Why do pilots say heavy?

The word "heavy" means a larger aircraft type, with a Maximum Takeoff Weight of 160 tonnes or more. These aircraft create wake turbulence from their wings and require extra separation between following aircraft, and the use of "heavy" reminds other pilots of that fact.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on traveller.com.au


What does it mean when a pilot says heavy?

The term heavy is used during radio transmissions between air traffic control and any aircraft which has been assigned a maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) rating of 136 tonnes (300,000 lb) or more.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on en.wikipedia.org


Why do pilots say Niner?

Aviators often speak “pilot English” to avoid miscommunications over radio transmission. “Tree” for instance, means three, “fife” is the number five and “niner” means nine, says Tom Zecha, a manager at AOPA. The variations stemmed from a desire to avoid confusion between similar-sounding numbers, he says.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on time.com


Why do pilots say heavy after flight number?

When a pilot uses the phrase “heavy,” he is reminding ATC that his aircraft is large and requires more separation between it and the aircraft following.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on johnnyjet.com


What does the heavy callsign mean?

A “heavy” aircraft is one whose takeoff weight is more than 300,000 pounds, or 136 tonnes. This designation is critical enough that the FAA requires all such aircraft to announce the fact with their call sign.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on aerocorner.com


WHY do pilots say HEAVY? Wake Turbulence EXPLAINED BY CAPTAIN JOE



What do pilots say when landing?

Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, Golf, Hotel, India, Juliet, Kilo, Lima, Mike, November, Oscar, Papa, Quebec, Romeo, Sierra, Tango, Uniform, Victor, Whiskey, X-ray, Yankee, Zulu. Numbers get special treatment too.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on rd.com


Is a 757 A heavy?

B757 aircraft that had previously been considered "Heavy" as the lead aircraft under paragraph 5-5-4 will now be considered “B757s.” In addition, all Boeing 757 models will be considered "Large" aircraft when following another aircraft.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on faa.gov


Why do pilots say blue?

The callout from the pilots like "LOC blue" serves to remind themselves of the current flight guidance modes, and to maintain awareness of mode changes. This is also to ensure that their mental idea of "what the aircraft will do next" is up to date and fits to the current flight situation.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on aviation.stackexchange.com


How do planes fly if they are so heavy?

A plane's engines are designed to move it forward at high speed. That makes air flow rapidly over the wings, which throw the air down toward the ground, generating an upward force called lift that overcomes the plane's weight and holds it in the sky.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on explainthatstuff.com


Why do seat backs have to be up?

The FAA requires that seat backs be upright for take off and landing to provide as much room as possible for the people behind you to get to the aisle in the event of an emergency evacuation. This requirement has been in place for decades.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on usatoday.com


Why do pilots say souls on board?

ATC: 4194 Say souls on board. (This is the ATC terminology for asking how many people are in the plane. It is the standard terminology, and when you file any flight plan that's the term for number of people on the plane; but when you hear it said out loud by a controller it's usually a bad sign.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on theatlantic.com


Do you call a pilot Captain?

Commercially-chartered private jet flights in Europe and the US are operated by two pilots. One will take full responsibility for the flight and be referred to as the Captain. If both pilots are Command Course qualified, one pilot will take responsibility for the flight and will be referred to as 'Commander'.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on blog.privatefly.com


What does squawk 7700 mean?

If a crew resets their transponder to the emergency code of 7700 (squawking 7700), all air traffic control facilities in the area are immediately alerted that the aircraft has an emergency situation. It's up to the crew to let ATC know what the exact situation is.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on flightradar24.com


Why do pilots say rotate on takeoff?

Summary. Long story short, pilots say rotate as a verbal queue that the aircraft has reached its predetermined Vr and hence appropriate inputs can be applied to safely pitch the aircraft in a nose-up attitude to gain lift.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on 100knots.com


What a pilot says before take off?

Usually, the Captain will make a small briefing before take-off, sometimes indicating the priority for take-off (e.g. “We are third in priority for take-off, we should depart in about five minutes”). But there is always an announcement like: “Flight attendants, prepare for take-off please.”
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on airodyssey.net


Why is it called Deadhead?

A Back in the early part of the nineteenth century the term dead head (at first two words) was a theatrical term for a person who had been admitted without charge, perhaps because they had performed some service such as putting up a poster advertising the event.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on worldwidewords.org


Why do planes do not fly over the Pacific?

Flying over the Pacific Ocean is avoided by most airlines for most flights because it usually doesn't make sense to fly over it when shorter and safer routes exist. The Pacific Ocean is also more remote and less safe than the Indian and Atlantic Oceans to fly over, resulting in a higher chance of a plane crashing.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on executiveflyers.com


Can plane wings break off?

The spars run all the way through the wings, connecting in a “wing box” on the bottom of the fuselage, ensuring that the wings cannot snap off. The only possible way for an airplane wing to snap off would be “bad maintenance,” Rainer Groh, the writer behind the Aerospace Engineering Blog, told Fear of Flying School.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on travelandleisure.com


What does a red plane mean?

Red indicates an emergency, either a squawk of 7700 (General emergency) or 7600 (radio fail)
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on forum.flightradar24.com


What are the ladies on the plane called?

A flight attendant, also known as steward/stewardess or air host/air hostess, is a member of the aircrew aboard commercial flights, many business jets and some government aircraft. Collectively called cabin crew, flight attendants are primarily responsible for passenger safety and comfort.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on en.wikipedia.org


How do you address a pilot?

The easiest way to address the pilot on a commercial flight is by referring to them as Captain, regardless of if it's actually the Captain or the First Officer.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on skytough.com


How do you say time in aviation?

"Zero seven five seven" is the correct way to state the time, pronouncing each digit separately per the table below. Aircraft call signs are sometimes grouped instead of annunciating each digit, for example United 6330 would be "sixty three thirty" instead of "six three three zero".
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on aviation.stackexchange.com


How much does a fully loaded 747 weigh?

How Much Does a Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet Weigh? The maximum weight of a Boeing 747-400 Jumbo Jet is 910,000 lbs or 412,000 KGS. This is equivalent of 325 double decker buses! It would reach this weight when it is full of passengers and has a lot of fuel onboard.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on flightdeckfriend.com