A SIA Boeing 777-300ER taking off at Zurich Photo Credit: Aero Icarus (https://tinyurl.com/3b5zy4b5) The Boeing 777 severe encounter with turbulence On May 21, a Singapore Airlines Boeing 777 diverted to Bangkok and made an emergency landing at Suvarnabhumi Airport after encountering severe turbulence, leaving one dead and about 30 injured. Reuters reported that the …
Eruptions of Volcano Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland Photo Credit: Boaworm (https://tinyurl.com/5n6e5udc) Flight risks with volcanic ash after eruptions Anxious moments arose when a warning came that volcanic ash will soon sweep over the Malaysian airspace due the recent volcanic eruptions. This main eruption happened at Mount Ruang on April 16, 2024 in North Sulawesi, Indonesia and …
A British Airways Boeing 777-200ER Photo credit: Mark Harkin (https://tinyurl.com/bdz6mknw) How flying can go wrong during pilot incapacitation in flight Pilot incapacitation refers to a situation where an operating pilot becomes unable to perform his duties due to sudden medical issues occurring during flight. One critical scenario is during low visibility operations, particularly when a …
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Batik Air Airbus A320 Photo credit: Bahnfrend (https://tinyurl.com/aek44jam) What happens if both pilots fall asleep mid-flight? On January 25, 2024, an Indonesian Batik Air flight encountered a startling incident where both pilots fell asleep for 28 minutes from Sulawesi to Jakarta. The potential consequence of such an event is that the plane will continue on …
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Baseus Power Bank 30W 10,000mAh with iPhone Understanding what can cause battery explosions in aircraft cabins The use of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, such as those found in power banks has become common for providing portable power to electronic devices such as your handphones. While generally safe, these batteries can pose risks of fire or explosion …
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Air Nippon Airways B787 at Haneda Airport Photo credit: Masahiro TAKAGI (http://tinyurl.com/39s473xc) On January 17, 2024, a distressing incident happened aboard a Boeing 787 en route from Tokyo to Seattle as a 55-year-old American passenger displayed unruly behavior, biting a flight attendant’s arm. The disruptive conduct prompted the captain to make the unusual decision to …
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A shooting star (An artist ‘s impression) Image source – Star Gazers (https://tinyurl.com/2p96s7fn) Do pilots see anything during a night flight? As a pilot, I often get questions from passengers who, when gazing through the windows at night, see nothing but pitch-black darkness. They wonder how we navigate and fly the plane safely in such …
Cirrus Airframe Parachute System Image Source: NASA (https://tinyurl.com/3m2asxpp) Can we build an aircraft that is nearly crash-proof and stall-free? Many wonders if it’s possible to develop an aircraft that is entirely crash-proof and stall-free. Just like unsinkable ocean liners or uncrashable cars, the reality is that everything still carries some degree of risk. However, it …
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A China Southern Boeing 737-800 Xinjiang journey: Battling delays and tight security but leaving with cherished memories While some countries fret about flight delays in minutes, my recent journey to Urumqi tells a tale of hours! This narrative unfolds during my recent 11-day trip to Northern Xinjiang, when aboard a Chinese Airlines Boeing 737-800, the …
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An Airbus A330 Image source: 123RF Why are airlines seeing an increase in unruly passenger behavior? With the ongoing recovery of air travel from the pandemic, the aviation industry has been grappling with bad behaviors by some airline passengers. While these incidents have yet to reach an alarming scale, the social media and instantaneous information …
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A Germanwings Airbus A320 Photo Credit: SEBASTIEN MORTIER (https://tinyurl.com/496nyy8r) Do pilots have to undergo any sort of mental check before flying? Yes, long before proceeding to fly any commercial planes, pilots indeed undergo mental health checks. A study of 809 Brazilian pilots generally revealed that between 6.7% and 12% had a common mental disorder. Just …
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A Cathay Pacific Boeing 777-300 Photo Credit: Aero Icarus What happens to passengers’ belongings when left in an aircraft after an emergency evacuation? This is an interesting question, and I hope the following answer will ease the minds of many passengers who are unfortunate enough to be involved in an emergency evacuation. The Federal Aviation …
An Aeroflot Airbus A310 Photo Credit: Yevgeny Pashnin Do pilots ever allow friends or family members to sit in the cockpit during take-off or landing? This practice was permitted in the past, prior to the tragic events of the September 11 attacks in New York in 2001. It was possible for passengers, friends and family …
An Asiana Airbus A321 from Seoul Incheon. Photo credit: N509FZ Can you open an emergency door mid-flight? If not, why not? This is a common question from air travelers. The simple answer is no, you certainly cannot open the door at mid-flight. However, there have been rare instances where doors were opened at lower altitudes. …
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A Malindo Air ATR 72-600 Turboprop plane Photo Credit: Teerawut Wongdee What happened to passenger planes with propeller engines? Are they all gone now? Many people believe that propeller planes are obsolete but the truth is that they are still very much alive and operating in many airlines around the world. They are generally flown …
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Photo credit: BobMil42 An Airbus Fuel Dumping in progress Have you ever wondered why pilots sometimes take longer to land even when there’s a technical problem? Recently, an unhappy passenger on an Airbus A320 flight from Guangzhou to Kuala Lumpur was left frustrated when the captain decided to fly for about three hours before …
Mayday call of Qantas flight after an engine failure Photo: 123RF Mayday! Mayday! Mayday! What does this actually mean? ‘Mayday!’ when repeated 3 times with details and broadcasted over the radio is a cry for help in a life-threatening situation. In days gone by, radio communications could be bad and any distress call must …
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The last three British Airways Concordes in 2003. Credit: BAA Why did the Concorde stop flying, and is there any chance that it might return one day? There were many reasons that killed the Concorde. This plane was the most powerful commercial pure jet flying from 1976 to 2003. It flew faster than …
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My last London flight, completing 25,500 hours without experiencing an engine failure If an engine fails on take-off, will the pilot abort the take-off or continue? When an engine fails on take-off, a pilot’s decision to go or not, would depend on the speed it has attained. From day one, a pilot is reminded that, …
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Plane came within seconds of disaster when a pilot mistake sent it plunging towards the ocean. Photo: 123RF On 10 January 2023, a Qatar Airways Boeing 787 flight from Doha to Copenhagen nosedived and narrowly avoided striking the Arabian Gulf shortly after take-off from the Hamad International Airport. According to Flightradar24, a Swedish internet-based service …