Why would a plane fly in circles?

Airplanes may fly in circles at the discretion of the pilot or by request from air traffic control. Most circling is to provide separation between airplanes, to hold planes when runways are temporarily obstructed, or to ensure airplanes arrive at their planned arrival times for the destination airport.
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What does it mean when a plane is flying in circles?

Circling. Generally, planes will circle above airports for the same reasons planes sometimes need to perform go-arounds. This could be anything from weather to an incident on the runway. Pilots have to weigh their options between circling for a little while or turning back to land at a different airport.
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Why do air Force planes fly in circles?

The track they're flying is called an orbit. They literally orbit a waypoint which other planes can request and fly to, to refuel. Also other type of military aircraft are using this type of flight-path as it fits to their assigned mission. Examples are recconaissance-aircraft, groundattack-aircraft on standby, etc.
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What causes a plane to spiral?

Graveyard spirals are the result of several sensory illusions in aviation which may occur in actual or simulated IMC, when the pilot experiences spatial disorientation and loses awareness of the aircraft's attitude.
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What is a death spiral in flying?

death spiral (plural death spirals) (aviation) The downward, corkscrew-motion of a disabled aircraft which is unrecoverably headed for a crash.
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Why Airplanes Fly On A Curved Path



How do you remove a death spiral?

If so, here are nine of my learnings on how to reverse, or even prevent, the downward spiral:
  1. Be aware. ...
  2. Start an open conversation. ...
  3. Take a step back to get perspective. ...
  4. Don't seclude yourself. ...
  5. Look to the future. ...
  6. Explore the root of the problem. ...
  7. Manage expectations. ...
  8. Be present.
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Why do military planes fly in loops?

Officially known as the Machynlleth Loop, the Mach Loop allows pilots carry out tactical air combat manoeuvres, tight turns and bends, in the challenging terrain of a mountainous valley that winds over a circular route between Dolgellau, on the edge of Cader Idris mountain in Snowdonia, looping around to the Welsh ...
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Why are military planes flying over my house?

Most of the time, they are used for training purposes. If you live near a military installation, there is a high chance the military helicopters, planes, and jets fly over and past your house during training operations.
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What are the circles on land when flying?

They are center-pivot irrigation circles. The circles might look tiny from the sky, but down on the land surface, these devices can be huge, stretching thousands of feet.
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Why do planes turn before landing?

Airlines are today required to turn off plane lights during takeoff and landing. The reason this is done is because of the time it takes for our eyes to adjust to the dark. It can take our eyes between 10 to 30 minutes to adjust to darkness.
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Is a go-around scary?

Passengers need not be afraid when their aircraft goes around. A pilot climbing and increasing power to the engines, at any altitude during the final approach, means that the aircraft is still flying and the pilot has control of the aircraft. These should be calming signs to passengers, rather than scary signs.
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Why do planes travel in curves?

Airplanes fly in a curve to get to their destination in the shortest time. A curved flight path accounts for the shape of the Earth and can look confusing on a two-dimensional map. Flying in a curved direction is calculated using the Great Circle Route and is also used in sailing.
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Why don't planes fly straight across the Pacific?

The primary reason airplanes don't fly over the Pacific Ocean is because curved routes are shorter than straight routes. Flat maps are somewhat confusing because the Earth itself isn't flat. Rather, it's spherical. As a result, straight routes don't offer the shortest distance between two locations.
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Why do planes not fly over Atlantic?

Early aircraft engines did not have the reliability needed for the crossing, nor the power to lift the required fuel. There are difficulties navigating over featureless expanses of water for thousands of miles, and the weather, especially in the North Atlantic, is unpredictable.
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Why do military planes fly low?

In combat, many aircraft will operate at altitudes as low as 100 feet and at high airspeeds to defeat ground missile radars and avoid sophisticated surface-to-air missiles, anti-aircraft artillery, and enemy fighters.
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Why do helicopters circle around neighborhoods at night?

Something on the ground in your vicinity is of interest to the crew and the helicopter is using its camera to film or search the area. Circling allows the incident to stay in view of the crew at all times.
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Is there an app to identify planes flying overhead?

Flightradar24 | Flight Tracker on the App Store.
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How often do planes fly the Mach Loop?

On average you will see 2-5 movements a day now during “good weather” (clouds or sun), but sometimes there are even days with 0 or also 20 movements.
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Can anyone fly the Mach Loop?

To the south of the Mach Loop there is an area called Tactical Training Area 7T, in which, at specified times, the aircraft may fly as low as 100 feet (30.5 Metres). When Do They Fly ? Generally the jets fly Monday to Friday all year round & certainly not weekends or bank holidays.
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Is there a Mach Loop in the United States?

Flight training

Rainbow Canyon was among the few places in the world (Mach Loop is another) where photographers can see combat aircraft flying below them. Military training flights had used the canyon since World War II.
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What does a graveyard spiral look like?

A graveyard spiral is a spiraling dive that can happen when you become disoriented, and when you have little or no visual reference to the horizon. Unfortunately, lots of graveyard spirals end with the airplane impacting the ground in a high rate-of-descent, banked turn.
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How do you prevent death spirals?

Remember, a key indicator of the organizational death spiral is ever-shifting priorities. Avoid that by doing your homework here, declaring your #1 market opportunity, and performing only the activities that contribute to that.
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Can you help ants in death spiral?

The creatures are then unable to break free, owing to their lack of sight, and march around in a loop until they drop dead. What's more, it is possible to force them into this bizarre behaviour – though obviously it's an act of cruelty to the ants. You simply divert the ants into an enclosed space such as a plant pot.
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Why don't we fly from Alaska to Russia?

The smaller of these granite islands is American. These islands can be used as a resting point during a crossing of the Bering Strait, however, being in the proximity of Russia's Big Diomede Island will reduce the chance of a successful crossing from Alaska to Russia.
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Why do pilots say Roger?

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) officially defines the word "roger" to mean "I have received all of your transmission." For example, a pilot would say "roger" in response to an advisory from Air Traffic Control.
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