Most Popular
1500 questions
34
votes
6 answers
How can an airliner make up for time lost?
If a plane has been delayed at the origin how does it make up for the lost time? Does the pilot need any special permission from ATC to increase the speed so that it can cover the lost time or has the pilot the power to make such kind of decisions?
LearningPhase
- 442
- 1
- 4
- 7
34
votes
2 answers
Southwest corner of LAX has peculiar airplane parts, what is this area?
In the Southwest corner of LAX (at the intersection of Imperial Highway and Pershing Dr.) there is a strange looking area that appears to have some abandoned airplane parts. Also, it looks like a road-striper had a good time one day doing donuts…
Trevor
- 525
- 4
- 6
34
votes
6 answers
What is the biggest airplane that does not need a paved runway?
Since we don't need a control tower for instrument landings I was wondering what else that is thought to be needed could be skipped. I know some small general aviation is done on grass runways and I was wondering what is the biggest airplane that…
hildred
- 1,281
- 3
- 14
- 23
34
votes
1 answer
What would have happened if the jet engine on my aircraft had ingested caulk from the pavement?
I was recently on a flight - the aircraft was a 737-800 - where I had a good view of the front of the left engine. The situation in the title did not occur, but it seemed awfully close.
After pushback, while the plane was waiting to start taxiing…
Flambino
- 747
- 6
- 13
34
votes
2 answers
What is this on top of the Air Force One?
Clarification: It wasn't Air Force One that visited Switzerland, it was the 747-200 E4 carrying Ashton Carter. Source
What is this thing on top of the plane (In red circle):
On other "Air Force One" Google image searches, I can't find this thing. I…
jklingler
- 3,817
- 5
- 25
- 43
34
votes
5 answers
What are the advantages of a forward-swept wing over a rearward-swept wing?
What are the advantages of a forward-swept wing vs. a rearward swept one?
Image credit: NASA
Image credit: Paul Maritz / Wikimedia
flyingfisch
- 14,539
- 22
- 78
- 144
34
votes
5 answers
Why is the quality of radio communication bad?
Why don't modern planes and ATC centers have good-quality audio for communication? For example in this video:
Or basically any other example of pilot communication(some are worse, some are better).
This is not terribly bad of course, but this…
ScienceSamovar
- 459
- 1
- 5
- 8
34
votes
7 answers
Do any aircraft carry spare parts for making repairs?
I was curious to know, are there (or were there) any aircraft that regularly carry spare parts to be used for replacement or repairing the aircraft itself? If so, what are those spare parts?
I'm not talking about built-in redundant systems like a…
Lucky
- 1,922
- 2
- 23
- 35
34
votes
7 answers
Why are planes using rivets & not welded construction?
I was motivated to ask by this question: Why are airplanes riveted and not screwed?
Why not welded construction? Is welding these alloys too difficult? I come from a refining background & in a lot of hazardous duties welded construction has become…
curious_cat
- 8,436
- 7
- 45
- 94
34
votes
4 answers
Why is the Cumulonimbus cloud formation so dangerous?
I once heard my pilot friend say that it's really dangerous to fly near any Cumulonimbus cloud formations... Something about that it could drag the plane into it.
Cumulonimbus :
Why is it so dangerous?
How is it created?
Gabriel Brito
- 7,054
- 17
- 54
- 79
34
votes
5 answers
Would it be viable to install a screen in front of jet intakes to prevent them from sucking in birds?
Why isn't there a protective screen with large diameter holes (approx 2') mounted in front of the jet engine intake to protect the turbine blades? This would keep larger birds and large ground debris from getting sucked in, which can cause serious…
garyv440
- 2,177
- 6
- 21
- 31
34
votes
2 answers
What does "OBJECTIONABLE" indicate on a VFR chart?
On the Tulsa, Oklahoma VFR sectional the top of the outer Class C ring says "OBJECTIONABLE". Does this indicate some information on the chart is in dispute? I don't see anything in the VFR chart legend or side panels about the meaning.
Geoffrey Gallaway
- 1,617
- 1
- 14
- 20
34
votes
1 answer
Why is there a strip of uncontrolled airspace between Russia and Norway?
The airspace between Russia and Norway over the Barents Sea is an uncontrolled air space; no FIR is set.
Illustration taken from this document.
This area is like a corridor from the Scandinavian peninsula to the North Pole. It only requires several…
fujiyama
- 395
- 3
- 6
34
votes
6 answers
Why do we never see high-bypass turbofan engines sharing the same nacelle on large airliners and similar aircraft?
I'm talking about this sort of thing (this is the fictional airplane from Casino Royale), rather than two (or more) engines per wing in individual nacelles:
If we ignore the weird 'drop tanks' on the outer pylons, what makes this design inferior to…
mdunsmuir
- 451
- 1
- 4
- 5
34
votes
1 answer
How does jet fuel not spill out upon disconnecting from the wing's intake?
I was watching a refuel yesterday and I was wondering: what type of mechanism is in place, so that when the fuel hose is disconnected, no fuel spills out? (wondering since the hose is pointing upwards connecting under the wing). Some type of vacuum?…
jlo
- 443
- 2
- 6