If you’ve ever flown on a plane or even looked up at one in the night sky, then you’ve probably noticed that the plane is equipped with a number of bright lights. If you’re the more detail-oriented type, you might have even noticed that planes flash different sets of lights during landing and takeoff. So what is the purpose of these aircraft lights and what do they mean? Read on below to see why these external aircraft lights were put in place and how they help with flight operations.

There’s a common mantra amongst engineers: “just about any person can build a bridge that stands, but it takes an engineer to design a bridge that can barely stand.” This kind of mentality might strike some folks as a little unnerving but it’s this sort of value that has led to the successful construction of countless buildings, bridges, and of course airplanes. What a lot of people may not know is that some aircraft like the 747 aircraft can take off and fly with only two engines.

What are turbochargers and superchargers, and what are their differences? Their names are similar, and they fulfill similar purposes, but they are different in how they function. In this blog, we will explore these differences. A turbocharger uses exhaust gasses from the gas engines to turn a turbine, which compresses and forces more air into an engine. When more air enters the engine, more gas can be added to the fuel/air mixture, which in turn produces more combustion, and therefore lets the engine generate more power.

Aircraft are not flown on wishes and happy thoughts. Thankfully, despite their outward complexity, control of an aircraft can be broken down into relatively simple terms. All fixed-wing aircraft, from crop-dusters to commercial airliners, operate on the same basic principles, and use the same basic controls. All maneuvering is done on one of three axes: pitch, roll, and yaw. Pitch, also called the lateral or transverse axis, indicates the vertical direction the aircraft’s nose is pointed in, up or down.

Aircraft that operate in weather conditions where ice is likely to form must be provided with ice protection technology. This protection may be in the form of anti-icing systems, or de-icing systems. An anti-icing system prevents the formation of ice on the airplane, while a de-icing system removes ice that has already formed. In this blog we will focus on de-icing boots and TKS fluid systems.  A de-icing system has two pertinent advantages. First, it can utilize a variety of means to transfer energy used to remove the ice.