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Ask Captain Dan: Our Resident Pilot Answers Flight Questions. February 6, 2012

admin — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:30:26 +0000

CFN – Pilot Dan Baz is answering your flying questions here on the Cornwall Free News.

If you have a question about flying you can email Captain Dan or post below.

Question

Are there highways in the sky for airplanes ? How do the pilots know which way to go and when to turn ?Question asked by Karen

Answer

The sky above us, in aviation industry is referred to as airspace. And yes, in this airspace we have a lot of highways, which are called airways. The airways are of course invisible. They are created by electronic beams, transmitted by navigation stations on the ground.

The beams cover an area approximately 14 kilometers wide along the airways. Electronic receivers in airplanes receive these signals from the ground stations. Navigation displays in the flight deck then show the pilots airplane’s relative position to airways. From these displays the pilot can tell if he needs to turn the airplane left or right to fly along the centre line of an airway.

A route from a departure station to destination may consist of several airways. The pilot will transition from one airway to another at intersection points. This is very similar to driving from point A to point B, where you have to drive along several highways to get to your destination.

In modern aircraft this whole navigational process can be automated. Pilots are usually in their flight deck seats 30 minutes to an hour before flight departure. From the flight plan for the flight, they entre airway designators into airplane’s Flight Management Computer. The computer will then generate a continuous path along those airways from departure to destination airports.

The navigation displays in the flight deck show pilots airplane’s relative position to this path. The pilots can then steer the airplane along this path to destination. To use the automation to its full extent, the pilots can engage their assistant, Mr. Autopilot, to steer the airplane automatically along this computed path.

A bit more about Captain Dan:

Captain Dan Baz enrolled in Flight School at the age of 16.

He has completed studies in Aircraft Engineering and Master of Business Administration. He has been at the controls of many different types of aircraft, from single engine Cessnas to large intercontinental jets on global routes.

Over the last four decades he has flown thousands of hours up in the blue sky.

Have a question for the Captain ? Send it to Captain Dan Baz captaindanbaz@yahoo.com Every week a question from the readers will be selected and answer posted in this column.

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Ask Captain Dan: Our Resident Pilot Answers Flight Questions. January 30, 2012

admin — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:12:03 +0000

CFN – Pilot Dan Baz is answering your flying questions here on the Cornwall Free News.

If you have a question about flying you can email Captain Dan or post below.

Question

Are there speed limits in the sky ?Question asked by Michelin.

Answer

Yes, there are speed limits in the sky. There are general speed limits and specific speed limits. At altitudes below 10,000 feet above sea level, maximum speed is 250 knots (450 kms/hr).

Airplanes coming in for landing, descending below 3,000 feet above ground and within 18 kms of an airport must not exceed speed of 200 knots (360 kms/hr). There are speed limits for aircraft circling in a holding pattern. These speed limits vary depending on airplane’s altitude and category of aircraft (jet or propeller).

These are general speed limits, governed by Canadian Air Regulations. In addition to these limits, there may be specific speed limits at certain points in airspace for both departing and arriving airplanes. These speeds are shown on navigation charts.Each aircraft type also has design speed limits, that pilots must respect. There is a structural maximum speed limit. This is to ensure that aerodynamic forces acting on an airplane are not too excessive, thus causing damage to the airplane. For jet airplanes there is also a Speed of Sound limit, Mach limit, to ensure that an airplane will not generate a sonic shock wave. This Mach limit is normally between 80 to 90% of the speed of sound, depending on airplane type.

A bit more about Captain Dan:

Captain Dan Baz enrolled in Flight School at the age of 16.

He has completed studies in Aircraft Engineering and Master of Business Administration. He has been at the controls of many different types of aircraft, from single engine Cessnas to large intercontinental jets on global routes.

Over the last four decades he has flown thousands of hours up in the blue sky.

Have a question for the Captain ? Send it to Captain Dan Baz captaindanbaz@yahoo.com Every week a question from the readers will be selected and answer posted in this column.

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The Cornwall Free News Photo of the Day – Penny Rudderham visits El Macao Dominican Republic – Jan 28, 2012

admin — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 14:17:14 +0000

CFN – Penny Rudderham (Pennymakessense.ca) sent in this vacation photo that has this winter weary scribbler jealous!

It’s our Cornwall Free News Photo of the Day! You don’t have to be from Cornwall to send in your photo or video to us at info@cornwallfreenews.com

From Penny:

One of the most breathtaking sceneries I have ever encountered. Nestled away in a small town El Macao in the Dominican Republic this public beach is one of the top ten beaches in the world.

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Not only did I have the pleasure of visiting here not once but twice. I was vacationing in Punta Cana this past week, with my husband co-workers and friends and stumbled across it while on some resort offered adventure tours. I hope to visit here again in the future.

Wow; now to go out and scrape the frozen Ice off of my car…. It makes me think of calling our sponsor below; Mike Bedard at Platinum Pools & Spas …

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Ask Captain Dan: Our Resident Pilot Answers Flight Questions. January 23, 2012

admin — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:39:04 +0000

CFN – Pilot Dan Baz is answering your flying questions here on the Cornwall Free News.

If you have a question about flying you can email Captain Dan or post below.

Question

What happens to the waste from toilets and sinks ?Question asked by Christopher

Answer

Some say that as the flight progresses and everybody gets rid of their waste, the airplane gets lighter and flies faster. That is not really true. But here is what happens.

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The waste water from washrooms and liquids from galley sinks drain overboard. These liquids exit through drain masts on the bottom of the airplane. The drain masts extend approximately 10 to15 cm’s below the skin of the fuselage. The liquids evaporate or almost instantly turn to ice crystals, depending on the outside air temperature. The air temperature at airplane cruising altitudes can be as low as minus 70 degrees Celsius. To prevent these liquids from freezing onto the drain masts, the masts are electrically heated.

Waste from the toilets goes to holding tanks in the airplane. Some airplanes have a small tank for each toilet. Most newer airplanes have two large holding tanks and vacuum pumps. The waste from the toilets is drawn into the tanks by vacuum. That is why you hear that whoooosh sound when the toilet is flushed. The tanks are emptied on the ground into a tank on a truck. The airplane holding tanks are then flushed with clean water and a pre-charge of small amount of sanitizing liquid is introduced into the tanks. The truck will then dispose of the waste in a proper and sanitary manner.

A bit more about Captain Dan:

Captain Dan Baz enrolled in Flight School at the age of 16.

He has completed studies in Aircraft Engineering and Master of Business Administration. He has been at the controls of many different types of aircraft, from single engine Cessnas to large intercontinental jets on global routes.

Over the last four decades he has flown thousands of hours up in the blue sky.

Have a question for the Captain ? Send it to Captain Dan Baz captaindanbaz@yahoo.com Every week a question from the readers will be selected and answer posted in this column.

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Your Cornwall Free News Photo of the Day – Watamu Kenya from Viewer Veronica Jonna – Jan 18, 2012

admin — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:20:28 +0000

CFN – Veronica Jonna, originally from Milan Italy; and living in San Francisco California, decided to help warm our Candian winter by sharing this photo from her recent trip to Watamu Kenya which is one of the most pristine beaches in Kenya!

Veronica’s passion is fashion which she’s studying and hoping to work in after she graduates.

You don’t have to be from Cornwall to share your photo or video of the day! Email us at info@cornwallfreenews.com to share yours with our viewers.

And for those of you that can’t get away and are in or near Cornwall you can try some of the fine cuisine with world wide flavours at Eight Zero Zero.

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Ask Captain Dan: Flying in Winter ? – Our Resident Pilot Answers Flight Questions. January 17, 2012

admin — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:09:57 +0000

CFN – Pilot Dan Baz is answering your flying questions here on the Cornwall Free News.

If you have a question about flying you can email Captain Dan or post below.

Question

Last winter we flew from Toronto to Calgary. In Calgary we were landing in a snow storm. Do airplanes need any protection or special equipment to safely fly in those conditions ?Question asked by Kristen

Answer

Airplanes are designed to fly in most weather conditions with certain limitations. When an airplane flies through snow, snow and ice tend to accumulate on wing leading edges, engine intakes, flight deck windows and external sensors (which provide aerodynamic information to pilots’ displays and flight control computers). All of these items can be heated to ensure that they stay free of snow and ice. The flight deck windows and aerodynamic probes are heated electrically.

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The wing leading edges and engine intakes have hot air flowing under the outer surface. The hot air keeps these surfaces hot, so any snow or ice will not stick to them and will melt immediately upon contact.

The flight deck windows and aerodynamic probes are heated at all times when an airplane is airborne. The wings and engine intakes are heated only when the anti-icing heat is selected “on” by the pilots.

A bit more about Captain Dan:

Captain Dan Baz enrolled in Flight School at the age of 16.

He has completed studies in Aircraft Engineering and Master of Business Administration. He has been at the controls of many different types of aircraft, from single engine Cessnas to large intercontinental jets on global routes.

Over the last four decades he has flown thousands of hours up in the blue sky.

Have a question for the Captain ? Send it to Captain Dan Baz captaindanbaz@yahoo.com Every week a question from the readers will be selected and answer posted in this column.

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Notes from A broad – Tabatha Pilon Celebrates New Years in Denmark! January 9, 2012

admin — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 15:34:57 +0000

CFN – I hastily kicked my feet out of my ridiculously sparkly heels as everyone scrambled for a chair. I found one, pulled it over to my friend, who was already perched atop her own, and quickly hopped up onto it. It was loud. All around everyone was screaming and shouting, and finally the countdown started from ten. The anticipation in the room was palpable. You could hear it churning within every shout of a new number. And finally, it happened: we reached the New Year!As we shouted ‘one’, everybody pushed off their feet, throwing themselves up into the air and landing briskly on our feet, as we had now jumped into the new year. It was a jump that could relieve us of our pasts; enable us to create our own future. Our own— brand new— year. Some landed in a frivolous manner with limbs flailing in all directions, while others were more graceful in their descent and landing. It doesn’t matter how you landed, or where you were when you did, because odds are, the strike of midnight leading into 2012 doesn’t depict the way that the rest of your year will be.

Even if your New Years was one of the best days of your life, it doesn’t mean that the upcoming year will be the best for you, as it is just another day. New Years eve, my host parents had twelve guests arrive shortly before six and we had a huge feast soon after we watched the Queen of Danmark give her New Years speech on the television.

There was so much food to go around, as everyone made a dish and brought it over, and although a lot of it was fish and I don’t particularly enjoy fish, the rest of the meal was delicious! The food was eaten over the course of five hours, so all the guests enjoyed eating and talking, but my sister and I both left after about three hours to go out with our friends, respectively. Celebrating the New Year in Denmark was an amazing experience, and was an entirely different experience. For one, there were fireworks. Everywhere. All day. I think the earliest I heard them were at 11 am.

From there, they just continued the whole day to the point where it was nearly a constant sound of loud noises outside. When it actually got dark, it was amazing to have the privilege to see! So, as the clock struck midnight, and everyone had safely landed on the floor, with confetti falling gently around us from the confetti gun, we raced to the door and stood outside in the chilly night air as we watched all the fireworks light up the sky. It was absolutely breathtaking and exciting and such a different experience compared to watching the ball drop on television!

One of the other traditions that they have in Denmark, is that if you have money with you as the new year hits, then you will have good luck in the new year with all your finances…Well, I jumped into the year with 350 kroner on me ($70) so here’s to hoping that the new year brings me even more luck with my finances! Happy New Year everyone, hope all good things come to you!

Tabatha Pilon is a 17 year old student from Cornwall Ontario spending a year in Denmark. She will be writing to us each week or as her “gymnasium” schedule allows. If you have questions for her or would like to sponsor her column email us at info@cornwallfreenews.com

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Ask Captain Dan: How Strong are Plane Windshields? – Our Resident Pilot Answers Flight Questions.

admin — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 12:51:10 +0000

CFN – Pilot Dan Baz is answering your flying questions here on the Cornwall Free News.

If you have a question about flying you can email Captain Dan or post below.

Question

Big jets fly high and fast. I always wondered what the windshields that the pilots look through are like on those airplanes .Question asked by Terry.

Answer

Windshields on large jet airplanes are pretty sophisticated parts .

Very different from automotive windshields. They must withstand air pressure loads from outside as the airplane flies through the air. These loads can be substantial when the airplane flies through the air at more than 700 kilometers per hour.

Air pressure from inside of the airplane is also acting on the windshields, because at high altitudes the cabin is pressurized . The windshields must be strong enough to withstand an impact of a bird, the size of a seagull, should one get into the path of the airplane.

In addition to all this the windshields endure thermal stresses from temperatures at high altitudes as low as – 70 degrees Celsius to +50 degrees Celsius, when heated. The windshields have a thin, tin oxide, conductive layer in them. You can see right through it, but when electrical current is applied to this conductive layer, it heats the windshield.

The heat in the windshields is required to keep them from icing up when flying through precipitation at freezing temperatures. Ice built up on the windshields would restrict pilots’ visibility. For safety and redundancy, the windshields are constructed of two polycarbonate panes, each capable to withstand all of the loads and stresses. The thickness of the windshields varies by airplane type, but is approximately 5 centimeters.

A bit more about Captain Dan:

Captain Dan Baz enrolled in Flight School at the age of 16.

He has completed studies in Aircraft Engineering and Master of Business Administration. He has been at the controls of many different types of aircraft, from single engine Cessnas to large intercontinental jets on global routes.

Over the last four decades he has flown thousands of hours up in the blue sky.

Have a question for the Captain ? Send it to Captain Dan Baz captaindanbaz@yahoo.com Every week a question from the readers will be selected and answer posted in this column.

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Ask Captain Dan: Planes Flying In Winter – Our Resident Pilot Answers Flight Questions.

admin — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:20:51 +0000

CFN – Pilot Dan Baz is answering your flying questions here on the Cornwall Free News.

If you have a question about flying you can email Captain Dan or post below.

Question

During the winter season airplanes fly in all kinds of nasty weather conditions. How are airplanes protected from snow and ice ?Question asked by Clive.

Answer

When airplanes are on the ground, frost ice and snow can accumulate on the wings, stabilizers and control surfaces. All frost, ice and snow must be removed before an airplane takes off, because they greatly reduce capability of the wings and stabilizers to generate lift.

In these weather conditions airplanes must be sprayed with deciding fluid before takeoff. There are several types of deciding fluids. Generally, Type 1 deicing fluid is used to remove frost, ice and snow from airplanes. This fluid is red in color. If there is no precipitation occurring after an airplane has been sprayed with this fluid and all contaminants have been removed, the airplane is ready for takeoff.

If there is precipitation, the wings and stabilizers of airplanes must be sprayed with Type 4 fluid. This fluid is green in colour, for easy identification and can be seen on the wings after application by deicing spray equipment. This fluid is thicker in viscosity, almost like syrup. It provides protection from ice and snow accumulation on wings and stabilizer surfaces, for a calculated period of time.

If an airplane has to wait for takeoff and this time period expires, one of the pilots has to visually check the wings to ensure the wings are clean for takeoff. If the pilot finds any contamination on the wings, the airplane has to be re-sprayed with deicing fluid again, before takeoff.

A bit more about Captain Dan:

Captain Dan Baz enrolled in Flight School at the age of 16.

He has completed studies in Aircraft Engineering and Master of Business Administration. He has been at the controls of many different types of aircraft, from single engine Cessnas to large intercontinental jets on global routes.

Over the last four decades he has flown thousands of hours up in the blue sky.

Have a question for the Captain ? Send it to Captain Dan Baz captaindanbaz@yahoo.com Every week a question from the readers will be selected and answer posted in this column.

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Notes from Abroad by Tabatha Pilon – A Christmas in Denmark – January 3, 2012

admin — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 12:17:15 +0000

CFN - Before I had left Canada, I had not realized how unbelievably commercialized Christmas was in North America. It seems that in Canada, it is more important to receive gifts than it is to be with family and enjoy the holidays.

This year, as I checked Facebook Christmas night, there were so many happily posted status’ that proclaimed the person to have received a new laptop, or iPod, or some name brand thing, etc. Yet, in Denmark, it is not about what you get for Christmas, it is about spending time together. This year, I had an amazing Christmas!

On Christmas eve, after a marvelous morning of sleeping in, I attended a Lutheran church service with my two sisters, mum, and grandparents while my dad stayed home to continue preparing our feast for the night. The Lutheran church in itself was a different experience, as I hadn’t yet attended a church service here in Denmark until then. It was so different from a Catholic Church, despite the fact that I was unable to understand anything of what was being said— it was still Church, so it was still nice. The pastor was a woman, for one. And a lot of the time she spoke with her back to us, which I still do not understand.

Her wardrobe was different from the catholic church as well, with a black robe and a large puffy white collar. When I had first seen the pastor, I had immediately thought back to the movie ‘Thumbelina’, and I realized that because the story was written by the Danish author, Hans Christian Andersen, it made so much sense as to why the mole had worn the same outfit. After we attended church, we walked home and soon after had supper, which consisted of all the traditional foods, followed by some risalamande, for which I did not find the hidden almond, but instead my sister did!

We sat and talked at the dinner table for about 2-3 hours, after which it was time to go get the presents and put them under the tree! So with the help of my mum, we had brought all the presents out from her room and got them positioned under the tree, as we then began to gather around the tree to light the candles that adorned the tree. Once the lighting was finished, we clasped each others hands and with our best voices, began to sing christmas songs as we danced around the tree. And I must admit, I was very worried about the fact that there were candles on the Christmas tree. Lit candles. That was what I was focusing on while singing; ‘Don’t burn down the house. Don’t burn down the house. Don’t burn down the house.’ were the thoughts buzzing through my head.Once we finished that, my “morfar”— grampa, picked up a present and handed it to the recepient. From there, we each took turns opening a present, and then choosing the next present for someone to open. Overall, it was an amazing night! After we opened presents, my sisters went to play “Just Dance 3” with their aunt, and my mum, granparents and I played a bored game called “Partners”. Christmas day, we spent the entire day with family at a building that you can rent out, so the entire family on my hostmum’s side was there. We had lunch, played games and had a fun day!

Overall, my Christmas this year was an amazing one that I will never forget, and it has reminded me of what sometimes is so easy to forget: Christmas time is about spending time with your family. With this, I would like to wish everyone a safe and happy New Year!

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