The Plane Truth

In this episode Matt asks a listener question about aircraft performance calculations. What are they? What needs to be taken into consideration before a flight? Do pilots use 100% of the engine on Take-Off?

Do you know the difference between the Captain and the First Officer on an aircraft? Is there a difference between Captain and Commander? How do you become a captain? What sort of training is involved?

Is deicing a plane as easy as deicing your car? What products are used? Do planes have de-icing systems available? What do you need to consider as the captain of an aircraft? Is it ever too cold to fly?

Have you ever been frozen as a passenger on an airplane? Why is it always so cold on an airplane? Or why is it always too hot on an airplane? Who controls the temperature of the cabin? What tricks do crew use to keep everyone happy? Are there other solutions?

We answer a question from viewer Sir Hingle all about emergency evacuations and belly landings. What is a belly landing? What happens to passengers after a plane crash? Who is responsible to get the passengers home? What do the pilots think about after a plane crash before they start to evacuate the aircraft?

How do flights get callsigns? Why do planes and pilots need callsigns? Are there ever any duplicates? Does Air Traffic Control influence aircraft callsigns? What callsigns do the Royal Family use?

Have you ever wondered what blue ice is? Does human waste fall from the skies? Has blue ice ever landed in your garden? Well, what is it? Why does it fall and is it a thing of days gone by yet?

This week Matt asks where is the safest place to sit on an aircraft? Airplanes are super safe these days but if you're in a plane crash, where should you sit for the best chance of survival? Is there even a best seat?

This week Matt asks What are the wingtips on an airplane and what do they do? When were they introduced? Do different wingtip shapes have different functions?

Join Matt, a nervous flyer, and Captain Al, a seasoned Airbus A320 airline pilot as they discuss some myths and frequently asked questions about all things aviation. This week Matt asks if airplanes have keys and if not, how do pilots start an airplane? What is the barking dog sound on the A320 and why do passengers hear it during start up? Captain Al takes us through a start up of a commercial aircraft from cold and dark all the way to taxiing to the runway.

This week Captain Al answers questions all about loading and balancing of an aircraft. How centre of gravity is calculated and what considerations need to be taken when carrying unusual cargo.

Each country has its own way of measuring all sorts of things. So what happens in aviation with pilots and planes flying all over the world? Do pilots use meters or feet? Kilograms or pounds? Celsius or Fahrenheit? What is a knot when we're talking about speeds and why are nautical miles used?

I'm sure many would agree that parking a car is never a favourite part of driving for me. What's it like steering and parking a plane? They can be giant machines and while they're beautiful in the skies, what are they like on the ground? What do pilots need to be aware of when taxiing the aircraft and what happens if you need to do a u-turn?

Winter is well and truly upon us and we all know of the chaos it can bring to airports. Today we discuss how airplanes stop on contaminated runways. Come rain, snow, ice, what does it take to keep our airlines landing and taking off. We talk breaking action, ABS (anti-lock breaking system) on commercial jets and how pilots plan for this on the line.

There are enormous amounts of acronyms, abbreviations, technical terms and such in aviation. Is there a common language in aviation? How do all air traffic controllers and pilots talk to each other with so many languages all over the world? And what about the language of time and time zones?

It's no surprise that our pilots that bring us safely to our destinations all around the world need solid training and many licenses before they carry passengers. So how does pilots licensing work? Can one license cover everything? What is a type rating and why is important in aviation?

It's depressurization and decompression that we're talking about today. What happens in a rapid decompression? How about a slow decompression? What danger does hypoxia cause in the cockpit. And what happens if there's a hole in the aircraft?

What happens if a plane loses and engine? What do pilots need to consider when an engine failure occurs? Is a stricken plane doomed to crash or can it fly with one engine?

What happens if a plane loses and engine? What do pilots need to consider when an engine failure occurs? Is a stricken plane doomed to crash or can it fly with one engine?

Pilots & Cabin Crew work long hours to get us where we need to be. But how long can pilots work for? Are there time limits and what happens on ultra long haul flights? Can crew sleep on the flight deck? Where do cabin crew sleep on the plane?