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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Is it legal to build your own plane and fly it?
Is it legal to build and fly your own airplane? This essentially leads to two central questions: Will the FAA even let you build and fly your own airplane?, and Will there need to be inspections and ...
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How does a U.S. military air traffic controller become a civilian air traffic controller?
If a person is working as a United States military air traffic controller and then they get discharged, do they have to go through additional training and tests to work as a United States civilian air ...
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Is it worth it taking flying lessons even though I can't commit to regular lessons right now? [closed]
I can’t commit to flying on a regular basis right now. I’m close to a Class B airport with a flight school. There’s a C150 for 100/hr and a Zlin 242 for 160/hr. Instruction is 50/hr. There is, ...
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What are RW values in Venule increments?
In US AIP differences from ICAO:
12.3.1.7 d/e/f
U.S. controllers do not give wind speed, visibility, or RVR values in metric terms. RVR values are given in 100- or 200-foot increments while RW values ...
user14897
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Why is KLAX and KSEA depicted class D in IFR low enroute chart? [duplicate]
I was looking at ifr low enroute chart and just figured out that KSEA and KLAX are depicted as class D.
Aren't they Class B airports? why do they have D mark?
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159
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Why are some US fighters' canopies tinted while others are not? [duplicate]
Ok, I'm sure we've all seen how some particular US fighters have tinted glass canopies (I'm not sure what you would refer to the glass as), while others do not. Looking at the currently in-service ...
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4
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Why does the ATIS say "read back all instructions"?
Whenever I'm at a class D, I'm always confused as to why the ATIS says "read back all runway assignments and hold short instructions." Isn't that just a given? It seems redundant and it ...
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Can I Restrict Commercial air Traffic above My Land for ordinary use and enjoyment? [duplicate]
I have 7.72 acres in the Southern California Desert. It's outside of Palm Springs Ca.
My land was granted to My Grandfather in 1961 as a homestead. The patent states that I have ALL Rights, Privileges,...
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2
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Is it possible to own an F-14 Tomcat? [duplicate]
Ok, I'm a wartime aviation enthusiast who loves, in particular, 3rd-5th generation fighters. I have held an avid interest in them for years, but I've always wondered whether or not I could own one ...
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When was the last time the US Standard Atmosphere 1976 was updated?
I imagine due to slight changes in Earth's atmosphere or more accurate instrumentation it's been updated at least once, but also because it's understood to be a less precise model we might not have ...
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When filing a VFR Flight Plan, where/how do you include intent to use a Class B transition?
When intending to use a VFR transition route through Class B airspace, do you put the intended route on the flight plan, the alternate route (if you don't get clearance for some reason), or both?
...
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Why would there be two RNAV waypoints co-located with a VOR?
Similar to this question but more so!
The Enroute H-5 chart shows two RNAV waypoints over Spinner VORTAC (SPI): SOHOW and USIRE. Neither waypoint appears on the Low IFR charts, nor on the VFR charts.
...
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How to figure unusable sectors if the VOR is not colocated at/near an airport?
Stemming from Why am I not getting the "TO" VOR flag as I think I should?
If a VOR is not colocated at an airport (i.e. not in that airport's chart supplement page), how does one figure out ...
user14897
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What does an "X flagged" VOR mean on an en-route IFR chart?
Source: skyvector.com
Maybe I'm looking at the wrong sections / using wrong keywords in the chart user's guide.
user14897
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How far in advance of "effective date" are VFR sectional charts usually made available? (US)
In the US, how far in advance of the "effective date" are new editions of VFR sectional charts usually made available? Is the answer different for the paper version and the digital version?
...
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Where can I find canonical examples of radio communications at non-towered airports?
I'm trying to find any canonical examples of radio communication patterns at non-towered airports. The FAR/AIM has very little in terms of sample announcements, etc. The AC-90-66B (https://www.faa.gov/...
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When do carriers overhaul their flight schedules with flight re-numbering?
A (US domestic) carrier can obviously stop flying a flight, or some legs of that flight, for a host of reasons. But - occasionally it makes more significant changes, like re-numbering many flights, or ...
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Were planned release dates skipped in 2020 for the VFR sectional charts for Juneau Alaska and Dutch Harbor Alaska?
Were planned release dates skipped in 2020 for the VFR sectional charts for Juneau Alaska and Dutch Harbor Alaska?
On February 3 2021, the FAA's "Raster Charts" webpage listed a March 26 ...
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Can an airline schedule two same-number flights to leave the same airport on the same day?
I've read: Why have different flights with the same flight number?
and I guess I understand this can make sense. But - is it allowed for a domestic US airline to schedule two flights with the same ...
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How to correct these garbled tail numbers?
I have a collection of tail numbers of US aircraft which flew a bunch of domestic flights in the 2000's, but some of them seem to end with @ or ...
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In the USA, how much more expensive is 100LL compared to Jet-A1?
I have never flown an aircraft before and do not have any clue of what the fuel prices are. I was doing some research recently and found that some websites say Jet-A1 costs about 1.5 - 2 dollars per ...
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What practical alternatives are there to 100LL in 2021?
As a prospective student pilot in Southern California, I would like to avoid 100LL. Since the FAA 100LL phase-out is stalled, what other alternatives are there? Continental has a line of Diesel ...
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Was the P-82 twin Mustang better than the P-51D? [closed]
The P-82 twin Mustang was made to replace the P-51D in the escort role. It was faster, and had two engines with two pilots. It also had a better armament but wasn't as maneuverable as the P-51D. Which ...
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What would the call sign of a non-standard aircraft carrying the US President be?
So, it's well known that the government planes operated for the US President are called Air Force One; less well-known is that this is a call sign given to any Air Force aircraft that carry the ...
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When can a leg of a US domestic flight be flown after an earlier leg was cancelled? [closed]
Suppose a domestic US flight has legs A -> B, B -> C and C -> D. Now suppose, that on some day, leg A->B is flown, but then leg B -> C cannot be flown and gets cancelled (not delayed, ...
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How does the FAA decide if a PPL applicant with ADHD can fly?
For the past few years, I've been struggling with fidgeting, difficulty spending long periods of time on creative tasks, difficulty finishing long and complicated tasks, and a few other symptoms. ...
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What are the pros and cons of buying a kit aircraft vs. a factory-built one?
I am a student pilot, and I am trying to decide on what I should do for a plane. I am leaning towards buying a kit, but what are the advantages or disadvantages for that?
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On old sectional charts, what was the purpose of the domestic ADIZ regions and what was the difference between a "Defense Area" and an "Open Area"?
Looking at an old US sectional chart from 1956, I noticed a few oddities around where Air Defense Identification Zones (ADIZs) were placed.
Compared to modern airspace where the US ADIZ is strictly ...
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24 hour access at general aviation airport
I was doing a night flight with my kids and one had to go to the bathroom. I was happy that when I landing at an airport (KVLA) and they had a door code so I could get to the bathroom. Is there a ...
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Can private flights between the US and Canada avoid using a port of entry?
I'm considering getting back into flying private after a 15 year absence. I'm a dual US/Canadian passport holder. I'd like to fly between homes on Nantucket, MA and rural Nova Scotia regularly. Is ...
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Flight Following into Class C Airport where I'm Landing
I want to fly into a Class C airport and do a full stop taxi back. I'll be approaching the airport with flight following. When ATC hands me off to approach control for the airport I'll be landing at,...
- 1,107
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Can an American citizen schooling abroad join the airforce? [closed]
I am a citizen of the U.S who is studying abroad from the age of 9.
If I am to Apply to become a test pilot will there be any impediments?
Due to security issues as it deals with classified aircrafts.
...
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What, exactly, happens when I call 1-800-WXBRIEF?
In the USA, calling the above phone number gets a pilot in contact with a flight service station (FSS). After reading the AIM and the Leidos Flight Service website, I still have some questions:
Where ...
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463
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What is the difference between a published and unpublished TFR?
On this article about Sporting Event TFRs on the Flight Service website, they mention unpublished TFRs:
Play Ball! Be Aware of Sporting Event TFRs June 26, 2016 when you ask
the specialist for TFRs ...
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Why do IFR charts show TACAN paired frequencies when there is no collocated VOR?
The image below shows a low IFR chart with a VORTAC on the right and a TACAN on the left. I understand the VORTAC is labelled with both VOR frequency and TACAN channel so that a civilian user could ...
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0
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Can fighter jets set their lights to flash six times?
So last night President Trump was in town at the Grand Rapids Airport in Michigan. I live about 5 miles away directly to the west of the airport. I noticed multiple high and fast flying jets (they ...
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1
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Tail numbers not starting with N, with domestic US carriers?
I'm looking at some of the on-time performance data made public by the US Bureau of Tranport Statistics, e.g. through here. These have the tail numbers of the aircraft used in commercial intra-US ...
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Under what legal standing can after-hours ground access to an airplane be forbidden? (USA-specific only) [closed]
This came up when a friend was unable to access his airplane because the security guard refused to open the gate. It was a mountain flight in a small plane, and so a timely departure was urgent for ...
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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 ...
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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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Where can I find the active time of a MOA on the VFR chart?
I am trying to find out the time when the HILLTOP MOA is active and its elevation. Where is this information located in a VFR chart?
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Single-engine plane with long range flyable in Europe
Not 100% sure if choice of airplane is on-topic here, please let me know if not.
Just got my PPL, and looking for a choice of single-engine meeting a few conditions:
Long-range, definitely >800nm, ...
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If I buy my own aircraft in which to earn my PPL, does my instructor need to be certified to fly the type of aircraft I own/am training in?
It seems the most cost-effective way to earn my PPL is to purchase my own plane (with the intention to keep it for quite some time). I believe I would therefore need to find a CFI that is certified ...
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Do I need to call Clearance Delivery for IFR Practices when taking off from a D airport?
I have the following question:
If I am going to practice IFR approaches under VFR, do I need to contact clearance delivery for that or it's enough to contact ground and state my intentions?
I would ...
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How can I find a deregistered airplane?
I'm trying to find a 1959 C172 tail number N7393T.
It was my grandfather's and the last registered record of it was near Glendale AZ. It was deregistered in 2015 and I found out that since it cannot ...
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What is typical ATC procedure when a non-pilot calls from a commercial flight for help?
"This is ShinyWings 123, I'm not a pilot, the pilot and copilot are unconscious. Help."
Probably a day air traffic controllers dream of with dread, when a member of cabin crew, or even worse,...
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How many active Cessna 172 aircraft (or any other make/model) are there in the United States?
I define "active" in accordance with the FAA's definition: "An active aircraft is one that flies at least one hour during the year."
The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) ...
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If Sweden wants to export JAS39 to a 3rd country, will they have to get permission from the US govt.?
Does Sweden manufacture its own jet engine for JAS Gripen, or does it purchase engines from the USA?
JAS39 C/D uses Volvo RM12
JAS39 E/F uses Volvo RM16
I read on the internet that Gripen's engine ...
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2
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469
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Can private pilots run other non-passenger flight businesses?
As I understand it, private pilots can not take paying passengers.
(Friends on a flight can give the pilot strictly only the friend's share of fuel etc. costs.)
But in fact can private pilots
do ...
- 1,793
4
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1
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For the CFIs, CFIIs, MEIs, and AGIs - How often do you find students that utilize your ratings?
I am curious. Out of 100 new students that walk into the average flight school, how many only need a standard CFI, how many do instrument training, and how many do multi-engine training? Additionally, ...
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