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Why are airports in Greece blurred and low res in Google Maps? Why are airports in Greece blurred and low res in Google Maps? <Q> The short answer seems to be that some countries have persuaded Google to blur out specific areas for "national security" reasons. <S> Wikipedia has an article on it with some more (limite...	In Greece, many domestic airports are (or were) either officially military airports, or they have an air force base attached which uses the airport.
Why does this 757 have a propeller engine attached to the fuselage? I saw the following photo of a Honeywell Aviation Services Boeing 757-225 : If it's not a fake, the airplane has a propeller mounted on a pylon on one side. What's the purpose of such strange design? Why does it need a propeller engine, if it alrea...	It is a test platform for testing the engine during flight.
How many parts does the latest-generation 737 share with the original 737? There is an old paradox which states that if a boat sails round the world replacing worn out parts as it goes, once it has replaced all of itself is it still the same boat? I choose the 737 because it's been around for over 50 years. Specifical...	The Max has plenty of switches and conventions that are very close to the -200, just not quite identical. The Classic series shared 67% of the parts of the Original. Only a mechanic with the list of part numbers could tell for sure.
What is this airport video? I was in a car dealership waiting room and saw this video of an airport that was slowly scrolling down the screen (like River Raid). The video is in motion - the cars on the street are moving and the 2 planes on the left were taxiing. The scrolling is very smooth - as if it's a satellite ...	Specifically, the video is one of the Apple TV's screensaver images, taken at LAX ( this one in particular
Where in the FAR or AIM is a high speed taxi defined? While monitoring coms I recently heard a Cessna Centurion that had just cleared the runway request a "high speed taxi", which was approved by the tower. I'm assuming that means he wants to taxi at a faster than normal rate to his FBO of choice. Are high speed taxis ...	The FAA does not provide a taxi speed limit but most airlines require observance of SOP "standard operating procedures" as part of their certification process.
Do swept back wings affect the moment of inertia of an aircraft enough to be relevant for the roll response? I have studied that swept back wings help in delaying the shock waves formed on the wing, but also to my understanding I feel swept back wings reduce the moment of inertia (like for example a ballerina dancer wh...	A small amount of longitudinal stability is highly desirable, but the large increases with sweep angle can cause reductions in aircraft maneuverability and large increases in trim drag .
Can an APU be designed to also provide emergency thrust in the event of a double engine failure? Commercial airliners seem to be moving towards twin jets with incredibly powerful 100,000+ lb thrust engines becoming available for use. Would it be possible to design the APU to provide enough thrust to push an aircraft t...	Converting the APU into a thrust producing device would be a complex engineering exercise with little to no benefit in risk reduction.
Is it okay to take off with weight more than the POH max gross weight? I wonder if I could take off with weight more than the gross weight stated in the POH of my aircraft as long as I take off with a higher speed? I think I have done it once by mistake. <Q> Can you take off over gross weight? <S> It's very easy to go...	Yes, it's possible on any airplane, dependent on how far over the weight limit you are, the density altitude, how much runway you have, what obstacles are in the area and other factors. Besides the safety angle, taking off over gross weight could land you in trouble with the FAA even if nothing goes wrong, you can lose...
Why is the A380 a double-decker rather than a longer airplane? It seems like making the A380 a double-decker increases the cross-sectional area of the fuselage, thereby increasing drag on the airplane. Wouldn't it be more efficient to fit so many seats in a longer airplane rather than a wider airplane? So, is the A380...	When designing the A380 Airbus made the decision that it would have to be able to use existing airport infrastructure, so the footprint could not be much larger than that of a Boeing 747.
Why aren't passengers trained and evaluated for operating emergency exits in commercial aircraft? The passengers sitting on the overwing exit doors are expected to operate the doors in times of emergency, with only a verbal instruction. Is that enough? Q. Why can't we have a designated area in the airport where a setu...	Airline accidents are incredibly rare, so training the average passenger for them simply does not make sense.
Why does load shedding still occur in jetliners (e.g., 787) when there is so much power available? I had a few questions about how electrical generator works on an aircraft, the 787 to be specific although I know it is similar for all aircraft. So the 787 engines have 2 VFSG each which are rated at 250 KW each which i...	In a modern twinjet airliners, if one engine-driven generator fails, load shedding is activate to protect the electrical system.
Why is best angle/rate of climb indicated in airspeed? I understand the difference between best angle of climb $V_{x}$ and best rate of climb $V_{y}$ . When I take off I would aim to maintain one speed or another depending on what I want. But I don't understand why it's measured in airspeed, instead of pitch angle,...	A very simple practical reason is that Vx and Vy speeds can be easily monitored as the pilot is climbing away and controlled with the elevator.
How is it possible for supersonic aircraft to push air out of the way? If the force (pressure) can be transferred/propagated only at the speed of sound, how are supersonic aircraft able to move air out of their way/do work on the air? It seems that they must transfer the force faster than the speed of sound or else the...	A supersonic aircraft winds up directly knocking all the molecules ahead of it out of its way, in the form of a shock wave.
Why do suborbital planes feature H-tail and/or large wingtips? Spaceplanes that are suborbital are mostly supersonic and feature H-tail or rather large wingtips. This looks to be similar to a H-tail configuration but I'm unsure abut how it works, which is why I say large wing tips. They focus on a delta wing and elevon...	So if I'm not mistaken, a main function of the H-tail is to allow the entire vehicle to act as a drag device.
Freezing cold cabin housing just under a window I flew on a Boeing 737 plane yesterday and was sitting next to 2 windows. When I tried to rest my arm on the inner housing of the cabin during the flight, I noticed that the inner cabin housing just below one of the two windows was very cold. It was almost like touching a...	There is usually insulation around the duct as mentioned by GdD and this could have been dislodged.
What is the correct procedure in case of vertical stabilizer failure? What is the correct procedure in case of vertical stabilizer failure in cruise? Am I correct in guessing that one should descend to a lower altitude and decrease speed? <Q> There is no procedure, generally a vertical stabilizer failure makes an airp...	Descending is absolutely a requirement, you have to land somewhere after all, but unless you've depressurized there's no need to rush it
If cleared to cross a runway and expedite but are slow to get away, are you obliged to stop? Suppose ATC says "Big Jet, cleared to cross runway 36, expedite" and you acknowledge "Cross runway 36, wilco, Big Jet". As you start to move forward you immediately realize that you are unable to go as quickly as you expected ...	If you feel you cannot safely comply with any ATC instruction, you can simply reply “Unable” and the controllers will amend your clearance.
What is the vocabulary used by fighter pilots used to communicate? As far as I understand, fighter pilots or more general military aircrews will use a dedicated phraseology to communicate with each other, which is different to communicating to ATC.Is this phraseology standardized across different air-forces or even wit...	Much of the terminology is not standardized, but there are certainly components which are.
What do flight attendants do if a passenger asks what is going on in case of a potential emergency? This is related to, but not the same as, another question I asked on Interpersonal Skills . I was on a flight last year, on a route I fly on a fairly frequent basis. Shortly after takeoff, I heard the three double chim...	If the passenger really insists, perhaps a brief "The pilot is aware of the situation, please take your seat" would be the simplest reply. Inform the pilots immediately.
Why would a pilot on final to a towered airport not speak up when ATC clears another aircraft to land on the same runway, without mentioning them? Every time I watch AOPA's Accident Case Study video Communication Breakdown , I'm left wondering. Here's an aircraft (in this case, '1DA) on final approach for landing on ...	It's the controller's responsibility to issue instructions and a pilot's responsibility to follow them unless doing so is unsafe.
How to land using horizon? source I recently heard pilots discussing a landing technique that some instructors are now teaching. To assist new pilots in flaring, they instruct the pilot to adjust their attention toward the far end of the runway or horizon. There was some discussion that it won't work for a pilot sho...	Longtime CFI Rod Machado developed a really good method for new pilots to evaluate flare height based upon runway geometry that works very well for light aircraft.
In an articulated hub rotor craft, what could cause the blade to flap negatively? For example in forward flight what could cause the blade to flap lower than parallel to the CF at the front of the aircraft ? <Q> The first thing that comes to mind does not occur in forward flight. <S> That would be a hard landing. <S> D...	One adverse condition which causes negative flapping is Mast Bumping.
Does the required torque to spin a propeller increase with RPM? I‘ve currently been experimenting with different propellers: 12x12 prop, 16x12 prop (both two blades) and a 22x14 (6 blades) prop. They were propelled by a 2.4 kW electric motor with 260 kV on a 6S/5200mAh/12C battery setup. The 12x12 prop produced 2 kg o...	To maintain a higher RPM (or to use a bigger prop) the force to cancel the increased drag is higher, and thus the torque (force times distance) that drives the propeller.
Can a controller be tasked to provide more than one ATC service at a time? During a visit to one of the ATC Facility I found out that the Aerodrome Controller was also providing procedural approach control service along with aerodrome control service. Similarly, Area Radar Controller of the same facility was also per...	The ATS authority can indeed vary the number of working positions based on demand.
How fuselage creates lifting force when plane flying on a side? On a question "How plane able to fly on a side" people answer that it's because fuselage shape crate lifting force and plane should have enough thrust.But that seems vague to me.How fuselage creates lift ? Wing shaped that way that more air goes under it, ...	Wings and fuselages both produce lift in the same way: they change the direction of the oncoming air.
Can time spent in consumer flight simulators increase the safety of flying light sports aircraft for licensed pilots? I've asked this question to my flight instructor, who believes flight simulators do a very poor job of modelling flight physics for very light airplanes, which makes them useless for preventing accident...	Flying is more about thinking ahead, planning and situation awareness than any specific piloting skills, One thing anything short of a dedicated Level D full motion sim just can’t do is simulate the kinesthetic feel of an airplane.
What are the rules of airfoil thickness from root to tip on tapered wings? I'm doing some research on wings and airfoils used in the 30s and 40s, and I'm trying to understand the rules about airfoil proportional thickness changes across the wing (root to tip) on tapered wings. Many planes of that time used airfoils wi...	Airfoil thickness at the root was chosen to obtain a good cantilever ratio: the bending moment is highest there, and you need to give it structural height.
Do different planes (category) aim differently in the 'final stages before flaring'? ( youtube.com ) Do different planes (categories A through D) aim differently in the final stages before flaring? I'm asking about precision runways. The reasons I ask: An ILS' glide slope is not coincident with the PAPI for examp...	The answer to that is a combination of the specific approach procedure being flown, the aircraft approach category, the specific aircraft type, weather, winds, etc.
Can I rent a Cessna for a week with my GF with a PPL? I want to do a 45 hour course to obtain a PPL. The course only includes 10 solo hours but states that it is enough to hire light aircraft. So could I rent a Cessna after this and take a passenger? <Q> Most people do not take 45 hours to get a PPL, the national av...	Some rental companies won't rent aircraft overnight, so you need to check that, and if they rent for longer periods of time you will end up paying extra even while the aircraft sits on the ground. If you just want to be able to take people for rides, just do an NPPL, roughly equivalent to Sport Pilot in the US or Recre...
Finding the center of gravity/centroid of an airfoil? I'm in the process of building myself a wing frame out of balsa wood. However, as a high school student that's just started aerospace engineering, I'm not really sure how to go about it in some ways. What I'm looking for is the center of my ribs so that I can find ...	If you want to find the centroid, I recommend you get some CAD software and draw it, and let the software find it for you, at least that way you can print out templates straight away.
Which is safer? The Piper Tomahawk or the Cessna 152? I have booked my first flying lesson for 2 weeks time, in my first step to obtain a PPL or LAPL. I had done all of my research on the Cessna family, assuming that is what I would learn in. I was satisfied by the safety and glowing reviews by students and instructors...	However since the Tomahawk is actually made to spin, there is the potential for increased spin/stall accidents if the pilot messes up.
How did the 9/11 hijackers find their way to New York City? It is quite well known that the airplane hijackers on 9/11 were not professional pilots. So, my question is how some people who didn't have any experience of navigating the airplanes could find their way, for example from Boston to New York City? I read somew...	Mohamed Atta, the ringleader of the effort, was a licensed commercial pilot received significant simulator training for large jets and the Boeing 737 in particular.
Is the aircraft neutral point a function of the tail incidence angle? While using XFLR v5 for a basic analysis I am facing this issue. For a fixed configuration I varied the tail incidence angle and XFLR is displaying a change in the Neutral point location. But as per theory neutral point location is not dependent on t...	If one defines "nuetral point" as the aerodynamic center of the entire aircraft, where a change in pitch does not create a pitching moment, then a change in tail incidence should only slightly affect its location.
Can a Rutan Quickie be made into a legal Part 103 Ultralight? I was was thinking about buying a 80s rutan quickie q-1, it has a 18 hp motor. I want to get a ultralight but I like this one because it is fast. Can I get a motor that would be within the requirements? I don't know how I would be able to make this an ultr...	I doubt the Quickie would fly well enough at very slow speeds to meet the rest of the Part 103 requirements -- specifically, the limit on maximum level flight speed.
In general, how do aircraft handle differently in inverted flight versus in upright flight? Inverted flight is flight with a roll angle between 90° and 270° (although it classically referred specifically to flight with a roll angle of 180° - i.e., upside-down). In what ways, in general, does aircraft handling in inve...	Most airplanes have asymmetric airfoils optimized for non-inverted flight.
Who else is using electro-thermal wing anti-/de-icing apart from the 787? I am researching into deicing technologies for the future, but apart from Boeing with Ultra/GKN, no one seems to be picking this technology up and being competitive. Any one know why this is? Is it an expensive development? Risky? Is it on any a...	Once an airframe is certified in a given configuration it may not be financially logical to certify some new part for a system that is already well in place and working.
For what program was this Cessna 182 fitted with canards? I want to see if anyone knows what the heck is going on here. I was doing a flight out in Palo Alto California recently, and during the run up this Cessna 182 pulled in next to us. It appears to have a canard foreplanes attached near the firewall of the airpla...	It's a King Katmai STOL mod for a Cessna 182.
How can pilots minimize parasite drag? What can pilots do to minimize parasite drag? As far as I know the effect of parasite drag really depends on the manufacturer of the airplane, but can pilots do anything about it? <Q> Parasite drag is for the most part out of a pilot's hands, as it's a combination of: Form dra...	You can reduce skin friction drag by keeping the airplane clean, dirt and smashed bugs
Are there different symbols or graphics to identify different types of GA fuels? Are there different symbols to identify the different types of fuels used for general aviation aircraft? <Q> As Walker notes in his answer AvGas is typically noted by color when talking about telling it apart. <S> In terms of aircraft mark...	The typical signage for 100LL is a red back, white fount, all caps AVGAS 100LL
What measures prevent a military aircraft's weapons from being fired on the ground? Recently the 20mm cannon of an F-16 was accidentally fired on the ground by maintenance personnel at Florennes Air Base in Belgium, resulting the the destruction of another F-16 and damage to a third. https://theaviationist.com/2018/10...	There are also physical safety switches, that date back to when weapons were first mounted on aircraft.
What runway materials reduce skidding in wet conditions? What are the possible materials that can be used on a runway, so as to reduce the plane speed and certainly stop the plane while preventing skidding when the runway is wet? <Q> This question has kept industry awake at night for ages now. <S> A good start is here...	In Alaska where most GA pilots fly tail wheel bush planes, many airports have gravel runways because they work better in the snow and ice.
Does shrouding a propeller minimize induced drag by equalizing the downwash velocity along its blades? EDIT: It's not a duplicate of Are ducted fans more efficient? That question and the answers doesn't address the reason for the higher theoretical efficiency, it is more about efficiency in practice (drag on the duct...	No, the vortices are trapped in the tip clearance .
What light signals or visual markings indicate that turns should be made to the right at class G airports? FAR 91.126 states: §91.126 Operating on or in the vicinity of an airport in Class G airspace. (a) General. Unless otherwise authorized or required, each person operating an aircraft on or in the vicinity of an ...	For aircraft taking off or landing to the northeast, "left traffic" is indicated by the "L" shape on the lower right of the circle.
Must quadcopters have the same propeller sizes? I was flying quads today and it just suddenly popped up into my mind — do the propellers all have to be the same size in quadcopters? Mine are, but What if two propellers were larger and the other two smaller? The drone would still be symmetrical, but would it have any ef...	But having them all comparable makes it easier to design the quadcopter and keeps it generally more maneuverable.
What is the difference between a Mechanic and a Repairman? In reviewing some of the data published by the FAA, I noticed that they make a distinction between a mechanic certificate and a repairman certificate. What is the difference? <Q> The full details are in 14 CFR 65 Subpart D (mechanics) and Subpart E (repair...	The basic difference is that a mechanic can perform maintenance on any aircraft; a repairman can perform maintenance only on aircraft for their employer, or that they own.
Why did this 737 not take off on first attempt? This video shows a 737 'near miss' takeoff. I'm curious as to why the aircraft did not take off as expected, i.e. is there anything obvious from the video? I'm assuming the speed and payload would have been within the expected limits, so wondering if someone can expla...	The pilot flying started rotating before appropriate speed was reached, or they calculated lower rotation speed (Vr) than they actually needed.
Is fuel balancing done automatically? Is the balacing of the fuel in the wings of an aircraft like A320 done automatically or does it have to be done manually by the pilot. If it is done manually does the pilot eyeball the balancing ? <Q> The A320 has an auto mode that will do the following: <S> Center tank will emp...	The aircraft tends to fly in balance all the time, so there is no differential feed of fuel. The center tank pumps can be switched to manual mode.
Why do stealth aircraft generally lose in maneuverability? Whilst stealthy built aircraft have (or claim to have) many anti-detection systems, they seem to have to compromise on less maneuverability features, and even have to keep their missiles inside, not on the outside. Why is it so these days? Based on the above ...	It's much easier to maintain stealth if the missiles are stored inside the aircraft.
Why does the Ikarus C42 pitch down when stalled? Apparently, the C42 nose pitches down shortly after stall, like in this video . I know part of the video might be pilot input to recover from the stall, but I've read on various flying forums that this will happen naturally without input anyway. Why is this? <Q> Most ae...	The horizontal stabilizer normally produces lift in the downwards direction just incase it does stall, that way the nose would automatically drop.
Navigate to the final approach course after radio failure under IFR What would ATC expect the pilot to do if, at the position marked below by the red X, the aircraft lost radio communication and was on a radar vector heading 250 degrees at/assigned 3000 msl and the pilot was told to expect the ILS approach to Runway 7 ...	So the expectation of ATC would be that the crew would fly outbound, make a right turn and intercept the localizer and fly the approach.
Does Wing Area vary with angle ot attack? For a very basic airplane, say like Cessna 150 is built with Wing Area (S)=15 meter squared (say it 15m1m). In another part said that the Lift (L)=0.5rho(V)^2Cl*S. Mean, Lift is affected by the wing area. Yes, it is clear. My question, should I consider the wing area as fix...	Area should be constant.
In a part 91 formation flight within a mode C veil, are all the aircraft required to have their transponders on? Two aircraft are planning on conducting a standard formation flight (aircraft remaining within 1 mile of each other) as follows in the U.S.: Maintaining VFR below 10,000 MSL; Remaining outside/clear of ...	IMHO, I offer the following, the current FAR requires an operable transponder to enter any Mode C veil, regardless of your flight circumstances...
Is there any effect that contributes to roll stability even in the absence of sideslip? Is there any physical dynamic-- involving high wing placement, "pendulum" effect of CG far below wing, or anything else-- that contributes to roll stability in a way that is NOT dependent upon the aerodynamic forces generated by sid...	Differential air velocities over the inner and outer wing in a turn. In some cases the lower "flying wires" can observed to be slack.
What prevents Low Cost Carriers (LCCs) from cutting cost that compromise safety? I was reading an article about LCCs and here is an excerpt that got me thinking. While budget airlines cut other corners to keep fares low, they do not — actually cannot — compromise the safety of their passengers in the process. Wh...	Beside all the regulations that require certain maintenance action to be done on aircraft in order for the aircraft to remain air worthy, the simple answer is if LCC compromise safety in order to cut cost no one will want to fly with them and they will lose business.
Are there any 100% renewable energy aircraft in development? There seem to be several options for aircraft R&D regarding cleaner fuels for the time when fossil fuels are no longer economically viable. Some of these include: Algae. A drop-in fuel. These fuels are being used and developed in co-operation with the USA...	Contrary to one clause of your question, there are a number of battery-electric light aircraft (or what the USA calls "light sport" class) in development, with prototypes flying. Algae fuels, as drop-in replacements for kerosene, may have some usefulness, but there are storage issues (hard to stockpile something that c...
Does the pressure at the static ports drop as the aircraft's speed increases? This answer by Tyler Durden explains what static ports are and how they work: The "static ports" allow air into the instrument to provide the input for the air pressure on the side of the aircraft. They are called "static" ports because ...	There is a difference between the true static pressure and the measured static pressure, which varies with angle of attack, but it is generally quite small.
Best way of learning the aviation alphabet? I want to learn the aviation alphabet , and when searching the Internet on how to, I see a plethora of approaches, so I thought of asking here! If it's primarily opinion based, let me know. <Q> Presuming you're referring to the ICAO Alphabet <S> * , (alpha, bravo, charlie, ...	Once you've figured out the ones you don't know, check a chart, attempt to memorize them, and try the test again. My favorite method for memorizing that kind of stuff is to create flash cards with a picture that can be associated with the word.
Do military bases still employ wheel watchers? When I was in the air wing in the '70s, I had the unpleasant opportunity of pulling wheel watch. The unfortunate individual sat in a small shack (maybe 3 x 6 ft.) with a pair of high-powered binoculars ensuring that each and every aircraft on final had their gears down. If...	As a current student naval aviator, I can tell you that Wheels Watch (who is a student assisting the Runway Duty Officer) is something that is still alive and well for the Navy Outlying Fields that we train at in addition to home field (North Whiting KNSE), which has a controlling tower.
In the US, is there a way for a pilot to legally "maneuver at will" in actual IMC? In the US, is there a way for a pilot to legally "maneuver at will" in actual IMC? Let's say you want to practice a series of reversing 360-degree turns and not have to communicate every change in heading to a controller or follow a co...	If you want to practice in IMC within controlled airspace, you must explain your mission to ATC and obtain a clearance to operate under IFR. In uncontrolled airspace, you may fly into IMC as you like and perform whatever maneuvers you want.
What is the non-projected cross-hair for on the F-18 HUD? Top right, there's a little cross-hair - it looks like it's for lining something up, since on the second pane there's a little dot. I haven't seen this on any other HUDs. Appears to be present on all variants including Super Hornet. source simulated - sour...	It is a "Standby Reticle": A fixed standby reticle (Figure 7–151) is available in the upper right side of the HUD for use in performing visual designations in the event of a HUD failure.
Do you need strong muscles as far as applying the yoke is concerned, in order to be able to deal with some emergencies? In some of the plane accidents, the pilot had to use all his might to apply the yoke in certain direction to save the plane from imminent crash; in some cases even crew members had to help with the fo...	Most pilots, even small framed males and females, can pull 50 lbs, although sustaining that for more than a few seconds can be a problem.
How can drag induced by the landing gear be reduced? What are some of the methods used to reduce the drag caused by the landing gear for aircraft with non-retractable landing gear? <Q> The Pilot's Manual: <S> Ground School has a nice diagram that explains it pretty well. <S> It's all about streamlining. <S> Airplane d...	One common way is to use wheel fairings: From wikipedia: wheel fairing
Can multiple aircraft share the same logbook? If a private pilot owns 3 planes can he use 1 logbook for all 3 or does he need to use 3 logbooks? Would the answer change if he also owns a helicopter? <Q> For pilot logbooks, the requirements of " what " needs to be logged to meet training time and aeronautical experi...	Separate logbooks for each airplane is not required.
What are these windows/portholes on the English Electric Canberra bomber? This may be an obvious question, but I don't know, which is why I'm asking here. I've searched "Canberra canopy porthole" and "window", but didn't get any information. There is a porthole of sorts on the left side of the canopy of this bomber, I'...	It is undoubtedly glass and can be heated by a heating element (note the wires) to much higher temperatures than the perspex canopy could tolerate. The porthole in the canopy was simply a way for the pilot to see his way if the canopy misted or iced up, simple as that.
Why is 0 ft a valid target altitude for an autopilot? Inspired by this story ; The pilot of a Flybe plane that dropped 500 ft (152m) in 18 seconds had selected the wrong autopilot setting shortly after take-off, an inquiry has found... ...The plane climbed to 1,500 ft, but then pitched and "descended rapidly" be...	The answer is no you would never depart with the altitude preselect at 0.
Are there any specific weight or structural reasons to choose low vs. high wings for a cargo aircraft? I have a large cargo aircraft concept and I am debating between a high or low wing. It seems like both are viable, but intuitively it seems structurally harder to support a high wing. Alternatively though I like the...	They usually have high wings for practical reasons, it's a lot easier to load the cargo, than to a a low winged aircraft where the fuselage is higher to give enough clearance. In terms of structural weight, there is probably little difference.
What does "out of trim" mean? Our flight was delayed from takeoff because the captain reported it to be "out of trim". What does this mean? <Q> In this context, it would mean the aircraft is loaded in such a way that the Center of Gravity is too far forward or aft. <S> That's actually not the way we usually use the w...	"Trim" is the ability to correct for deviations in flight controls by prepositioning the flight surfaces for a particular direction.
Where do extra planes come from? Last night, I had to change planes at LAX because the United Airlines B737 that I was flying on had radio problems and thus could not fly over the ocean. One of the hi-frequency radios had problems, and the pilot said that both radios must function in order for the plane to fly over the...	In reality, often the "spare" as you called it, is an airplane that can be pulled from another trip with a subsequent replacement available causing less delay than the flight generating the need for the spare in the first place.
How many Airbus planes have been destroyed in flight by severe turbulence? Since a brand new A350 has literally the exact same design specifications / G limits as an airliner built in the fifties does (A 1955 F27 Fellowship will break up at 2.5 G-3.75G, same as a modern Airbus jet - anymore than 2.5 G it will start to ...	The Aviation Safety database lists 91 accidents due to turbulence as of writing. For the F-27 incident in Alaska, one of the factors noted was cracks in the wings from a lack of maintenance.
Why was Concorde never sold as a private business jet? Airliners like Boeing 747 and even Airbus 380 are at times considered as personal jets for extremely wealthy people. Looking from the side, Concorde was ideal for this role: while not very big, it probably could provide luxury transportation for ten VIPs or thereab...	Concorde needed a lot of runway and was not a quiet plane. Smaller private planes lived more in the propeller-driven space than the jet space. It's also worth noting that Concordes sales occurred mostly in the mid 1960s (approximately 24 minutes in) a time in which business aircraft were different than what we currentl...
Why hasn't anyone tried making two propellers facing upwards and the other two facing downwards? Within a quadcopter, I know usually it's all the propellers facing upwards or all of them facing downwards. Why hasn't anyone tried making two propellers facing upwards and the other two facing downwards? Do some forces can...	All 4 with the same orientation is a good common sense approach to a quadcopter, though you can have opposite spinning pairs to cancel torque.
Why don’t large aircraft (larger than ~737-size) have even partial manual-reversion capability? Essentially all large aircraft 1 have flight control surfaces powered, either directly or indirectly, by hydraulic actuators, as do most medium-sized and some small aircraft. Small- to medium-sized aircraft with hydraulica...	For aircraft that don't have manual control capability, the required redundancy is built into the system design with redundant hydraulic actuators powered by redundant hydraulic systems. If an event is catastrophic enough to cripple all of the hydraulic/electrical systems, there's a good chance a manual system would be...
Can someone explain this glideslope question? The glideslope deviation bar is covering the second upper dot. The required action to meet glideslope beam is to: What does this question mean? <Q> While on the glide slope, pitch controls airspeed and power controls altitude, so you will need to add a bit of power. <S> ...	If you are answering an FAA Knowledge Test question, the correct answer is to level off and intercept the glide slope.
Reasons for significantly lower than normal approach Not sure if this is going to be answerable to be honest, as I'm sort of asking for a bit of retroactive mind-reading! But here goes anyway! I was driving along Clifton Drive North, Lytham Saint Annes, England on 17/11/18 (~3:30 pm if that matters) and I saw a plan...	One reason that one may fly a lower than normal approach is for a "no flap" landing.
Why cycle the magnetos before engine shutdown? Inspired by this question asking about shutting down a light aircraft engine I realised there is another ritual which I do, but have long forgotten the reason why. Having parked a light aircraft, and switched off the electrics, with the engine still running I always che...	This way, you know that switching it off really does isolate the magneto, so you know that when you turn both off after stopping the engine, the propeller is safe.
Are you required to disclose medical conditions to your flight instructor? When talking with a local flight school about my interest in starting training, I started asking questions about how the AME process works. The flight instructor then asked me if I had any specific medical issues. Are you required to disclose an...	There's good reasons to be open, however: - Not disclosing a medical condition could increase the risk to both you and your instructor, depending on what that is. You aren't under any legal obligation to disclose anything to him.
How can we avoid running out of airport abbreviations? As far as I know, airport name abbreviations are a 3 letter name. For example: MEL for Melbourne/Australia airport LAX for Los Angeles/USA airport YYZ for Toronto/Canada airport And that means all the options we have for naming are 26 * 26 * 26 = 17,576 Some...	Within each country, the national aviation authority assigns Airport IDs to all airports within its jurisdiction.
What would be a simple aerodynamics simulation software for a student? I have a project due 2 weeks from now that demands we make a glider using Styrofoam. I'd like to simulate the results as I plan my glider before I build it. Which simple software, which allows importing a 3D model to do the testing on, can give me ...	A professional software is this: http://darcorp.com/Software/AAA/ From the website: Advanced Aircraft Analysis (AAA) is a comprehensive airplane design program that gives its users full authority over the entire preliminary design process. For the bounding I suspect you want, one might try Simulink, which has a model f...
Is it possible to know why an airline operates specific equipment on certain routes? I've spent far too long staring at flight tracking sites, and occasionally I think I'll notice some pattern in what types of aircraft a given airline uses for certain scenarios/routes. For example, Delta seems to operate a lot of MD-...	Apart from the obvious demand, availability and costs of aircraft and business they do take in consideration the wear and tear (and maintenance cycles) of the aircraft (how long to go before what maintenance) as well as a balance of long and short haul operations and the specifics of each particular aircraft and its pa...
Are there any airlines that fly a route that has an arrival time earlier than its departure time? Imagine the scenario where an airline flys a short 30 minute route which crosses a timezone going west. They could theoretically leave at 00:15 (local) and arrive at 23:45 local the previous day. I'm wondering if there are...	Yes, there are loads of these.
How to find black boxes underwater absent any pinger signals? If CVR/FDR cannot be seen visually on the seafloor (because covered by a thick layer of mud/sediments) and no pinger signals are detected, how can they be found? Metal detectors? Any other methods? case in point: The FDR of crashed Lion Air flight 610 was...	One common way of tracking down the CVR is by using an underwater magnetometer to detect ferrous metal objects.
I wonder if it's possible to make a "compressed air" turbine engine I wonder if it's possible to make an efficient turbine engine that uses only hot compressed air to move but only that, meaning there is no ignition involved. To put it simple can we use compressors like turbo or superchargers to make a small turbine en...	There was at least one piston-driven "jet" engine concept in which the air was NOT ignited after compression -- see for example the Coanda-1910 (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coand%C4%83-1910 ).
What does the "DO NOT USE FOR NAVIGATION" indication mean? Sometimes when I'm browsing IAC charts online I find a "DO NOT USE FOR NAVIGATION" notice printed on the chart. Not always though. For example, have a look at the chart for Queenstown RNAV (RNP) Y RWY 05 .See the notice there? I have always wondered why do ...	The really simple answer is that the chart does not contain everything a pilot needs to know to navigate safely.
Fine for operating not single-pilot certified jet with one pilot Are there any clear-cut fines for flying an aircraft like a Global 5000 which is not single-pilot certified by a single pilot? And what would be the probability of being caught and how would they catch you? <Q> According to FAA Order 2150-3B in Appendi...	If there was some good reason and the pilot's record was clean otherwise, they might change it to a warning. The probability of getting caught would be pretty high because you would be around ramp crew all the time and somebody would notice there's only one pilot aboard when there are normally always 2. (penalty guidel...
Between a helicopter and an airplane, which requires more power to fly, for a given TOW? For the given same mass (say it 400kgs), which one requires more power (in HP) between helicopter and airplane? Say that both are designed maximum (the required material are considered during design) to minimize the required power....	If you mean for a 400kg helicopter and 400kg fixed wing airplane to move at 100kt, it's generally going to be the helicopter that requires more power since the whole egg beating thrashing mess is a lot less efficient at converting energy to forward speed.
DA40 fuselage static ports / G1000 not in AFM I’m a flight instructor who just switched from instructing in 172’s to flying the Diamond DA40 and am confused about a few things. Our DA40 has two static ports, one on either side of the fuselage. This doesn’t make sense to me because the AFM in the airplane says the stati...	It's correct that there is static port on left and right side of fusalge more like rear and pitot tube on left wing,
What is the best design to stack wings of a triplane? I would like to design an ultralight airplane, which probably the total mass will be around 400kg. The speed should not exceed 200km/h. Forget about what the engine I will use. I intend it can land and take off in a small road and/or in a common road, which the road...	However, if you look for a proven design of a very compact triplane, I would like to suggest the Italian Pensuti triplane .
How can the F-15 and Su-27 achieve a high top speed without variable wing geometry? I watched a documentary once that explained, I believe, how the Su-27 and similar aircraft such as the F-15, can achieve a high top speed without variable wing geometry. How does this work? How do they achieve high performance without ...	Airplanes like the F-15 with a low aspect ratio, fairly thin wing don't really need a lot of sweep because their airfoils are already really thin relative to their chord.
Do any aircraft have a "self-contained ILS"? The ILS is an invaluable aid to pilots, especially those operating to/from the many airports where poor weather is common (low-visibility operations would be completely impossible without an ILS); however, ILSs are expensive and maintenance-intensive, with the result tha...	A great deal of aircraft are capable of flying GPS/RNAV approaches from big boys down to the little Piper Archer
Why can’t air traffic control radars determine the altitudes of primary targets? There are two types of returns that show up on an air traffic controller’s radar screen: Secondary returns are not, strictly-speaking, radar “returns” at all, but, rather, signals automatically broadcast from an aircraft’s transponder, ...	Besides, military radars can and do provide altitude information for primary targets
When is aileron trim used? There is an aileron trimmer in some Boeings. When and why should it be used? P.S. I'm not a pilot, can you answer with less smart words? <Q> Given your request to "answer with less smart words," it's hard to know what knowledge can be assumed, but I'll give it a try. <S> Let's say you're h...	Aileron trim is not often used for the simple reason that in normal aircraft operation, it's usually set where it should be from the previous flight.
How does an aircraft maintain level flight while accelerating? Let's assume a plane is initially moving at constant speed, level flight with a certain angle of attack. If the plane's thrust is increased, the plane's horizontal speed increases (at one point the drag force catches up and becomes again equal to thrust. Th...	Simply put, in the scenario stated, to maintain level flight the appropriate amount of nose down input would be applied. Assuming a conventional, stable aircraft, most likely yes (unless the changed thrust moment around the centre of gravity balances the aircraft in trim in the new aerodynamic state).
Is the purpose of variable pitch propellers to maintain an optimal angle of attack? I recently had a discussion with an aviation expert, who works as a Flight Instructor, about constant speed propellers - variable pitch propellers - on light piston aircraft. I have always known that these kind of propellers are capabl...	Operating the propeller away from its design point incurs small losses since not all of the blade is exactly at its optimum angle of attack, but if you compare the overall efficiency with that of a single pitch setting, the advantage of variable pitch becomes obvious.
Is this Class G Airspace? So it's been about a decade since I got my private pilot cert and almost as long since I got to fly. My map reading is a little rusty. I'm trying to fly my drone at a local park and it's warning me that I'm in Class D airspace. I've marked on the map where the park is. If I'm reading this ...	Either your drone's GPS is off by quite a bit, or it was deliberately designed to be overly sensitive so that you couldn't accidentally fly into nearby controlled airspace.
Do airplanes with fixed gear usually turn upside down during water landing? During discussion about emergency landing on water in this YouTube video (4:00) the flight instructor said: "...the problem with these airplanes with a fixed gear, you're usually going to be upside down". Is it really like this? If so, i...	Water is much denser than air, so the drag created at the end of the lever arm of the landing gear easily flips the plane over.
Aviation theory for fighter pilots Background: I'm an 18-year-old Finn and so I'll be starting my military service next summer. I'm currently applying to the Air Force to become a fighter pilot, but I don't have any previous training in aviation. I have studied a bit of theory from the internet but I just want to ask ...	Some basic recommendations: Get good grades - fighter pilot is s competitive job title.
Is the bleed air passengers breathe tapped from the engines before or after it comes in contact with fuel? And why? Isn't this unhealthy? Passengers are often surprised to hear that the air they breathe comes from inside the engines. This sounds unhealthy. Can you explain, why it is not ? Is bleed air tapped (for c...	The air has to come from the compressor, not after combustion, mainly because it needs to be clean ambient air free of kerosene combustion byproducts, and it's plenty hot enough anyway and taking it from the turbine would be way too hot.
Are there any preventive measures against bird strikes while in flight? Most of the preventive measures for bird strikes are at/around the airport but what are some of the ways that can be used to prevent bird strikes on the plane as it is climbing or in flight? <Q> Airports engage in a number of strategies to reduce t...	Avian Radar also exists: Avian radar[44] is an important tool for aiding in bird strike mitigation as part of overall safety management systems at civilian and military airfields.
Is it possible to make an analogy between a lever and an airplane wing in terms of force applied over distance? On most aircraft the engine force (thrust) is lower than the weight. Since wings therefore are always capable of generating greater force (lift) than the engine, there is an analogy between an airplane and a ...	I don't think you can make a really useful comparison because the lever is applying force to one fixed object, pivoting around another fixed object, with a fixed mass and a fixed force and you can repeat the same result over and over.
Why don't airports have weigh stations to prevent overweight takeoffs? Currently, ensuring that an airplane isn't overweight when it takes off relies on the cargo handlers loading the aircraft properly and accurately documenting (on the weight-and-balance sheet) what with how much weight was placed where, and on the pi...	Checking weight on every takeoff would be extremely expensive to implement, would impose additional delays on an industry already wrestling with delays, and wouldn't result in a big increase in safety, because very few airliners crash due to weight problems.

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