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1500 questions
43
votes
6 answers
Can a helicopter stand on the ground upside down on its rotor head?
From what I understand the rotor head needs to be strong enough to hold the craft weight hanging below it, and sounds pretty strong. The blades however look quite fragile (for a piece of metal).
In short, can a helicopter do something like this?
I…
PTwr
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43
votes
6 answers
Why is the range of transponder digits 0 to 7 rather than 0 to 9?
As a controller on IVAO I sometimes assign codes like 0168 and find out later that the code isn’t valid. For me, the range 0-9 seems more logical. Why do we have to use octal numbers and not decimal?
Hugo Woesthuis
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43
votes
6 answers
What is some of this extra "stuff" on jet engines?
At the risk of sounding too broad, I want to better understand the complications of jet engines. This time, I'm asking about extra "stuff", which unfortunately I have no better name for since I don't know what it is.
I'm familiar with the basic…
DrZ214
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43
votes
1 answer
How can an altimetry system error during cruise (500 ft at 35000 ft high) cause an insufficient fuel situation?
So my boss gave me a question today as my daily quiz: Let's say an A321 is cruising on a 6-hour flight. It reaches FL350 30 minutes after take-off. After another 8 minutes there's a discrepancy between 2 altimeters. PFD 1 reads 35000 ft while PFD 2…
Light Le
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43
votes
2 answers
Are pilots allowed to let passengers fly the plane?
Is a private pilot license holder in the USA who is giving a scenic tour with friends allowed to let them fly the plane? Are there any restrictions on when this can be done?
In my mind, this could be done safely while at altitude and the pilot could…
Peter
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43
votes
4 answers
Why is laser illumation of a cockpit an emergency?
Another answer pointed out that laser illumination of a cockpit may be considered an emergency, and that pilots may take evasive action when under laser illumination.
Why is laser illumination considered an emergency?
Have any documented instances…
Adam Davis
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43
votes
7 answers
Can you become a pilot with an Asperger syndrome diagnosis in Europe?
I have the diagnosis results for Asperger syndrome (scored 177 out of 76 required to get the diagnosis). Are there any regulations in Europe that can stop me from achieving my life goal: To fly commercial jets?
My autism makes me very strongly…
Alexander Johansen
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43
votes
1 answer
Do flight recorders float in water?
In a recent BBC article regarding the disappearance of Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 (MH-370), the writer refers to a US Naval officer's statement:
Commander William Marks from the US Seventh Fleet, which is taking part in the search, says he…
heypete
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43
votes
1 answer
What is this delta-winged aircraft?
I spotted this recently. The distance and poor camera makes it really hard to determine what it is. Any help appreciated. Thanks.
Sean
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43
votes
9 answers
How important is it to have talent to become airline pilot?
The situation that led me to ask the question is as follows:
I am a student pilot with only about 10 hours of flight time. I passed the aptitude and personality tests prepared by German Aerospace Center (German: Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und…
taco burrito
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43
votes
2 answers
Why does afterburner exhaust have "pulses"?
Instead of being consistently-dense, the afterburner exhaust looks "pulsed" in these pictures below. Is this a trick of the camera, a natural result of interaction with the air, or is there some design science in the propulsion system that causes…
Erich
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42
votes
3 answers
Why do lavatories in modern planes still have ash trays?
Last week I flew on a modern B737-700. I noticed that the lavatory was equipped with ashtrays (both on the inside as on the outside) even with the smoking sign on it. Smoking on airplanes has been banned from quite some time now, so why are…
Andra
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42
votes
10 answers
What stops planes from being stolen?
Related question: do planes have keys?
Let's say I happen to spot a fine-looking plane at my local airport and decide the owner probably wouldn't mind if I borrowed her for a little while - what stops me from stealing this plane? On commercial jets,…
raptortech97
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42
votes
5 answers
Why did my flight climb so sharply on takeoff?
I was on a Ryanair flight this morning that seemed to perform an incredibly aggressive takeoff from London Stansted on a 737-8. Takeoff was fairly fast, but the climb was the steepest I ever encountered.
For context, we were taking off from runway…
Jon Bates
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42
votes
6 answers
Do airplanes need brakes in the air?
A few days ago I flew on a Boeing 737-900ER. Luckily I was sitting just beside the left wing, seat 26B. I observed that the spoilers were activated (opened) just after the pilot spoke on the Passenger Address System announcing that the airplane…
AirCraft Lover
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