105
votes
Accepted
Why are Gatwick's runways too close together?
Historically, Gatwick had only one runway (08R/26L) with a taxiway to the north, but this obviously would cause problems if that runway was out of use for any reason - emergency, scheduled maintenance,...
- 3,606
63
votes
Why do airports in the UK have so few runways?
There are perhaps 101 non aviation-related reasons why the UK does not have larger airports, such as space consideration (we're only a small island!), politics (NIMBY!), civil engineering (Airports ...
- 31.8k
47
votes
Accepted
Why are hangars so high?
Gantry cranes. Buildings where people work on big machines usually have high ceilings, and often those ceilings leave space for gantry cranes. The cranes may have been removed or never installed.
...
- 2,800
41
votes
Why aren't there direct flights connecting Honolulu, Hawaii and London, UK?
Simply, because no airline has determined the route makes economic sense.
A poll doesn't necessarily translate into a ready market of passengers. Sure, lots of people might check a box on a survey ...
- 8,287
39
votes
Accepted
What is this second smaller runway next to London City Airport?
Good Spot! That was a temporary runway for the Red Bull Air Race:
https://www.forgottenairfields.com/airfield-london-redbull-airstrip-1429.html
You can see "RB" at the eastern end on your satellite ...
- 9,278
38
votes
Accepted
Are private jets allowed to land at London Heathrow?
The answer appears to be "yes", but unless you're transferring directly from the private jet to/from an international flight in/out of Heathrow, it's a poor choice. Fees are high and delays are common....
- 3,157
38
votes
Why was the Vulcan bomber used for the Falklands raid?
This is borderline as an aviation question but I will answer it anyway.
They didn't use those weapons because they did not have them at the time:
Conventional cruise missiles did exist but most ...
- 52.9k
33
votes
Why do airports in the UK have so few runways?
It's ALL about land use.
Look at Mirabel, Denver's new airport, or Dulles (at the time it was built). They basically razed some farmland. America had the opportunity to do a whole lot of that.
...
32
votes
Accepted
What are the slash markings on Gatwick's 08R/26L?
They are "Rapid Exit Taxiway Indicator Lights" as described in section 9.6 of CAP 637.
9.6 Rapid Exit Taxiway Indicator Lights
9.6.1 Rapid exit taxiway indicator lights (RETILs) ...
- 9,152
30
votes
Accepted
Which fighter jet is this, based on the silhouette?
What you've got there is a real life F-15! Love this aircraft, it's just got that quintessential military jet look about it.
There are 2 features which make it stand out
The shape of the trailing ...
- 31.8k
29
votes
What button did a pilot press that led to them being caught for falsifying experience?
There appear to be conflicting reports of what exactly happened. A relatively detailed one says the pilot has accidentally cut power to the aircraft, while sitting on the tarmac. This has been ...
28
votes
Accepted
Why was the Vulcan bomber used for the Falklands raid?
Because all of Britain's adversaries were either nearby (Warsaw Pact) or too far to economically fight (China). Since Britain's weapons only needed to reach the Caucasus, they simply never developed ...
26
votes
Are private jets allowed to land at London Heathrow?
Yes, Private jets can land at Heathrow.
Charging is based, like many airports, on aircraft weight in the first instance, but also incurred are handling charges, parking charges, and extra charges for ...
- 31.8k
17
votes
Accepted
What does the sign "Caution your blast" mean?
I'm fairly sure that sign is beside taxiway C*, and as you can see from the aerodrome chart it is right next to the main apron. Aircraft holding in this position have the main apron directly behind ...
- 31.8k
17
votes
Why are hangars so high?
11 meters isn't tall. You should see a modern hangar...
Note how much headroom there is between the tip of the tail and anything on the roof that could potentially damage it.
The aircraft doesn't ...
16
votes
Which fighter jet is this, based on the silhouette?
That's a United States Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle, most likely one of those that are based at Lakenheath.
- 4,420
14
votes
Accepted
Why is London City getting a virtual tower?
London City is severely space-constrained, being on an island in the Thames. Moving the tower means more space for functions that cannot be moved.
... will also include an extended terminal ...
- 10.2k
13
votes
Which fighter jet is this, based on the silhouette?
Looks like an F-15E Strike Eagle
F-15 silhouette
Twin seat
Dark grey uniform paint scheme
‘Twin bagger’ ie 2 x 600 gal external tanks
No missiles on the rails.
Difficult to see if it has the FAST ...
- 72.8k
12
votes
Accepted
Why do airports in the UK have so few runways?
When Heathrow was opened as a commercial site it had THREE different runways in a triangle and by 1955 it had SIX runways - You can see them here: Wikipedia commons - arranged to allow parallel ...
- 136
12
votes
What button did a pilot press that led to them being caught for falsifying experience?
It was probably not a single act. The button press was probably a "straw that broke the camel's back" event that was the culmination of a string of suspicious and odd events that finally ...
- 126k
12
votes
Why are hangars so high?
Well the Lancaster bomber was almost 7 meters from the ground, which doesn't leave huge amounts of clearance if you need to jack up the aircraft. Remember, these are maintenance hangars. Notice how ...
- 9,278
11
votes
Why aren't there direct flights connecting Honolulu, Hawaii and London, UK?
Hawaiian Airlines
Hawaiian Airlines simply doesn't have any aircraft that can operate the flight.
For now, Hawaiian Airlines does not consider its A330-200s to have sufficient range to reach London ...
- 19.4k
11
votes
Why do airports in the UK have so few runways?
The wind in the UK is fairly constant east-west, thus there is no need to construct runways in other directions. The only reason to construct extra runways, is for the case where the capacity of the ...
- 5,532
11
votes
Accepted
Is the UK still part of the ECAA since Brexit?
No, it is not still part of the ECAA. The EU and UK made a new agreement for Brexit, which you can read here. The part about aviation begins on page 534.
Under article 419, it states:
The Union shall ...
- 12k
11
votes
Why are hangars so high?
Other design considerations for any industrial building, not just aircraft storage, maintenance or manufacturing, are lighting, ventilation, separation of incompatible processes & fire control.
...
- 1,441
10
votes
Are private jets allowed to land at London Heathrow?
The short answer is :
You could. But GA traffic is heavily discouraged both in terms of fees and policies.
Longer answer:
Most of the time, the only private jets you'll find at Heathrow are those ...
- 559
10
votes
Accepted
What would escorting an airliner which is the subject of a security threat by fighter jets achieve?
There are multiple reasons:
Yes, they'll shoot the aircraft down if deemed necessary. It is a grim prospect, but sometimes grim events require grim responses - there is little doubt that many lives ...
- 9,278
10
votes
Why was the Vulcan bomber used for the Falklands raid?
The UK needed a surgical strike to neutralize the Port Stanley airport in the Falklands so that Argentine airplanes based there couldn't attack the coming UK convoy or the impending UK ground attack.
...
- 201
10
votes
Gas Venting Stations: What's The Big Deal?
Gas venting stations sometimes release natural gas at extremely high pressures, so there is a risk of strong updrafts or turbulence. In any case if you fly directly over you may be going through a ...
- 52.9k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible