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1500 questions
33
votes
3 answers
Why do we call moving an aircraft on the ground "taxi"?
We all know what "taxi" means to general public -- a car which carries you from A to B in exchange for your paying a fare.
"Taxi" also means to drive an aircraft on the ground. Why do we call it that? What's the reason & history behind the term?
kevin
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33
votes
4 answers
Why were flying boats phased out?
Before WWII, flying boats were a popular form of transport, and the advantages are many: No need to build runways, capability of emergency landing on water, availability of large landing sites and no tire wear and tear. Why have they been…
yippy_yay
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33
votes
5 answers
What is ETOPS and how does it work?
According to this press release by Boeing earlier this year, the 747-8 has received its ETOPS 330 rating. This is required by all 4-engined planes made after February 2015 to fly beyond 180 minutes from an en-route alternate airport.
Does this apply…
collector
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33
votes
2 answers
What is the smiley face sensor at the stern of the F-4 Phantom?
The F-4 Phantom has an interesting collection of sensors at the extreme rear of the empennage. What are these sensors for? My daughter calls them them smiley sensors but I suspect that is not the proper technical term. Her guesses as to their real…
Happy Phantom
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33
votes
4 answers
Why does an airplane captain sit in the left seat?
For almost every airline, the captain sits in the left seat, and the first officer on the right.
We know that in most countries right-side traffic and some have left-side.
During training, the student sits in the left seat, and the trainer on the…
Farhan
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33
votes
4 answers
How does the mounting location of a jet engine affect aircraft performance?
Different jet airplanes mount the engines in different ways.
For example:
Under the wing
To the fuselage
How does the engine location affect aircraft performance? Is one better than the other?
Lnafziger
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33
votes
3 answers
What can airline pilots do if they are no longer in the position to fly, career-wise?
I was having a discussion with a friend about the incident in the past days (4U 9525) and more specifically the what could be described as 'Taboo' of Psychological problems among pilots. We came across a few points:
They will only reluctantly admit…
Thunderstrike
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33
votes
6 answers
Why aren't there more passenger helicopters?
I've observed helicopters being used often
in the military
for medical flights
for other special use purposes, such as sightseeing and news reporting
Why aren't there any commercial passenger transport helicopter flights? Or are there any examples…
digitgopher
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33
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3 answers
Why did the B-29 have so much leftward torque at take-off?
In this book, The Making of the Atomic Bomb by Richard Rhodes (p. 705), I read:
[Paul Tibbets] eased the brakes [of Enola Gay] at 0245, the four fuel-injected Wright Cyclone engines pounding. “The B-29 has lots of torque in take-off,” he notes. “It…
DaG
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33
votes
6 answers
How can pilots fly inside a cloud?
I heard that sometime an aircraft fly inside a cloud, and I'm wondering how that works - how clearly can the pilot see while inside the cloud?
What if a cloud is "too large"? (Is there a maximum size of cloud a pilot can fly through?)
Hemang
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33
votes
3 answers
Could the CVR and FDR record to the cloud?
Another enthusiast question. I watch a lot of the National Geographic Channel's "Air Crash Investigation", for better or worse, and it seems accident investigators make tremendous use of the Cockpit Voice Recorder "CVR" and Flight Data Recorder…
cfx
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33
votes
2 answers
How is a seaplane steered on water?
Steering a seaplane on water appears to be a little more 'interesting' than steering a land aircraft, at least according to the FAA Practical Test Standards for single-engine seaplanes (ASES), which requires the pilot to:
[use] flight controls,…
Pondlife
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32
votes
6 answers
How does security and baggage checking work in regards to a private jet?
I was told recently that if you are flying on your own private jet, you can drive your car directly on to the runway, park next to your plane and board without any security checks.
This can't be true can it?
I don't own my own private jet so I'm…
Daft
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32
votes
3 answers
Why do some aircraft have multiple ailerons per wing?
In a recent flight on an Airbus A380 I noticed that its ailerons are split into three segments which move independently.
What advantages does this design have? Do other aircraft have split ailerons (or other control surfaces)?
maimou
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32
votes
4 answers
Do Flight Simulation Instructors stop the simulator before a simulated crash?
There has been debate in healthcare simulation communities around whether or not to allow a simulated patient to die during training because it might negatively impact the intended training outcomes.
Do flight simulation instructors similarly stop…
BtureP
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