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1500 questions
25
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3 answers
Why are planes slower at higher altitudes?
On many flight simulators, I have noticed that planes tends to get slower with increasing altitude. For example, I can reach 1100 knots just above the sea level in Google Earth flight simulator(F16), but only about 400 knots at 11km with the same…
zbz.lvlv
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What do these numbers above the terminal jetway mean for pilots?
The sign above the terminal has numbers, I assume, to help the pilot park. What do they all mean?
postalservice14
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25
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What sort of debris has been found in 737 Max fuel tanks?
There have been numerous reports of Boeing finding "foreign object debris" in the fuel tanks of its 737 Max airliners.
It's not clear what this debris is. It could range from a couple of missing screwdrivers and a blowtorch, to perhaps microscopic…
Party Ark
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25
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6 answers
Why do helicopters have skids?
Why can't they just land on the helicopter's floor? If it's for stability, they could still use skids which are shorter than what is commonly used.
ronenfe
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25
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5 answers
Why is "runway behind you" useless?
I was recently answering this question and for some reason it made me think of this fairly famous aviation saying
The three most useless things to a pilot are the altitude above you, runway behind you and fuel on the ground
Now, I get altitude…
Jamiec
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25
votes
5 answers
Why does airflow separate from the wing during stall?
What causes the airflow separation from the airplane wing, that triggers a stall?
To be more precise, what is the detailed explanation of the physics for why flow separation occurs at certain speeds & angles of attack?
user41812
25
votes
5 answers
Is this one of the engines from the 9/11 aircraft?
I ran across an interesting set of post-9/11 photos and I noticed this picture in particular:
The closest item on the truck looks a bit like an airplane engine, but I can't tell for sure. Is it one of the engines from the 9/11 aircraft?
David says Reinstate Monica
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25
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Did airlines fly their aircraft slower in response to oil prices in the 1970s?
Modern airliners generally have lower cruise speeds than those of comparable aircraft from 40 years ago (the venerable Boeing 737 seems to be something of an exception; it has always had a more leisurely cruise speed).
Airlines had to respond much…
Daniele Procida
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25
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2 answers
How do airports determine when they should change their runway numbers?
Runway numbers in most of the world are based on the runway's orientation relative to magnetic north. For example a runway with a magnetic heading of 135° to 144° will be numbered 14, and one with a magnetic heading of 145° to 154° will be numbered…
voretaq7
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25
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Why was the Spitfire's elliptical wing almost uncopied by other aircraft of World War 2?
The Spitfire was one of the most successful designs of its day, with flying qualities of a similar standard to the other best designs of the era. In its decade of production from 1936 it grew bigger, stronger and faster.
Yet there seems to be almost…
Party Ark
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25
votes
2 answers
What to do if the captain smells like alcohol?
Suppose you're the co-pilot on a flight and during pre-flight, talking to the captain, you smell alcohol.
Although you didn't see him drinking and the smell isn't strong, what does regulation stipulate you should do?
Danny Beckett
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25
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2 answers
Is flight data recorder erased after every flight?
Flight data recorders store massive amounts of data per flight and despite improvements year on year with data storage as with Moore's law, carrying larger and larger amounts of data can become expensive, through larger hard drives and the extra…
securitydude5
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25
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Is it OK to decorate a log book cover?
I'm a student pilot and am thinking about putting a tasteful decal on my log book, if for no other reason than to identify it as my own. Is that OK, or would that be frowned upon? Thanks.
RyanJ
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25
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2 answers
If the Captain's screens are out, does he switch seats with the co-pilot?
If captain's screens are out, and let's say that the airplane is about to land and the captain is supposed to land it, will he/she switch the seats with the co-pilot? or does he/she depend on the small little analog gauges on his side?
Nean Der Thal
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Why would a C150 tachometer bounce so much that the needle fell off?
On a long flight in a C150E, the tachometer started bouncing a little bit and the severity of the bouncing gradually increased until it was extreme: The tachometer was spinning in loops and making a loud screeching sound.
The counter continues to…
Zaz
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