Dumb Questions (Part 2)

mrjones30

mrjones30

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Jan 15, 2012
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Tampa Bay Area
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Freedom is Flying
As a rookie, I have quite a few questions to ask. The flight instructor that I flew up with was mentioning that the school might close down in October, (Bayair in Saint Petersburg) so I will probably not be going there. In the meantime I would like to learn as much as I can while I find another school, (Hopefully I will find a good one) in the Tampa Bay area.

My apologies in advance for the dumb questions but I cannot find anything on the subject. So here goes.

When I look at an airplane for sale sign they mention "Service Ceiling" what exactly does that mean?

What exactly is an ILS, it seems like a landing aid but how to do activate it when on final?

What exactly is a ground roll?

Over a 50 foot obstacle?

Thanks in advance for your input!
 
mrjones30 said:
When I look at an airplane for sale sign they mention "Service Ceiling" what exactly does that mean?

What exactly is an ILS, it seems like a landing aid but how to do activate it when on final?

What exactly is a ground roll?

Over a 50 foot obstacle?

Thanks in advance for your input!
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Service Ceiling I believe is defined the altitude where the plane will no longer climb.

ILS is an Instrument Landing System, a pair of radio beacons, one oriented vertically and the other horizontal. The CDI that displays the VOR signal as well will have 2 needles that you keep centered and it will bring you down to the big block stripes on the runway. You dial in the Localizer (horiz) on the Nav radio and the Glide Slope part is automatic.

Ground roll is the amount of runway you take up on take off or landing that the wheels are on the ground.

The 50' obstacle is the distance of the ground roll plus the distance it takes to climb or descend 50' form/to that point.
 
mrjones30 said:
When I look at an airplane for sale sign they mention "Service Ceiling" what exactly does that mean?
Click to expand...
That is the altitude at which climb rate is reduced to 100 ft/min on a standard day with a full gross load.

What exactly is an ILS, it seems like a landing aid but how to do activate it when on final?
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You can find a full explanation in Section 1-1-9 of the AIM. You don't activate the ILS, which is a ground-based navaid, but you tune your nav receiver to the ILS frequency.

What exactly is a ground roll?
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The distance it takes to bring the plane to a stop after touchdown on landing, or to get from brake release to liftoff on takeoff.

Over a 50 foot obstacle?
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The FAA requires that in addition to the ground roll distances, the manufacturers provide data for the takeoff from brake release to clearing a 50' obstacle, and for landing from crossing over a 50' obstacle to coming to a stop. I don't know how the FAA chose that height -- maybe they did a study of average tree height around airports?:dunno:
 
I thought the service ceiling was 50 fpm. Maybe that's just SE service ceiling, but 50 is sticking in my brain for some reason.
 
And, none of your questions are stupid questions, by the way.
 
Captain said:
I thought the service ceiling was 50 fpm. Maybe that's just SE service ceiling, but 50 is sticking in my brain for some reason.
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50 ft/min is one-engine-inoperative service ceiling in multiengine airplanes. 100 ft/min is all-engines-operative service ceiling in all airplanes.
 
Ron Levy said:
That's right -- the only really stupid question is the one not asked.
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That's stupid. Grade school teachers have been telling children that to encourage them to speak up for fear of being laughed at by their peers. Grown folks should know better than to repeat stupid mantra.

Point: There is such thing as a stupid question.

Examples:
The one you know the answer to
The one you are asking because you haven't clarified what you really want to know
The one you ask your plumber that you should be asking your doctor
 
Jaybird180 said:
That's stupid. Grade school teachers have been telling children that to encourage them to speak up for fear of being laughed at by their peers. Grown folks should know better than to repeat stupid mantra.

Point: There is such thing as a stupid question.

Examples:
The one you know the answer to
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Maybe the person wants to know an opinion or reinforce what they already know that is why they asked the question? Suppose when you asked the question you got a different answer then what you already knew and you actually learned more then you knew before?
 
Ok, let's rephrase that... Any and all questions are fair questions even if they are stupid. Just be willing to take the answers with a grain of salt and/or a flame suit depending
 
Mason said:
Perhaps, unless you are a lawyer in court examining a witness......
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Rumpole's First Rule of Cross-Examination: Never ask a question to which you do not already know the answer. And Rumpole (well, John Mortimer, really) was never stupid.
 
Jeanie said:
Ok, let's rephrase that... Any and all questions are fair questions even if they are stupid. Just be willing to take the answers with a grain of salt and/or a flame suit depending
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According to a friend that taught history in middle school for many, many years, "Whoever said there is no such thing as a dumb question never taught history in middle school."
 
There are no stupid questions. Only stupid people.
 
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