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1500 questions
40
votes
5 answers
Why must one wait 48 hours to fly, after scuba diving?
Is this rule even true and why is it? I'm going to assume it has to do with pressure but can someone give me a good explanation?
Genocide
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40
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5 answers
What are the differences between fuel types (comparing with vehicles)?
I find it funny that at gas stations, generally you can purchase "regular" gasoline (in various octane levels) or diesel. At airports, generally you can purchase 100LL avgas or Jet-A.
Can you compare diesel to Jet-A, and "regular" gasoline to avgas?…
digitgopher
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40
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8 answers
Is it OK to move a light aircraft by pushing or pulling the propeller?
It's very common to see pilots moving a light aircraft by pushing or pulling on the prop, either because there's no tow bar available or simply out of preference or convenience. Is this a reasonable thing to do or can it damage the prop or engine in…
Pondlife
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39
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2 answers
Why is a Cessna C560 circling Washington DC during the protests?
Right now according to FlightRadar24 there is a Cessna C560 circling Washington DC.
It took off from Manassas Regional Airport and has been circling ever since. No other identification is listed.
Is there any other way to find out what this plane…
bcattle
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39
votes
4 answers
Why is paragliding not an old invention?
Paraglider looks like a rather simple device for me. It does not have a complex engine that needs lots of technology to be built. It also does not need a powered aircraft just to be launched. Looking from the side I have an impression that it can…
h22
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39
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7 answers
What prevents a commercial jet from electronically "resetting" the way a computer sometimes does?
I've had a fear of flying for the past several years and one of the ways this irrational phobia manifests is concern over the airplane power-cycling in mid-air: engines cutting out, control equipment powering off, etc.
Occasionally a computer or…
Umbrella_Programmer
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39
votes
1 answer
Why can't some airports handle heavy aircraft while others do it easily (same runway length)?
As I've seen in this video, they operate flights from Bournemouth airport all the way to Barbados on a Boeing 787-8. As Bournemouth runway length is 2,271 m (7,451 ft), it can handle aircraft such as Boeing 787 fully loaded.
In Kiev Airport…
Uraflight
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2 answers
Can someone identify this unusual plane at SeaTac airport?
I saw this plane at the SeaTac Airport and thought it was very unusual. The wings look too small to even be functional to me. What kind of plane is this and what is it used for?
user42596
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4 answers
Why do private jets such as Gulfstream fly higher than other civilian jets?
I heard in a TV show that private jets such as Gulfstream can fly at about 50,000 ft, higher than other civil jets.
Is it an aerodynamic reason (lighter aircraft to be sustained in a less dense air) or does it depend on the fact that a smaller…
Luca Detomi
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39
votes
4 answers
What does the behaviour of water on the skin of an aircraft in flight tell us?
Sometimes in damp conditions I notice some surprising (surprising to me, anyway) behaviour of water.
I'll see moisture glistening in the heads of rivets or bolts on the top of the engine pylons - that stays there for a long time (many minutes) after…
Daniele Procida
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39
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4 answers
Do any airports have runways or taxiways that cross active rail lines at grade?
Gibraltar has a runway which crosses an active road at grade (which, due to the peninsula’s geography and the resulting constraints on the airport’s location, happens to be the main road connecting Spain and Gibraltar, thus bringing traffic between…
Vikki
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39
votes
3 answers
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…
Francis L.
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39
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5 answers
Why do most biplanes have their top wing slightly forward of the lower wing?
In most of the biplanes, the top wing is located a little forward of the lower wing. What is the use of this? Also, how does this affect stability of the aircraft.
Vinodh Raaj
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39
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4 answers
Is a rotary wing craft capable of supersonic flight?
Just what the title states.
Since the Wright brothers, aviation technology for fixed-wing craft has advanced by an order or more. Rotary wing craft on the other hand (I know little about aviation; please correct me!) have advanced significantly by…
Everyone
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39
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3 answers
What's the appropriate course of action if an airliner bounces 5-10 feet on touchdown?
I regularly fly in a PC flight simulator, and I'm currently trying to refine landings in medium-to-large airliners in various weather conditions.
A problem I've faced in some conditions while flying the 737-800 has been bouncing on touchdown, where…
Jules
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