Questions tagged [usa]
Use this tag for questions which are specific to the United States, but not regulatory in nature. For questions about aviation regulations in the US, use the faa-regulations tag.
443 questions
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Question about runup area surface markings
Attached is a google earth image of a runup area. Are aircraft supposed to do their runup in the area between the dashed yellow lines? Or are they supposed to do their runup behind the second dashed ...
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Wording to call an aircraft from the ground
As a student pilot I've learned how to call "traffic", ATC, and other aircraft, when necessary. However, imagine I have a portable radio on the ground and want to talk to my friend who's ...
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METAR, TAF, NOTAM, PIREP - which authority for contractions?
Aviation obviously is known for is a.c.r.o.n.y.m.s. and abbreviations.
My question is: who controls the abbreviations/contractions for the below services? If you are aware of a source document showing ...
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PPL types in the UK
Can someone explain the different PPL type for a plane? I see UK-PPL, CCA-PPL, EASA-PPL, Part-FCL.
My intentions is I will be moving to America (SF) in about 1-2 years time and want to transfer it ...
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Do some states allow a substitute for runway base course material, in lieu of the FAA P-209?
I would like to know if, for a runway, some State can allow a substitute for the base course in lieu of the FAA crushed aggregate base course (P-209) defined in FAA AC 150/5370-10.
E.g. Can Nevada ...
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Were cargo containers on the OV-1 Mohawk ever used, and if so where?
According to some specifications (e.g. the OV-1B Standard Aircraft Characteristics), the OV-1 Mohawk could carry cargo containers for the emergency resupply of ground forces. I failed to find more ...
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Why are METAR issued at 53 minutes of the hour?
Why are METAR routinely issued at 53 past the hour, not at "o’clock"?
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How are military aviators call signs made?
Military aviators always have a call sign that they are referred to as. I would like to know how they are picked? Is it their personality, surname or what?
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What happens if an airline reports a high number of involuntary denied boardings to the Department of Transportation?
I read (mirror):
it’s in Delta’s interests to offer more in compensation for a voluntary bump rather than reporting higher involuntary denied boarding numbers to the Department of Transportation.
...
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Why use the F-35
The F-35B has been troubled by "problems with its stealth coating, sustained supersonic flight, helmet-mounted display, excessive vibration from its cannon, and even vulnerability to being hit by ...
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Russian SU-57 vs US F-22s; who would win? [closed]
Let's say that Russia acquired a full squadron of SU-57s. Who would win? So they are flown by the same cloned person and have the same training. Both fighter squadrons have the exact same ground radar ...
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Can a US state declare an airplane unairworthy?
(This arguably is a question for SE.Law, but because it's so aviation-specific I figured I would ask it here first)
A partner got this in a routine excise tax email from the Massachusetts Department ...
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May an airplane with folding wings legally taxi on the street?
In order for any vehicle larger than a bicycle to be street legal, it must be registered under the state/province's Department/Bureau of Motor Vehicles as a highway vehicle. There already exist light ...
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What authority does the owner of an aircraft have as a passenger?
If Alice, who owns an aircraft and may or may not be a certificated pilot, flies in her plane as a passenger with her friend Bob as PIC, what authority, if any, does Alice have over the flight that an ...
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Does FAA part 91 require aircraft flight logs?
What are the record-keeping requirements for flight or operational use of an aircraft only flown under Part 91? Rental aircraft always have such a logbook, for obvious reasons, but are privately-owned-...
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Is a passenger who is flying the aircraft liable for regulations that they violate?
Bob, a non-pilot, is flying as a passenger with Alice, who is a pilot. Alice is PIC, but she is letting Bob fly the plane. (He's not certificated, but he knows enough to be able to fly under ...
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Is careless or reckless operation of an ultralight illegal?
Is flying an ultralight in a careless or reckless manner illegal?
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Applying back in the US as foreign with FAA Licenses
Just for context I’m currently sitting at about 250~ hours and applying to airlines back in South America. I did my training in the USA, therefore I have my instrument rating, MEL rating, and ...
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Are Part 141 or Part 61 pilots safer?
Is there any statistical data showing whether private pilots trained at Part 61 or Part 141 schools are less likely to be involved in an accident, all else (including amount of experience, type of ...
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Will a FAA 3rd class medical ever be issued to an airman on stimulants?
While the FAA's Do Not Issue list includes all controlled substances (including Stimulants), I am wondering if there are ever exceptions made.
I would like to fly but I am currently on Concerta (...
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Are passengers required to obey pilots' commands?
If the pilot in command of a GA aircraft tells a passenger to do or not do something, is the passenger legally obligated to obey the pilot? For example, if the pilot tells a passenger "Stop ...
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Bordering towered airspaces
I'm looking for guidance on radio communications when taking off from Delta airspace and flying into Charlie that starts where the Delta ends. My aircraft can only monitor one frequency at a time. Can ...
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What's the reason for not allowing private pilots to get paid for their services?
As per a recent answer:
A Private Pilot certificate removes a lot of the restrictions
of the recreational cert. You're no longer restricted in where you can
fly*, the number of passengers you can ...
- 1,741
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What class are amphibious aircraft? [duplicate]
Are amphibious airplanes considered land or sea planes for pilot certification? Can an ASEL-only pilot fly an amphibious single-engine plane if (s)he only takes off and lands on land? Can an ASEL-only ...
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How does an ARTCC achieve radio coverage of its entire region?
I live close to the edge of the ARTCC region covering my area. There is no way I could talk on VHF to the control center at normal GA altitudes; it might be possible from airliner or bizjet cruise ...
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Can You Transmit with Airband Transceiver
I am considering the purchase of two Dittel FSG-5 Airband (118-137 Mhz) transceivers. If I transmit from one radio to the other, and vice versa, am I breaking any rules or potentially causing an issue ...
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Are there procedures for pilots to handle loss of ATC at normally-towered airports?
Are there procedures for pilots to safely handle a situation in which ATC loses the ability to communicate (complete loss of power, incapacitation of all controllers, etc.) at a busy towered airport?
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Victor route using an unusable sector of a VOR
V155 is an airway that terminates at the BROOKE VORTAC on the 214 radial.
The chart supplement says all of its radials are unusable (radials 001 thru 360). How could this be a valid route since no ...
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When is it required to enter an airway? (IFR)
Assuming I'm not using a computer program to generate a flight plan for me, for cross-country IFR flight planning in the United States, how quickly after finishing departure procedures is one supposed ...
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Should IFR flight plans in the USA still have one waypoint per sector in 2023?
Alternate title: How come ATC has cleared aircraft direct from Laredo to Columbus 17 times?
If you hop on ForeFlight today (Feb 20 2023) and search for suggested routes between KLRD and KCMH you'll ...
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Under FAA rules, can a private pilot act as PIC in aircraft furnished by someone else if they're not otherwise compensated?
Let's say I'm visiting a friend who happens to own an airplane, and I happen to be a private pilot holding a valid FAA PPL, as well as being familiar with the make and model my friend owns. Suppose my ...
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what is the actual infrastructure of the current US NOTAM system?
After a Jan 11 2023 NOTAM outage, FAA and news outlets have reported there was a "damaged database file" and a problem with the backup. A government contractor, Spatial Front, was connected ...
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Why are there 6 airports that straddle the Canada–US border?
I read on the Wikipedia page for the Avey Field State/Laurier Airport:
Also known as Avey Field State/Laurier Airport, it is one of six airports that straddle the Canada–US border. The others are ...
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Can a non-US registered aircraft be based in the US?
I am a Swiss citizen and I might have to move to the US for a couple of years. I own a small plane in Switzerland (HB-registered) and I'd like to take it with me to the US. As my stay in the US would ...
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What are "CIRCLING CATS"?
A NOTAM at Pensacola International Airport (KPNS) uses the phrase "CIRCLING CATS". What does this phrase mean?
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Is "MATON" real or did ChatGPT just make this up? [closed]
I was asking ChatGPT a few questions about NOTAMs, and decided to ask it what pilots use MATONs (NOTAM backwards) for. It "knew" from context that it had something to do with NOTAMs. It said ...
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Could medevac/air ambulance flights take off during the NOTAM system disruption?
While the NOTAM system was down on the morning of January 11, 2023, was there a way for medical flights to take off legally and safely?
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Do other countries have the no-cell-phones-on-planes rule?
The answers to this question list mobile apps that presumably need Internet and are intended for use on small planes. I assume Cessnas and similar planes don't have satellite internet; how do these ...
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Can I overfly Canada without a passport?
Can an American pilot without a passport fly in Canadian airspace as long as they don't land in Canada?
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how can someone view fuel shortage alerts?
Quoting https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/new-jet-fuel-tanks-at-austin-airport-will-be-built-as-planned-after-split-council-vote/269-d7490d00-01f7-4330-9026-71f619f7ad8b ,
Airport leaders have ...
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What jet is pictured on the FAA pilot certificate?
The front of the FAA pilot certificate shows two aircraft. One is the Wright Flyer. The other appears to be a 2 or 3 engine commercial jet. What model of aircraft is that jet? The engines look ...
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Are there any TLS approaches in the US? What does a TLS approach plate look like?
I've been reading about Transponder Landing System (TLS) approaches: https://www.anpc.com/instrument-landing-systems/
What would a TLS approach plate look like? I have ForeFlight and can also get ...
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Can a pilot drive an ultralight with folded wings on the shouder of a country road
Saw an ultralight with power driven wheels the other day.
This begs the question, can a pilot legally slowly drive an ultralight with folded wings stationary prop and powered wheels on the shoulder of ...
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Can state police legally order a GA aircraft to immediately land?
In 1998, the Senate was considering adding language to the Coast Guard appropriations bill that would authorize State Police to issue orders that a GA aircraft must immediately land.
In that instance, ...
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What are flight check operations?
KDCA/DCA is currently experiencing delays in both arriving and departing aircraft, and several sites list variations of "Flight check operations" as the reason.
The FAA itself provides the ...
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Private airstrip regulations
Once a private airstrip has been certified, do you have to get faa approval to make changes to the runway such as adding crossings, access etc…?
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Why was the second runway at Sea-Tac Airport built so close to the first?
The second runway (the eastern 16L/34R) was built 800ft. to the east of the original runway 16C.
Almost immediately it was criticised as being unusable for simultaneous operations unless using VFR ...
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Are there any "VFR corridors" in the US apart from the one in San Diego?
As far as I can tell, the only VFR Corridor (see AIM 3-5-5(b)) that exists is in San Diego. Is that correct or are there others elsewhere in the US?
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Since 9/11, for international flights, have any airlines made regular technical stops in the US?
Since 9/11, has any airline had scheduled international passenger flights with a technical stop at any US airport?
(A technical stop means all passengers and crew stay on the plane without going ...
- 27.9k
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How unusual is it for 3 or more E-6 planes to be airborne at the same time?
I noticed there are at least 3 x E-6 aircraft flying at present (call signs: MAYO38, NANA67, and one more which may have landed ...
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