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1500 questions
27
votes
1 answer
How could a Focke-Wulf 190 pilot see anything at all from his cockpit?
As one can see from the images below, the seat seems to be placed so low on the cabin, I cannot figure out how the pilot could see anything.
Can anyone explain how a Focke-Wulf 190 pilot would be able to see out of the cockpit?
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Rudolf Thorsteiner
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27
votes
3 answers
If there is a misprint on an instrument plate, is a pilot required to comply with it?
This is a snippet from the KESC RNAV 36 approach. It's a real procedure, I didn't photoshop it except to add highlighting.
Let's say I was in the position that the blue aircraft is in (roughly 10 miles from WOKOL bearing approximately 320), and I…
Steve V.
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27
votes
3 answers
What's P-Factor and why does it occur?
Whenever I hear anyone talking about P-Factor, (whether it be single-engine left turning tendencies or multi-engine loss of directional control scenarios), someone always brings up the fact that the descending blade of a propeller generates more…
Steve V.
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27
votes
4 answers
Why are test crashes not made harder on the airframe?
This is one of the videos of the crash: 727 Test Crash. It seems it was more of a hard landing without gears. Why wouldn't the experimenters have made it more of a really hard crash if they needed to study the effects of a crash on a plane? Would…
Fabrizio Mazzoni
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27
votes
5 answers
Which ATC instructions should be repeated back by the pilot?
AIM 4-4-7 (b) says:
Pilots of airborne aircraft should read back those parts of ATC
clearances and instructions containing altitude assignments, vectors,
or runway assignments as a means of mutual verification.
As a student pilot soloing into…
kevin42
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27
votes
2 answers
What are these vehicles with no callsign used for?
I keep seeing these land based vehicles whenever I am looking airports on flightradar24, like in the image below:
Why do they come up on the radar? Do they have a transponder? What is the purpose of these vehicles?
hat
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27
votes
2 answers
How does ILS (Instrument landing system) work?
How does ILS (Instrument landing system) work?
I know it provides guidance to the runway by two signals, one modulated at 90 Hz, the other at 150 Hz, but how the airplane lock on those signals?
Which system in the plane is responsible for the…
Gabriel Brito
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27
votes
5 answers
When should a pilot use the word "takeoff?"
I've been taught before that the word "takeoff" should only be used when reading back a clearance, and that when requesting a clearance pilots should advise "ready" or "ready for departure."
Here's the really critical point to the question. I've…
ryan1618
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27
votes
3 answers
Why are piston engines for aircraft rarely diesel powered?
Why hasn't diesel caught on much for aircraft engines? The list of diesel aircraft engines on Wikipedia is very short.
The reason I see mentioned is their poorer power-to-weight ratios. (e.g. What are the advantages/disadvantages of diesel/Jet A-1…
curious_cat
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27
votes
5 answers
What are the ways to burn fuel faster in case of emergency without fuel dumping system?
In many cases, the maximum landing weight of an aircraft is lower than the takeoff weight due to the amount of fuel it carries.
While some aircraft have fuel dumping systems, others like the A320 family and Boeing 737 do not, and so have to cycle…
sweber
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27
votes
7 answers
On crosswind landings, is it preferable to side slip or crab on final approach?
I've seen several instructional videos on crosswind landing techniques. Some advise the pilot to crab the aircraft until just before touchdown when he/she should kick the rudder over to align the aircraft with the runway centerline. Others advise…
PJNoes
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27
votes
4 answers
Why do turbofan blade tips exceed the speed of sound while prop tips should not?
It seems that the tips of the fan of a turbofan engine can and do break the sound barrier:
The GE-90 has a fan diameter of 3124 mm and a rotational speed of 3475 RPM. Their circumferential velocity is d·π·57.917 = 568 m/s or Mach 1.67 at sea level…
FreeMan
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27
votes
1 answer
What exactly is an FBO and what services are provided?
To most non-U.S. pilots who have little or no experience flying in the U.S., the concept of a FBO is not very well understood.
What exactly is a FBO and what are the services that it can provide? I've heard that they can refuel your plane, move it…
Philippe Leybaert
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27
votes
5 answers
How are evacuation tests made as realistic as possible?
I've seen the video of the A380 evacuation test and similar ones.
While the fast evacuation is impressive, a criticism often heard (and read in the comments on YouTube) is that these people were prepared and (roughly) knew what was about to happen.…
SQB
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27
votes
1 answer
I have a European EASA license - what do I need to do to be allowed to fly in the US?
I own a PPL(A) license following JAR-FCL. Recently, this license has been exchanged for a European EASA license.
My training was on a motor glider (TMG), I do not have ratings for SEP, but TMG and Ultralight only.
In Germany I will have to fly a one…
Krumelur
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