Aviation Trivia Questions

[PatR]

Ok, so we’ve all seen posts about landings so perhaps we can have a moment of fun with what defines them.

So in the world of aviation, what is the common definition of a “good” landing?

What is the common definition of a “great” landing?

Long time full scale pilots prolly know the answers by heart but I hope they will refrain from posting the answers until after a few non pilot answers are posted.

For the non pilots, don’t “cheat” and use the web to look them up.

Have fun[emoji4]

 

[DoomMeister]

So in the world of aviation, what is the common definition of a “good” landing?
You live to tell about it
What is the common definition of a “great” landing?
You live to tell about it, when for all practical purposes you shouldn’t have

Giving credit to Chuck Yeager - a good landing is one you can walk away from and a great landing is one where the aircraft is usable the next day.

 

[PatR]

You nailed it in the second half[emoji106]

 

[Steve Carr]

Obviously all of my landings qualify as Good Landings. Some of them meet the Great Landing status.

 

[DCH]

Obviously all of my landings qualify as Good Landings. Some of them meet the Great Landing status.

Except doesn't the term "Landing" Imply that the flight ends at the point of contact with land or a landing strip, or pad, e.g. terra firma, or a dedicated platform on a building, or sea going vessel?

I don't think interfacing with tree tops constitutes a landing per se, either good, great, or bad. Actually Steve, what you are doing is called "Treeing". But I will admit that all of your Treeings have been great treeings!

 

[Steve Carr]

interfacing with tree tops

Trees provide a safe haven for birds of all types.

 

[DoomMeister]

You nailed it in the second half[emoji106]

The first are my warped sense of humor leaking out.

Chuck is one of my favorite “characters/hero” from Air Force history/lore and his definitions are actually a test pilot’s definition for those terms.

Commercial pilots define them somewhat differently:
Good - single touch down with no popped tires
Great - a touch down that you can hardly feel the interface with the runway.

 

[AH-1G]

The first are my warped sense of humor leaking out.

Chuck is one of my favorite “characters/hero” from Air Force history/lore and his definitions are actually a test pilot’s definition for those terms.

Commercial pilots define them somewhat differently:
Good - single touch down with no popped tires
Great - a touch down that you can hardly feel the interface with the runway.

I had a "Great" once in my entire flying career at Butts AF, Ft. Carson. There was snow on the runway and I was waiting to feel the touch down then realized "ohhh ?"

 

[PatR]

When reviewing the definitions of a landing we should bear in mind there’s a significant difference between a landing and an arrival. I think unless there is assurance of a remotely controlled take off from a tree top, and if the aircraft flew in/on the tree under its own power, it wasn’t a landing, it was an arrival. The NTSB might call it controlled flight into terrain[emoji6]

 

[PatR]

Next trivia question;

In aviation, when will runway numbers not always align with their compass heading? We know the runways numbered 24 would align with a west heading of 240, runway 18 would align with a south heading of 180, etc., but when would those numbers not align +/- 5* of the compass?

 

[Steve Carr]

Ah ha..........this might explain the difficulty so many people experience in landing the 480?????

 

[PatR]

They need to stop confusing aviation with snow boarding, and learn how to measure.

 

[PatR]

In aviation any "great" landing usually requires the rubber side down … not [emoji854]

With all due respect, this and your following post in no way aligns with the intent of this thread. The intent was to have some fun with actual aviation trivia, using subjects where people can learn more about aviation, common practices, slang, and other useful aspects of the aviation world we all are expected to interact with.

The questions are intended to encourage people to think, not flippantly respond with irrelevant subject matter. If you don’t have a clue, withhold your response until enough relevant answers have been posted that you learned enough to be relevant, or ask a question to obtain further expansion.

 

[Mostbestus]

My apology ...I incorrectly identified my post with some others that seemed flippant. I can accept your criticism, as well as endeavor to adjust my future posts.

 

[PatR]

It looks like the runway number/heading question might have been a stumper so we’ll do a give away with this one.

The answer; the runway number will not coincide with a magnetic compass heading when the runway belongs to an aircraft carrier. The number on the flight deck will be the ship’s hull number.

 

[DoomMeister]

Pretty sure I know this one Pat, but I’m giving others a chance to answer. I don’t want to be a glutton.
Edit:
I was going to say precession of the Earth’s magnetic field. Do they have to renumber a runway when it no longer is +/-5 deg of magnetic heading?

 

[PatR]

Darn, I posted just before you did.

 

[Truman]

So in the world of aviation, what is the common definition of a “good” landing?
You live to tell about it
What is the common definition of a “great” landing?
You live to tell about it, when for all practical purposes you shouldn’t have

Giving credit to Chuck Yeager - a good landing is one you can walk away from and a great landing is one where the aircraft is usable the next day.

A friend of mine wrote a book about flying. In it he stated " You know you forgot to lower the landing gear when it takes full power to taxi to the gate"!