Aviation Stack Exchange Community Digest

Top new questions this week:

Why isn't the rudder below the tail?

Most airplanes have a rudder on top of the tail. When it is turned to the left, it causes the plane to yaw to the left. But it also puts a roll force to the right, because it is usually above the ...

aircraft-design aircraft-physics control-surfaces rudder vertical-stabilizer  
user avatar asked by Lycodo Score of 13
user avatar answered by Robert DiGiovanni Score of 2

Being sent away from an airfield - could I have asked more questions?

On the weekend I visited an airfield (it IS inside an ATZ) that has a PPR section on their site. I've previously called ahead on the radio for PPR. Anyway I called them on frequency 10 miles out and ...

landing airport-operations ppr  
user avatar asked by Cloud Score of 11
user avatar answered by Jamiec Score of 18

Can doppler radar be used to detect stealth aircraft by focusing on the characteristic flow field instead of the aircraft itself?

Any aircraft traversing through the air would impart velocity, pressure, and temperature gradients to the surrounding air, then there are some phenomenon which are unique to all winged bodies such as ...

fighter radar stealth f-35 f-22  
user avatar asked by Tony Stark Score of 9
user avatar answered by Therac - Peace for Palestine Score of 13

What is the difference between QNH and QFF?

I am wondering what is the difference between QFF and QNH?

meteorology  
user avatar asked by AIRWAYLOVER Score of 5
user avatar answered by DeltaLima Score of 10

Did SR-71s have a switch for seat height adjustment for the pilot or were there strict height requirements in order to fly it?

I've realized that nowadays there are switches present on most modern aircraft which electrically adjust the height of the seating position, and I was wondering if that mechanism was present on the SR-...

flight-mechanics us-air-force sr-71 ejection-seat reconnaissance-aircraft  
user avatar asked by M66 Score of 5
user avatar answered by Dave Score of 7

What determines the name of the runway if it is not active (for atc instructions)

I was not succesful with finding an answer to this anywhere on the web. Let’s assume we have multiple runways in the airport and ATC controller gives us instructions to cross certain runway that is ...

air-traffic-control runways taxiing  
user avatar asked by pedrouan Score of 4
user avatar answered by randomhead Score of 4

If I own land, can I create a private helicopter landing spot for my personal use?

If I own land(in the U.S.), can I create a private helicopter landing spot for my personal use? Would I have to register with the FAA or some other government agency?

faa-regulations helipad  
user avatar asked by Daniel Serrano Score of 4
user avatar answered by Adam Score of 2

Greatest hits from previous weeks:

How does an alpha (AoA) vane work?

The alpha vane (also called AoA vane) is an external probe used to measure the angle of attack. I have been trying to understand how exactly it works, but I can't find any clear explanation or ...

aircraft-systems avionics flight-instruments angle-of-attack sensors  
user avatar asked by asheeshr Score of 37
user avatar answered by Federico Score of 27

What is Cost Index?

I'm not sure if it's just in Boeing aircraft, but I've heard that Cost Index has something to do with flight planning but have no idea what it is. What is it for and how is it calculated? (I'm happy ...

flight-planning  
user avatar asked by Greg Score of 29
user avatar answered by DeltaLima Score of 35

Why wouldn't a plane start its take-off run from the very beginning of the runway to keep the option to utilize the full runway if necessary?

I was just watching BSL/LFSB on Flightradar24 and noticed that flight W67772 didn't start its take-off run from the end of the runway. Wouldn't it make sense to start every take-off from the end to ...

safety takeoff runways flightradar24 takeoff-minimums  
user avatar asked by Canned Meat Lover Score of 15
user avatar answered by tedioustortoise Score of 13

Does a plane have brakes to stop or slow down while flying?

Does a plane have brakes to stop or slow down while flying? For example, if the pilots see a large flock of birds at some distance in front of the airplane, and they want to reduce speed suddenly. ...

flight-controls airspeed braking  
user avatar asked by Hemang Score of 13
user avatar answered by RoboKaren Score of 41

What is the dark spot visible below the cockpit on A-10s?

On most A-10s I have seen, the area under the cockpit is darker than the rest of the plane. Is there a reason for this?

military feature-identification us-air-force fairchild-a-10  
user avatar asked by flyingfisch Score of 247
user avatar answered by egid Score of 324

What material is used to make the hot sections of jet engines?

What metal alloy is used for the hot section of a jet engine? Specifically the exhaust nozzle? I have found mention of a titanium alloy and nickel alloy but nothing with that much detail. What sort of ...

jet-engine aerospace-materials  
user avatar asked by crazy_tiger_corp Score of 31
user avatar answered by mins Score of 47

What is a "Flight Director"?

What is a Flight Director, and how does it differ from Autopilot?

autopilot aircraft-systems flight-director  
user avatar asked by Gabriel Brito Score of 40
user avatar answered by fooot Score of 35

Can you answer these questions?

Can I get a UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) issued Class 1 medical with monocular vision?

I was born with no central vision in my right eye, and I would like to know if this would hinder my ability to become a commercial pilot.

airline-pilot  
user avatar asked by Bill Score of 1

Canadian PPL as an American?

I am an American hobbyist pilot who had been flying for years as a LSA pilot. Recently, I started training for my PPL and applied for medical. Sadly, it is likely my Class 3 will be rejected to past ...

medical canada  
user avatar asked by Marcus Aurelius Score of 1

Can you identify this plane? Picture from ca1942, maybe Taylorcraft

This was my grandfather's plane, picture taken, I believe, in 1942. My grandparents are long gone and I have no one to confirm the ID of this plane, but from internet searches, it looks like a ...

airplane  
user avatar asked by 4795mark Score of 1
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