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1500 questions
28
votes
1 answer
What is this white rectangle painted on runway 23 at KCRW?
(Related to this question.)
Runway 23 at Charleston, WV (KCRW) appears to have a (roughly) 500' x 50' white rectangle painted on the touchdown zone (I've added red arrows pointing at each end of the box):
Source: Google Maps
What is it used for?
Pondlife
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5 answers
Can a few random interaction with cockpit controls result in a crash?
Lets say a monkey / snake interacts with 3 random controls inside the cockpit within less than 3 seconds until the PIC / SIC can take control of the aircraft again. Could such interactions result in a configuration leading to a crash that could not…
McFarlane
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28
votes
7 answers
Why bother having different engine options on one aircraft?
When an airline purchases a new passenger jet, they often have a choice of engines (from different manufacturers). Why is this?
I would expect that one of the engine options is "best" and that all customers would buy that option. Thus it wouldn't be…
Thomas
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28
votes
2 answers
What are the ICAO fuel reserve requirements?
How much reserve fuel are private and commercial aircraft required to carry by ICAO rules?
I heard that it changed recently (about a year ago) and is a little complicated. How is it calculated for a particular flight?
Lnafziger
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28
votes
7 answers
Do safety-critical avionics systems run Linux?
I have heard diverse things about this. Some people claim that running Linux on safety-critical avionics systems is a very bad idea. On the other hand some people (who are rather unfamiliar with avionics) said this is not true.
So I would like to…
traducerad
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28
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2 answers
Are helicopters aerodynamically stable?
On a fixed wing aircraft, if the aircraft's attitude is disrupted by a small angle and the controls are let go, it will slowly right itself to straight and level, due to built-in aerodynamic stability (on most aircraft).
If a helicopter is banked or…
kevin
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28
votes
1 answer
Can anyone help me identify the plane in this photograph?
I'd be very grateful for any help in identifying this U.S. plane. Other photos in the album look like they're from WW2.
Barryhar
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28
votes
5 answers
F-111 emergency landing with no wheel; what is done to reduce risks when loosing a wheel?
There's an interesting incident described here about an F-111 that lost a wheel during take off.
Couple of questions:
What are the relative risks of an ejection vs a no-wheels belly landing. I mean obviously the costly loss of airframe. But is…
curious_cat
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28
votes
6 answers
Why not just drop an engine on fire?
I am interested in the case of Qantas Flight 32 and similar incidents, where there was a fuel leak after a number two engine explosion due to the disintegration of the turbine disc. It was a very dangerous situation since the fuel leaks were very…
clueless007
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28
votes
8 answers
Could there ever be a fully solar powered airliner capable of transatlantic flights?
Could a new or a modified existing airliner, e.g., a Boeing 737, be fully powered by solar energy and make the normal length trips aviation-fuel powered aircraft make?
anonymous
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28
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2 answers
Are “Kennedy Steve’s” various jokes allowed in ATC communications?
Forgive me if there is an obvious answer to this, but I was just listening to this “Kennedy Steve” playlist, and he seems to joke a lot more than most ground controllers I’ve listened to.
I have three questions about this.
Is it legal for air…
flyingfisch
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28
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3 answers
How are airspace fixes named?
Aircraft use nav fixes as waypoints or reporting points along their routes. I have noticed some interesting combinations.
Some make sense, like LUCKI to LYNDI on the LYNDI arrival into San Diego International, known as Lindbergh Field, or KSINO…
fooot
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28
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3 answers
Why do I get that funny stomach drop feeling right after takeoff?
Right after take off 1-2 minutes into flight I get this stomach drop "roller coaster" feeling for split second. It freaks people out thinking they are about to crash! Why is that??
KORD4me
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2 answers
What is this red canister on the tail of the YF-22?
On the tail section of the YF-22 further back in the image below, there is a red canister. What is that canister for? I suppose it is for some flight testing purposes from what I can see.
I can't pinpoint the image source.
SMS von der Tann
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2 answers
Is it safe and effective to have "glider pilot mentality" when landing single-engine fixed-wing aircraft?
I am a low-time pilot, of approximately 200 hours. I trained on the DA20 and DA40, designs that are derived from the Diamond touring motor glider design(s) of the early 1990s. I anticipate getting my Glider rating this summer in the US. As I've…
Steve
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