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TRIVIA ANSWERS

 

Last Week's Question:Two of the reindeers are named after weather phenomenon. Name the reindeer.?     ANSWER: Donner, which means thunder in German and Blitzen, which means lightning.

Last Week's Question:That percetage of the world's population have been on an airplane?     ANSWER: Only 5 % of the population.

Last Week's Question:In aviation, what does VFR stand for?      ANSWER: Visual Fligth Rules: VFR's are a set of regulations designed to be used in good weather situations. Flights under VFR are usually not controlled and pilots fly them at their own risk. If cases of bad weather pilots are required to fly using Instrument Flying rules of IFR.

Last Week's Question:In aviation, what does FFDO stand for??    ANSWER: A FFDO is a Federal Flight Deck Officer. An FFDO is trained by the federal government to carry firearms on board a flight. This was implemented in 2003 after Sept. 11, to help deter terrorists from entering the flight deck and attempting to take control of the plane.

Last Week's Question:In aviation, what does CFI stand for?    ANSWER: Certified Flight Instructor

Last Week's Question:In terms of passangers carried, the largest airline based in Africa is ...?  ANSWER: EgyptAir

Last Week's Question:The boeing 747 first entered commerical service in ... ?  ANSWER: 1970

Last Week's Question:Behind Boeing and Airbus the third and forth biggest airplane manufacturers are ... ? ANSWER: Canadian Bombardier and Brazilian Embraer

Last Week's Question: According to a year 2000 worldwide transport study the mode of transport with the most deaths per billion journeys is? ? ANSWER: Motorcycle

Last Week's Question: In which city can you find an airport named after Nobel Peace Prize winner, Mother Teresa? ANSWER: Tirana, Albania

Last Week's Question: What year did the CRJ debut? ANSWER: 2003

Last Week's Question: Which ocean is Christmas Island in? ANSWER: Indian Ocean

Last Week's Question: What is the airplane that Iron Maiden's lead singer Bruce Dickinson will be piloting for thier next world tour, Book of Souls? ANSWER: Ed Force One - 747

Last Week's Question: Who designed the Dirty Dozen? ANSWER: Mr. Gordon Dupont

Last Week's Question: Why should you only hang 1 Dirty Dozen poster up at a time? ANSWER: If you put them all up at one time, they soon become "wall paper" and no one notices them after awhile but if you put up one at a time (weekly, monthly, etc.) they are constantly changing and people will stop and notice them.

Last Week's Question: When was the first balloon flight? ANSWER: 1783 - First balloon Flight - Jacques and Joseph Montgolfier of Annonay, France, sent up a small smoke-filled balloon about mid-November.

Last Week's Question: Who said: "The air up there in the clouds is very pure and fine, bracing and delicious. And why shouldn't it be? —it is the same air the angels breathe". ANSWER: Mark Twain

Last Week's Question: Who did the first pilot's license go to? ANSWER: Pilot Certificate number 1 was actually issued to William P. MacCracken, Jr., the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Aeronautics, and not until 1927 (even though the Wright Brothers' first flight was in 1903). The story goes that Mr. MacCracken offered the honor to Orville Wright, who declined since he was no longer flying.

Last Week's Question: Which airport was voted the nicest airport in the world? ANSWER: Singapore

Last Week's Question: What is the top speed of the P51 Mustang? ANSWER: 703 km/h

Last Week's Question: What was the world's most expsensive airplane project? ANSWER: Lockheed F-35 Lightning II

Last Week's Question: What year did the commercial Boeing 747 first enter service? ANSWER: 1970

Last Week's Question: The Lockheed C-130 transport plane is also known as ... ? ANSWER: Hercules

Last Week's Question: According to a year 2000 worldwide transport study the mode of transport with the most deaths per billion journeys is ... ANSWER: Motorcycle

Last Week's Question: What is the perfect of people that keep their New Year's Resolutions? ANSWER: 8%

Last Week's Question: Which city is officially known as "The Christmas Capital of Canada"? ANSWER: Winnipeg

Last Week's Question: The R22 is a popular training helicopter. How many people can it take? ANSWER: 2

Last Week's Question: What is the altitude record for a hot air balloon? ANSWER: 65,000 ft

Last Week's Question: In which year did the Concorde enter commercial service ? ANSWER: 1978

Last Week's Question: What size is the 787 building facility? ANSWER: Approx. 380,000 sq. ft.

Last Week's Question: What is the percent of fuel efficiency in the new Dreamliner vs a similiar aircraft of the same size ANSWER: 20%

Last Week's Question: What was the Wright Brothers aircraft named? ANSWER: Flyer

Last Week's Question: During take-off, the Boeing 767 sucks in enough air to fill the Goodyear Blimp in ____ seconds ANSWER: 7

Last Week's Question: What are the latest set of Aviation Safety posters that System Safety have designed? ANSWER: SMS (Safety Managment System)

Last Week's Question: What year did the Maintenance Dirty Dozen get produced? ANSWER: 1994 - This year marks the 20th Anniversary of the Maintenance Dirty Dozen posters!

Last Week's Question: True or False: - They add more flavor to aircraft food because at higher altitudes, you can not taste as well ANSWER: True

Last Week's Question: How many miles will the Vancouver Canucks fly this season? ANSWER: 29,117 Miles

Last Week's Question: What is the percentage of all flights in the USA that are delayed? ANSWER: 20%

Last Week's Question: What is the ratio of passangers to flight attendants? ANSWER: Aprox. 1 to 40

Last Week's Question: What is the average number of people airbourne in the USA every hour? ANSWER: Aprox. 61,000

Last Week's Question: How many golf balls fit into a Beoing 757 Freighter? ANSWER: Aprox. 6 Million balls

Last Week's Question: What percentage of aviation accidents are due to mechanical failures? ANSWER: 15%

Last Week's Question: How many flights a day are there in the USA? ANSWER: 80,000 flights a day in the USA

Last Week's Question: What single engine WWII seaplane was known for trying to rescue drowning soldiers? ANSWER: OS2U Kingfisher

Last Week's Question: How long does it take a lightly loaded 777 to accelerate from 0 - 60 mph? ANSWER: Less then 6 seconds

Last Week's Question: What is the average age of commercial aircraft? ANSWER: 19 years

Last Week's Question: What airline has a class with the title 'Raffles Class' and is one of the best airlines in the world? ANSWER: Singapore Airlines

Last Week's Question: This airline is from a country known for famous navigators and conquerors, so, what airline has a class named 'Navigator Class'? ANSWER: TAP is the airline of Portugal

Last Week's Question:

Who was the first woman to run a US airline?   ANSWER: Maureen O'Hara. Antilles Air boats in the Virgin Islands

Last Week's Question: In the movie "Rain Man" Dustin Hoffman says he would be willing to fly on only one airline because of its safety record, what was the airline?   ANSWER: Qantas

Last Week's Question: What airline was the owner of the plane that crashed off the coast of Nova Scotia in 1998?  ANSWER: Swiss Air

Last Week's Question: Klagenfurt international airport is in what country?   ANSWER: Austria

Last Week's Question: Where did the TAM Airlines Flight 3054 deadly accident from July 17, 2007 occur? ANSWER: TAM Airlines Flight 3054 (JJ 3054) was an Airbus A320 airliner, registration PR-MBK, operating as a scheduled domestic passenger flight between Porto Alegre and São Paulo, Brazil, which crashed upon landing during rain in São Paulo on July 17, 2007. The twin-engined turbofan aircraft overran the runway, crossed a major thoroughfare during rush hour, crashed at high speed into a TAM Express warehouse adjacent to a filling station and exploded. There were 187 people on board: 181 passengers, 19 of them TAM employees, and 6 crew members. All passengers and crew were killed in the crash, in addition to twelve people on the ground. It is the deadliest air disaster in Brazilian territory. It remains the deadliest accident involving an Airbus A320 anywhere in the world.

Last Week's Question: What was the cause of the Malaysia Airlines Flight 653 crash on December 4, 1977? ANSWER: Hijacking

Last Week's Question: In the Spring of 1967, this city was 700 acres of rock and timber. In a little more than 6 months it would be transformed in a high-tech city. It was comissioned by a company, whose mission was simple - to build the biggest and fastest subsonic commercial jetliner ever constructed. What city and State are we referring to? ANSWER: Everett, Washington

Last Week's Question: What type of plane is Hugh Hefner's Playboy jet? ANSWER: Douglas DC-9

Last Week's Question: What was the first 4-engine aeroplane to fly? ANSWER: Sikorsky Bolshoi

Last Week's Question: Singapore Airlines were the first users of the new Airbus A380 (double-deck) aircraft. What colour was the tailfin on this airline's planes?  ? ANSWER: Navy Blue - The tail of the Singpoare Airlines is navy blue includes a gold bird logo of the airline.

Last Week's Question: What was the logo of the airline PanAm, defunct since 1991? ANSWER: A Globe - The globe was also widely known as "the blue meatball".

Last Week's Question: In 1912 a competition was devised for seaplanes to encourage advances in the industry. Over its short history (it was only held 11 times) it developed into a competition of pure speed. Which competition, reinstated in 1981 under a revised format and using a replica trophy, was it? ANSWER: Schneider Trophy - The Coupe d'Aviation Maritime Jacques Schneider was first won in 1913 by a French pilot at the astonishing speed of 45.71mph.

Last Week's Question: Man has dreamt of flying for thousands of years,(think of Icarus). It didn't happen, though, until the latter part of the 18th Century. Who is credited with the first 'lighter than air' flight? ANSWER: Montgolfier brothers - In September 1783 the first living land creatures left planet Earth, in a balloon designed by the Montgolfier brothers. They were a sheep, a duck and a cockerel. Not long after, François Pilatre de Rozier and the Marquis d'Arlandes made a flight lasting 25 minutes and covering 9Km. Manned flight had happened for the very first time.

Last Week's Question: Who Designed the Spitfire? ANSWER: RJ Mitchell and it was completely made of aluminum.

Last Week's Question: What year was the Aloha "Convertable" Accident? ANSWER: April 28, 1988.

Last Week's Question: Who was the first woment to obtain an AME license? ANSWER: 1927 Phoebe Fairgrave Omlie (USA)

Last Week's Question: Who was the first licensed Female aircraft designer in Canada? ANSWER: Elizabeth Muriel Gregory "Elsie" MacGill (27 March 1905 - 4 November 1980), known as the "Queen of the Hurricanes", was the world's first female aircraft designer. She worked as an aseronautical engineer during the Second World War and did much to make Canada a powerhouse of aircraft construction during her years at Canadian Car and Foundry (CC&F) in Fort William, Ontario. After her work at CC&F she ran a successful consulting business. Between 1967 - 1970 she was a commissioner on the Royal Commission on the Status of Women in Canada, published in 1970.

Last Week's Question: Who was the first licensed Female pilot in America? ANSWER: On August 1, 1911, Harriet Quimby, a journalist-turned-aviator, received Aero Club of America license number 37, thereby becoming the first licensed woman pilot in the United States.

Last Week's Question: Where was the airport the Amelia Earhart last took off from? (hint: Renee was born here) ANSWER: Lae, Papua New Guinea

Last Week's Question: What year did Amelia Earhart Disappear? ANSWER: 1937

Last Week's Question: What is the nickname of the L-1011? ANSWER: Tri-Star

Last Week's Question: What is the newest System Safety Services "Safety Video", concerning Threat Error Management called? (hint: click here to watch a You Tube clip) ANSWER: Flight to Tuk

Last Week's Question: In what type of plane did Buddy Holly and Richie Valens crash in February 1959? ANSWER: Beachcraft Bonanza. The Beechcraft Bonanza of that time was distinguished apart from all other geneal aviation aircraft because of it's unique V-tail.

Last Week's Question: The first loss of a 747 occurred in September 1970. What happened that caused the aircraft to be destroyed? ANSWER: Terrorist Bomb on the ground. Pan Am Flight 93, bound for New York, was hijacked just moments after departing from Amsterdam. Two men forced the crew to fly to Beirut, Lebanon, where sven more people boarded the plane. Once the plane was on the ground in Cairo, Egypt, all passengers were evacuated from the aircraft moments before the 747 was blown up. There were no fatalities as a result of this act.

Last Week's Question: How many preconditions are there in Human Factors? ANSWER: 12 - That's why they are named "The Dirty Dozen". Although, you can have 13 (a Bakers Dozen) if you include Early Life Decisions (ELD's)

Last Week's Question: A 747 is as tall as how many floors of a building? ANSWER: Seven

Last Week's Question: What was the nationality of the jet shot down in Russian air space in 1983? ANSWER: Korean

Last Week's Question: What is the oldest airline? And what year was it established?? ANSWER: KLM is the oldest airline and it was established in 1919.

Last Week's Question: How many gallons of paint is required to paint a 747? ANSWER: Over 90 Gallons - Enough to paint the inside of 4 3000sq ft. family homes.

Last Week's Question: What is the world's record for consecutive loops in an airplane? ANSWER: 2368 - was set in 1986 by David Childs in a specially designed aerobatic aircraft. 

Last Week's Question: Why do the Captian and the First Officier always eat different meals? ANSWER: In case one of them gets sick then the other will be fine (I sure hope the sick one isn't eating the same food the airlines serve the passengers)

Last Week's Question: What is the more popular name for a C-130? ANSWER: Hercules

Last Week's Question: Who produced the P-51 Mustang? ANSWER: North American Aviation

Last Week's Question: Approx. how many passengers do Canadian airports process per year? ANSWER: Canadian airports process nearly 80 Million people a year.

Last Week's Question: How many times faster will a person get drunk up in an airplane over being on the ground? ANSWER: A person will get 3 times as drunk up in airplane then on the ground.

Last Week's Question: Why did the band Led Zeppelin perform under an alias, the Nobs, when they played in Copenhagen? ANSWER: Airship heiress Eva Von Zeppelin threatened legal action.

Last Week's Question: What was the name of the first man to die in a US airplane crash? ANSWER: Lieutenant Thomas E. Selfridge.

Last Week's Question: What is the average profit per seat on a 1 hour flight? ANSWER: The average profit per seat on a 1 hour flight is $2.20.

Last Week's Question: What percent of the world's population have ever been on an airplane? ANSWER: Only 5% of the world's population have ever been on an airplane.

Last Week's Question: Approximately, how many people die a year while flying from heart attacks, seizures or other medical emergencies? ANSWER: 100 (Wow, that seems high!)

Last Week's Question: What was the top of the Empire State Building orginally intended for (but never used for this purpose)? ANSWER: The top of the tower of the Empire State Building was originally intended though never used as a mooring place for dirigibles.

Last Week's Question: In what year was the first around the world helicopter flight? ANSWER: On September 1, 1982, H. Ross Perot Jr. and Jay Coburn left Fort Worth, Texas, on a Bell 206 L-1 Long Ranger II and returned 28 days later. They flew on average of eight and a half hours a day, refueled 56 times and flew over 26 countries.

Last Week's Question: How many wheels on a 747? ANSWER: 18

Last Week's Question: Name the Airline with an in-flight magazine called "En-Route"? ANSWER: Air Canada

Last Week's Question: Why do commercial airlines prohibit the carry-on of mercury thermometers? ANSWER: Commercial airlines prohibit the carry-on of mercury thermometers because of the way mercurty reacts with aluminum. If such a thermomenter were to break and spill on a plane, even a tiny amount of mercury could badly damage the plane's aluminum frame.

Last Week's Question: In what war did the first purpose-built attack helicopter first appear? ANSWER: Vietnam War - The very first dedicated helicopter gunship was the AH-1 Cobra and it was used during the Vietnam War. The Cobra flew over a million operational hours in the conflict. By the end of the twentieth century the Cobra was being phased out by the U.S. Army. The USDA Forest Service has some of the retired Cobras and they are being refitted to monitor fires using their sensors.

Last Week's Question: What s the largest US rotary wing aircraft ever produced? ANSWER: Sikorsky CH-53 Super Stallion

Last Week's Question: Which airline had the distinction of flying the 747 on its first commercial flight? ANSWER: Pan Am

Last Week's Question: The international airport in New Orleans is named after which jazz legend?? ANSWER: Louie Armstrong

Last Week's Question: What year did the F-16 first take off? ANSWER: December 1976

Last Week's Question: Which late-night talk-show host was a fighter pilot in the US Marine Corps?
A.  Jack Paar
B.  Steve Allen
C.  Johnny Carson
D.  Ed McMahon
 ANSWER: D

Last Week's Question: How many passengers does the A380 "Superjumbo" jet carry? ANSWER: 555

Last Week's Question: How much does an engine on a Boeing 747 weigh? ANSWER: Each engine on a Boeing 747 weighs almost 9,500 pounds (4,300 kg)

Last Week's Question: Why is Flight Attendant Vesna Velovic famous? ANSWER: Vesna Velovic was a flight attendant on a JAT Yugoslav DC-9 jet that was blown apart by terrorists in Midair in January, 1972.   She holds the Guinness Book of World Record for surviving the highest freefall without a parachute 10,160 metres (33,330 ft).

Last Week's Question: What is the phrase "The Whole Nine Yards" making reference to? ANSWER: The phrase "The whole nine yards" is in fact a reference to WWII aviation. In the pacific theatre, Navy fighters carried 27 feet of ammunition in each wing. When they gave enemy planes everything they had, they gave them "The whole nine yards".

Last Week's Question: After the start of World War II, which aircraft was the first to raid Japan? ANSWER: After the start of World War II, the North American B-25 was the first to raid Japan.

Last Week's Question: What's the shortest airline flight in the world? ANSWER: The shortest scheduled commercial airline flight in the world is a British Airways commuter flight from Westray to Papa Westray, Scotland. The duration of the flight is two minutes, and is flown by a BN-2 Islander.

Last Week's Question: Who was the world's oldest pilot (according to Guiness Book of World Records)? ANSWER: Cole Kugel - The Colorado skies are a little diminished this summer with the passing of Cole Kugel, who died June 11 of natural causes at his home in Longmont, Colo., at the age of 105. In 2001, the Guinness Book of World Records acknowledged the lifelong flying enthusiast as the world's oldest qualified pilot. At the time of his death, the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that Kugel was the oldest licensed pilot in the United States.

Last Week's Question: What is the world's fastest airplane? ANSWER: If having a pilot on board is not a criteria, then the X-43 is said to be the fastest airplane in the world. The X-43 is an unmannedscramjet, which launches not from the ground but from a B-52 at about 40,000 feet (12.2 kilometers) in the air. On 16 November 2004, the X-43 reached Mach 9.6 (7,000 miles or 11,265 kilometers per hour) according to NASA. Some claim that it reached Mach 9.8.

Last Week's Question: Which aircraft was known as the fighter pilot's "Cadillac"? ANSWER: American P-51 Mustang - More affectionately known by many pilots as the "Cadillac of fighters". One of the most effective fighters of the World War II era. Officially the Mustang began its career in April 1940 as the NA-73X.

This particular aircraft was not flown until October, 26 1940 as there were serious delays in supply of the Allison V-1710-F3R engine. An order was placed by the British for 320 NA-73’s I May 1941, a second series was designated the Mustang-Mk 1 this particular aircraft entered service April 1942 equipping 23 Squadrons and an additional contract for another 300 was placed. When the first test was completed it was found to be an excellent performer below 12,000 feet, therefor not suitable in the European theatre for combat. It was determined that the aircraft was suitable for tactical reconnaissance. This aircraft went through many changes and many variants were built starting with the NA-73X in 1940 to the P-51H built just prior to VJ-Day. One example only of the “M”model was built a variant of the “H” model. One of the significant changes was the power plant, the XP-51 was fitted with the Rolls Royce Merlin 61 & 65 engines, and the results were amazing the speed and performance at higher altitudes far exceeded expectations. Large orders were placed for the Rolls Royce powered aircraft. A total of 15,386 were built when production ended. The P-51 was the first aircraft to see service in Korea representing the USAAF. The P-51’s continued to see service after WW II with over 50 different Air Forces.

Last Week's Question: Who invented the kite about 2000 years ago? a) Chinese b) Japanese c) Russians ANSWER: a) Chinese

Last Week's Question: What was the first Boeing 737 crash?   ANSWER: Air Flordia 90 (De-icing problems)

Last Week's Question: The Concorde took off at what speed?  ANSWER: 250mph

Last Week's Question: They add more flavor to aircraft food because at higher altitudes because you can not taste as well – true of false?  ANSWER: TRUE

Last Week's Question: Are more people killed by donkeys or in plane crashes? ANSWER:  Believe it or not more people are killed by donkeys.

Last Week's Question: True of False:  The origin of "logbook" and "logging time" has to do with wood logs.  ANSWER: True.  Sailors on sailing vessels of yore placed a log in the water and timed how long it took for the log to float aft.  This provided a measure of the ship's water speed.  These speeds were entered into a "ship's log", which eventually led to the aviation logbook. 

Last Week's Question: How many midsize cars can fit on one wing of a Boeing 747-400? ANSWER: 45 midsize cars can fit on one a wing of a Boeing 747-400 airplane

Last Week's Question: What year was the hijacking of airplanes officially outlawed?  ANSWER: 1961

Last Week's Question: After which former member of The Beatles is Liverpool's international airport named?  ANSWER: John Lennon - I'm not trying to suggest to you that you need to be assassinated to get your name up in airport lights but unfortunately our second airport was also named after such a victim. Formerly known as Speke Airport, it was renamed in 2002 after Lennon, who was born in Liverpool in 1940. Further connections to Lennon and The Beatles can be found in and around the airport in the shape of a "Yellow Submarine" artwork on a traffic island outside the airport and a statue of Lennon himself, in the check-in hall.

Last Week's Question: Where is Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport located? ANSWER: San Juan, Puerto Rico - Luis Muñoz Marín (1898-1980) was the first elected Puerto Rican Governor of Puerto Rico. (Airport Code: SJU)

Last Week's Question: What year was the YVR Main Terminal built? ANSWER: The present main terminal was completed in 1968, and has since been expanded to include separate domestic and international terminals. A north runway was completed in 1996.

Last Week's Question: On March 3 1991 a United B737-200 series over Colorado Springs, Colorado, was brought down by extremely adverse weather conditions, resulting in the deaths of all on board. What was the weather condition? ANSWER: Low-level Wind Shear - Wake turbulence is caused only by other larger aircraft close ahead of an aircraft, such as ahead in a take-off queue. The NTSB spent three years in an exhaustive investigation, which did not conclusively explain the crash. However there were known to be 'rotors' at the time, determined by witness reports, of up to 154km/h, gusts of 90 to 136km/h and mountain turbulence from the surrounding ranges.

Last Week's Question: If you are in John F. Kennedy Airport, you of course are in New York. But what was the name of the airport, before the assassination of JFK?  ANSWER: Idlewild. La Guardia Airport, New York, is named after the legendary mayor of New York, Fiorello La Guardia (1882-1947).

Last Week's Question: What is the largest, most produced U.S. World War II fighter, responsible for destruction of over 11,000 enemy aircraft?  ANSWER: : P-51 Mustang

Last Week's Question: What was the world's first fighter plane?  ANSWER: F.B. 5 - The Vickers F.B. 5 Gunbus was the world's first operational dedicated pure fighter plane. In fact, F.B. stands for Fighting Biplane.
In 1912, the British government issued a request for a fighter aircraft armed with a machine gun. The Vickers F.B. 5 Gunbus was the answer to the request. It became the first British aircraft to have a machine gun as part of its armament. This was mounted directly in front of the aircraft. It had a forward field of fire unencumbered by a propeller, due to the fact that the aircraft used a pusher prop.  An observer/gunner operated the machine gun from the aircraft's front seat while the aircraft was piloted from the rear cockpit.

Last Week's Question: What does ETOPS mean in the aviation industry?  ANSWER: Extended-range Twin-engine Operational Performance Standards - ETOPS is known as Extended-range Twin-engine Operational Performance Standards. Aircraft that display this rating are aircraft that have been approved to fly certain distances without requiring an alternate airport. For example, an ETOPS-120 rated plane can travel 120 minutes without requiring an alternate airport to be in its flight path. Trans-Oceanic aircraft must have this rating to be allowed to travel. The range is determined by engine design and aircraft range.

 

Last Week's Question: What was the name of the plane that only ever flew once but was the largest plane in existence of its time?  ANSWER: The Spruce Goose - The Spruce Goose built by Howard Hughes was the largest plane ever constructed . It flew only the one time on November 2, 1947. The press insisted on calling the Hughes Flying Boat the “Spruce Goose,” a name that its billionaire builder Howard Hughes despised but by which it will always be known.

Last Week's Question: Which airline was the first to fly the new A380 "Superjumbo"?  ANSWER: Singapore Airlines

Last Week's Question: What is the largest airline in the world?  ANSWER: Delta Airlines (Continental/United are currently merging and may soon become the largest).

Last Week's Question: The crash of a Thai International Airways A310 in July 1992 over Nepal, was an accident that should never have happened. It was caused by?  ANSWER: Crew misunderstandings - A complex series of seemingly inconsequential frustrations, misperceptions and misunderstandings, finally worked to deprive the captain of "the plot" - with devastating consequences. The language of aviation is universally English - ie. for all radio communications.

Last Week's Question: Airline crashes in the '80s, '90s and today are often solved by information provided by this very important item from the aircraft.   ANSWER: DFDR - Digital Flight Data Recorder - Today's FDRs (DFDRs) simultaneously record 70 aircraft performance parameters, including instrument readings, flight control movements, engine performance and secondary control settings.

Last Week's Question: On March 3 1991 a United B737-200 series over Colorado Springs, Colorado, was brought down by extremely adverse weather conditions, resulting in the deaths of all on board. What was the weather condition?  ANSWER: Low-level Wind Shear - Wake turbulence is caused only by other larger aircraft close ahead of an aircraft, such as ahead in a take-off queue. The NTSB spent three years in an exhaustive investigation, which did not conclusively explain the crash. However there were known to be 'rotors' at the time, determined by witness reports, of up to 154km/h, gusts of 90 to 136km/h and mountain turbulence from the surrounding ranges.

Last Week's Question:  In March 1994 an Aeroflot A310 slammed into the ground at high speed after a series of almost undetectable rolls, yaws and pitching, followed soon after by stalls, dives, recoveries, rolls and a final spin dive. What initially caused these upsets?  ANSWER: Pilot's child was encouraged to 'play' with controls.

Last Week's Question: Click on the above picture and try to identify the aircraft?  ANSWER: The Aircraft is a "Vampire"!

Last Week's Question: If you were flying from Halifax to Scotland, name an international airport you might stop at for fuel en route. If you spell it wrong your answer does not count.  ANSWER: Reykjavik

Last Week's Question: What airline began as a crop dusting company in Louisiana? ANSWER: Delta Air Company' was founded in Monroe, Louisiana in 1924. In 1945 Delta Airlines moved operations to Atlanta.

Last Week's Question: In aviation, what does VFR stand for? ANSWER: Visual Flight Rules -Visual Flight Rules are a set of regulations designed to be used in good weather situations. Flights under VFR are usually not controlled and pilots fly them at their own risk. If cases of bad weather pilots are required to fly using Instrument Flying Rules or IFR.

Last Week's Question: Where and when was the 'black box' flight recorder invented? ANSWER: Australia. by David Warren of the Aeronautical Research Laboratories in 1958

Last Week's Question: True of False:  The origin of "logbook" and "logging time" has to do with wood logs.  ANSWER: True.  Sailors on sailing vessels of yore placed a log in the water and timed how long it took for the log to float aft.  This provided a measure of the ship's water speed.  These speeds were entered into a "ship's log", which eventually led to the aviation logbook.

Last Week's Question: What happens when a pilot "flares" during landing? ANSWER: The pilot raises the plane's nose and waits for the plane to settle to the ground.  If done properly, "flaring" is not dangerous, and is in fact how a pilot breaks the descent rate to ensure a smooth, gentle landing.

Last Week's Question: What is the fear of heights called? ANSWER: Acrophobia is defined as a fear of heights. It is different from aerophobia, or fear of flying, as well as other similar specific phobias, because this fear is more generalized. Depending on the phobia's severity, an acrophobic person may equally fear being on a high floor of a building, climbing a ladder and any other activity that involves being at height.

Last Week's Question: What is the fear of flying called? ANSWER: aerophobia, aviatophobia, aviophobia or pteromechanophobia

Last Week's Question: 80%+ of Aviation accidents are caused by Human Error, What percent of these accidents are Maintenance Human Errors? ANSWER: Industry experts vary from 6 - 25%, John Goglia (Retired NTSB board member), calculated it to be 42%.

Last Week's Question: When was the first successful seaplane flight and from where did it take off?  ANSWER: On March 28, 1910, the first successful seaplane take-off from water at Martinque, France, occurred.

Last Week's Question: Where is the largest CARGO airport in the world?  ANSWER: Memphis, the hub of FedEx airlines, remained the largest cargo airport in the world, followed by Hong Kong and Anchorage.

Last Week's Question: Where is the world's busiest airport (The thirty world's busiest airports by passenger traffic are measured by number of total passengers (data provided by Airports Council International and BAA). One passenger is described as someone who arrives in, departs from, or transfers through the airport on a given day)? ANSWER: Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta has been the world's busiest airport every year since 2000.

Last Week's Question: In the first fatal air crash in history, who was piloting the plane? ANSWER: The first fatal airplane accident occurred on September 17, 1908 and the plane was being piloted by Orville Wright. While in flight, the craft's propellor broke, and the plane fell 150 feet to the ground. Wright's hips and legs were fractured in the crash, but he survived. A member of the U.S. Signal Corps, Lieutenant Thomas E. Selfridge, who was on board the aircraft, was killed.

Last Week's Question: What is the world's steepest runway? ANSWER: Courchevel Altiport is home to an extremely short uphill runway with a length of 525 m (1,722 ft) & a gradient of 18.5% with a vertical drop at the end.

Last Week's Question: Where is the highest runway in the world located? and how many ft. about sea level is it?  ANSWER:  Qamdo Bangda Airport (BPX) in Tibet is the highest airport in the world at an altitude of 4,334 metres (14,219 feet) above sea level.

Last Week's Question: Where is the world's longest runway? and what is it's length? ANSWER:  Edwards Airforce Base in Los Angeles County, California…  It is 39,600 ft….

Last Week's Question: Where is the World's Shortest Commercial Runway located?  and what is it's length?  ANSWER: Saba, NE - It is only 400 meters long.

Last Week's Question: Why do they turn the lights out on takeoff and landing?  ANSWER: Believe it or not, they do this so your eyes will adjust to lower levels of light. If there's an accident and they have to deploy the emergency slides, studies have shown that you'll be able to see better and thus be able to evacuate more quickly and safely.

Last Week's Question: What special piece of equipment did Wilbur Wright carry aboard his aircraft when he flew over New York Harbor in October, 1909.

A.  A 22 caliber handgun.
B.  A silver shamrock for good luck.
C.  A red canoe

ANSWER:  (c) Wilbur Wright flew from Governors Island up the Hudson to Grant's Tomb and back in 33 minutes on October 4, 1909, making the first successful flight ever seen in New York.  His flying machine was equipped with a red canoe for emergency water landings

Last Week's Question: Where were the 1st Winter Olympics held?  What year? ANSWER: The first Winter Olympic Games were held in Chamonix, France in 1924.

Last Week's Question: Where are the next Winter Olympics being held in 2014? ANSWER: Sochi, Russsia

Last Week's Question: The Olympic games were started by the ancient Greeks to honor which god?  ANSWER: Zeus

Last Week's Question: Where is Boeing’s Corporate Headquarters located? ANSWER: Chicago

Last Week's Question: Where is Boeing’s main civil airliner production facility? ANSWER: Seattle, Washington

Last Week's Question: What is the largest Airline in the World?  ANSWER: American Airlines

Last Week's Question:  New Year's Trivia: The first New Year’s Eve ball drop in Times Square happened in? ANSWER: 1907

Last Week's Question: Christmas Trivia: Which country did the gingerbread house come from?  ANSWER: Germany

Last Week's Question:  In Tchaikovsky's ballet "The Nutcracker", who is the nutcracker's main enemy?  ANSWER: The King of the mice.

Last Week's Question: What year were the Dirty Dozen Maintenance Posters Invented? ANSWER:  The posters were invented in 1993 as a follow-up to the Human Performance in Maintenance Workshop.   The posters were updated to full color and an actual aviation accident picture was added in 2009.   If you were interested in obtaining a set of the "new" posters, please click here. 

Last Week's Question: What airlines were not involved in any crashes, fatality-free or otherwise in the period 1988-98?   ANSWER:  Air New Zealand and QANTAS

QANTAS never had any fatal crashes, only one fatality-free crash in the 1950s. Air New Zealand had one crash during a training flight in 1966 involving a small number of fatalities, and one major crash later. This was the world's fourth worst aviation accident, in November 1979, where a sightseeing DC10 crashed into Mt Erebus in Antarctica during whiteout conditions. United has had its fair share of crashes during this period but it is a major airline with extensive operations.

Last Week's Question: What is the fastest Jet aircraft in the world?  ANSWER: SR-71 Blackbird 2,293 mph world speed record. The fastest jet aircraft in the world.

Last Week's Question: This strange aircraft pioneered the nose hump made famous by the 747 almost a decade earlier. Only 21 examples were produced and they were actually modifications of a standard 4 engine Douglas transport.

Fairchild C-119
 Bristol 170
 ATL-98 Carvair
 Douglas C-124 Globemaster

ANSWER: ATL-98 Carvair - These were built to be used as car ferries. Raising the cockpit over the main fuselage allowed cars to be driven on and off the aircraft easily.

Last Week's Question: What is Vno?   ANSWER: Maximum Structural Cruising Speed

Last Week's Question: What is an SST? ANSWER: supersonic transport - The Aerospatiale-BAC Concorde was not the only SST to go into commercial service. Aeroflot operated some Tupolev TU-144's for a total of 102 flights before withdrawing them from service in 1978 due to engine problems and high operating costs. Boeing Aircraft of the US proposed their own SST, the model 2707, but it never went into production.

Last Week's Question: What is the smallest Jet Airplane?  ANSWER: Smallest Jet Aircraft: The home-built Bede BD-5J Microjet owned by Juan Jimenez of San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA, weighs 162 kg (358 lb), is 3.7 m (12 ft) long, has a 5.7 m (17 ft) wingspan, and can fly at 483 km/h (300 mph).

Last Week's Question: What was the full name of the Canadian airline with the initials "EPA"?  ANSWER: Eastern Provincial Airlines

Last Week's Question: What cost $3.00 for 1, $6.00 for 12 and $9.00 for 100?  ANSWER:  Numbers for your house

Last Week's Question: What year and where was the 'black box' flight recorder invented? ANSWER: Australia. by David Warren of the Aeronautical Research Laboratories in 1958

Last Week's Question: The international airport in Chicago, USA is named in Honour of which US flying ace? ANSWER: Edward O'Hare

Last Week's Question: What year was the first recorded aircraft hijack in?  ANSWER: The first recorded aircraft hijack was on February 21, 1931, in Arequipa, Peru. Byron Rickards flying a Ford Tri-motor was approached on the ground by armed revolutionaries. He refused to fly them anywhere and after a ten day stand-off Rickards was informed that the revolution was successful and he could go in return for giving one of their members a lift to Lima.

Last Week's Question: What was the Wright Brothers aircraft named?    ANSWER: Flyer

Last Week's Question: In what year did the world's first regular airplane passenger service begin?    ANSWER: 1910 - On June 22, 1910 the first regular passenger-carryinging airship service began. On this day the firm of Delag operated an inter-urban (city to city) service in Germany. In 1914 the St. Petersburg-Tampa (Florida) Airboat Line operated in the United States.

Last Week's Question: Why do they turn the lights out on takeoff and landing?  ANSWER: Believe it or not, they do this so your eyes will adjust to lower levels of light. If there's an accident and they have to deploy the emergency slides, studies have shown that you'll be able to see better and thus be able to evacuate more quickly and safely.

Last Week's Question: Which was not a requirement for the first female flight attendants in 1930?
A: Must weigh no more than 115 pounds
B: Must be nurses
C: Must be able to hold their breath for at least 60 seconds
D: Must be unmarried
ANSWER: "C"

Last Week's Question: What type of business did Orville and Wilbur Wright operate when they made the world's first successful piloted airplane flights in 1903?  ANSWER: Bicycle manufacturing

Last Week's Question: These last recorded words of what famous aviator were uttered as he signed an autograph and climbed into his cockpit - "What's the hurry? Are you afraid I won't come back?"  ANSWER: Manfred von Richthofen. 'The Red Baron'

Last Week's Question: What is the largest airport in the United States - figured on area? ANSWER: The nation's largest airport by area - is almost twice as big as the combined campuses of all of the universities in the Big 12 Conference - and it covers 34,000 acres and is called:  Denver International Airport.

Last Week's Question: Which airline started the first around the world passenger service in 1958?  ANSWER: Qantas

Last Week's Question: What was the cause of Air Ontario's F28-1000 Fokker Fellowship crash during takeoff on March 10 1989, at Dryden Airport, Ontario, Canada, with most on board surviving? ANSWER:  The official cause was the pilot attempted to take off with snow on the wings, however; that was the outcome and not the cause.   The cause is found on whatever made him decide to attempt the take off in the first place.  Using the Dirty Dozen: LACK OF RESOURCES - no air available to re-start the engines if he shut them down to deice -  PRESSURE (Self), LACK OF COMMUNICATION - The APU could have been used to restart the engines even though it had an "Unserviceable" tag on it, NORMS - The company pilots would often take off with snow on the wings and look to determine if it had blown off by a certain speed, this was not possible with the Fokker's swept wing, STRESS - the desire to get home (get home idious), COMPANY CULTURE - All of these were contributing factors and the cause of the pilot making the decision he did.   The pilot died and 23 others died.

Last Week's Question (April 3): Little Ryan was bragging about his school's hockey team.  "In the last game we played, we managed to win without one man getting a goal!"  Since the final score was 3 to 1, how was this possible? ANSWER: It was a girl's hockey team

Last Week's Question (Mar 27): When the day after tomorrow is yesterday, today will be as far from Wednesday as today was from Wednesday when the day before yesterday was tomorrow.   What is the day after this day? ANSWER: Thursday

Last Week's Question (Mar 20): How many of each species did Moses take onto the ark with him? ANSWER: None, it was Noah's ark.

Last Week's Question (Mar 13): Duncan Drival hailed a cab.  While being driven to his destination, he started chattering non-stop to the driver.  The cabbie realized that Duncan would not shut up, so he resorted to an old cab driver's trick.  He looked into his rear view mirror and said, "I'm sorry mister, I can't hear a word you're saying.  My hearing aid broke down this morning.  I'm quite deaf even when it's working, but believe me, when it's not working, I'm totally deaf".   At his destination, Duncan paid the fare and got out.  A few moments later, Duncan realized the cab driver had lied to him about his hearing problem.   How did Duncan know the driver was lying?   ANSWER:  Duncan Drival must have told the driver his destination.   Had the driver been deaf, he would not have known where to take him.

Last Week's Question (Mar 6): What is the third hand on a watch or clock called?   ANSWER:  The Second Hand.

Last Week's Question (Feb 27): Captain Frank and Professor Quantum played chess.   They played seven games, each won the same number of games, and there weren't any draws or stalemates.  How could this have happened? ANSWER:  They weren't playing each other.

Last Week's Question (Feb 13): Mr. & Mrs. Payload were walking home from the shopping mall with their purchases when Mr. Payload began to complain that his load was too heavy.  Mrs. Payload turned to her husband and said, I don't know what you're complaining about because if you gave me one of your parcels, I would have twice as many as you, and if I gave you just one of mine, we would have equal loads.   How many parcels were each carrying? ANSWER:  Mrs. Payload was carrying seven parcels and Mr. Payload was carrying five.

Last Week's Question (Feb 6): There are two airplanes heading straight toward each other.   One plane is traveling at 15 kilometers per minute, and the other is travelling at 10 kilometers per minute.   Assuming that the planes are exactly 1000 kilometers apart, what distance will be between them one minute before they meet?ANSWER:  25 Kilometers. Since they are travelling at a combined speed of 25 kilometers per minute toward each other, they will be 25 kilometers apart one minute before they meet.

Last Week's Question (Jan 30): It is a hot summer day and Shadow is summoned to a field located several kilometers from the city centre.   Shadow surveys the scene.   A frozen corpse lies in the freshly tilled field and strangely, there no footprints anywhere around the body.   The closest marks are tire tracks from a tractor more than 50 meters away.  A farmer, who had been working in the field all day, said he had not seen anyone or anything unusual.   How did the person die and turn up frozen in an open field? ANSWER:  The Person was a stowaway hidden in the landing gear of a jumbo jet.   He died of hypothermia and froze in the stratosphere.  When the plane's landing gear opened, the corpse fell out and landed in the open field.

Last Week's Question (Jan 23): Two cars meandered along the winding country road and came to an abrupt stop at the park's gate.   Seven men got out of the two cars and proceeded along a footpath when it began to rain.  Six of the men began to walk faster to get out of the rain but the seventh man couldn't be bothered.  Ironically it was the seventh man who remained dry and the other six got soaked.  Since all seven men arrived at their destination together and had no umbrellas, how was this possible?  ANSWER:  The six men were carrying the seventh man in a coffin.

Last Week's Question (Dec. 31): Mr. & Mrs. Plum have six daughters and each daughter has one brother.  How many people are in the Plum family?
ANSWER: There are nine Plums in the family.   Since each daughter shares the same brother, there are six girls, one boy and Mr. and Mrs. Plum.

Last Week's Question (Dec. 24):Shadow and his men searched the frozen tundra for escaped convict Sid Shady.  Just as they were about to give up, one of Shadow's men spotted a body.  Shady was found lying dead in the snow.  There were no tracks leading to or from the body.   The cause of death was partially due to the unopened pack on his back.  Shady did not die of thirst, hunger or cold.  What was in Shady's pack that lead to his death?
ANSWER: An unopened parachute.  Shady's death was caused by the impact with the ground.

Last Week's Question (Dec. 19): Captain Frank was out for a walk when it started to rain.  He did not have an umbrella and he wasn't wearing a hat.  His clothes were soaked, yet not a hair on his head got wet.  How could this happen?  
ANSWER: He was bald.
 
Last Week's Question (Dec. 5): In Hawaii, if you drop a steel ball weighing five pounds from a height of 45 inches, will it fall more rapidly through water at 20 degrees Fahrenheit or water at 40 degrees Fahrenheit?  Or will it make a difference??   
ANSWER: 40° Fahrenheit.  At 20° the water would be ice.