AvFacts - Aviation knowledge without limits

Latest Episodes:

#24: Noise Abatement Departure Procedures Sep 18, 2018

Show notes

Noise is one of the most persistent issues in aviation. People want to fly, but when it comes to noise, they want to pretend flying doesn’t exist. I’ll be doing multiple episodes on noise abatement in the future, but for starters, in this episode I’m talking noise abatement departure procedures (NADPs): what they are, how they’re flown, and how they’re used to reduce the environmental impact of airliners on noise-sensitive communities.

#23: Air Traffic Control Technology: Past, Present, and Future Aug 17, 2018

Show notes

There are many technologies pilots and ATC use to locate aircraft and avoid mid-air collisions. The most important is the pilot’s own eyeballs. But beyond that, many other technologies work together to keep aircraft separated. Today I’m going to be discussing primary and secondary radar, traffic collision avoidance systems (TCAS), and automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B).

#22: Turn Circles and One/Two-Circle Fights Jul 24, 2018

Show notes

Turn circles are a fundamental concept in basic fighter maneuvers, or BFM -- the skill of dogfighting. In this episode I will cover the mechanics of turn circles, including rate and radius. I’ll also cover entry windows, and the basics of the one-circle and two-circle fight.

#21: RVSM Airspace Jul 08, 2018

Show notes

Altimeters get less accurate the higher you go. For the longest time, the rules required that airplanes flying above 29,000 feet have 2,000 feet of separation between them, instead of the usual 1,000 feet. But with more and more airliners flying, we needed a way to double the capacity of the flight levels. Enter reduced vertical separation minima, or RVSM: The rules and restrictions that allow us to pack them in even in thinner air.

#20: Carrier Departures and Recoveries Jun 16, 2018

Show notes

There are multiple ways for Navy and Marine aircraft to launch and recover to an aircraft carrier, and it all depends on the weather and visibility. In this episode, I discuss the different ways that carrier aircraft are launched and recovered.

#19: Private Pilots and Ride-Sharing May 16, 2018

Show notes

The private pilot certificate is the first license that many pilots get. It’s a handy certificate that allows the pilot to fly their friends and family around, but they can’t take money. There are only a few very limited exceptions in which a pilot can take money or other consideration for a flight. In this episode, I’ll talk about these exceptions, and why a pilot can’t just go on Craigslist looking for a passenger.

#18: Do Airlines Weigh Passengers? May 03, 2018

Show notes

Do airlines weigh passengers? Nope. There are no hidden scales on jetways. Instead, airlines must estimate the weight of their precious cargo, to ensure they don't take off overweight or out of balance. In today’s episode, I’ll talk about how this works, and how it’s led to some unfortunate accidents when it isn’t done right.

#17: Electronic Countermeasures Apr 22, 2018

Show notes

Electronic countermeasures (ECM) includes radio and radar jamming — it’s the techniques we use to deny an adversary the use of their electronic equipment. ECM is a cat-and-mouse game. Radar jamming started as simple noise jamming, but as radars became more sophisticated, ECM techniques have had to increase in sophistication too. Learn about the origins of ECM and how modern ECM works.

#16: Angle of Attack and the Stall Apr 13, 2018

Show notes

Angle of attack is the single most important number in aeronautics. It literally means the difference between flying and falling. Let it get too high, and your airplane can enter a stall, where the wings are no longer able to effectively generate lift. In today’s episode, I talk about what angle of attack is, why it matters, what a stall is, and how we get into and out of them.

#15: Scotch Whisky Mar 21, 2018

Show notes

Scotch whisky is an alcoholic drink made from malted barley, aged for at least three years, and produced in Scotland. Scotch whisky is categorized by its origin, one of five regions in Scotland, each of which has its own distinct flavor, primarily due to the water and soil in which the barley is grown. In this episode, I’ll walk you through what exactly Scotch whisky is, the different varieties and their flavor profiles, and how best to enjoy it.

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