Toronto ON – 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 is the speed of a large jetliner as it lifts off the runway and becomes airborne ?
Question asked by Paul
Answer
This speed is not always the same. It is different for every take-off. It could be anywhere from about 240 km/h to over 300 km/h, depending on many different factors.
On a take-off roll, the pilots have to accelerate the airplane to a sufficient speed, so that in the event of an engine failure, the aircraft has sufficient energy, for the pilots to get it safely airborne off the available runway, fly and return back to the airport with only the remaining engine(s) operating.
The factors involved are the aircraft weight, runway length available for take-off, runway slope, runway surface condition (dry, wet, snow or slush covered), wind speed and direction, air temperature, air pressure, brake energy available, height of obstacles beyond the runway and other environmental conditions.
Before every take-off, pilots do complex calculations to determine what that required speed will be.
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.
