Large aircraft are defined as those with a maximum takeoff weight of more than 41,000 pounds up to 300,000 pounds. The FAA defines heavy aircraft as those with a maximum takeoff weight of 300,000 pounds or more. These heavy aircraft don’t have to be operating at that weight, but they still get designated as heavy.
Why do pilots say Niner
Aviators often speak “pilot English” to avoid miscommunications over radio transmission. “Tree” for instance, means three, “fife” is the number five and “niner” means nine, says Tom Zecha, a manager at AOPA. The variations stemmed from a desire to avoid confusion between similar-sounding numbers, he says.
What does heavy callsign mean
When an aviation radio call includes the word “heavy” as an addition to a callsign, it references an aircraft’s weight. But the pilots of a 747 aren’t letting ATC know they ate too many donuts at breakfast—the term “heavy” is used as a reminder to all involved that an aircraft leaves a more severe wake in its path.
Why do pilots say v1 rotate
Long story short, pilots say rotate as a verbal queue that the aircraft has reached its predetermined Vr and hence appropriate inputs can be applied to safely pitch the aircraft in a nose-up attitude to gain lift.
What do pilots say when landing
“Ladies and gentlemen, we have begun our descent into [city]. Please turn off all portable electronic devices and stow them until we have arrived at the gate. In preparation for landing in [city], be certain your seat back is straight up and your seat belt is fastened.
What does pan pan pan mean in aviation
The pilots sent out a Pan Pan Pan, signaling that the aircraft was experiencing a problem, but there was no immediate danger. At the time, they believed there was an issue with the air conditioning system and were unaware of the rapidly intensifying fire in the ceiling.
Why do pilots say cactus
That’s what they painted on the outside of the airplanes, but in the cockpit, the call sign pilots used for the combined lines was “Cactus,” which had been the call sign for America West.
Why do pilots say no joy?
A pilot reports “no joy” when an attempt to establish visual or radio contact with another aircraft is unsuccessful; or when an attempt to acquire a target – either visually or on tactical radar – is unsuccessful.
Why do pilots say Charlie
Charlie-Charlie is a fancy substitution for a standard affirmative. It comes from the convention of abbreviating Correct/Yes by letter C in codes. It was early standardized and used at sea since 1857.
How do planes fly if they are so heavy
Instead, the tilt and area of a plane’s wings manipulate the air particles around the plane, creating a strong enough lift that the force of gravity is overcome by the force of the air beneath the wings. Simply put, airplane wings are designed to create a lift force that’s greater than the weight of the plane.
Why does Boeing start with 7
Commercial aircraft were assigned numbers in the 700s. The first plane might well have been named the 700, but it just didn’t sound right to the marketing Mad Men of the era. “Seven-oh-seven” sounded sexier — with a ring like “double-oh-seven.” The naming tradition’s been carried down over the decades.
Is A320 heavy
How heavy is a plane? The wider and bigger the plane, the heavier it is. The wide body aircraft, such as the Boeing 747 (183,520 kg) and Airbus A330 (120,000 kg), are heavier than the narrow body aircraft Boeing 737 (41,413 kg), Airbus A320 (42,400 kg) and Embraer 175 (21,890 kg).
Why do pilots say positive climb
The call of “positive rate” (or climb) is made by the PM as an indication that the aircraft is safely climbing away from the ground. This is confirmed by checking that the altimeter indication is increasing. At this point, it is safe to retract the landing gear.
Why do pilots always sit on the left
Sitting on the left side of the cockpit, the PIC has a better view of the runway during traffic patterns to the left. The left-turning tendencies caused by P-factor, a symmetrical thrust, spiraling slipstream, and torque make it easier for the airplane to turn to the left rather than the right.
At what speed 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). Ultralights have even lower takeoff speeds.
What does heavy mean in aircraft radio
The word “heavy” means a larger aircraft type, with a Maximum Takeoff Weight of 160 tonnes or more. These aircraft create wake turbulence from their wings and require extra separation between following aircraft, and the use of “heavy” reminds other pilots of that fact.
What is the definition of heavier than air aircraft
heavier-than-air in American English
(ˈheviərðənˈɛər) adjective. (of an aircraft) weighing more than the air that it displaces, hence having to obtain lift by aerodynamic means.
Is a Boeing 757 considered a heavy
It is classed as ‘heavy’ despite being a narrowbody aircraft
Due to the wing design of the 757, it can produce strong wingtip vortices. This is what causes wake turbulence for other aircraft when landing or taking off. In some cases, it can be stronger from the 757 than larger widebodies like the 767 or even the 747.
Do pilots fly for free
The short answer is yes – the majority of airlines offer free flights as an employee benefit for pilots and often for their immediate family members.
Why do planes turn after takeoff
During takeoff, air accelerated behind the prop (known as the slipstream) follows a corkscrew pattern. As it wraps itself around the fuselage of your plane, it hits the left side of your aircraft’s tail, creating a yawing motion, and making the aircraft yaw left.
Why is Mayday said 3 times?
Convention requires the word be repeated three times in a row during the initial emergency declaration (“Mayday mayday mayday”) to prevent it being mistaken for some similar-sounding phrase under noisy conditions, and to distinguish an actual mayday call from a message about a mayday call.
Why do planes squawk 7700
The third emergency code is Squawk 7700. This code is used to communicate all emergencies onboard a flight, and is perhaps the best-known example. Depending on the nature and severity, crews may conduct checks before formally declaring an emergency.
What is the Mayday rule
Distress and Urgency Communications
The initial communication, and if considered necessary, any subsequent transmissions by an aircraft in distress should begin with the signal MAYDAY, preferably repeated three times.
What is the coolest callsign
- Dead Walker. In early 1969, the 1st Battalion of the 9th Marine Regiment launched Operation Dewey Canyon.
- Steel Rain.
- Bloody Bucket.
- Chaos.
- RawHide.
- Pyro.
- Rebound.
- SALSA.
Why do pilots say Fox
Fox is a brevity code used by NATO pilots to signal the simulated or actual release of an air-to-air munition or other combat function. Army aviation elements may use a different nomenclature, as the nature of helicopter-fired weapons is almost always air-to-surface.
Why do pilots say Fox 3
At that time “FOX 1” signified a semi-active radar missile (such as the AIM-7 Sparrow). “FOX 2” signified an infrared missile (such as the AIM-9 Sidewinder), and “FOX-3” indicated you had switched to guns.
Do pilots hear clapping
Given all of the above, we can answer that pilots can generally passengers clapping. Of course, there are also situations and factors that can prevent pilots from hearing you as you clap, in which case pilots will find out that you clapped only if they are notified by cabin crew.
Why do pilots say blue skies
Named after the wish “Blue Skies and Tailwinds” that all pilots give each other blessing them with safe travels as they navigate where the birds fly.