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.
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What is a TRACON?
What is a TRACON or Terminal Control?
When do pilots need to be helped by a TRACON?
Where is it usually located and what is the difference between TRACON, En Route and Tower?
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How much, generally speaking, does it cost to learn how to fly?
One of my life goals is to learn how to fly a plane. I can't do it now due to time constraints, but I am curious: How much, in general terms, does it cost to learn how to fly? I.e. piloting lessons, ...
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Can foreign pilots get an FAA ATPL and work for a US-based commercial airline?
Could a non-US citizen come to the US, receive flight training, earn an FAA CPL and be hired by a US-flagged airline? Are there any specific rules regarding the employment of foreigners as pilots for ...
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Can you fly a light GA airplane into a major hub? What operational considerations are there if you do?
I did my training around the Seattle area, and was told that landing at SeaTac Airport (the region's major International/Commercial airport), while not strictly forbidden, was definitely frowned upon ...
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Where can the airspace boundary coordinates for Fayetteville TRACON be found?
I would like a map depicting the airspace owned by Fayetteville TRACON that includes lat/long coordinates (i.e. not just a cartoon-y outline with no information). Ideally, I'd like to find a site ...
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3
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What is the security policy for getting into a Control Tower in the US?
Are there any regulations the FAA has ruled to get into a Control Tower? Do people need any special kind of security clearance? Are there forbidden items or other special rules?
I'd also want to know ...
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2
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What keeps certified GA aircraft from being affordable?
A personal (pipe) dream of mine is to own a new aircraft, but the costs for certified GA aircraft is borderline outrageous. A new Cessna 172, considered an entry level aircraft, can go for well over \$...
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What are concrete examples for class G up to 14500?
It is said that there are some places where class G goes up to 14500 and then class E starts. However, I find they all overplayed with some special use airspace by looking at NorCal and SoCal ...
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What does it take to maintain a private pilot certificate?
What, if any, requirements are there to maintain a private pilot certificate? For example:
Do I have to renew my certificate after a period of time? E.g. annually, 5 years, 10 years
Do I have to ...
- 523
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How do I contact Flight Service while in flight?
How do I contact a Flight Service Station (FSS) in the United States in order to receive weather information or open a flight plan after I've already departed.
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What is the legal altitude to fly through Yosemite Valley (US)?
I have a question regarding flying in the Yosemite Valley national park, which I flew over last weekend in an open-cockpit gyroplane.
The sectional states you must be a minimum of 2,000 ft about the ...
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Where is RC aircraft flying allowed in the US?
In the US, where are you allowed to fly RC aircraft? AMA says you should stay away from airports and below 400 feet. Is there any actual law about this?
I'm guessing you are free to fly on your own ...
- 71.8k
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What is the range and accuracy of ATC radar systems?
What is the average range, accuracy, and update frequency of radar systems used to monitor airspace in the USA?
I'm primarily interested in capabilities for tracking smaller general aviation aircraft ...
- 365
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Can an airport without an FAA controlled tower have their own tower and controllers?
Can an airport not eligible for an FAA tower and controllers choose to fund their own air traffic control tower? Can that airport require pilots to taxi, approach, land, and take off according to ...
- 2,383
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What is a red airway on the VFR sectional?
The VFR sectionals show a number of airways/routes marked in red. Here are several near KMTH, you can see B-646 extending east of the NDB:
There are others in Alaska that are lettered A, R or G, e.g. ...
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Why are TFRs issued around stadiums during games in the U.S.?
I want to know the FAA's reasoning behind issuing TFRs whenever a game is going on in a stadium. Is it just because of a large crowd of people? Do engine noises just bother people? Could an aircraft's ...
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Why are visual approaches (in the US) preferred by US pilots, but not European pilots?
I listen to ATC a lot and often hear airliners cleared for visual approaches in the USA. Interestingly, if it's European airliner pilots they deny the visual approach and request ILS even if they are ...
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Where did the "K" identifier prefix for US airports come from?
Airports in the United States are (mostly) three letters, prefixed with a K. Where did this standard originate? Why K?
This is similar to "where did the U.S. N ...
- 23.3k
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Are there legal limits associated with the use of the autopilot in the US?
A lot of new avionics basically fly small planes for you. Looking at a Beechcraft with a pretty cool glass cockpit, it claims to do everything for you except within 50 feet of the ground. Basically ...
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What mental health standards must a candidate meet in order to qualify for a pilot's medical certificates?
What are the mental health standards (if any) that a candidate pilot must meet in order to qualify for a medical certificate?
Answers for Canada, the US, and Europe would be particularly interesting ...
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4
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What prevents someone from hijacking a radio frequency mid-air?
For someone who wants to stay anonymous and probably terrorize the skies, what protective measures do we have?
Without even thinking too deep, I can imaging the following scenarios for someone who's ...
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At a non-towered airport in the US, what should I do if I hear a medevac flight waiting to take off while I'm turning base?
I'm in the left downwind at my favorite non-towered airport. Just while I'm making the turn to base, I hear a radio call on CTAF: "Such-and-such Traffic, Medevac 123, holding short runway 31." They ...
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Is it legal to smoke in your own plane?
I was just curious, in the past, smoking on planes was permitted.
What is the law surrounding smoking in your own private plane?
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Is it legal to use handheld radios to listen to aviation frequencies in the USA?
Is it legal to use handheld radios to listen to (general aviation) airport frequencies in the USA? Can I go to an airport with a handheld radio and listen to their frequencies?
- 241
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Why do some approaches have suffix letters such as Y and Z?
There are cases with instrument approaches where there will be multiple approaches to the same runway, in many cases uses some of the same nav aids and positions, but differentiated using alpha ...
- 14.9k
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How quickly can someone learn to fly?
I'm a US-citizen living in Japan, and the costs here are insane ($500 per hour). So I'm thinking to go to the US or Australia for my pilot's license, but how long am I'm going to need to live there? ...
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Where I can get historical jet fuels prices?
I would like to analyze jet fuels prices in 2014.
Where can I get jet fuel prices for 2014, only in USA and Russia?
As there are different types of fuels, it would be okay to get prices for one (...
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Why is the aiming point distance shorter in the US vs. Europe for long runways?
In essence, if you compare EGLL and KJFK (but it works for other airports too) you would see that US airports generally adhere to the rule of 1000 ft in distance between threshold and aiming point ...
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What regulations in the US exist for jetpacks?
In 2010 Fox News posted an article in which they quoted a representative of the FAA saying that the FAA might not regulate jetpacks (the representative did say that they could fall under Part 103). Do ...
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Can a U.S. President have a non-government owned aircraft that would routinely be given the call sign AF1?
Can a US president use a personally owned jet with the call sign AF1? Would the Air Force be obligated to add security and defense measure to this aircraft if the president refused to fly in the VC-25?...
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What is the difference between Distant (D) NOTAMs, Local (L) NOTAMs and FDC NOTAMs in the US?
I would like to know the difference between Distant (D) NOTAMs, Local (L) NOTAMs and FDC NOTAMs in the US. Is their meaning obsolete or still in use by the FAA?
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What FAA sources of weather information can pilots use to mitigate the risk of flying in icing conditions?
Pilots flying under the FAA jurisdiction have many official sources of weather information available to them. Specifically as it relates to icing conditions, what official sources of weather ...
- 14.9k
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From an ATC perspective, what is an "arrival gate"?
I have seen reference to ATC assigned "arrival gates".
As a passenger, an "arrival gate" is something like B12 or ...
- 15.6k
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Can a lost aircraft get a DF Steer?
When I got my pilots license in 1975, a lost airplane could call almost any FSS and get a DF (Directional Finder) steer. The range was probably upto 30mi. I would request a practice one every 3-4 ...
- 11.3k
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What would they call the US President's personal plane?
Air Force One is called that because it is operated by the Air Force. The President's personal helicopter is called Marine One because it is operated by the Marines.
What would the President's ...
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How are Landing Fees Collected?
Some airports (mostly busy Class B airports from what I gather) have a landing fee. For example, in the Airport Facility Directory for San Francisco, there is a section under "AIRPORT REMARKS" that ...
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How does one deal with a UNICOM operator directing aircraft like at a towered airport?
Seems like an odd scenario, however I have experienced this a few times now. A non-towered airport will have someone on the radio directing traffic and reading out weather info like barometric ...
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Can a commercial pilot fly passengers for hire without an air carrier certificate? [duplicate]
I have my private multi instrument and almost done with my commercial multi. A collegiate school's football team has requested that I fly the coaches (2-4) to their away games and other travel events ...
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Where does one request a VFR transition route through class B?
Other than staying outside class B until being cleared in, is the point where one requests a transition route important? For example, the SFO B coastline transition is shown as starting up at San ...
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How can I determine whether or not an airport has an ATIS?
Where can I find the ATIS code and frequency for an airport through a VFR chart? For example, in the case of Frankfort airport (in the attached image), I can see the AWOS frequency but I am unable to ...
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Why isn't the Presidential 747 "Air Force One Heavy"?
Aircraft with a maximum takeoff weight of at least 300,000 pounds add the word "Heavy" to their callsign. (Example: Lufthansa 415 Heavy in this video.) The current Presidential 747's have a maximum ...
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What is significant about the number 8069 ft?
On a sectional chart legend, the airport icon with a solid magenta or blue disk is labeled as "Hard surfaced runways 1500 ft to 8069 ft in length". This seems like an extraordinarily arbitrary number ...
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What is Class F airspace, and why is it not used in the US?
I've read that ICAO defines Class F airspace but the FAA has chosen not to use the airspace class in the US. What is the ICAO definition of Class F airspace and how does it differ from other airspace ...
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Who has final authority over Air Force One?
U.S. FAA FAR 91.3 ("Responsibility and authority of the pilot in command") says that:
The pilot in command of an aircraft is directly responsible for, and
is the final authority as to, the ...
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How do landing fees work at larger airports?
Many larger airports (class Bravos) have a landing fee. What's the process for assessing and collecting the fees?
How do these landing fees work with general aviation aircraft?
Where can I find out ...
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Where did the US 'N' registration letter come from?
Why is the first letter in US registration numbers 'N'? Other countries seem to use a letter significant to their country, for instance 'G' for Great Britain, 'F' for France, 'D' for Germany (...
- 14.5k
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How does Jeppesen create its US charts?
The Jeppesen and FAA IFR plates represent the same information in different ways. The FAA publishes its charts for free, but the underlying data that goes into the charts (e.g., exact coordinates of ...
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How much should it cost to get IFR-rated? What to look for?
(Related to this question)
Many pilots have told me that an IFR rating is the most valuable thing i can do to improve my flying and margin of safety.
I know there are courses as quick as, "Get ...
- 30.4k
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Why did air traffic levels decrease dramatically in the US through the 2000s?
In 2015, the FAA stated that
System-wide, air traffic has declined by 24 percent since peak year 2000. The chart in Figure 1.1 shows that air traffic
volume is not expected to return to peak ...
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What's usually going on in a "hot" military operations area (in the US)?
Like many people in aviation, I've been around pilots who've flown in or through the edge of a Military Operations Area (MOA) while operating under visual flight rules. Usually they ask ATC if the MOA ...
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