Why is the sky darker on a plane?
Why is the sky darker on a plane? The sky looks bright and blue because of the scattering of light by the gas molecules and particles present in the atmosphere. The atmospheric substance is much less at higher altitudes, and the amount of light scattering is much lower. Due to the low scattering of light at high altitudes, the sky looks dark.
Why do they spray water on plane wings?
Deicing fluid, a mixture of a chemical called glycol and water, is generally heated and sprayed under pressure to remove ice and snow on the aircraft. While it removes ice and snow, deicing fluid has a limited ability to prevent further ice from forming.
Can pilots see in the dark?
The truth is that pilots who fly at night will navigate using instruments instead of what they can see outside. This type of flying is conducted under instrument flight rules. Some ground features may be visible, but visual cues aren't normally as reliable in the darkness as in the daytime.
Why do planes dump fuel before landing?
This is because landing can place additional strain on a jet. When a plane lands heavily, it can hit the ground too hard and damage itself. During an emergency, a jet may be forced to land earlier than anticipated. This is where fuel dumping comes into play.
How do planes fly if the Earth is spinning?
Aircraft move through the atmosphere with the Earth's rotation, so its speed is not affected . What would affect aircraft speed is the wind at that altitude, which can cause a flight from London to New Jersey to be two hours longer than the other way.
Why do planes slow down mid flight?
All airplanes will be exposed to drag during flight. They must overcome this aerodynamic force to achieve and maintain lift. Otherwise, airplanes would essentially fall out of the sky. Air brakes are control surfaces that increase drag so that airplanes slow down during flight.
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.
Do planes dump fuel before landing?
While fuel dumps don't happen every day, they're also not uncommon. Nor do they usually represent a major emergency. In fact if an aircraft is taking the time to dump fuel before landing, that's likely an indication that the issue forcing the plane to land is serious but not critical.
What happens if a plane gets struck by lightning?
Some aircraft damage from lightning strikes includes broken lighting and windows, deformed antenna placements, and onboard electronics malfunctions. Other abnormalities or warnings on the flight deck, such as cabin air pressurization problems or false alarms, can occur after your airplane has been struck by lightning.
Do pilots sleep on long flights?
The simple answer is yes, pilots do, and are allowed to sleep during flight but there are strict rules controlling this practice. Pilots would only normally sleep on long haul flights, although sleep on short haul flights is permitted to avoid the effects of fatigue.
Do pilots smoke in the cockpit?
Pilots can and sometimes do smoke in the cockpits of business jets. These can be as large as airliners (see BBJ), but usually aren't. Even when a country and/or airline ban smoking in the flight deck, some pilots will ignore the ban and still light up.
Why do planes do not fly over the Pacific?
The most common reason is that there are no airstrips or airports on many of the small islands, so if a plane had to make an emergency landing, it would be difficult to find a place to land. Additionally, the Pacific Ocean is vast and remote, so if a plane were to go down, it would be very difficult to find.