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1500 questions
47
votes
4 answers
What is this aircraft with elaborate folding wings?
I noticed this plane in the background of this car advert. Can anyone identify it? I'm assuming that may have been used on an aircraft carrier, hence the elaborate folding wings?
tallpaul
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47
votes
4 answers
What happens to aircraft wreckage?
A small private plane (Piper) crashed near where I live a few years ago. Both occupants were killed. The crash site is on the top of a ridge in dense forest. Reaching the site would require a hike of about a mile from the nearest road. The terrain…
Carey Gregory
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47
votes
1 answer
What is this hatch above the cockpit of a 747?
There is a little door on the upper deck above the cockpit:
Source: Airliners.net, (modified to indicate location of hatch).
What is that door? What is its purpose?
user13197
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47
votes
6 answers
Is it practical to become an airline pilot in order to travel internationally?
I am a person with very diverse interests and a lot of life goals I want to achieve. One of them is becoming an airline pilot (just working as one for a year or two) and the other is traveling the world.
I would like to combine two goals in one,…
user13860
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47
votes
9 answers
Why do flight times differ between traveling East versus traveling West?
Why does it take longer to fly East to West than West to East?
Which factors affect this?
Does Earth's spinning affect the time difference? Maybe the air circulation?
Yadav Chetan
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47
votes
9 answers
What are the advantages of squawking 7700?
I was reading this question about how do pilots send distress signals in emergency scenarios, and that got me thinking...
In voretaq7's answer, he states that there are three ways to send distress signals, one of them is by the aircraft's…
Gabriel Brito
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47
votes
13 answers
How can I tell apart an Airbus from a Boeing?
When looking at an airplane, what are the main external features I should look at if I want to determine if it is an Airbus or a Boeing (shape of the tail, fuselage, winglets, wings, etc.)? Same questions from a passenger point of view, quietly…
Ludovic C.
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47
votes
6 answers
What are some of the differences between piston engines used in aircraft and automobiles?
What are some of the differences between piston engines used in aircraft and automobiles? It seems aircraft engines are much more expensive, I imagine some of that cost must be due to the more extreme environment (temperature, air density, roll…
AllTradesJack
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46
votes
4 answers
My windsock is erect, what does this mean?
I know that airport windsocks are calibrated to reach full erection at a particular wind velocity. At half that speed, the first half of the windsock should be erect and the second half should droop sorrowfully. At one third the speed it will be one…
Steve V.
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46
votes
4 answers
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…
h22
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46
votes
3 answers
Is it OK to greet ATC?
My instructor told me that courtesies are forbidden in radio communication, however, we usually start conversation as "Turany Ground, OK-ABC, good morning, (... request)".
I find it natural. Is that acceptable violation of the rules, or could it…
nothrow
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46
votes
2 answers
Why are bird strikes on approach or landing not as common as on takeoff?
I've heard about lots of bird strike incidents that occured during a takeoff roll or the early phase of takeoff climb but hardly heard of bird strikes on approach or landing. Are bird strikes much less common on approach or landing than on takeoff…
lemonincider
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46
votes
3 answers
How should passengers report SOS signal sightings?
On January 23, 2015, I flew from Buenos Aires, Argentina (SAEZ) to Santiago, Chile (SCEL). It was a very comfortable night flight in a Boeing 787 Dreamliner of LAN airlines, though it was delayed.
During the descent and a pronounced turn to the left…
ncomputers
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46
votes
9 answers
Since there are no toilets on smaller aircraft, how do you deal with the inevitable?
How do you handle business on a small plane on long flights? For example a cross country in a C-172.
TayE
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46
votes
6 answers
How do pilots identify the taxi path to the runway?
When the aircraft is readying to taxi, the ATC asks them to proceed to some runway number, say runway 09. In big airports, how do the pilots identify the correct path to their runway?
Does the ATC guide them? Or do they get a map of an airport…
New one
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