What is the white stuff left by planes?
What is the white stuff left by planes? These clouds are contrails, short for condensation trails. Water vapor is one of the byproducts of jet fuel combustion and will turn into ice crystals in the cold air at the high elevations where jet airplanes fly. Those ice crystals create a cloud (the contrail), which does not pose any public health risk.
Why do they wash planes before take off?
Frost changes the wing texture to something like sandpaper. Snow is even worse, it changes the aerodynamic shape of the wing. On a “clean” wing, the air flows smoothly. On a wing “contaminated” with frost or snow, the air has trouble sticking to the wing surface.
Why are planes washed after landing?
The spraying of airplanes as they land is a tradition known as the “water salute.” As explained by Wikipedia, it's performed for ceremonial purposes, such as the retirement of an airplane. When an airplane makes its final flight, it's honored with the water salute once it lands on the tarmac.
Can a plane be too heavy to land?
The maximum landing weight (MLW) is the maximum aircraft gross weight due to design or operational limitations at which an aircraft is permitted to land. The MLW is set in order to ensure safe landings; if an aircraft weighs too heavy during touchdown, it may suffer structural damage or even break apart upon landing.