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1500 questions
26
votes
1 answer
When was the need for a truer Earth shape for aeronautical navigation realized?
Motivated by Federico's answer to Can a great circle be drawn between any two points on Earth?
Earth is not a perfect sphere, and it can be argued that the degree of oblateness is negligible. So is the ICAO/aviation adoption of WGS-84 really…
user14897
26
votes
4 answers
Why do Air Force planes regularly fly in circles?
During the ongoing War in Ukraine, one can regularly spot planes from Royal and US Air Force flying over the Eastern parts of Poland, see screenshot. They often fly in circles and return after several hours to their base. As a newbie in aviation,…
E. Sommer
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26
votes
2 answers
Are helicopters easier to fly nowadays due to computers?
4 decades ago, someone who seemed to know about helicopters said that hovering in one was like balancing on a ball (like bears do in a circus). But it seems like by using computers hovering and other helicopter control could be more or less…
releseabe
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26
votes
6 answers
Do airplanes really expose their internal wires and electronics like this on the wings when braking?
While watching a video today about airplanes and how they have little thingies on their wings to make them come to a stop much quicker than otherwise, I noticed something very odd:
Are those cables and electronics? Just exposed right into the air…
C. Oesterle
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26
votes
5 answers
How hard is it to fly with night vision goggles?
I was talking to a Sheriff's Department helicopter pilot and he was saying they fly around at night with night vision goggles. I know the military does too.
What are some of the considerations that pilots flying with night vision goggles have to…
Canuk
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26
votes
5 answers
Why is fuel usage discussed per time, not per distance?
I don't understand why sometimes the fuel used for a flight is discussed in terms of fuel used per time.
I think I have seen it a couple of times here - not sure whether it was in some common context.
I would think that it's much more relevant how…
Volker Siegel
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26
votes
4 answers
Why are the aircraft in this image parked this way?
Why are these parked asymmetrically? And how can a plane owner get to their plane if it's on the farthest end?
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
Noorul Quamar
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26
votes
2 answers
Can a person be operating an aircraft in a "Careless" and "Reckless" manner at the same time? Or are these two different standards?
U.S. 14 CFR Part 91.13 Careless or reckless operation states:
(a) Aircraft operations for the purpose of air navigation. No person may operate an aircraft in a careless OR reckless manner so as to endanger the life or property of another.(emphasis…
user22445
26
votes
3 answers
Is wingtip design mature?
There are many wingtip design, all made to reduce vortex related drag, and neither boeing nor airbus seems to prefer one over another. They move from one design to another at each new aircraft, always claiming the new choice is more efficient than…
Manu H
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26
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4 answers
Can lift occur if air is flowing over an object, but not under it?
Can lift occur if air is flowing over a fixed-shape object, but no air is flowing under any part of the object? Maybe the object is the top half of a wing that's glued to the ground, or the object is dome-shaped, or some other shape. Maybe the…
FlanMan
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26
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3 answers
What is this part which is mounted on the wing of Embraer ERJ-145?
Take a look at the yellow parts which are mounted on the wing of an Embraer ERJ-145. What is it?
Two closer images:
From bottom:
Roh
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26
votes
2 answers
Has any airliner ever collided with a glider?
I've read about many near-collisions between gliders and airliners, but did such a collision ever happen in mid-air, actually?
Haukinger
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26
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5 answers
Piloting as a perishable skill - what skills go first and how to self-assess and mitigate skill loss?
I know that in accident reports they will typically say the total number of hours the pilot had, but also the total hours in type and total hours in the last 90 days. I know from personal experience that landing an airplane can be a perishable…
Canuk
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26
votes
1 answer
Are there any drawbacks to requesting progressive taxi every time?
Unless you know the airport like your own backyard, it seems like requesting progressive taxi would always be the safest option to essentially eliminate the possibility of taking a wrong turn or busting a hold short. Aside from the risk of slightly…
Aaron Holmes
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26
votes
3 answers
Why does a T-tail produce a pitch-down moment in sideslip?
Here is something which I did not find in any book, but confirmed in several wind tunnel and flight tests: A T-tail causes a strong nose-down moment in sideslip. This can even be observed in a potential flow analysis, so no fancy viscous effects…
Peter Kämpf
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