As it flies, a plane is in the center of four forces. Lift (upward force) and thrust (forward push, provided by a propeller) get a plane into the air.
Gravity and drag (air resistance, which is friction caused by air rubbing against the plane) try to pull the plane down and slow its speed
.
How do planes take off and land?
Conventional airplanes
accelerate along the ground until sufficient lift is generated for takeoff, and reverse the process to land
. Some airplanes can take off at low speed, this being a short takeoff. Some aircraft such as helicopters and Harrier Jump Jets can take off and land vertically.
How does it feel when plane takes off?
Shortly after takeoff you may feel
a sinking sensation
, that happens when the flaps are retracted, allowing the plane to accelerate. You may also hear the engines throttle back, sometimes ATC asks us to level off because traffic is above us.
How fast do planes take off?
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).
Can airplanes stop in the air?
Techincally, there is only one way for the aircraft to remain hanging motionless in the air:
if weight and lift cancel each other out perfectly, and at the same time thrust and drag cancel each other out too
. But this is incredibly rare. To stay in the air and sustain its flight, an aircraft needs to be moving forward.
How fast does a jet go?
A typical commercial passenger jet flies at a speed of about
400 – 500 knots
which is around 460 – 575 mph when cruising at about 36,000ft. This is about Mach 0.75 – 0.85 or in other words, about 75-85% of the speed of sound. Generally speaking, the higher the aircraft flies, the faster it can travel.
What do pilots say when taking off?
“
Fly heading two three zero, Runway two seven Left, Cleared for takeoff
” (After takeoff, fly a magnetic heading of 230o. Cleared to takeoff on Runway 27 Left) “Cleared for the ILS, runway three four” (follow the Instrument Landing System, an electronic guidance system, to runway 34)
Can a helicopter stay still in the air?
A:
A helicopter remains stationary by balancing the external forces
. There are no horizontal forces, as the helicopter is not moving left or right, so there is no drag or horizontal thrust.
What is the scariest part of flying?
Boeing research shows that
takeoff and landing
are statistically more dangerous than any other part of a flight. 49% of all fatal accidents happen during the final descent and landing phases of the average flight, while 14% of all fatal accidents happen during takeoff and initial climb.
How long does takeoff last?
Answer: You are correct that a twin-engine jet will have an average takeoff run of
30 – 35 seconds
, good observation. It will vary depending on the altitude of the airport, the weight of the airplane and the outside temperature. The lift-off speed (VR) will also vary depending on the weight.
Is your first plane ride scary?
Flying is exciting the first time and
if you are fully prepared it’s not scary at all
. In the unlikely event that you’re feeling sick just flag the flight attendant and ask for a little advice. Some people have issues with the air pressure during take off or landing. That’s normal and nothing to be worried about.
Why do planes speed up before landing?
Visual perception of your perspective;
as the aircraft gets closer to the ground your field of view constricts and you are closer to terrain and other structures, making them appear to move faster past the jet than at altitude
.
Why do planes stop before taking off?
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.
How much do pilots earn?
According to The Occupational Outlook Handbook, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the salary for commercial pilots is
$93,300 per year
, which was the the median annual wage in May 2020. The median annual wage for airline pilots, copilots and flight engineers is $160,970.
Do planes dump their waste in the air?
Well, there is such a thing as “blue ice” – frozen sewage that has leaked from an airborne plane.
Airlines aren’t allowed to drop sewage from the sky
– pilots have no dump button – but there have been incidents.
Why do planes look like they aren’t moving?
High winds blowing in the planes direction may have caused it to look stationary in the sky
. The clear sky and the position of the motorists, who were driving towards the plane, made the aircraft look even more suspended.
What happens if someone opened the emergency exit on a plane?
An open door would create a catastrophic “explosive decompression”
. Explosive decompression, while rare, has occurred. One such instance happened in 1988 when a section of the airplane’s roof burst open.
How many planes are in the sky on average?
So, how many planes are in the air right now? Back in 2017, FlightAware determined there to be an average of
9,728 commercial airplanes
in the sky at any given time. Of course, that number fluctuates on a minute-by-minute basis, given that planes are nearly constantly taking off and landing.
How much is a airplane?
Single-Engine Planes: These planes, which hold two or more people and are more economical to operate and maintain than multi-engine planes, typically cost
between $15,000 and $100,000
. Multi-engine Planes: If you consider a plane like this, it will cost you between $75,000 and $300,000.
What’s the fastest jet in the world?
The
Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird
is the fastest jet aircraft in the world, reaching speeds of Mach 3.3–that’s more than 3,500 kph (2,100 mph) and almost four times as fast as the average cruising speed of a commercial airliner. Key elements of the SR-71’s design made this possible.
Do pilots sleep with flight attendants?
Flight attendants and pilots use the crew rests in shifts on intercontinental flights that now routinely run 14-18 hours. After the main meal service on a transoceanic flight,
half of the flight attendants will catch some Zzzs
while the others staff the galleys. The two teams trade off halfway through the flight.
Can pilots listen to music while flying?
Do pilots listen to music in the cockpit?
Yes, the FAA permits pilots to listen to music as long as it’s not distracting
. Although there aren’t regulations stopping an airline pilot from listening to music, pilots must be able to hear ambient sounds or communications over the music.
Do pilots Say Ready for takeoff?
12.2. 4.10 says that
pilots only need to say “ready” to inform ATC that they’re ready for departure
: “Tower, N12345 is holding at 18, ready”. It doesn’t address uncontrolled fields, but the usual call I was taught was “N12345 is departing runway 18”.
Is a helicopter safer than an airplane?
Understanding a Helicopter Accident
The crash rate for general aircraft is 7.28 crashes per 100,000 hours of flight time. For helicopters, that number is 9.84 per 100,000 hours. That means
helicopters have a 35 percent higher risk of crashing compared to airplanes
.
Why do police helicopters fly in circles at night?
The main reasons why helicopters circle overhead are to burn less fuel and stay on station longer, give the occupants the best view of the scene, and to keep the helicopter in a safe flight condition if the engine were to ever quit.
Can helicopters fly across the ocean?
A helicopter can fly across the Atlantic
– and this has been achieved several times. The first transatlantic helicopter flight took place in 1952. The first non-stop transatlantic helicopter flight took place in 1967.
