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1500 questions
26
votes
6 answers
Can a private jet take off without notifying anybody and land on private land in another country?
If you have a friend in the USA who owns a lot of land that is suitable for landing a plane, and you own a private jet with 2 pilots in Norway, can you take off in private property without notifying anybody on what you have on the plane and where…
LineGolem
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26
votes
5 answers
Why are no recent small aircraft designed to be "characteristically incapable of spinning" as the Ercoupe was?
I'm a student pilot at a flight school that primarily flies RV-12s as a trainer. We had one day that through a booking error meant that all the RV-12s were booked so we had to use their Ercoupe 415-C instead.
I was surprised at how easy the plane…
Burke9077
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26
votes
7 answers
At what point does an aircraft become an airliner?
For me, the term 'airliner' conjures up an image of a passenger jet that is capable of hosting a large number of passengers¹ but I'm finding it difficult to source a reputable definition or etymology despite the term has been sourced int the early…
user46185
26
votes
2 answers
What was this mystery flash on an airport runway?
Recently I was onboard a commercial airliner and we had just landed and were headed for the gate. I cannot remember exactly which airport but it was either Schiphol(Amsterdam Airport) or Bristol. As we were taxiing I was looking out of the window…
GeoMonkey
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26
votes
5 answers
Would connecting propeller blades with a continuous ring reduce induced drag?
Turbine engines are covered, which of course is to contain the process (just like a super/turbocharged engine is as soon as the air enters the intake). But it got me thinking, doesn't this also reduce - or even completely remove - the induced drag…
falstro
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26
votes
1 answer
Why do some AFBs have planes parked at 45 degrees to others?
I'm assuming this is just a matter of available space but it seems you could get 4 across all aligned but maybe there is another reason. The image is from McGuire AFB but I've seen this on other AFBs.
William Taft
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26
votes
4 answers
Is there any specific reason why Delta Air Lines doesn't have its own callsign?
Many airlines have their own callsigns for use over the radio. A British Airways plane is called "Speedbird", US Airways was "Cactus", etc. So why doesn't Delta Air Lines do the same? It would seem to need one a lot more than others, since "Delta"…
HiddenWindshield
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26
votes
3 answers
How many flight hours do the first retiring A380s have?
I read news here that an A380 previously owned by Singapore Airlines has been decommissioned and scrapped. Another A380 from Air France was also retired. Others are nearing retirement as well. But it is not clear for me whether the retirement is due…
AirCraft Lover
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26
votes
5 answers
What is the rationale for single engine military aircraft?
In aeronautics, redundancy is of primary concern. Having at least two engines is common for civilian aircraft. I expect the military to have at least the same level of redundancy. Moreover military aircrafts are prone to other failure modes such as…
Manu H
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26
votes
1 answer
Why is it runway "1" instead of "01" in America?
In the case of a runway with a magnetic heading of 10° in America the runway number ("1") isn't hugely distinguishable from the runway centreline IMHO, (for example see Washington Airport and San Francisco Airport).
Is there a reason why the USA…
Notts90
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26
votes
8 answers
What is the difference between turbojet and turbofan engines?
What is the difference between a turbojet engine and a turbofan engine?
I know that both of them have a fan and have turbines but how to distinguish them?
Alex Furnival Krauss
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26
votes
6 answers
Why did the RAAF procure the F/A-18 despite being purpose-built for carriers?
Why did the Royal Australian Air Force (and others) procure the F/A-18 despite being purpose-built for carriers?
Yudhi G.
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26
votes
3 answers
What is the difference between being instructed to land "as soon as possible" or "at nearest suitable airport"?
On commercial airliners, the FCOM (Flight Crew Operating Manual) sometimes gives instructions to the pilots to land sooner than planned, following various in-flight failures or emergencies. For instance, for serious emergencies (e.g. in-flight…
Lightsider
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26
votes
3 answers
Was there an incident when Airbus autopilot wasn't letting the airplane land?
I'm trying to track down a story about an incident involving an Airbus airplane my father told me about 25 years ago, when he was working at a Boeing supplier.
Reportedly, what happened was the airplane's autopilot was set to bring them in to a…
Mark
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26
votes
2 answers
Is the destination of a commercial flight important for the pilot?
As has been recently advertised (in here, here, here also), a recent British Airways flight from London City Airport destined for Düsseldorf mistakenly flew its passengers to Edinburgh instead.
I'm a layman in terms of aviation, but I (and I'm sure…
gmauch
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