Aviation Stack Exchange
Aviation Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [military]

For questions relating to military aviation or possible effects of a country's military on other forms of aviation.

882 questions
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Do military pilots have a phrase like "aviate, navigate, communicate"?

The phrase "aviate, navigate, communicate" is commonplace among pilots, as a reminder to concentrate on flying the aircraft first, with navigation a secondary focus, and fitting in communication when it won't interfere with those other…
Dan Hulme
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How can a military combat pilot indicate surrender?

If a military pilot is captured by an enemy, how can he indicate that he has run out of ammunition to engage in combat or is not in a position to retaliate? Does he use lights, radio, and/or flares?
oldmud0
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How do planes search for submarines?

I am interested in the process of using maritime patrol aircraft in an antisubmarine role. I hope there is some general answer, because I have no idea what such missions look like. How long can such a mission be and how big an area can it cover?…
user3624251
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Do US military aircraft have tail numbers beginning with "N"?

Military aircraft usually display a serial number along with other insignia on the tail or body of the aircraft, as described here. However military serial numbers are not the same as FAA tail numbers on civilian US aircraft, which begin with the…
steampowered
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If a circling airplane (AC-130) fires a bullet how does the plane's trajectory alter the shell's flight path?

Background: An AC-130 is a military aircraft that has a cannon that fires out the side of its fuselage. If an AC-130 (or similar aircraft) is traveling in straight, level flight at a constant rate of speed calculating gun lead is straightforward. …
DR01D
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How are aircraft transported to, and then placed, in an aircraft boneyard?

I was looking at the boneyard at Davis Monthan Air Force Base and was wondering: How are aircraft brought there, and then how are they placed so tightly together?
anonymous
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Is this an external cannon on an F-16?

What is the black pod starboard of the front landing gear on this F-16-I? At first I thought that it was a laser finder, but upon closer inspection it seems to resemble some type of short cannon. What might it be?
dotancohen
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How to understand US military aircraft designation on the vertical stabilizer?

There are many letters and numbers printed on the vertical stabilizer of US military aircraft. They identify the plane's design and purpose. What are those letters and the meanings?
eduardoguilherme
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Do military pilots use amphetamines or other stimulants?

Related to this question: Do military pilots have flight & rest hours regulation? According to the wikipedia article, amphetamines were commonly given to Allied pilots. Are they still in use today?
dwjohnston
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Can it be determined from beyond visual range whether an unknown aircraft is armed or not?

In a typical situation, where an unknown aircraft appears on radar, and doesn't respond to any radio message, sooner or later fighter aircraft are scrambled to take a closer look. However, can it be reliably determined whether the unknown aircraft…
vsz
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Which "warnings" are issued when a military aircraft is going to enter foreign airspace?

There are reports in the media saying Turkey shot down a Russian military aircraft after ignoring several warnings and after they entered Turkish airspace. Which "warnings" are these? Are they standardized somehow?
orique
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Does the USA government operate any business-jets with mid-air refueling capability?

Today I saw a business jet, 10 or 12 passenger or so fly over, evidently on approach to Whitehouse Naval Outlying Field (NOLF) (KNEN), said jet had some sort of probe on the nose and was painted white. I was not able to discern any markings. Does…
Timothy Allen
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What is this Perspex bubble?

Found this during a garden clearance. Have included a photo of serial number. Could you identify where this came from? dimensions: width 115cm length 140cm.
mike
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Is there a name for aircraft weapon load photos?

I remember as a kid I had a couple of books full of spec sheets and big glossy photos of military planes with every standard piece of weaponry laid out in front of them, something like this (c/o Tech Sgt. Robert Horstman/US Air Force via Business…
llama
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How common is it for military jets to use civilian airports?

Today my wife witnessed 3 fighter jets taking off from Teterboro Airport in NJ. She even took a video. How common is it for military jets to use civilian airports?
PaulP
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