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Is this plane landing or departing? (2017)

aviation.stackexchange.com

21–30 of 52 posts

Re: Is this plane landing or departing? (2017)

#21
post #6

Do you think it's possible that Air Force One Pilots are instructed to land at unconventional spots on the runway to foil potential threats? Perhaps even to land at different spots on the runway on different landings? I know it sounds far-fetched, but my mom who was the "Cultural Affairs Officer" at the US Embassy in San Jose Costa Rica was instructed to take a different route from home to the embassy and back every…

> Do you think it's possible that Air Force One Pilots are instructed to land at unconventional spots on the runway to foil potential threats? No. It's hard enough to nail a landing to pick the "right spot" especially when you don't need it If there's a threat on ground the best thing you can do is stay on air, not try to land on a different spot of the same runway (but yes, given some types of obstructions you can t…

I politely disagree with you. Landings in an aircraft that you have flown for any length of time are not all that hard. In many cases I have been in aircraft that "land long" so as to not have to taxi 3 miles (literally) to get to the gate or parking area.

I would imagine there is a bit of risk mitigation with AF1 as it relates to taxiing on the ground. As you state (correctly I surmise) the best place for AF1 to be is in the air. The worst, is unprotected on the ground. The secret service is great, but I don't see them clearing a mile of taxiway in multiple directions for the safety of the aircraft.

Best to land long, turn off at taxiway and be at your destination with proper equipment nearby as soon as possible.

Re: Is this plane landing or departing? (2017)

#22
post #6

Do you think it's possible that Air Force One Pilots are instructed to land at unconventional spots on the runway to foil potential threats? Perhaps even to land at different spots on the runway on different landings? I know it sounds far-fetched, but my mom who was the "Cultural Affairs Officer" at the US Embassy in San Jose Costa Rica was instructed to take a different route from home to the embassy and back every…

I've never been able to find it again, but I distinctly remember seeing video of Air Force One taking off from Sarasota on September 11, 2001. In my memory it was far louder than normal and climbed at a very steep angle.

I've always wondered if I was imagining that or if they really did act more aggressively to gain altitude quickly.

Re: Is this plane landing or departing? (2017)

#23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Do you think it's possible that Air Force One Pilots are instructed to land at unconventional spots on the runway to foil potential threats? No. It's hard enough to nail a landing to pick the "right spot" especially when you don't need it If there's a threat on ground the best thing you can do is stay on air, not try to land on a different spot of the same runway (but yes, given some types of obstructions you can t…

I politely disagree with you. Landings in an aircraft that you have flown for any length of time are not all that hard. In many cases I have been in aircraft that "land long" so as to not have to taxi 3 miles (literally) to get to the gate or parking area. I would imagine there is a bit of risk mitigation with AF1 as it relates to taxiing on the ground. As you state (correctly I surmise) the best place for AF1 to be…

Thanks for your answer, you probably know more than me about the subject :)

But yes, I understand that you might want to land closer to the beginning or the end of the runway and that's easier the longer the runway is.

And if your taxi back was 3Mi, yeah, it was a long runway. Now, in something like 5000ft/1500m runway, you'll just want to touch down early and hit the brakes as soon as possible (not that the VC-25 should be landing at anything that short in a non-emergency setting)

Re: Is this plane landing or departing? (2017)

#24
post #20
post #10

This is why I don't understand why people like to take photographs of planes. They look the same every time! (The same holds for cars).

This applies even more to the moon, in my opinion. Looking at the moon, that's one thing. But taking a picture of the moon? Go to NASA or Wikipedia for a great high-res picture.

I think the key to understanding the allure is by extending your line of reasoning even further.

Why play piano? There are plenty of recordings of people who play better than I ever will.

Why play chess? I will never be able to beat my computer anyway.

Why paint portraits? I will never be as good as Rembrandt, and my camera is infinitely better anyway.

I think the point of the activity is not "I will take the best picture of this plane/the moon that anyone has ever taken". Rather, it's "I will take the best picture that I ever took".

Re: Is this plane landing or departing? (2017)

#25
post #10

This is why I don't understand why people like to take photographs of planes. They look the same every time! (The same holds for cars).

I mean, people collect stamps, coins, and many other things that seem completely ridiculous and useless to me, why not collect pictures of planes.

Chances are most of your hobbies are as ridiculous as that for most people out of the hobby

Re: Is this plane landing or departing? (2017)

#26
post #4

I remember this showing up in the SO sidebar a long time ago (what a time-suck that thing is). At the time, I remember thinking that some of these people must be trolling - and I still do. For example, the people arguing that the wheels have already touched down. It seems abundantly obvious to me that the wheels have NOT touched down, and that the small strip of black asphalt running parallel to the wheels is a taxi-…

Did you see the extra photos at https://i.stack.imgur.com/QTrv2.jpg ? That might help with the wheels question.

Re: Is this plane landing or departing? (2017)

#27
post #25
post #10

This is why I don't understand why people like to take photographs of planes. They look the same every time! (The same holds for cars).

I mean, people collect stamps, coins, and many other things that seem completely ridiculous and useless to me, why not collect pictures of planes. Chances are most of your hobbies are as ridiculous as that for most people out of the hobby

Almost no one starts a stamp collection in this day and age.

It used to be done simply because there weren't as many forms of superior entertainment as there are now.

Re: Is this plane landing or departing? (2017)

#28
post #6

Do you think it's possible that Air Force One Pilots are instructed to land at unconventional spots on the runway to foil potential threats? Perhaps even to land at different spots on the runway on different landings? I know it sounds far-fetched, but my mom who was the "Cultural Affairs Officer" at the US Embassy in San Jose Costa Rica was instructed to take a different route from home to the embassy and back every…

Maybe if they were landing in a risky country (the presidents have visited warzones like Iraq), but even then, they would ensure the airfield and a 10km radius around it would be clear and secure. If they cannot ensure that, how would landing in an unconventional spot improve security? Every part of an AF1 flight is tightly orchestrated on the one hand, and on the other, they would keep the exact flight route and tim…

[deleted]

Re: Is this plane landing or departing? (2017)

#29
post #4

I remember this showing up in the SO sidebar a long time ago (what a time-suck that thing is). At the time, I remember thinking that some of these people must be trolling - and I still do. For example, the people arguing that the wheels have already touched down. It seems abundantly obvious to me that the wheels have NOT touched down, and that the small strip of black asphalt running parallel to the wheels is a taxi-…

The full set of photos was found - it was landing

https://i.stack.imgur.com/QTrv2.jpg

The taxi-way is the foreground - the wheels do indeed seem like they have touched down or are millimetres away

Re: Is this plane landing or departing? (2017)

#30
post #20
post #10

This is why I don't understand why people like to take photographs of planes. They look the same every time! (The same holds for cars).

This applies even more to the moon, in my opinion. Looking at the moon, that's one thing. But taking a picture of the moon? Go to NASA or Wikipedia for a great high-res picture.

At this point just stay in your bed and wait for death. Everything you'll ever do has been done better in the past. Humans need to keep busy and build/do shit, most of it is useless in the grand scheme of things

Setting up a camera capable of taking quality pics of celestial bodies sounds like a fun hobby, see: https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/166334-debayering-a-dslrs...

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