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1500 questions
28
votes
4 answers
Why do airports in the UK have so few runways?
Almost all of the major airports in the United Kingdom are single-runway (or functionally-single-runway) installations, with only two of the very busiest (Heathrow and Manchester) having as many as two runways (although Heathrow has a third under…
Vikki
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28
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1 answer
Which (if any) is the "most major" airport / field / strip on Antarctica?
Which airport (/field, /strip, /skiway) is the "biggest", "most supported" on Antarctica?
So,
has the most permanent staff (do any?)
has the most runway facilities such as say runway lights, markings, length, aircraft weight possible, surfaced (are…
Fattie
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28
votes
2 answers
Why would a fighter use the afterburner and air brakes at the same time?
I was looking for air brake pictures on different fighters, and then I saw a Tornado using afterburner and air brake at the same time! Air brake duty is to reduce speed, isn't it? So why would a fighter burn so much fuel to increase thrust and then…
Mamzi_Pr
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28
votes
3 answers
Is it true that different variants of the same model aircraft don't require pilot retraining?
I'm referring to this Wendover Productions video - The Economics That Made Boeing Build The 737 Max.
The creator asserts that designing a new long range narrow body plane would be more expensive than modifying an existing design, which is…
dwjohnston
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28
votes
11 answers
Why force the nose of 737 Max down in the first place?
Can someone here explain a pretty basic question that I have had ever since this controversy came to light? I don't understand why any aircraft manufacturer, engineer, software developer, would make a device that forces the nose of the plane down.…
Malik A. Rumi
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28
votes
6 answers
Why do airports remove/realign runways?
When looking at Google Earth, I often find myself looking for airports. I often notice that no matter what size airport, over time many of them have abandoned old runways and built new runways in different directions.
It doesn't matter between…
doug
- 281
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28
votes
2 answers
Why is one of Madera Municipal's runways labelled with only "R" on both sides?
I was looking on Google Maps satellite view and noticed Madera Municipal Airport in Madera, CA (ICAO KMAE) has an east-west runway labelled with nothing but the letter "R" on both sides. There is no parallel runway. Why the strange marking? Airnav…
Ashley Strout
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28
votes
3 answers
How would an aircraft visually signal "in distress"?
A ship at sea would fly its flag upside down to signal it's in distress. How does a plane or airliner that has no radio or transponder visually signal that it is in distress?
This question: How do commercial pilots send distress signals? explains…
Muze
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28
votes
4 answers
Why are thrust reversers not used to slow down to taxi speeds?
In reading this question (Would more throttle when using reverse thrust reduce stopping distance?), it prompted me to remember that on many of my flights (typically on 737s or CRJ type aircraft), it seems that thrust reversers are used for a few…
Milwrdfan
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28
votes
2 answers
What helicopter has the most rotor blades?
I have seen 2 rotor blades up to many and wonder when does having more rotor blades become less efficient? What helicopter has the most rotor blades?
Related: Why don't helicopters prefer shorter rotors with more blades?
What is the definining…
Muze
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28
votes
7 answers
What does an absolute novice need to learn to make a successful emergency landing?
Suppose I am a passenger in a small, non-commercial plane (e.g. at most 8 seats), and the pilot suddenly dies or is otherwise incapacitated mid-flight. Suppose further that nobody else on the plane knows the first thing about flying, or that I were…
jvriesem
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28
votes
7 answers
How can reducing power too quickly on a piston engine damage it?
In many places, it's been stated that you should reduce power slowly to prevent engine damage. Depending on who you talk to, some say you should reduce the manifold pressure by 1 inch per minute, others say two. However, I'm not sure just how…
Qantas 94 Heavy
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28
votes
8 answers
Why do we refer to "power" for turboprop engines and "thrust" for turbojet/fan engines?
In jet engines, I read that thrust is related to the fuel flow rate, whereas in turboprop engines power produced is related to the fuel flow rate. What is the reason and brief math behind this?
user5349
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28
votes
6 answers
Do any airports have a steeper standard approach than London City?
Watching the CS100 certification of the 5.5deg steep approach into London City, I wondered if there were any airports with steeper standard approaches. By standard I mean published.
I have seen very steep non-standard approaches, but this is not…
Pilothead
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28
votes
3 answers
Is it true that the pilot and co-pilot are required to eat different meals?
I was watching a documentary about a Lufthansa A380, and they said that the pilot and co-pilot are required to eat different meals; why is that?
Is it a country-specific requirement, or airline-specific?
Danny Beckett
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