Why Do Airplanes Leave a White Smoke Trail in Their Wake?
When you look up the sky on a clear and sunny day, you may see white smoke trails left behind...
How Autopilot Works In Modern-Day Airplanes
It’s not uncommon for modern-day airplanes — especially larger commercial airplanes — to have an autopilot system. Even if you’re...
Why Are Airplanes Manufactured With Riveted Joints Instead of Welded?
From the Airbus A330 to the Boeing 787, practically all commercial aircraft are manufactured with riveted joints instead of welded...
How Are Airplanes Electrically Grounded?
Grounding is essential to creating a safe environment when using high-powered electrical devices. If a device malfunctions and begins drawing...
What Is ‘Reverse Thrust’ in Airplanes and How Does It Work?
Commercial airplanes today use complex control systems consisting of hundreds of dials, knobs, buttons, switches, levers and more. Whether it’s...
How Firefighting Airplanes Work
Ground forces are just one tool used to prevent, control and extinguish wildfires. While essential to firefighting operations, air forces...
Why Do Airplanes Fly in Earth’s Troposphere?
Although there are exceptions, most commercial jets fly at around 28,000 to 35,000 feet. Being that Earth’s troposphere is between...
Why Airplanes Have Extended Wing Flaps
The next time you fly in a commercial jet, look out the window during takeoff and you’ll probably see that...
Do Airplanes Dump Fuel in Midair? Get the Facts
With an average cost of about $5 to $6 per gallon, jet fuel isn’t cheap, especially when you consider that...
Why Planes Don’t Fly In A Straight Line On A Map
The next time you fly, whether domestic or international, take a look a look at the flight map. You may...