The Plane Truth

In this episode Matt asks a listener question about aircraft performance calculations. What are they? What needs to be taken into consideration before a flight? Do pilots use 100% of the engine on Take-Off?

Do you know the difference between the Captain and the First Officer on an aircraft? Is there a difference between Captain and Commander? How do you become a captain? What sort of training is involved?

Is deicing a plane as easy as deicing your car? What products are used? Do planes have de-icing systems available? What do you need to consider as the captain of an aircraft? Is it ever too cold to fly?

Have you ever been frozen as a passenger on an airplane? Why is it always so cold on an airplane? Or why is it always too hot on an airplane? Who controls the temperature of the cabin? What tricks do crew use to keep everyone happy? Are there other solutions?

We answer a question from viewer Sir Hingle all about emergency evacuations and belly landings. What is a belly landing? What happens to passengers after a plane crash? Who is responsible to get the passengers home? What do the pilots think about after a plane crash before they start to evacuate the aircraft?

How do flights get callsigns? Why do planes and pilots need callsigns? Are there ever any duplicates? Does Air Traffic Control influence aircraft callsigns? What callsigns do the Royal Family use?

Have you ever wondered what blue ice is? Does human waste fall from the skies? Has blue ice ever landed in your garden? Well, what is it? Why does it fall and is it a thing of days gone by yet?

This week Matt asks where is the safest place to sit on an aircraft? Airplanes are super safe these days but if you're in a plane crash, where should you sit for the best chance of survival? Is there even a best seat?

This week Matt asks What are the wingtips on an airplane and what do they do? When were they introduced? Do different wingtip shapes have different functions?

Join Matt, a nervous flyer, and Captain Al, a seasoned Airbus A320 airline pilot as they discuss some myths and frequently asked questions about all things aviation. This week Matt asks if airplanes have keys and if not, how do pilots start an airplane? What is the barking dog sound on the A320 and why do passengers hear it during start up? Captain Al takes us through a start up of a commercial aircraft from cold and dark all the way to taxiing to the runway.

This week Captain Al answers questions all about loading and balancing of an aircraft. How centre of gravity is calculated and what considerations need to be taken when carrying unusual cargo.

Each country has its own way of measuring all sorts of things. So what happens in aviation with pilots and planes flying all over the world? Do pilots use meters or feet? Kilograms or pounds? Celsius or Fahrenheit? What is a knot when we're talking about speeds and why are nautical miles used?

I'm sure many would agree that parking a car is never a favourite part of driving for me. What's it like steering and parking a plane? They can be giant machines and while they're beautiful in the skies, what are they like on the ground? What do pilots need to be aware of when taxiing the aircraft and what happens if you need to do a u-turn?

Winter is well and truly upon us and we all know of the chaos it can bring to airports. Today we discuss how airplanes stop on contaminated runways. Come rain, snow, ice, what does it take to keep our airlines landing and taking off. We talk breaking action, ABS (anti-lock breaking system) on commercial jets and how pilots plan for this on the line.

There are enormous amounts of acronyms, abbreviations, technical terms and such in aviation. Is there a common language in aviation? How do all air traffic controllers and pilots talk to each other with so many languages all over the world? And what about the language of time and time zones?

It's no surprise that our pilots that bring us safely to our destinations all around the world need solid training and many licenses before they carry passengers. So how does pilots licensing work? Can one license cover everything? What is a type rating and why is important in aviation?

It's depressurization and decompression that we're talking about today. What happens in a rapid decompression? How about a slow decompression? What danger does hypoxia cause in the cockpit. And what happens if there's a hole in the aircraft?

What happens if a plane loses and engine? What do pilots need to consider when an engine failure occurs? Is a stricken plane doomed to crash or can it fly with one engine?

What happens if a plane loses and engine? What do pilots need to consider when an engine failure occurs? Is a stricken plane doomed to crash or can it fly with one engine?

Pilots & Cabin Crew work long hours to get us where we need to be. But how long can pilots work for? Are there time limits and what happens on ultra long haul flights? Can crew sleep on the flight deck? Where do cabin crew sleep on the plane?

How do pilots know how much fuel to put on an airplane? Do planes run out of fuel? Is filling the tanks a good idea? Learn all you need to know about fuel planning with Captain Al on this week's The Plane Truth brought to you by Plane Talking UK Podcast (PTUK).

Can you fly a plane too fast? What happens when planes fly over the speed limit? Overspeed is a major concern for pilots so what is it? How does it occur and how can it be avoided? Captain Al answers a listener question in this week's The Plane Truth.

What impact does the weather have on the decisions made in the cockpit? How is the weather data collated and turned into the forecast the pilots use in-flight? Dan Holley from WeatherQuest joins our resident airline captain, Captain Al, as they explain all about the Weather in this week's Plane Truth!

Have you ever wondered how airlines decide which route to take when you go on that holiday or business trip? Our resident airline captain, Captain Al, explains all about the highways of the sky in this week's Plane Truth!

Have you ever wondered what would happen if you see a crack in your cabin window? What happens if the cockpit window get's a 'stone chip'? Our resident airline captain, Captain Al, explains all about the windows in this week's Plane Truth!

Have you ever wondered what happens if the aircraft gets a puncture while it's the air? What impact does it have on landing? How will the aircraft handle? Our resident airline captain, Captain Al, explains all about the Tyres and Punctures!

What is Turbulence, what effect does that have on the aircraft and how do the pilots minimise the impact on your flight? Captain Al and Dan Holley from WeatherQuest explain all.

The black boxes also known as the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder, are crucial pieces of the puzzle in any aircraft crash. Why are black boxes orange? What is a black box made of? How does a black box help plane crash investigators? How do they record and where are they kept on the aircraft? Our resident airline captain, Captain Al, explains all about the infamous black box!

What do I need airplane mode for? Can phones interfere with the aircraft? Why should I turn my phone on airplane mode. The answer explained once again by Captain Al. Turn off your mobile phone in flight!

What happens to an airplane if there is a threat of a bomb onboard? How do airlines deal with Bomb Threats to their airplanes? What procedures do the pilots and cabin crew go through if they find a suspicious note? How likely is a bomb on an airplane?

Pilot incapacitation is the topic today. Have you ever wondered what happens when pilots get sick in flight? Why can't pilots eat the same meal? Captain Al gives us a fantastic insight to put your minds at ease.

Has your flight attendant ever asked you to open your window blinds as you take off or land? Find out why in this week's The Plane Truth!

Have you ever been in a hot and stuffy airplane and you heard the pilot apologize because the APU wasn't working? Have you ever been onboard and all the lights went out for a few seconds? So what is an APU? What is a GPU? Captain Al Explains all about the Auxiliary Power Unit and the Ground Power Unit, how they differ and what happens when they don't work as intended.

Ever wonder what happens when aircraft have bird-strikes? Bird Strikes are not uncommon in the aviation industry and airline Captain, Al, explains all about the topic. Do all bird strikes end up in accidents like Sully suggests? What about other forms of wildlife that aircraft hit? How frequently do bird strikes occur? Are bird strikes on landing or bird strikes on take off more common than at altitude? How do they affect aircraft engines?

Ever wonder what happens when aircraft get struck by lightning? Aircraft Lightning Strikes are not uncommon in the aviation industry and airline Captain, Al, explains all about the topic. Are lightning strikes dangerous to airplanes? Airplane vs Lightning? What are the protections aircraft have? What happens inside the cabin? Find out here!

Join Matt, a nervous flyer, and Captain Al, a seasoned Airbus A320 airline pilot as they discuss some myths and frequently asked questions about all things aviation. In light of COVID-19 and all the talk of HEPA filters onboard commercial aircraft, we ask if airplane cabin air is safe to breathe? Is the air recycled? Should we be worried? Are you nervous or anxious about travelling on a commercial airliner? What are some of your worries that you have about flying? Put your questions in the comments below and we'll get around to them in a future episode. Or email us at podcast@planetalkinguk.com If you like our content, check out our podcast where we take a look at the latest aviation news from around the world and especially the UK. We have guests from the industry from all sectors of aviation around the globe. We record live every week on YouTube and you can join our chatroom to have your say on aviation news topics to shape the conversation of our show. Many like minded people will be there to chat along with and it's a good laugh. YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/planetalkinguk Our website is https://planetalkinguk.com/ Lastly, this content can't be produced for free and if you're so inclined, consider to help us create more by becoming a patron of the show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/planetalkinguk Thanks!! Strap in tight, fly well, fly safe!