Toilets Plunge. Airplanes Don't

[Colonel]

I really wish they would stop using plumbing metaphors
in the media to describe airplanes.

https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/airpl ... es-n810971

[quote]The Australian Transport Safety Bureau, an accident investigator, said it was investigating the airliner’s depressurization at 34,000 feet.

The plane rapidly descended to around 10,000 feet, an altitude to which cabins are pressurized and at which oxygen masks are no longer needed.

Data from FlightRadar, a website which tracks flights globally using GPS, shows the plane descended [b]23,800 feet in the space of nine minutes[/b].[/quote]

23,800 / 9 = 2650 FPM or thereabouts, which is really
no big deal.  That's what we call a "takeoff" and an
"approach" in an old biplane.

[Slick Goodlin]

[quote author=Colonel Sanders link=topic=7295.msg19888#msg19888 date=1508164590]2650 FPM or thereabouts[/quote]
I routinely plan descents steeper than that.  Guess I better start calling for the "Plunge Checks."

[Four Bars]

That's actually kinda slow. Some will peg the VSI at 6000 feet per minute in the higher altitudes.
The Great Old DC-8 didn't have spoilers or speedbrakes, it was certified to use maximum reverse thrust from the inboard engines instead. Quite the bang and shudder as the reversers deployed, then you really needed to stand it on its nose to maintain the speed as the drag was so high.
Made for a cool sight picture out the front windows...
Trivial pursuit question: what are the 90-degree up and down points on the attitude sphere called?

[Trey Kule]

Ah, guys....


The plane was not presurized during that descent,  Easy to do 5000 fpm descents with the presurrization system holding it to 400 fpm .  Much different than having your ear drums ruptured from a catastrophic decompression at 34000 feet and minus  50C.

[Colonel]

[quote]The plane was not presurized during that descent[/quote]

Of course not.  Too bad you didn't read what I wrote above:

[quote]23,800 / 9 = 2650 FPM or thereabouts[/quote]

3,000 FPM is a [i]normal approach[/i] for stupid old me in
a stupid old unpressurized biplane (20 seconds from downwind
abeam the numbers to touchdown) and I see [b]10,000 FPM[/b]
up and down during aerobatics.

What's the big deal with less than 3,000 FPM?

As far as the chill goes, well, I'm from Cold Lake, Alberta.

I don't get it.  I'm an under-achiever and it's no big deal,
so for a normal person, it ought to be nothing.

[Trey Kule]

I am fairly certain that you can understand the difference between a pilot intentionally doing a relatively short climb or descent at the rates you quoted in the lower 10000 feet of the atmosphere, and a descent from a high flight level for about 25000 feet....or maybe you can't.


I did read your post.  Quite frankly came across as taking the opportunity for some  bragging..2650 fpm descent is no biggie for a Pitts pilot.
I am a bit surprised you did not post a picture of a pitts and damn the four bars flying the aircraft ( which actually may turn out to be appropriate).

....."and the Prince was eaten by his panties....."  Mason Williams

[John Swallow]

Emergency descent:

Power off
Speed brakes/spoilers/whatever out
Sixty degrees of bank
Run'er up to the barber pole.
Recover at 10000 feet.

And all the other stuff  (O2, radio, etc)

[Colonel]

[quote]a descent from a high flight level for about 25000 feet[/quote]

Any parachutist in freefall will exceed [b]10,000 FPM[/b]

[quote]In typical HALO/HAHO insertions the troops jump from altitudes between 15,000 feet and [b]35,000 feet[/b][/quote]

[img]https://i0.wp.com/img.yonhapnews.co.kr/ ... .jpg?w=640[/img]

What's the big deal with [b]less[/b] than 3,000 FPM
which is a [b]normal[/b] approach for a shitty stick
like me?

"Harumph, Harumph, Harumph.  I didn't get a Harumph out of that guy."

You four bars are sure legends in your own minds.  Just
try real hard to

1) not push the [i]wrong[/i] button
2) remember to raise the gear [i]sometime[/i] during the climb to cruise
3) overshoot if you're 30 knots fast before touchdown on a wet runway at Montreal

Fucking rocket science, this is.

[Liquid Charlie]

Ah -- the queen's english - bin=garbage can, plunge=drop colour and color neighbor and neighbour zed and zee, lift =elevator  the list is endless all depends where you learned your english  >:D

[Chris]

[quote author=Four Bars link=topic=7295.msg19892#msg19892 date=1508172843]
Trivial pursuit question: what are the 90-degree up and down points on the attitude sphere called?
[/quote]


Fun?