Q. When the plane takes
off, it seems to slow down and sink back down shortly after take off. What is happening?
A. There is a
couple of reasons for this...
Firstly, you really don't want want to continue at that
rate of climb, its not very comfortable, it will use a lot of fuel and it will be a while before you can be served your food!
So the angle of ascent is lowered, and engine speed is lowered to start a more comfortable and economical climb.
Also ATC limits can play a part in what happens just after take
off. Most airports have standard departures, whereby the pilots follow a pre determined route with altitude and heading stipulated
to allow for traffic control and/or noise abeitment.
So in a nutshell, that sinking feeling is the nose being lowered
and the engine speed being eased. Your NOT going down!
Q. Whilst landing recently
at Leeds/Bradford we seem to be coming in sideways! We were being rocked from side to side and even on the runway we still
seemed to be oscillating for a while before it stopped. It was quite windy, but how safe is this?
A. Whilst landing in strong
winds, you'll feel all kinds of uncomfortable sensations! Basically the pilot is constantly doing battle with the wind to
keep the aircraft "aimed" at the runway, whilst the wind is trying its best to blow the aircraft off course.
The pilot uses the rudder, which is a flap on the tail fin which
moves from side to side, to keep the aircraft on track. The pilot will also adjust engine speed probably several times also
to keep the aircraft on track. All this combined leads to a bouncy approach!
There is several aids to let the pilot know that he is still
on track. The pilot can abort at any point up until "decision" which is around 300 feet.
There are final checks to make before deciding to land. Is the
wind speed ok for this aircraft? Is there any windshear? Along with other standard checks.
Once down, there is no let up with the wind, so the pilot continues
to use the rudder to keep the aircraft straight on the runway until speed is low enough for the wind not to affect the aircraft.
Basically the, pilots really earn their money when landing in
these conditions! But this type of landed is practised regularly in the simulator, so it shouldn't be a new experience when
a pilot first encounters it for real!
THE FOLLOWING LANDING WAS OBSERVED AT LEEDS/BRADFORD DURING HIGH WINDS....
WAS THIS YOU?? - http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=fb0_1201601442
Q What is and what causes turbulence?
A. A number of events can lead to the phenomenon
called turbulence. A condition of fluid flow in which the flow is not smooth!-----Now in more understandable words----The
type of turbulence that affects most flights is a vertical movement of air: the source of which could be orographic uplift,
when air is forced up and over a mountainous region, strong heating of the surface causing warm air to rise being less
dense than the surrounding cooler air, wake turbulence (the following of one aircraft behind another, usually the following
aircraft being smaller and lighter than the leading one), and the cumulus stage (developing stage) and the mature stage
of a thunder storm, this type of turbulence has lead to demise of many an aircraft, the actual type of cloud being of the
cumulo-nimbus type, known to airmen as CB build up and should be avoided at all costs, especially when one considers
that CB can reach the tropoause some 50,000 feet above the ground! Apart from the inconvenience of having to "return
to your seat" or having to "have your seat belt loosely fastened through out the flight while seated", turbulence especially
severe, does have a more sinister side, if the aircraft were to travel too fast through the turbulence structural
failure may occur, if the aircraft were to travel too slow the pitching caused by the turbulence could force the wing passed
its critical angle of attack,and thus stalling the wing, (approximately 16 degrees to the relative airflow), so
what can be done? Well the type of aircraft that you and I would take on vacation or bussiness would be firstly
be eqipped with sophisicated Radar that can be of assistance in depicting certain types of turbulence
(the type associated with storm build up, as there would be a Radar return from the very large water droplets condensing
within the cloud), also Air Traffic Control can warn pilots of previous turbulence reports and thirdly aircrews would be wise
to known areas of turbulence over specific routes ie mountainous terrain, back to oragraphic uplift, with all of
these points airliners can climb or be vectored around these areas with minimal disruption while the passengers in the
back can eat drink sleep etc and know nothing about it. One point to raise now is that while Radar can
be of assistance to certain turbulence, lots of turbulence is of the "clear air turbulence" type, being invisible
to Radar and thus resulting in the need to "keep your seatbelt loosely fastened when in your seat". Now if the pilot
has no choice but to fly through the turbulence he/she can elect to fly at the "turbulence penetration speed" also
known as V-turb (V= Velocity) or VB, this is a compromise speed to avoid stalling the wing on the low speed side,
and over stressing the wing/ airframe on the high speed side as discussed earlier, other procedures would be to
try to keep the wings level with gentle movements of the controls and to actaully allow the aircraft to rise
and fall with the air currents, as a window passenger during turbulence you would be able to watch the wing
flex and even movement of the engine pylons, but aircraft are built to withstand such forces way beyond most turbulence,
and a point to remember is that turbulence affects most flights from time to time whether your flying in a light
single or an Airbus A380 and is perfectly normal.Enjoy.
