A: Most planes use a long runway before takeoff to gain enough speed for the plane to lift up into the air. Most airplanes can take off only if they are moving fast enough. The force of lift needs to be stronger than the force of weight.
Typical takeoff air speeds for jetliners are in the range of 240–285 km/h (130–154 kn; 149–177 mph). Light aircraft, such as a Cessna 150, take off at around 100 km/h (54 kn; 62 mph). Ultralights have even lower takeoff speeds.
A: As a jet descends toward the runway, the pilot increases the power to maintain a specific descent rate (usually around 700 feet per minute). Jet engines require time to accelerate, so the increase in thrust (known as spooling up) improves the ability to go around should it be necessary.
The reason to dump fuel is simple: to drop weight. Any given aircraft has a Maximum Landing Weight (MLW) at which it can land, and in most cases that weight is lower than its Maximum Takeoff Weight (MTOW).
Answer: The sensation of slowing down is really one of slowing the rate of acceleration; this is due to reducing the thrust after takeoff to the climb setting. The sensation of “dropping” comes from the retraction of the flaps and slats. The rate of climb is reduced, causing it to feel like a descent.
"(The pilots) aren't scared at all. It's all a part of aviation," United Airlines pilot Rob Biddle said. "It's a common occurrence. There's very rarely a flight where we don't experience some level of turbulence."
The quick answer to this interesting question is pretty straightforward: no, pilots do not typically shut down passenger jet engines during a flight.
Planes are designed to land below certain weights. A heavier plane is more likely to hit the ground hard and get damaged. It's got 5,000 gallons of fuel, which is about three elephants weighing it down. So, landing with a full tank is pretty risky.
It would seem strange that pilots would purposefully dump fuel from their aircraft at a time when fuel prices have skyrocketed. What's more bizarre is that they do it in the air while flying. Tossing fuel into the air is a safe procedure for a good reason. Additionally, it is not as wasteful as it seems.
In this case of takeoff, the fast air bearing down on the plane generates an upward force on the wings (analogous to a gun's recoil), which helps lift the aircraft. In short, pilots like to take off into a headwind because it helps them achieve "wheels up" faster.
A pilot's job extends to more than merely flying the plane
For instance, the First Officer is required to leave to conduct an external walk-around preflight before returning. Along with this, keeping the door open allows the Captain to monitor the boarding procedure. Of course, non-pilots may also come in and out.
When clouds surround an airport, pilots have been able to find the path to the runway for decades by using an Instrument Landing System, or ILS. Ground-based transmitters project one radio beam straight down the middle of the runway, and another angled up from the runway threshold at a gentle three degrees.
This shaking is caused by turbulence. While this might make some uneasy, there is nothing to worry about as modern airplanes are designed to withstand all types of turbulence.
Landing. While landing, speed is largely affected by the aircrafts current weight, commercial airplanes typically land between 130 and 160 mph (112 to 156 knots).
The local Air Traffic Control (ATC) facility at the departure airport will tell the pilots just prior to takeoff if the requested route is okay (it usually is) or if any changes need to be made due to traffic congestion or weather. Time to navigate!
The takeoff roll down the runway is normally about 20 seconds. The lightweight interior panels and fascia may rattle and vibrate a little at first.
The maximum landing weight (MLW) is the maximum aircraft gross weight due to design or operational limitations at which an aircraft is permitted to land. The MLW is set in order to ensure safe landings; if an aircraft weighs too heavy during touchdown, it may suffer structural damage or even break apart upon landing.
Planes continue to glide for long distances even after running out of fuel. At some point, though, the fuel would have run out. An aviation expert said most new-generation aeroplanes would continue to glide, even after all the plane's fuel reserves had been exhausted.
These clouds are contrails, short for condensation trails. Water vapor is one of the byproducts of jet fuel combustion and will turn into ice crystals in the cold air at the high elevations where jet airplanes fly. Those ice crystals create a cloud (the contrail), which does not pose any public health risk.
Most of the time, fuel starvation is due to pilot error. In some situations however, mechanical failures cause airplane crashes. Regardless, the airlines in these situations may be liable for injuries that result from such crashes.
Some airplanes have a ram air turbine that is lowered when electrical power is lost to provide a backup to power a hydraulic pump and limited electrical generator. As for the loss of the engines, all airplanes can glide to a landing.
A modern Boeing 747 can fly about 15,000 km (9,500 miles) when it's flying at 900 kmh (550 mph). This means it can fly non stop for almost 16 hours!
What happens if all engines fail in the air? If both engines fail, the aircraft will fly and glide quite happily. Modern passenger jets can glide with a ratio of around 1:10, so for every 1000 feet lost, the aircraft will fly 10,000 feet forward.
Modern aircraft have gone one better than a map and have a moving display — very much like the SatNav system in your car. Pilots are able to see exactly where the aircraft is in relation to the runways and taxiways around it.
If all of an airplane's engines fail simultaneously, the pilot will perform an emergency landing. As the airplane descends and decelerates, the pilot will begin to search for a safe area to perform an emergency landing. Ideally, the pilot will land on a nearby landing.