Latest Articles
Why are the center tank pumps deactivated when slats are extended on the A320?
The slat position is used in some system logic because it’s indicative of a takeoff and approach. For example, on…
Can a passenger land the aircraft with the instructions of ATC if the pilots become unconscious?
I have almost 1500 hours of flight experience and almost all of them as an airline pilot. To get things…
How does an afterburner work in a jet engine?
The process isn’t too complex, I’ll attempt to keep my answer the same. Here’s a (simple enough) diagram of a…
Can pilot re-start a jet engine while flying?
The jet engines like any other engine requires air, fuel and a source of combustion to start. If you have…
Safair B738 at Johannesburg on Apr 21st 2024, dropped wheel on departure
A Safair Boeing 737-800, registration ZS-FGE performing flight FA-212 from Johannesburg to Cape Town (South Africa), was departing from Johannesburg’s…
What happens if an airplane tries to take off with full flaps?
Here’s a true story. I was learning to fly in a Cessna 150 with a civilian instructor from a flight…
Why do pilots say “rotate” when they take off?
Experience in accidents has shown that using non-standard language results in miscommunication, and missed understanding or delayed understanding. Take-off is…
How does the trim wheel work in Airbus aircraft?
The trimming in Airbus aircraft is pretty conventional (A320, A330 and A340). In A320, the THS (trimmable horizontal stabilizer) is…
What are the consequences of a pilot forgetting to trim an aircraft before takeoff or landing?
A very uncomfortable time. Trim is there to ease controls pressure, so pilot has little to no need to push…
What are the similarities and differences between an Airbus A350-900 and a Boeing 777-300ER?
Both are popular widebody fly-by-wire twinjet airliners. However the direct A350 competitor to the 777–300ER is the A350–1000, and so…