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1500 questions
27
votes
4 answers
When does an airliner switch from using the tiller to the rudder?
When does an airliner switch from using the tiller to steer to the rudder on takeoff? Same for landing- when does the pilot switch from using the rudder to the tiller? What is this process? Once a pilot switches to the rudder on takeoff, is there a…
Rotondi57
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27
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1 answer
How common are missile defense systems on civil airplanes?
I've just stumbled upon Why don't El Al 747's stay at the gates at JFK? in the hot topics.
I kind of get why El Al decided to put missile defense systems in their planes but I was wondering: How common is this? Are there other airlines who do this?
André Stannek
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27
votes
2 answers
How exactly can an airship lose lift?
On this wiki page (under 'Comparison with heavier-than-air aircraft'), the altitude record of the L-55 Airship states:
The ultimate altitude record for a rigid airship was set in 1917 by the L-55 under the command of Hans-Kurt Flemming when he…
Cloud
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27
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3 answers
Why do aircraft piston engines consume so much oil?
This question is related to single/twin piston engine aircraft. After flying in a Cessna 152 and a Piper Dakota I have noticed that they both consume a lot of oil. Oil check is an integral part of the checklist. Pilots carry extra bottles of oil in…
Prashant Saraswat
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27
votes
4 answers
How to slow down a seaplane on water?
A seaplane cannot use brakes to slow down, like a land-based aircraft. So how does one slow it down?
I am asking this in the context of landing, taxiing, aborted takeoff etc., as long as the plane is on the surface of water.
I imagine a few…
kevin
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27
votes
3 answers
Was the "Air Berlin" lap of honor over Düsseldorf problematic?
A few days ago, flight AB 7001 (Air Berlin, New York - Düsseldorf) went for a "lap of honor" around the airport.
One video can be found here.
No emergency or technical issue, it just was that airlines last ever flight on that route (they're…
Layna
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27
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Did the F-8 have a stall speed of 1.6x its landing speed?
Wikipedia says that the F-8 was to have
a landing speed of no more than 100 mph (160 km/h)
This web page says that the F-8 did have
Stalling speed 157 mph.
The two don't explicitly discuss exactly the same thing, but I do note that e.g. the…
user
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27
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4 answers
Why are the center tank pumps deactivated when slats are extended on the A320?
Why are the center tank pumps deactivated when slats are extended on the A320? I researched about this and all I can see is hints. They say it is because of regulations or certifications.
MNKY
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27
votes
5 answers
How does an aircraft tailplane work?
How does an aircraft tailplane keep the aircraft stable, and prevent it from tipping over? Also, how does the lift generated by a tailplane compare to that generated by the wing?
Pranav
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27
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Can I land a helicopter anywhere?
If I own a helicopter and am appropriately rated, can I land the helicopter anywhere that isn't private property, and is a safe place to land (clear of obstructions, appropriate surface, etc.)?
My question is specifically about the regulatory…
Canuk
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27
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7 answers
Why is *vertical* autorotation in a helicopter not recommended?
Helicopters can autorotate back to earth in case of emergency. The FAA recommends a flight profile similar to the following procedure:
Notice that in section (2) there is forward speed: vertical autorotation is not recommended. Why is that?
Koyovis
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27
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3 answers
Do the A380 ailerons act as air brakes on landing?
Last month I was on an Emirates A380 to London Heathrow. I noticed on the landing, the right ailerons were fully up along with the spoilers when decelerating on the ground. Are the ailerons configured for acting as air brakes on landings? Or was the…
binaryfunt
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27
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6 answers
Why use an airplane with non-retractable landing gear for aerobatics?
I'm watching footage from Red Bull Air Race 2017 in Kazan (one example is
) and clearly at least some of the airplanes used have non-retractable landing gear.
I was under impression that non-retractable landing gear increases drag and also makes…
sharptooth
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27
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How does thrust reversal work on a jet engine, and when should it be used?
A two part question this time, though they are closely related enough that I figured I'd knock them out all at once. I figure the first question probably informs the second question anyway.
Firstly, how does a jet engine flip over to reverse…
Jae Carr
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27
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5 answers
I accidentally deviated from an ATC instruction as a student pilot. How bad was it?
Here's the scenario: I was a student pilot on inbound for landing at my home airport on my final solo cross country flight I needed before doing a checkride.
At roughly 8 miles out to the north west, I established contact with the tower and was told…
user2207
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