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1500 questions
37
votes
1 answer
Can I attach a camera to the outside of my aircraft in the USA?
I've been watching a lot of videos shot with mini cameras (like a GoPro) from outside the aircraft. Some look like they're mounted on or under wings, others from underneath the aircraft. This looks cool, I want to do it!
I know the FAA is pretty…
Nick
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37
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2 answers
What button did a pilot press that led to them being caught for falsifying experience?
I just saw this Newsweek article, Man Pilots Planes for 2 Years After Lying to Airlines About Experience:
A man has been sentenced to one year in prison for lying about his job experience before working as a commercial pilot in the U.K. for two…
gparyani
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37
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1 answer
Why does a radar altimeter show negative values on the ground?
This applies to the Airbus 320 or Boeing 737, among others:
Although it is useless on ground, the radar altimeter will repeatedly display a value (including negative) for a specific runway and airport on the PFD.
Why would a certain runway position…
Sniper
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37
votes
2 answers
What do pilots landing on aircraft carriers do when the ship is not visible due to weather?
Say an aircraft takes off of a carrier to do a mission somewhere, and upon returning to the carrier the pilot comes to find that a thick layer of fog has formed just above the surface of the water in addition to low-level clouds. The pilot may have…
I_am_WAAS_enabled
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37
votes
3 answers
What rules allow a student pilot to add oil to an airplane?
A private pilot oral exam guide I'm reading asks a basic question about an issue I had taken for granted:
You have just completed the first leg of a long cross-country and notice that the oil level is approaching the one quart low mark. As a…
moof2k
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37
votes
4 answers
How are aircraft depainted?
There are several questions about livery changes and livery in general on this website. Yet, I fail to find information about paint removal.
As a routine maintenance for an airframe that can live for up to 30 years, livery is redone several time as…
Manu H
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37
votes
2 answers
Why don't modern jet engines use forced exhaust mixing?
Jet engines are noisy[citation needed] - even a modern high-bypass turbofan is still deafeningly loud compared to pretty much anything except the even-louder low-bypass turbofans or a turbojet (much louder still than even a low-bypass turbofan). …
Vikki
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37
votes
9 answers
Why does An-225 have anhedral wings though it is a cargo aircraft?
What are the rationale behind this anhedral high mounted wing configuration? Is that usual for very large carge aircraft?
menjaraz
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37
votes
10 answers
Why are there no cargo aircraft with "flying wing" design?
From that I have seen so far, the "flying wing" design (like the one of B-2 Spirit and Northrop YB-49) has superior performance but also a few notable problems that make it difficult to use for passenger aircraft:
It is difficult to control, and…
h23
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37
votes
2 answers
How do I "sightsee" in a class Bravo airspace?
There are some good sights to see inside of class Bravo airspace. What is the best way to plan and communicate to ATC that my intention is to fly into the airspace to see some specific landmarks?
Joe
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37
votes
8 answers
How safe is the Boeing 737-800 in high winds?
I'm not good with flying. However, on Wednesday morning I'm flying from Gatwick to Bergen, Norway, traveling alone with two young children.
I'm trying desperately to not show my kids how afraid I am of flying - with families in two countries we have…
E. D. Huckerby
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37
votes
3 answers
How much is airspeed reduced on an A10-Warthog when firing its cannon?
I just read on reddit that you could use the recoil of the gun as the propelling force for the A-10 if pointed backwards. There is also a question here on Aviation.SE, saying that the gun has the same power as one single engine.
I'm now wondering…
Noah Krasser
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37
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4 answers
What prevents someone from hijacking a radio frequency mid-air?
For someone who wants to stay anonymous and probably terrorize the skies, what protective measures do we have?
Without even thinking too deep, I can imaging the following scenarios for someone who's in a mood to mess around.
Flying in a busy…
RaajTram
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37
votes
2 answers
Why would the cabin crew spray the cabin before landing?
Once when I was on a plane that was about to land, the cabin crew came around and they were spraying these small canisters. I've been on many flights but it was that particular flight where they did the spray. Can someone please tell me what those…
Bhavik
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37
votes
4 answers
Do jets breaking the sound barrier leave shredded metal on the ground?
As a kid (1960s and 1970s) we would find shredded metal rolled into a loose ball similar to the shredded paper one might find in an Easter basket, in the hills surrounding our farm. We had the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) based about 60 miles…
Ana Yost
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