Questions tagged [cockpit]

A cockpit or flight deck is the area, usually near the front of an aircraft, from which a pilot controls the aircraft.

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Can a bullet hit make the cockpit door open?

If there is a hijack situation and the terrorist guy shoots at the cockpit door to go inside, will that work? Are the cockpit door locks in commercial planes like 737s etc good enough to handle a ...
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Why did the design of the Boeing 247's cockpit windows change for some models? [duplicate]

Have a look at this article on a famed example of the 247. The image at the top is the aircraft during its flights with the RAF, likely some time in 1944. Note the reverse-slope windows that are a ...
Maury Markowitz's user avatar
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If commercial airliner cabin is depressurized, are pilots protected against it in any ways?

Basically, if the cabin in a large air liner is depressurized, are pilots protected in any way, specifically: Is the cockpit separately pressurized from the rest of the cabin? Can they keep ...
Alexus's user avatar
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How is the lighting panel of an Airbus A340 designed and how does it work?

I'm trying to simulate the light switch panel of an Airbus A340 with real electronics components for a model in scale (I'm doing the electronics lights with leds). Taking a look at this PDF (page 129)...
Leandro Bardelli's user avatar
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Which fonts were used in old (1930s) aircraft cockpit displays and instruments?

This is probably more of a graphic design question than aviation but maybe a few hangar rats around here know the answer. What type fonts were used on the old instruments in aircraft from the 1930s ...
Romeo_4808N's user avatar
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Can a prospective pilot be negated their certification because of too big/small hands?

Sorry if this seems a too naive question, I'm a complete newbie in this field. The question came into my mind when reading this answer from another thread (second picture). There you see a photo of ...
LorenzoDonati4Ukraine-OnStrike's user avatar
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What are the terrain-following radar modes of the B1-B?

The Rockwell B-1 Lancer is a supersonic-capable variable-sweep wing large bomber operated by the US Air Force. One of its "key features" is terrain-following radar and a fast, heavily-...
Landak's user avatar
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Should I open a door or window when there is smoke in the cockpit?

Let's say when flying, I encounter smoke and the smell of something burnt in the cockpit. Should I open the door or a window to clear the smoke? My thoughts: the smoke may be toxic; opening the door ...
kevin's user avatar
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Does the A380 have more than one auto-brake disengage switch?

I know that the A380 has low/med/high RTO auto-brakes. What I'm not sure about is if there's a switch near the thrust levers that can disengage the auto-brakes, other than the switches located on the ...
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Why are the cockpit displays swapped between the captain's and first officer's sides?

This question focuses on Airbus, like the A320, but is not restricted to those aircraft as the situation seems to be the same for other aircraft. In front of the left seat, the navigation display is ...
Manu H's user avatar
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What Makes G1000 NXi Different From G1000?

The new displays are installed on the brand new Cessna aircraft and upgrade plans are ready. But what is the difference from the G1000 that was there from the early 2000s? Is the tablet/phone ...
Delta Oscar Uniform's user avatar
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Does the cockpit have an alarm to warn about fuel leakage?

Is there any indication to the crew of the aircraft about any potential leakage of fuel from any part of the plane?
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What iPad for the cockpit? [closed]

I am planning to pass my PPL and I am trying to buy everything I can before starting the flight lessons to spread the expenses. Most of the private pilots I have met told me that an iPad is almost ...
gilles_yvetot's user avatar
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What is the data size of Hilton Software's WingX Pro 7 app and all of its databases? [closed]

What is the data size of the WingX Pro 7 installation files and databases including the app itself and the VFR Sectional, IFR Low Enroute, IFR High Enroute, and the full "All Charts(IFR)" databases? ...
Devil07's user avatar
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Could the Grumman G-21 Goose be started by punching the instruments?

In the 1985 movie "Commando", John Matrix (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger) initiates engine ignition simply by punching the cockpit dials after several failed standard attempts. Could this ever ...
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Why won't you allow someone into the cockpit while on ground?

Various regulatory authorities around the world have framed strict rules prohibiting entry of passengers into cockpit. It makes some sense to not allow anyone into the cockpit (learning from 9/11), ...
anshabhi's user avatar
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What are these two sticks on chart holders?

Many different airplanes feature two small sticks on both sides of chart holders. These can be moved within a limited range. I've heard different versions about their use and haven't found any ...
Miguel Hernández's user avatar
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How are these flywheel-like devices used in the Boeing 737 Max? [duplicate]

The recent news video CNN's exclusive look inside a Boeing 737 Max simulator shows a 737 Max simulator cockpit. There are a pair of what look like large black flywheels on the console, shown spinning ...
uhoh's user avatar
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Are there any cockpit indications when an engine has separated from the aircraft?

On this answer, there is a comment that asks if there is an alerting alarm of some sort when an engine falls off an airplane. Is there a direct alarm from the engines specifically saying "You lost an ...
SMS von der Tann's user avatar
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What is the significance of Slip-Skid Indicator in PFD?

Slip Skid Indicator as depicted in the picture below; What's the significance of Slip Skid Indicator? How Slip Skid Indicator is used in flying the aircraft? What are other performance/operations ...
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Where is the F-4 Phantom II's flap lever?

I'm trying to fly this fighter for the first time in X-Plane 11 but I can't seem to find the flap lever in the cockpit. Where is it on the real plane?
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Why does the F-4's rear seat have a weather scope eyepiece?

In the front seat. The pilot has a flat screen radar scope that shows both the planes and the weather. But on the rear seat. The weather scope has an giant eyepiece. Perhaps glare protection? (...
Delta Oscar Uniform's user avatar
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What is the standard procedure in case of inconsistent sensor readings?

After reading the answers I now know there are three independent sensors. I will leave the question as-is, to not take the answers out of context: I do remember reading that airliners have two ...
collector's user avatar
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Could someone use an axe to break through a locked cockpit door? [closed]

Could someone accomplish entry with an axe, considering how tough cockpit doors are? Do planes carry axes?
Genocide's user avatar
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Why is there a cutout in the pilot seat (looking as if it had separate "legs")? [duplicate]

Why is there a gap in the seat (between the legs)? What function does it have?
summerrain's user avatar
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How to know the material of key-top?

Posted it here originally. There are keys (push buttons) on the front panel of an avionics device that fits inside the aircraft cockpit. I need to know the material of which those key-tops are made ...
scico111's user avatar
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Which instruments are assigned to Pilot Flying and Pilot Not Flying in the various flight stages?

Is there a document which highlights the responsibilities of the Pilot Flying and the Pilot Not Flying? Specifically, I want to find out what instruments are assigned to whom in all the stages of ...
OfficerChalk's user avatar
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Why are the Convair 880's yokes shaped differently from each other?

Looking at this picture of a Convair 880's flight deck... (Image originally by the San Diego Air & Space Museum at Flickr, via Wikimedia Commons) ...the captain's and first officer's control ...
Vikki's user avatar
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What are these engine gauges in the Comet 4 for?

What are these gauges on the Comet 4's engine-gauge panel (between the captain's and first officer's instruments, above the throttle levers), marked "POWER LOSS INDICATOR", for? (Sorry for the blurry ...
Vikki's user avatar
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Are pilots in a jetliner allowed to swap seats?

I just watched a video about the crash of Air India Express flight 1344 Part of the reason for the crash was apparently, that only the captain was allowed to land the ...
Dakkaron's user avatar
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What is the correct procedure for operating the engine fire extinguishers on an ATR72?

I am developing an application for airport fire crew and ground staff. Part of the application is to familiarize users with emergency procedures of various aircraft. I have a few questions about the ...
Adrian Taylor's user avatar
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What do "azimuth window" and "compass switch" refer to in this accident report?

I recently read the accident report on BEA 548, but I'm unsure of some technical terms used on p. 4 of the report (p. 14 of the linked PDF): Apart from the probability that in the particular ...
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Are steam gauges more reliable than glass panels?

I have always had a deep appreciation for technology and the future and I encourage that technology should move us forward whether that be in aviation terms or otherwise but one question has been on ...
Lee Stewart's user avatar
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Do Airbus aircraft fitted with ACT have additional fuel system controls?

Do Airbus aircraft fitted with ACT (Additional Center Tank) have a push button that controls the fuel transfer to the main center tank? If yes, where is it located?
Victor Chernobay's user avatar
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What is the exact blue-green color that used to be popular in cockpits of Russian fighters

Does anybody know the exact name of the color that was used to paint all Cold War era Soviet fighter cockpits? It’s a blue green color but I’d like to get the exact color as I’m currently building a ...
Romeo_4808N's user avatar
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Why do the aircraft made by the Soviet Union have fans in their cockpits? [duplicate]

Surely the countries which were a part of the Soviet Union were not so hot then why are there fans in their cockpits? e.g. TU-134 or IL-76 or AN-124
Roh's user avatar
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F-16: MAIN PWR ticking sound, what is it?

What is that sound that starts when MAIN PWR switch is turned on in the F-16? Its sorta like a fast ticking sound. Why is it there, what makes it, when does it stop? And is it also there when only ...
Invariant's user avatar
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What is the purpose of this item next to the cockpit window on the B737?

Hello does anybody know what the purpose of this odd looking shape is
Mehmet Diyar's user avatar
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What is the weight of the bulletproof cockpit doors of a Boeing 747?

What is the weight of the bulletproof cockpit doors of a Boeing 747 built prior to 9/11? Do the doors weigh the same for later models, like the Boeing 747-8 specifically? How many fewer passengers do ...
securitydude5's user avatar
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2 answers
2k views

What happens when a pilot is incapacitated? [duplicate]

Is there a contingency for such a situation, where one of the pilots leaves the cockpit, the other pilot is incapacitated (for example losing consciousness) while the first pilot is still outside the ...
Lars Ebert's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
205 views

Why don't airliners use light strips on physical controls (yoke/stick, throttle and trim) to indicate who has control - pilot or flight computer?

I've watched a lot of Air Disasters episodes about crashes where pilots thought auto-pilot, auto-throttle, auto-trim were "in control" but they weren't (or vice-versa) due to some innocuous ...
Keith Hill's user avatar
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2 answers
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Redundancy in Integrated modules avionics [closed]

What kind of hardware redundancy is used in integrated modules avionics based architecture for EFIS displays running on a single processor? My question is specific to redundancy of display hardware ...
santosh kumar's user avatar
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What is the purpose of the plush-like seat covers in an airliner cockpit? [duplicate]

What is the purpose of the plush-like seat covers that I have seen on almost all the airliners I looked at? See for example the following picture of a Bombardier CRJ flight deck: (wikimedia.org)
Alessandro Jacopson's user avatar
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How are lavatory smoke detectors connected to the flight deck?

How are the smoke detectors in aircraft lavatories connected to the flight deck so the crew there can see the warning alarm? Do they have wires all the way from the lavatory to the flight deck, or are ...
NitinG's user avatar
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Why are the throttle levers for the Comet's outboard engines shaped funny?

The throttle levers for the Comet's outboard (#1 and #4) engines are weirdly shaped, with flanges that extend up and partially over the throttle levers for the inboard (#2 and #3) engines: (Image ...
Vikki's user avatar
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Why do military and tandem seat aircraft have the throttle on the left?

Why do military and tandem seat planes have the throttle on the left? As seen in the photos below of an F18 Hornet and a P38 Lightning. Is there a reason for this layout?
Boeing787's user avatar
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What's the mechanical 'whoosh, whoosh' sound in this video?

Sound in question comes right after the warning sound at 22:57.
misaligar's user avatar
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Sidestick vs. Yoke [duplicate]

Looking at pictures from cockpits of various aircrafts, we can see two types of control-inputs. The sidestick: And the yoke: What are the advantages / disadvantages of both? When is a yoke over a ...
jklingler's user avatar
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Why apply resolutons in data words for ARINC 429 bus

Data words transported over the ARINC 429 bus are defined and built-in units, ranges, refresh rates, number of significant bits, and resolution. Why is it necessary to include resolution? Does ...
Minimalist's user avatar
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2 answers
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What is communicated between flight crew and cabin crew during flight?

During a typical trans-atlantic flight, can anyone list communication between flight crew and cabin crew? I am interested in "mandatory", i.e. safety-relevant communication between the flight deck ...
Stefan's user avatar
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