aircraft were anti aircraft guns and gun carrying point interceptors. Because the requirements were different.
Will portable Stratus ADS-B In receivers operate normally from the passenger cabin of a commercial airliner? Are ADS-B In receivers such as Stratus or Stratux permitted to be used along with other portable electronic devices at cruise altitude on commercial airliners? Will they receive GPS and ADS-B signals in the ...	Although not banned by the FAA, virtually all major air-carriers have company policies that prohibit anything that sends or receives a signal.
Do I have to notify ATC if I go-around when I was cleared for a touch and go? If I was cleared for a touch and go and go-around on short final or just before touchdown, do I have to notify ATC? I still would have made a takeoff after the touchdown during a touch and go, so it's basically the same when I start the clim...	From my experience, it is definitely good airmanship to advise the tower (and thereby other aircraft) of your intentions if you are doing something unexpected.
Are Boeing 737 winglets adjustable from the cockpit? As I taxied past some Southwest 737s during a recent trip I saw what appeared to be different angles of the winglets relative to the wing. Are winglets adjustable, are they arranged differently from Port to Starboard, or is it an optical illusion? <Q> Winglets are fi...	All winglets are permanently fixed to the wings and are not adjustable. What you'd seen is an optical illusion.
Which aircraft have made notable use of lateral asymmetry? I'm asking about functional asymmetry - doors on one side but not the other wouldn't count. Examples I can think of three examples: experiments with oblique wing designs, such as NASA's utterly hideous AD-1 , designed apparently by Burt Rutan displaced fu...	There are quite a few asymmetric aircraft, most of which are, experimental engine test beds The Rutan Voyager (World Flight, 1986)
Were inclined runways ever under consideration? A long time ago I read an article (in Popular Science, probably) of a plan for an airport runway constructed on a grade, so that one end was ten stories higher than the other. The idea was to save gas: at takeoff, the plane would be going downhill and get a speed boost fr...	Yes, it does work, but cannot really be called practical. Not practical for econoomic advantage, but there is an advantage if you are building airstips in the mountains - the strip doesn't have to be so long!
Does windmill restart often work for airliner engines? There seems to be a certain class of airline accident where an airliner engine flames out followed by further unfortunate events. Very often, pilots are recorded as having attempted to restart a failed engine by windmilling, which seems to involve attempting to res...	If the engine isn't damaged, and the restart altitude/speed are followed, the engine should start.
How were bullets fired through the propeller in the Focke Wulf 190? In WWII there was a plane called the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 . It was designed by an engineer called Kurt Tank . How is it possible that the Fw 190 fires through the propeller from 4 different places as you can see in the picture below? There are two mach...	It's called a "Synchronization Gear" and it allows the gun to fire only when the blade is not in front of the barrel.
Can a pilot act as cabin crew member? If several standby cabin crew members called in sick and there are no more available can standby pilot called to perform cabin crew member duties? Probably it would be more economical than postpone flight let say with 200 passengers... <Q> For the U.S., can a non-cabin crew act as ...	Pilots can and must help flight attendants in emergency, this does not mean they are working as a flight attendant, in case of an emergency the pilots will finish all the emergency check lists turn off engines, APU and Battery as part of the check list procedure and after that will communicate the evacuation of the air...
Why are the wings of some planes changing width? I was travelling recently in a Boeing 737 and I noticed one thing that I didn't understand. After the takeoff the wing flaps started retracting into/under the wing, making it narrower. The opposite happened before the landing. You can see what I mean in this video: ...	Flaps are a way of changing the shape of the wing so that it is able to provide more lift at lower speeds and higher angles of attack.
How can planes with the same stall speed and power-to-weight ratio have such different takeoff field length, climb rate, glide ratio, etc? I am interested in better understanding the performance differences between different planes that seem to be similar in many important ways but that differ greatly in performance. ...	Total drag will make some difference, design optimization of the prime mover will likely be a big factor, and as others have said stall speeds may be stated for different high lift device configurations, brakes, spoilers.
Checklists before take off - how often must they be performed? Friday I was on a plane from MXP to Prague, should have been a 737-400, and the take off was preceded by something I'm not sure what it was: probably a pre-flight checklist, but it's the first time I see something like this: The plane got pushed back by a...	Regarding your main question about checklists - they must be performed once at the respected stage of flight.
Why do airliners have "pressure bulkheads"? Image source: FAA What part of the fuselage aft of the bulkhead would leak pressure? Or is it just there to reduce stresses? How does a DC-9/MD-80/90 incorporate aft bulkheads when there's a staircase in the way? ( Image source ) <Q> What part aft of the bulkhead would ...	It is also an integral structural member of the frame to help stability of fuselage against local buckling and articulate transition to tail section which is a totally different geometry.
Do planes have odometers? I'm curious to know if planes have distance counters similar to the ones in cars indicating how many kilometres/miles the plane has flown since being put in service. <Q> A Hobbs meter measures the time spent in a general aviation aircraft with the power on. <S> Planes differ in that time <...	Airplane engines have a service life which is determined by the number of rotations it has made or the number of hours it has been operating.
What is the benefit or motivation for having Class G airspace? I'm looking at the differences between Class E and Class G ( AIM 3-2-6 ) airspace in the United States and I get that there are different flight condition requirements depending on AGL/MSL altitudes, but if you're outside a Mode C veil and around an untower...	Rather there is the need to be able to control that airspace to assure the separation and provide weather services for aircraft.
If planes can go faster, why don't airlines fly faster? I came across this page where a DC-8 set a record in 1964 for a 12h24m flight from Montreal to Tokyo. Last year I flew to Tokyo from Montreal and it took 9h from Vancouver (where I had a layover) I suspect the answer is along the lines of "for safety reasons"...	More fuel efficient the aircraft is, better the range/passenger capacity, making airlines more money.
Why does the Piper Cherokee (PA-28-140) engine have such low horsepower despite the very large displacement? I'm sure this question could apply to many other plane engines, but specifically I'm looking at the Piper Cherokee PA-28-140. Surprisingly, it appears that the engine used, the Lycoming O-320 , has ~320 cubic ...	Because the propeller has very high rotational inertia and wants to turn at a constant speed while the engine supplies power in a few pulses during each revolution, the wear and tear on a gearbox may be quite extreme.
Can a light glider without thermal protection land from the orbit, starting from the orbital speed? I ask about a glider without any special thermal protection (pilot in the space suit), so both answers to the other question do not cover the topic. When the glider enters the atmosphere, it starts generating lift. Co...	A wing shaped blimp that weighs much lighter than air at ground level should work.
How do manufacturers/kit providers determine Vne? Vne defines the maximum indicated airspeed which should not be exceeded . And clearly, doing so would result in "bad things" happening like flutter, etc. Presumably manufacturers do some sort of design work to determine likely Vne but how do they test for that? Exceedi...	Military and advanced civil design does finite analysis based on the material properties in a computer simulation to calculate failure at stress points based on the materials used and predict flutter but that's beyond any simple answer and in industry is done by entire teams of individuals.
Could a pick up truck save a plane with failed landing gear? I recently saw this fictionalized video. While it's not real, I do wonder if this could be possible, even if not the best way to handle the situation. <Q> For the Boeing 727 that you see there, that whole procedure is impossible with a pickup truck. <S> G...	It depends on the size of the plane.
Has there ever been a fully automated takeoff, cruise, and landing of a large aircraft similar to commercial airliners? Has there ever been a fully automated takeoff, cruise, and landing of a large aircraft similar to commercial airliners? In fact, has there ever been a fully automatic flight of any pure aircraft what...	A Boeing-modified MD530F helicopter has demonstrated fully autonomous flight : ...
Does a headwind affect the climb gradient? When studying for my German PPL exam, I came across this question: For those that do not speak German I'll try to translate the question, but bear with me as it is kinda picky what I'm trying to get across here: During flight on a straight track with constant speed headw...	If you have a headwind or a tailwind it makes no difference to your climb gradient because your airplane is moving relative to the air mass.
Why does flight duration differ for the same flight? I was checking the flight duration between two places over a 2-3 month period. The flight duration for the same flight is different for different months. For example, some days the flight takes 13 hrs 10 minutes and some other days it's 12 hrs over the same distance....	Aircraft Loading: Aircraft efficiency (and subsequently speed) will vary a bit with the loading of the aircraft.

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