Image: 123RF An upside-down plane? Can an airliner fly upside down? This is an interesting question from Lisa Anderson. Perhaps she may have seen the movie Flight where Academy Award winner Denzel Washington ‘skillfully’ maneuvered his plane during an uncontrolled dive. Miraculously he put it upside down before rolling the wings to right-side up for …
Boeing 787’s wings are incredibly strong Why a plane’s wings don’t break? When sitting by the window seat, one may notice the wing tips shaking up and down during turbulence. In aviation jargon, this is known as flexing of the wings. This may lead some nervous flyers to imagine that the bending motion may …
Image: 123RF An Air Transat Airbus A330 What are the chances of landing safely on some islands if both engines fail while flying over the ocean? To have two engines fail on a plane is extremely rare. Amongst others, there were 2 such incidents – one was caused by a flock of wild geese at …
Slithering snake on board Airbus A320 caused plane to divert In my last posting (see here), I mentioned that there is a check list for every emergency on board the plane. Now I must confess that there is none for ‘Snake on board cabin’! That was exactly what happened a few days ago day when …
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Loss of Braking memory action involves 8 steps What is the first thing to do in case of an emergency on a plane? I shall answer this Quora question from a pilot’s perspective. Pilots will follow this mantra, ‘AVIATE, NAVIGATE, COMMUNUICATE’ when encountering an emergency. They are taught to aviate, a pilot’s jargon to mean …
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Source: Starboard76 John Travolta flying his own Boeing 707 What is the largest plane you can fly with a private pilot license? A private pilot license (PPL) is basically the most basic of the 3 flying licenses and it restricts a pilot from operating any plane over 12,500 lbs. However, actor John Travolta was able …
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Can I sue the airlines for delays (passenger’s refusal to wear mask) in flight? Lately, (especially in the USA) we have seen multiple planes that are forced to turn around mid-flight due to unruly passengers (often mask related). Should other passengers on airplanes that are delayed by these unruly passengers sue for the delay …
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Image: Wikipedia Picture of a hurricane taken from a satellite How do airplanes fly in hurricanes? Gabriel Joseph from Quora is looking for an answer to the above question. I believe Gabriel is referring to commercial airliners rather than airplanes from ‘storm chasers’. For commercial pilots, it would be madness to fly in hurricanes because …
Image: Wikipedia A GOL Boeing 737-800 similar to the aircraft involved in the Brazilian mid-air collision What are the possibilities of 2 airplanes colliding and landing safely? Topher Barott from Quora asks the above question. Mid-air collisions on commercial airliners are extremely rare. I believe Topher Barott is referring to commercial planes instead of collision …
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Image: Wikipedia Earth rotating from West to East Does Earth’s rotation affect a plane in flight? The Earth is around 4.54 billion years old. It was formed when a cloud of gas collapsed due to gravity. As the cloud collapsed, it started to spin and continued to do so because there are no forces acting …
Photo: 123RF Lightning strikes on a plane What happens when lightning strikes a plane? Asmiati Utari from Quora asks, “Can thunder strike a plane?” I think the question should be rephrased by replacing the word ‘thunder’ with ‘lightning’. This is because, without lightning, there would be no thunder. Lightning is a discharge of electricity …
‘Depression 29’ with strong winds and rain over the Klang Valley in Malaysia. Is flying in the rain and wind safe? Emily G from Quora asks the above interesting question. Five days ago, ‘Depression 29’ brought heavy rain into the Klang Valley in Malaysia. It lasted for over 24 hours and recorded 363 millimeters of …
Photo: Travel 3Sixty Parachutes for air passengers? Why don’t airplanes have parachutes for passengers? Benjamin David from Quora asks the above question. Well, some people think that jumping off a plane with a parachute is a simple and easy task. In reality, this is impractical and fraught with difficulties. For a start, it is …
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Can this wasp cause a plane to crash? Can an insect cause a plane to crash? When Israel Saka from Quora asked me whether an inset can cause a plane to crash, it reminds me of Birgenair Flight 301. Yes, insects could indeed cause havoc if actions and precautions were not taken early enough. On …
Photo: TRAVOLTA.com John Travolta in an airline captain’s uniform Is John Travolta one of the best pilots to ever live? John Travolta became very famous after his box office movie success in Saturday Night Fever in 1977. He owns four aircraft and has an estate in Ocala, Florida where he built its own runway and …
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Image: India Meteorological Department Turbulence around Bay of Bengal Should I be worried about flying in bad weather? To some air travelers, bumpiness in the skies or turbulence is a major concern to them. A journalist friend recently asked me about these on her forthcoming journey. I had demonstrated a simulated turbulent flight aboard a …
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Photo: 123RF Approaching to land on an Instrument Landing System How do pilots land when they can’t see the runway? Bhavin from Quora asks the above question. The simple answer is that you do not land because it is too dangerous to guess where the runway is! As such, you will abort the landing …
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A female co-pilot in the cockpit Can a co-pilot land an airplane? Blake Winfield from Quora asks the above question. This was responded by me before but it’s worth sharing again. Although the captain is responsible for everything that happens onboard the plane, it is a common misconception that the co-pilot is only an assistant …
Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200ER How to carry out an Emergency Descent? Praveen from Quora asks if a quick descent is needed, how pilots do it? On a single-engine plane flying below 10,000 feet, the pilot retards the throttle and pushes his flight control forward. That’s how it is done. Unlike a car that can turn …
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The Boeing 787 is installed with an Air Purification System Is it safe to fly during the Covid-19 pandemic? Reacting to a scary message from a retired pilot that has gone viral in chat groups, friends have been asking me whether it is safe to fly in view of the current pandemic and the introduction …