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Has anyone else noticed that airplanes are flying shallower departure paths than pre-covid?
2023 May 24, 4:46pm 3,585 views 39 comments
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HeadSet
@
2023 May 24, 5:29pm
HeadSet
@
2023 May 24, 5:29pm
stereotomy says
Sounds like they switched from Vx (best angle of climb) to Vy (best rate of climb). That would get them to altitude faster, but over more ground distance with the shallower angle so they would be lower passing over your house. Vy is preferred but Vx is used if some obstacle must be cleared. Maybe an obstacle has been removed or noise abatement standards have been lifted for "quieter engines." Interesting take on the clot shot, since Vy does have a slightly better buffer over a stall. But then, a plane properly trimmed for takeoff is an easy handover from one pilot to the next.
I suspect that the airlines are doing this so that in case a pilot keels over mid-departure because of clot shot damage, there's enough time for the copilot to recover, since the shallower departure angle means that the airplane is getting much more lift and can possibly "coast" a little with significantly less possibility of a stall.
Sounds like they switched from Vx (best angle of climb) to Vy (best rate of climb). That would get them to altitude faster, but over more ground distance with the shallower angle so they would be lower passing over your house. Vy is preferred but Vx is used if some obstacle must be cleared. Maybe an obstacle has been removed or noise abatement standards have been lifted for "quieter engines." Interesting take on the clot shot, since Vy does have a slightly better buffer over a stall. But then, a plane properly trimmed for takeoff is an easy handover from one pilot to the next.
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I'd notice that planes would use a steep departure angle to minimize noise, but now it seems like they are using as shallow a departure angle as possible. I swear that some planes are less than 200 feet above the ground as they pass above me - the airport is over 3 miles away.
I suspect that the airlines are doing this so that in case a pilot keels over mid-departure because of clot shot damage, there's enough time for the copilot to recover, since the shallower departure angle means that the airplane is getting much more lift and can possibly "coast" a little with significantly less possibility of a stall.
Probably no one else on PatNet is living in as low-rent housing as I am, but for those possibly in the know, are my suspicions somewhat justified? The FAA already effectively eliminated the arrhythmia standards for pilots' hearts. Is this just another step in the process of trying to keep as many heart-damaged pilots flying so that the airline industry doesn't collapse?