fly2school

In the event of an emergency requiring a return to the departure airport, the aircraft circles nearby in order to consume fuel to get down to within the maximum structural landing weight limit, or, if the situation demands, simply lands overweight without delay. When aircraft dump fuel they release thousands of gallons of aircraft fuel, or kerosene, into the atmosphere. Usually, the fuel evaporates before it reaches the ground. However, this is only the case if the aircraft is flying high enough. Some airplanes, usually the larger ones have the capability to dump fuel to reduce the landing weight. Dumping fuel can reduce the weight quickly, dumping thousands of pounds in a few minutes. As a rule of thumb for the Boeing 747, pilots quote dump rates ranging from a ton per minute, to two tons per minute, to a thumb formula of dump time = (dump weight / 2) + 5 in minutes. In 2009, an Airbus A340-300 returning to its airport of departure shortly after takeoff dumped 53 tons of fuel in...

Is the Ambient Pressure inside an Aircraft same as that of Earth's Surface? Pressurization systems are designed to keep the interior cabin pressure between 12 and 11 psi at cruise altitude. On a typical flight, as the aircraft climbs to 36,000 feet, the interior of the plane climbs to between 6000-8000 feet.  To maintain the pressure in the cabin equal to that at low altitude, even while the airplane is at 30,000 feet, the incoming air is held within the cabin by opening and closing an outflow valve, which releases the incoming air at a rate regulated by pressure sensors. Pressure inside an Aircraft is maintained at normal ground level atmospheric pressure . Explanation : The atmospheric pressure is maximum at sea level. As we go to higher altitudes, the air becomes thinner and the atmospheric pressure decreases. The meaning of the term "ambient" is relating to the immediate surroundings, so ambient pressure is the pressure of the surrounding air that comes into c...

Do Astronauts grow taller while in Space? Astronauts in space can grow up to 3 percent taller during the time spent living in micro-gravity, NASA scientists say. That means that a 6-foot-tall person could gain as many as 2 inches while in orbit. Once the astronauts return to Earth, their height returns to normal after a few months. But without gravity, the vertebrae will naturally expand slightly, causing a person to become taller. Typically, astronauts in space can grow up to three percent of their original height, but no more. Astronauts get a bit taller in space because of the disks of the spinal column: On Earth, the disks are slightly compressed due to gravity. In space, that compression is no longer present causing the disks to expand. The result: the spine lengthens, and the astronaut is taller. In the same way, the spine elongates by up to three percent while humans travel in space. There is less gravity pushing down on the vertebrae, so they can stretch out - up to 7...

Air traffic controllers monitor radar screens to track aircraft. As aircraft fly over radar sites, the data from those radars is communicated digitally via telecommunications lines to controllers hundreds or even thousands of miles away. Air traffic controllers, who maintain the flow of aircraft in and out of airports and in flight, are key to aviation safety. This is well recognized as one of the most stressful jobs, requiring total concentration. Air traffic controllers often work in semi-dark rooms. Most controllers work for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Air traffic controllers work in control towers, approach control facilities, or en route centers. Many tower and approach/departure controllers work near large airports. Skills required for such people are, Communication skills, Concentration skills, Decision-making skills, Math skills, Organizational skills, Problem-solving skills, etc. The primary purpose of ATC worldwide is to prevent collisions, organize and...

Static electricity is the result of an imbalance between negative and positive charges in an object. Rubbing certain materials against one another can transfer negative charges, or electrons. For example, if you rub your shoe on the carpet, your body collects extra electrons from the rug. The rubbing of two objects together produces static electricity, also known as triboelectricity, by bending the tiny protrusions on the surface of materials Rubbing together of two objects, causes an imbalance of electrons by transferring electrons from one object to another. If two objects both have a negative charge, then they will repel each other. A static force refers to a constant force applied to a stationary object. A static force is too weak to move an object because it is being countered by equally strong opposite forces. The most common example of a static force is static friction on a stationary object Static electricity is a buildup of electric charges on objects. Charges build u...

Turbulence from Convection Currents and Obstructions. Convection currents cause the bumpiness experienced by pilots flying at low altitudes in warmer weather. On a low flight over varying surfaces, the pilot will encounter updrafts over pavement or barren places and downdraft over vegetation and water. A thunderstorm is more likely to delay your take-off or landing than it is to cause turbulence at cruising altitude, or cause the aircraft difficult during its climb or descent. Summer has thunderstorms and tropical storms. Autumn has late tropical storms. Winter has higher winds, blizzards and more clear air turbulence. Spring has fast-moving fronts and high winds, causing severe squall lines. Once a plane is in the air, the flight crew has a weather radar display in the cockpit to provide the latest info on conditions ahead. Thunderstorms are going to generate turbulence,no doubt about that. Very rarely, turbulence can cause a change of a few hundred feet, but most times it is le...

What is Black Box? Black boxes are normally referred to by aviation experts as electronic flight data recorders. Their role is to keep detailed track of on-flight information, recording all flight data such as altitude, position and speed as well as all pilot conversations. Essentially, a black box flight recorder is heavily protected recording device, similar to a hard disk or a memory card. The black box records all relevant flight data, in addition to conversations in the cockpit. Previously, this data had to be recorded on two different devices. To protect the stack of memory boards that store information, black boxes are wrapped in a thin layer of aluminum and a 1-inch layer of high-temperature insulation, and then encased in a corrosion-resistant stainless steel or titanium shell. The black box is actually a cylinder mounted on two large pieces of metal and looks more like an air compressor than a tape recorder. The term “box” refers to when the recordings were made on me...

Since that fateful day in December of 1903, airplane design has changed dramatically. The Wright Brothers built a biplane with two propellers that were chain-driven by a gasoline motor. Our dependence on air travel over the years has forced airplane design to catch up with the times. On December 17, 1903, Wilbur and Orville Wright made four brief flights at Kitty Hawk with their first powered aircraft. The Wright brothers had invented the first successful airplane. The Wrights used this stopwatch to time the Kitty Hawk flights. Aircrafts have evolved so much from the initial days. From 2 seater to the latest air bus type, they have come a long way.  The history of aviation extends for more than two thousand years, from the earliest forms of aviation such as kites and attempts at tower jumping to supersonic and hyper-sonic flight by powered, heavier-than-air jets. Kite flying in China dates back to several hundred years BC and slowly spread around the world. Sir George Cayley...