View Full Version : Weird questions...
TinkerBell
11-09-2008, 18:22
I was thinking today while I was in traffic...
How do the pilot's see out of the plane window when it is raining?
Surely they don't have window wipers :shocked: That could be interesting when taking off " Arrrggghhhh the window wipers have flown off again"
Knipples
11-09-2008, 18:23
Um they dont actually "fly" the plane most of the time these days, a computer does it for them. They just check things and keep an eye on them. I think they do take off and landing themselves though.
Thats what I was told anyway when I asked how they could fly a plane if the windows were so tiny.
They do have window wipers.
TinkerBell
11-09-2008, 18:26
Eeeeek, that is slightly worrying, computers flying flying me around the world!
Do they? :shocked: How do they not fly off when the plane is in the air? :confused:
Kell_ee001
11-09-2008, 18:27
Don't they also generally fly above the clouds?
TinkerBell
11-09-2008, 18:30
Yeah I know, but when they take off they are still below the clouds! So this is where my question came from!
This is what happens when you drive on the motorway at 8 in the morning, in the rain to the airport! :p
How do they not fly off when the plane is in the air? :confused:
They don't get them from Halfords? :evil:
Anyone mind if I answer here?
They do have wipers (sometimes), as they need to be able to see out when they are taxiing around (or during really slow flight, which is rare). Some planes just a jet of air instead.
At high speeds, you really don't need them as the air speed is enough to clear the screen. If it's too heavy to clear that way, chances are you can't see anything anyway.
And yes, they do still fly them.
Knipples
11-09-2008, 19:19
So its not a computer and never is?
(im not doubting you just wondering because thats what I was led to believe, happy to understand otherwise though :) )
killerkebab
11-09-2008, 19:20
Goose has it - speed is such that any water is blown off the screen. As for takeoff/landings, my understanding is that in very low visibility conditions, IFR(Instrument Flight Rules) are in place and your progress is monitored by computers onboard and in the control tower, who feed the aircraft with optimal approach angles/speeds.
Kell_ee001
11-09-2008, 19:21
Goose has it
Well obviously! :D He IS Goose! :p
TinkerBell
11-09-2008, 19:25
OooooOOoooooooo all sounds very interesting! :D What sort of wipers are they? Supppper supppper sticky ones? :p
Dankies for your response. I am sure there are many other daft questions I have stored somewhere up there.
Don't forget, they still need to be able to see the runway from a certain distance away, just for safety.
Also the wiper blades themselves are vertical like a bus. So the wind goes the same direction...
At least some of them are... :D
Well obviously! :D He IS Goose! :p
:lubu:
Haven't you seen Airplane? :D Good documentary on aircraft ;)
Aww bless young Tinkerbell :p You know the planes land themselves now too yeah? I think it's called ILS? In fact Goose will no doubt correct me, but I believe there have been flights where pilots have not had to touch the controls once other than information gathering and radio - I don't think they did it with passengers on board though. Also auto-pilot is just that it flights the plane for you automatically. Furthermore if you ever sat in the cockpit of a large plane you can hardly see in front of you, the side windows yes but straight ahead, there's hardly a need unless you're taxiing or coming in on approach. I wish they still allowed you to sit on the flight deck :( I miss those days.
The Eurofighter has so many computers that if they malfunctioned the plane would actually crash because the pilot wouldn't be able to control the plane owing to it being so aerodynamically unstable - fascinating if you ask me.
The Eurofighter has so many computers that if they malfunctioned the plane would actually crash because the pilot wouldn't be able to control the plane owing to it being so aerodynamically unstable - fascinating if you ask me.
It also has an AWESOME engine containing some bits wot I buy :D :cool: Pride++++
It's thanks to you Kate that we have it. Thank you!
No problem. Just doing my duty sir ;)
The Eurofighter has a bunch of thermal imagers which are sold through the company I work for and to some extent partly designed by one of our engineers.
Well you're my hero too Paul! :D
I should bloody well hope so too!
TinkerBell
14-09-2008, 11:17
Thankyou Goose for the awesome responses :D
Also the wiper blades themselves are vertical like a bus. So the wind goes the same direction...
At least some of them are... :D
That is GENIUS! I never thought of that! :D :p
Aww bless young Tinkerbell :pYou know the planes land themselves now too yeah? I think it's called ILS? In fact Goose will no doubt correct me, but I believe there have been flights where pilots have not had to touch the controls once other than information gathering and radio - I don't think they did it with passengers on board though. Also auto-pilot is just that it flights the plane for you automatically. Furthermore if you ever sat in the cockpit of a large plane you can hardly see in front of you, the side windows yes but straight ahead, there's hardly a need unless you're taxiing or coming in on approach. I wish they still allowed you to sit on the flight deck :(I miss those days.
Yes I am young :p Still learning in fact! I knew they had auto pilot but I assumed the pilots did something! Other than just checking the computers are working otherwise surely the pilots would be called computer techs! I want to sit in the flight deck, that sounds SOOOOO coool!!!! Damn to being young and not around in those years :p
AND I have another question!
Do cats and dogs get pins and needles?!?
Just back to the original questions, aeroplanes can land themselves providing the airport is suitably equipped. However most of the time the autopilot will fly the plane from a few seconds after takeoff until very close to landing where the pilot will disable the autopilot and hand fly the final approach and landing. Pilots like to actually fly the 'plane and the landing is one of the few chances they get for manual handling.
Of course, the pilot has to program the autopilot which is a job in itself!
Except where visibility is incredibly poor where the aircraft can and in some situations must perform an autoland. It can read the ILS (Will, the ILS is the system at the airport which provides a 'beam' for the aircraft to fly down, it's not the system in the aircraft itself) and doesn't need a visual sighting of the runway. If the pilot is flying manually he must be able to see the runway at 'decision height' and if he can't then he must abort the landing and go around for another try or divert.
(Pilot in the context of this post means either Captain or First Officer and I am of course talking about commercial aircraft)
Oooh, tricky question as dogs can't run around going 'ow ow ow'!
Will, you are correct sir. There are 3 main categories of ILS, each giving different levels of accuracy. Category IIIc is the best, and allows the plane to land via autoland no matter what visibility. It's a little scary to think about it, as it means the plane could land on the runway at night, with no runway lights. Scary stuff.
It all comes down to workload. Some use autolanding a few times a year, some use it far more often. In fact, I bet it varies tons from company to company. Also, it depends on the airport itself (and the certification!).
Some companies insist that new pilots use autopilot pretty much constantly, so they can concentrate on take-offs and landings (the important parts!). Also, if there is a problem at any point, the autopilot does have a limit to what it can handle, so it tends to be safer to do certain parts of the flight by hand.
Edit: Feek, :lubu:
AboveTheSalt
14-09-2008, 11:45
Eeeeek, that is slightly worrying, computers flying me around the world!To be honest, I would probably be happier being flown by a computer than a human.
As I understand it, the recent Spanair MD82 crash at Madrid airport which killed some 150 people was probably due to the Pilot (or First Officer) failing to deploy the wing flaps and slats (which increase lift at low speeds) - as a result, the plane simply fell out of the sky after take-off.
What I don't like is the fly-by-wire systems, remember Paris where the driver advanced the throttles but the Airbus decided not to do it and he went through the trees?
It's partly why I don't like the Airbus range.
AboveTheSalt
14-09-2008, 12:34
What I don't like is the fly-by-wire systems, remember Paris where the driver advanced the throttles but the Airbus decided not to do it and he went through the trees?
It's partly why I don't like the Airbus range.Happened ten years ago on a very early model A320 and so far as I am aware, has not happened again:The newly delivered Airbus A.320 was to perform for Air Charter a series of flights on behalf of the Mulhouse Flying Club. The crew were to overfly Mulhouse-Habsheim airport two times (first at low speed, gear down at 100 feet and the other at high speed in clean configuration) as part of an airshow.
The aircraft took off from Basle-Mulhouse (BSL) at 14:41 and climbed to 1000 feet agl. The crew started the descent three minutes later and Habsheim was in sight at 450 feet agl. The first officer informed the captain that the aircraft was reaching 100 feet at 14:45:14. The descent continued to 50 feet 8 seconds later and further to 30-35 feet. Go-around power was added at 14:45:35. The A.320 continued and touched trees at the end of the runway at 14:45:40 with a 14 deg. pitch attitude and engine speed being 83% N1. The plane sank slowly into the forest and a fire broke out.
PROBABLE CAUSES: "The Commission believes that the accident resulted from the combination of the following conditions: 1) very low flyover height, lower than surrounding obstacles; 2) speed very slow and reducing to reach maximum possible angle of attack; 3) engine speed at flight idle; 4) late application of go-around power. This combination led to impact of the aircraft with the trees. The Commission believes that if the descent below 100 feet was not deliberate, it may have resulted from failure to take proper account of the visual and aural information intended to give the height of the aircraft." (Link (http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19880626-0))
Oh I know that, it's just that certain things stick in ones mind and that's one of them. It was nearer 20 years ago though :p
TinkerBell
11-10-2008, 09:52
Just had another question come to mind!! :p
Why do some whale's have a curved fin? Like in the picture below
http://www.indianphotography.net/zenphoto/cache/travel%20usa/free-willy.jpg_595.jpg
Matblack
11-10-2008, 10:02
Scientists are not sure why the dorsal fins of some killer whales flop over and the dorsal fins of other do not.The dorsal fins of killer whales are supported only by connective tissue and not bone. In a study of killer whales in New Zealand waters, 23% of the wild males had dorsal fins that bent over. Newborn killer whales all have floppy dorsal fins that stiffen a few days after birth.
Scientists have a couple of theories as to why the dorsal fins of some killer whales flop over. One theory is that the surrounding water helps support the dorsal fin. A killer whale that spends more time at the surface, with its fin protruding out of the water, has a greater tendency for its fin to bend. Additionally, collagen becomes more flexible when warmed, such as if it is exposed to sunlight. Another theory supports a genetic tendency for a dorsal fin to bend. These two factors may work in combination or there may be other factors involved. The dorsal fin of an adult male killer whale can grow to six feet tall, which may be why their fins have a greater tendency to bend. Neither the shape nor the droop of a whale's dorsal fin are indicators of a killer whale's health or well-being.
http://seaworld-shamu.blogspot.com/2007/08/seaworld-shamu-faq-killer-whales.html
MB
leowyatt
11-10-2008, 10:30
hehe the thread reminds me of this (http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/shows/evans/foxthefox.shtml), cue music (http://www.thenoodlebowl.com/jesters/downloads/Danny%20Kaye%20-%20The%20Court%20Jester%20-%20Outfox%20The%20Fox.mp3)
vBulletin® v3.7.4, Copyright ©2000-2025, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.