Why do pilots say rotate before takeoff? (2023)

Why is airplane takeoff called rotation?

In aviation, rotation refers to the action of applying back pressure to a control device, such as a yoke, side-stick or centre stick, to lift the nose wheel off the ground during takeoff. The aircraft rotates around its lateral axis.

What do pilots usually say before takeoff?

“Let's kick the tires and light the fires” Famously uttered by Harry Connick Jr. in Independence Day, the military phrase signals that a plane is just about ready for takeoff, says Mark Baker, a commercial pilot of 35 years and current president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA).

What does V1 V2 rotate mean?

For every aircraft type, V1, VR and V2 are computed by Airbus on the basis of design speeds and evidence collected during the certification testing of the airplane. (fig.1) V1: Decision speed. VR: Rotation speed. V2: Take-off safety speed.

Can a plane take-off without rotating?

The main way for any conventional airplane to take-off (and land) without rotating in pitch is by making the angle of incidence of the wings (approximately the fixed angle with which the wing attaches to the fuselage) equal to the take-of angle of attack with the aircraft parked on the ground.

What does rotate mean to a pilot?

Rotation is the act of lifting the nosewheel of a tricycle-geared airplane off the runway by pulling back on the yoke, raising the elevator and causing the tail to lower. This step is key to a smooth takeoff. The difficulty is that you may either rotate too early or too late, and/or over- or underrotate.

Why do pilots say v1?

Definition. V₁ is the maximum speed at which a rejected takeoff can be initiated in the event of an emergency. V₁ is also the minimum speed at which a pilot can continue takeoff following an engine failure.

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.

Why do pilots say blue skies?

Named after the wish “Blue Skies and Tailwinds” that all pilots give each other blessing them with safe travels as they navigate where the birds fly.

Do pilots have to say Niner?

Pilots pronounce numbers similar to regular English, with a few exceptions: The number three (3) is pronounced “tree.” The number five (5) is pronounced “fife.” The number nine (9) is pronounced “niner.”

Why do pilots call out 80 knots?

A: The 80-knot call is to ensure that both airspeed indicators are functioning and indicating properly. The rudder is becoming effective at that speed, too.

Why do pilots say heavy?

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.

What is the hardest runway to land at?

#1 Airport of Lukla, Nepal

This airport was renamed Tenzing-Hillary Airport because the two people conquered Mount Everest for the first time. Here's a list of some special information about this airport. This airport is at an altitude of 2438 meters or 8000 feet.

What happens if you don't put your phone on airplane mode during takeoff?

What Happens If You Forget to Turn On Airplane Mode? If you don't switch into airplane mode then your cell phone or cellular-enabled tablet will keep attempting to make connections with every cell tower on the ground that the airplane passes.

Can a plane be too heavy to take off?

Most planes are never at their maximum takeoff weight, so this will happen in marginal cases – mostly airports with short runways, at high altitude, and in the summer,” he says.

Do pilots still manually land planes?

While many airplanes can land by use of automation, the vast majority of landings are still done manually. Pilots are generally better at landing in more dynamic weather conditions than the automated system.

Why do pilots say Roger?

So, in short, "Roger" means "r" which stands for "received." The word "Roger" means nothing more. Taking it a step further, some may know "Roger" as part of the full reply "Roger Wilco." Translated into typical English, that phrase actually means "Received, will comply."

Why do pilots always sit on the left?

Historical reasons

According to Ask Captain Lim, this tendency came about due to the nature of early rotary-driven aircraft, such as fighter aircraft from the First World War. It was easier for these aircraft to turn left as this allowed them to follow the torque of their engines.

Why do pilots say airspeed alive?

"Airspeed alive" means that the aircraft has passed this speed and the airspeed indicator has started to move above the minimum speed that it can display. Also it helps to validate that both the indicator is working and that you are making speed at the expected rate.

Why do pilots say no joy?

A pilot reports "no joy" when an attempt to establish visual or radio contact with another aircraft is unsuccessful; or when an attempt to acquire a target - either visually or on tactical radar - is unsuccessful.

Why do pilots say Charlie?

Charlie-Charlie is a fancy substitution for a standard affirmative. It comes from the convention of abbreviating Correct/Yes by letter C in codes. It was early standardized and used at sea since 1857.

Why do pilots say souls?

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.

What do pilots say after landing?

Make shortly after landing, once the engine noise has subsided. “Ladies and gentlemen, [Airline Name] welcomes you to [city]. The local time is [time]. For your safety and the safety of those around you, please remain seated with your seat belt fastened and keep the aisle(s) clear until we are parked at the gate.

What does the Navy call their pilots?

A naval aviator is a commissioned officer or warrant officer qualified as a crewed aircraft pilot in the United States Navy or United States Marine Corps.

Why do they say pan pan?

The radiotelephony message PAN-PAN is the international standard urgency signal that someone aboard a boat, ship, aircraft, or other vehicle uses to declare that they have a situation that is urgent, but for the time being, does not pose an immediate danger to anyone's life or to the vessel itself.

What do you say to a pilot for good luck?

Just say “have a nice flight” will do, or you can get poetic and say “blue skies and tail-winds for you!”

How can you say that the pilot was happy?

Ans. He was happy because he was flying up above the sleeping countryside. Secondly, he was going to be with his family.

Why do pilots say the altitude?

Answer: It is normally part of the welcome aboard announcement as a matter of interest. We provide the time of the flight, the cruise altitude, landmarks of interest along way and the weather. Passengers generally like to know this level of detail according to what they have told me.

What is meant by plane of rotation?

In geometry, a plane of rotation is an abstract object used to describe or visualize rotations in space. In three dimensions it is an alternative to the axis of rotation, but unlike the axis of rotation it can be used in other dimensions, such as two, four or more dimensions.

What is the rotation of an aircraft called?

Imagine three lines running through an airplane and intersecting at right angles at the airplane's center of gravity. Rotation around the front-to-back axis is called roll. Rotation around the side-to-side axis is called pitch. Rotation around the vertical axis is called yaw.

What is a flight rotation?

1. In a flight rotation problem, an aircraft flies to a series of consecutive airports and then returns back from the last airport directly to the initial airport. Learn more in: A Model for Reducing the Cost of Refueling in a Flight Route Problem With Discounted Fuel Prices.

What do you mean by rotating?

: to turn about an axis or a center : revolve. especially : to move in such a way that all particles follow circles with a common angular velocity about a common axis. transitive verb. : to cause to turn or move about an axis or a center.