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Aviation/Flying/Questions Answered by Expert Ned Dolan
| Subject | Date Asked |
| Boeing 757 | 12/12/2011 |
| Q: Does the autoflight system on the B757 have the ability to track a VOR radial? A: no, the 757 guidance system will not track a VOR radial. The 757 uses 3 ring laser gyros that give ... | |
| setting personal wind limitations in a pa 30 and techniques for landing a pa 30 | 11/25/2010 |
| Q: I have 750 hours flight time and fly a pa 30 but tend to avoid gusty days but this limits the ... A: Limits for crosswind landings are a very personal subjective choice. Therefore I cannot help you ... | |
| Piloting | 10/18/2010 |
| Q: My name is Aline Lin, and I am from Bucklands Beach Intermediate. We are currently doing a project ... A: 1. To fly airplanes, of course. 2. The basics are pretty easy for some with good motor skills 3. The ... | |
| Flight patterns | 7/24/2010 |
| Q: I always believed planes land and take off by the direction of the wind, But it seems that they seem ... A: when wind speed is high it dictates the runway used for landing and takeoff. However at light wind ... | |
| flight routes and distances - political? | 2/24/2010 |
| Q: is it normal or even possible to fly ' around ' certian countries if they are not friendly to ... A: I don't have any real up to date info on this subject. However, I can answer the question in ... | |
| Aircraft landing light system | 1/20/2010 |
| Q: Sir, Why do we use landing light systems in aircrafts,under what conditions it is used? different ... A: I will confine my answer to commercial airliners. The lights are used to advertise the aircraft's ... | |
| Landing of a commercial airline | 1/11/2010 |
| Q: After the recent AA crash in Kingston Jamaica we had a hot topic discussion at my work place. The ... A: the short answer is no. Under ideal conditions the engines are put to idle power at 50 feet above ... | |
| Flying in extream cold | 1/4/2010 |
| Q: My husband and I are leaving on a trip Thurs. The weather forecast is calling for a low of 7 the ... A: no the fact that it is cold would not be a reason, in itself, for a late departure. That said, the ... | |
| Some questions in becoming a pilot for any airline | 1/3/2010 |
| Q: i am a 15 year old African American male living in Maryland, and i had a few questions to ask you, ... A: let me answer your last question first. I think it is always a good time to be an airline pilot. The ... | |
| decent angle | 12/7/2009 |
| Q: what is the average decent angle on commercial airplanes? does it remain the same from beginning to ... A: A jet aircraft descending from altitude is constrained by air traffic in most instances. However the ... | |
| Is this correct yes or no | 11/25/2009 |
| Q: Are pilots of commercial aircraft such as American, Continental, Delta, Northwest, United, US ... A: VHF transmissions are received in "line of sight". That means if the receiver is within line of ... | |
| Is this correct yes or no | 11/24/2009 |
| Q: Are pilots of commercial aircraft such as American, Continental, Delta, Northwest, United, US ... A: Since VHF is line of sight, a normal maximum distance for the type of radios we have on board ... | |
| Is this correct yes or no | 11/24/2009 |
| Q: Are pilots of commercial aircraft such as American, Continental, Delta, Northwest, United, US ... A: In my experience commercial airline pilots do not, and are not required to, monitor 121.5 during ... | |
| ATTITUDE | 10/5/2009 |
| Q: Can you please explain to, in simple terms, what ATTITUDE is in Aviation. Regards, JM Makua ANSWER: ... A: The only thing I can think of would be a pitch or roll attitude in excess of what would be ... | |
| ATTITUDE | 10/2/2009 |
| Q: Can you please explain to, in simple terms, what ATTITUDE is in Aviation. Regards, JM Makua A: Attitude describes the aircraft position in relation the the earth and thus in relation to gravity. ... | |
| Flying careers | 9/19/2009 |
| Q: When is it too late to consider a flying career? Is a career in aviation a good idea in current ... A: there is no real answer to your first question. Learning to fly is not age related and there is no ... | |
| rate of decent for commercial planes ?? | 9/10/2009 |
| Q: My wife has a perforated eardrum and has significant pain problems on some flights, but not on ... A: The pressurization system on commercial jets is automatically controlled. The normal maximum cabin ... | |
| Pilots and Stewards | 11/21/2008 |
| Q: I am writing a TV show and need to know what pilots and stewards do before a flight. Do they all go ... A: The normal check in period for flights is 1 or 1.5 hours before departure time, the longer time for ... | |
| Piloting Careers | 9/19/2008 |
| Q: Which is the best paying piloting career? What is the difference between an Air-line pilot and a ... A: In general flying for major scheduled international carriers are the better paying jobs. Of course ... | |
| Aviation Colleges | 9/19/2008 |
| Q: Which are some of the best aviation colleges with recognition? What are the chances of an ... A: the following web pages are about two very reputable aviation schools. ... | |
| gcse and qualifacations needed to become a pilot | 7/7/2008 |
| Q: I am looking to be a pilot when I leave school and this year i have picked subjects to do GCSE in. I ... A: the subjects you have chosen should be what you need to prepare for a flying career. Most airlines ... | |
| Approach plate | 3/18/2008 |
| Q: well here it is. This is a question about a GPS approach plate. The approach is at N07 in New ... A: sorry this is late, but I was out of contact for a few days. I hope this helps. Ned From the FAA ... | |
| advice for a young person | 12/12/2007 |
| Q: My grandson (14) has been interested in becoming a commercial airline pilot for nearly 3 years. I ... A: there are no "summer camp" that I know of. However, your local airport will probably provide flying ... | |
| Taxes and Pilots | 10/5/2007 |
| Q: Do you pay tax in all the states you fly to. How does that work? A: no, we don't have to pay taxes to all states. Only the one of our residence. Several states have ... | |
| ballooning | 9/18/2007 |
| Q: Ned, What is a typical salary for a hot air balloon pilot? What is the cost of the training ... A: sorry I don't have any of the information you requested. You may have better luck if you contact ... | |
| flight attendant | 8/18/2007 |
| Q: Your question was hi there. my name is cong and im in year 11 next year. i want to be a flight ... A: It's only hard if you don't like the job.Like I said...you need to be very flexible and willing to ... | |
| flight attendant | 8/16/2007 |
| Q: Your question was hi there. my name is cong and im in year 11 next year. i want to be a flight ... A: cong...there really isn't any specific subjects you need to learn. being fluent in at least 2 ... | |
| Fear of Flying over Ocean | 7/12/2007 |
| Q: My family is flying from NY to Honolulu soon. I have never flown over the ocean and am a little ... A: Federal Aviation Rules and common sense require that aircraft flying over the ocean are required to ... | |
| what do you need to become an airline pilot? | 5/29/2007 |
| Q: I would just like to know what degrees/GCSE's you need to become a comercial pilot, because i've ... A: the license you need to become a commercial pilot is issued by the FAA and there are no educational ... | |
| Pilot Contract Obligations | 2/17/2007 |
| Q: My question regards the obligations of a newly hired pilot for a major regional airline. My ... A: most flying jobs do not include a contract that would require repayment for training. That said, let ... | |
| How to become an airline pilot | 1/9/2007 |
| Q: I've been interested in becoming an airline pilot for sometime now and I've finally decided that ... A: Sorry I can't recommend any of the flight schools. As to airline requirements, they are subject to ... | |
| formula | 10/28/2006 |
| Q: Dolan, Would you happen to know the basic formula to find the distance seen per elevation? Thanks ... A: no I don't, but the following is from "Piloting, Seamanship and small boat handling" The distance a ... | |
| Class E airspace extension (surface area) | 9/17/2006 |
| Q: Ned, Sounds like you might know a little something on this. I fly in the San Diego area. In the ... A: Scott, I don't know if there is a place in the FARs that answers your question. I did find the ... | |
| Plane windows | 7/31/2006 |
| Q: Why on large commercail planes must you have the window blinds open on take-off and landing of the ... A: I think the answer is the desire to have the interior lighting of the aircraft and the external ... | |
| Another day at work | 7/26/2006 |
| Q: I was just wondering if you explain to me the typical day of a commerical pilot from the time he ... A: There are many, many answers to your question depending on what type of flying the pilot is doing. ... | |
| IS THIS A GOOD IDEA ABOUT SCHOOLING FOR A COMMERCIAL PILOT | 7/1/2006 |
| Q: I AM THINKING ABOUT ATTENDING PHOENIX EAST AVIATION TO RECEIVE MY COMMERCIAL LICENSE FOR MAJOR ... A: It is a tough road to get the hours. You can do it many ways. There is always a need for ... | |
| Aviation Career (Proffesional Pilot) | 5/31/2006 |
| Q: I always wanted to become a pilot. It was my dream since childhood. Currently i am finishing lessons ... A: Sorry but this question is beyond my knowledge base. I know that the University of North Dakota has ... | |
| Aircraft Lighting | 5/26/2006 |
| Q: Why do aircraft dim the cabin lights on take off and landing ? A: B.J., I have been told that the reason for dimming the cabin lights before landing and take off is ... | |
| Piloting | 4/21/2006 |
| Q: How long does it take to become a captin? A: there is no one answer to this question. At some airlines it can take as little as a few years and ... | |
| Personal | 4/10/2006 |
| Q: Why did you pick this career? A: Tara, I was raised on a small airport and by the age of 10 or so I knew I wanted to have a career as ... | |
| RADAR range information | 3/20/2006 |
| Q: I am a third year student studying Aviation Technology at the University of Leeds, England. I am ... A: In regards to range information during an ILS approach: The outer marker is the primary range ... | |
| CRJ/Learjet instruction | 2/28/2006 |
| Q: I fly MSFS2004 quite often. I am aspiring to become a professional pilot as well.I am trying to find ... A: I am not aware of any way to get the data you want. Perhaps you could contact the manufacturers. ... | |
| Ground Effect and Lift. | 2/10/2006 |
| Q: Ground effect has been described to me simply as a bubble of air, and that seems to be what the FAA ... A: Ground effect is caused by the interference of the ground or water surface beneath the aircraft with ... | |
| Becoming a Airline Pilot. | 1/20/2006 |
| Q: My Name is John Delport. What is the fastest and the cheapest way of become a pilot of an airliner? ... A: sorry this is late, but I just returned from the hospital after getting a new knee. The fastest way ... | |
| I am interested in getting... | 12/29/2005 |
| Q: I am interested in getting a B737 and/or A320 type rating. Could you recommend a few good places ... A: sorry I don't have any good info on the most cost effective way to get those ratings. I do know that ... | |
| Piloting | 12/2/2005 |
| Q: I would like to know what has to be done to actually make an airplane take off. In a car, for ... A: I'm not sure just what items you are interested in. However, if you assume that the engines have ... | |
| Greetings, Are there DVD's... | 11/25/2005 |
| Q: Greetings, Are there DVD's available that provide a detailed explanation on the following: - FMS - ... A: I'm sure there are DVDs of the type you need, but have no idea where you could get them. Each ... | |
| engine noises | 11/6/2005 |
| Q: The other day when I has flying with my father on a southwest plane, I noticed that the engine sound ... A: this sounds like an out of sync pair of engines. If the engine speed (rotation speed) is different ... | |
| Fear of Flying | 11/2/2005 |
| Q: Is it true that it is not as safe to fly in the winter months due to the fact that a plane traveling ... A: I guess you could say that flying is more safe in the summer months as there is no ice or snow on ... | |
| How can one tell a CRJ from... | 10/20/2005 |
| Q: How can one tell a CRJ from an ERJ just by the appearance? What in your opinion makes one better ... A: These aircraft (CRJ & ERJ) can be very difficult to tell apart. The CRJ does have an APU exhaust at ... | |
| Recording airframe hours | 8/1/2005 |
| Q: Reference Helicopter (preferably). I would like to ask you a question on the recording of airframe ... A: Flying time commences when the aircraft moves under its own power for the purpose of flight and ends ... | |
| Recording airframe hours | 8/1/2005 |
| Q: Reference Helicopter (preferably). I would like to ask you a question on the recording of airframe ... A: Flying time commences when the aircraft moves under its own power for the purpose of flight and ends ... | |
| Rountine speed on domestic flight | 1/27/2005 |
| Q: I understand comercial 737"s can acheive six hundred plus MPH...But isn"t their usual speed on city ... A: Paul, the B737 normally flies at Mach .74, which is 74 percent of the speed of sound. The airspeed ... | |
| Jet flaps and spolier use | 1/5/2005 |
| Q: I was only a private pilot and never had an instrument rating or flew a jet . I now only fly the ... A: I am not familiar with the Airbus line. Each aircraft type will have different limits for deploying ... | |
| Safe planes | 11/11/2004 |
| Q: ned, I will be flying with my dad next week for the first time on a southwest flight. And I am ... A: of course anything is possible. But what you (and the rest of the world) have to look at is what is ... | |
| Descent | 10/19/2004 |
| Q: In a current flight commercial jet, How is calculated the beginning point of descent ? Thanks. A: The most efficient descent is to remain at altitude to a point where a power off descent to about ... | |
| low fares, maintenance cutbacks? | 4/19/2004 |
| Q: There is one more question I would like to ask you. Is it true that Southwest is supposed to be the ... A: You are correct - Southwest does have one of the best safety records in the industry. Their low ... | |
| Aircrafts structure | 4/19/2004 |
| Q: Does the speed of an aircraft eventually wear down the structure of a plane? Possibly breaking up in ... A: No, the speed of an aircraft does not wear down the structure of an aircraft. During the design of ... | |
| Fear of Flying | 4/19/2004 |
| Q: I have one more question i need to ask you before next week when I will be flying. How often does a ... A: Fuel tanks on commercial aircraft have exploded twice. However, this was since we began flying - so ... | |
| Fear of Flying | 4/17/2004 |
| Q: I'm going to be flying next week on a Southwest plane, and I'm scared. Maybe you can ease my mind. ... A: The landing gear on the B737, which is all Southwest uses, is held up in flight by a kind of pin or ... | |
| Why do I notice airliners flying above me more when it's cloudy or rainy? | 2/17/2004 |
| Q: A friend and I have an argument. I claim that commercial planes must fly lower in cloudy / stormy ... A: Tim, sorry, but I can't back up your theory. As a general rule commerical aircraft fly a 3 to 1 ... | |
Aviation/Flying
Answers by Expert:
Ned Dolan
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
38 years as a professional pilot. Worked as an instructor for a major airline, as a tow pilot towing gliders and flew international routes until 1998. Do not know much about the maintenance end of the business.
Experience
Teaching new Captains the skills and knowledge needed to occupy the position. Helping develop procedures for use in a new airplane type. (B757)
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