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1500 questions
25
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4 answers
Can civilians buy military aircraft?
Say one wanted to buy a retired F-14, or F-5, or a BAE Hawk. Could I do it?
Obviously this would mean stripping out radars, weapons, rwr, and any other sensitive equipment, but after this, would it be possible?
Is there some kind of procedure for…
Bassinator
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25
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1 answer
What do the 3-character aircraft type codes mean?
On some aircraft lists, including Eurocontrol's Aircraft Performance Database, aircraft have a 3 character code as their type. For example, an Airbus A320neo has a type of "L2J", a Boeing 747-400 has a type of "L4J" and a Cessna 152 has a type of…
Rowan Richards
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25
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5 answers
Does it make sense towing airplanes to the head of airstrip by external (eg electric) means?
Does it make sense towing airplanes to the head of airstrip by electric means, whether internal or external?
Taxiing from the gate to the runway on jet power seems like a waste of fuel. Is it possible and it would make sense to tow the airplane to…
Urquiola
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25
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2 answers
What happens to jettisoned fuel tanks?
When an F-15 (or your favorite fighter aircraft) punches it's external tanks...
...to engage in combat, (or when they are empty), what happens to them?
Through my best reasoning skills and Newton's calculations, I have determined that they will…
Bassinator
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25
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1 answer
Are airline pilots worn out at an age of 55?
Lufthansa's pilot union is calling for a strike to defend pilot's right to retire at the age of 55. They argue that the stressful job of flying is too much for older people. This provokes two questions:
What fraction of pilots takes advantage of…
Peter Kämpf
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25
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1 answer
What should I do if the FAA requests health records that no longer exist?
I am working on obtaining my FAA Medical Certificate and I was deferred. I received a request for more information and one of the items that was requested were medical records related to a surgery I had as a young child over 30 years ago and the…
AJ Henderson
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2 answers
Why does the lack of a magneto affect engine RPM?
So I don't have my pilots licence, but I was part of the Australian Air Force Cadets for nearly 8 years (wonderful organisation). During this time I went on a number of flights in Cessna 172's and Cessna 152's. I always noticed that as part of the…
JamesENL
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4 answers
Can I fly "into" the Grand Canyon?
I haven't looked at the Grand Canyon on a sectional yet, but I know that it is definitely big enough (by far) so that someone could fly a plane under the level of the rim and stil meet all of clearance requirements for VFR flight.
Is it legal, and…
Keegan
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9 answers
Why should you not turn in the direction of an inoperative engine?
In two-engine aircraft with wing-mounted engines when one engine quits the aircraft will have a natural tendency to turn to the dead engine. So if you need to turn, it seems logical it should be easier to turn that way.
However in the discussion…
Jan Hudec
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25
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6 answers
What's this black rectangle painted on the side of a V-1 flying bomb?
A friend sent me a photo of the V-1 flying bomb on display at the Air Zoo in Kalamazoo. What's the black painted rectangle on the side of the fuselage?
The writing isn't much help... Nicht auftreten is the German equivalent of "No step," but I…
TypeIA
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25
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2 answers
What does it take to turn a 747 around 180 degrees?
Assume that a 747 is flying at cruising altitude and speed. If the pilot decided (for a presumably good reason), to turn the plane 180 degrees,
How quickly could the turn be completed?
How wide would the turn radius be?
How much altitude would be…
awesomebob
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25
votes
2 answers
How can this kind of confusion about taxi instructions occur?
A few days ago, I (a student pilot on a solo) had landed on runway 9 for a full stop taxi back. The taxi instructions were "alpha to 27 remain on this frequency". I missed some words in between these instructions, but after responding "alpha to 27"…
Hrothgar
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25
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3 answers
Why would ASOS have a caution for Low Density Altitude?
I did my initial training in a high altitude area, where it got pretty hot in the summer, so I'm not at all surprised when I hear an ASOS announce:
Caution: Density Altitude (a few thousand above field elev.)
But recently, I was flying in SE.…
abelenky
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25
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1 answer
Why does the F-16 canopy have a K-shaped 'latch'?
Why is the F-16 canopy latch (the yellow painted part) shaped like a K? It's a very funky shape, and I'm wondering if that functions as more than just a latch.
Davidw
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2 answers
What is this squawk 7777 target at an altitude of 62,700' over Germany?
Can anyone shed any light as to what this is (circled in white)?
user34016
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