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The Boeing 747 has a feature not found in other commercial aircraft. What is it?

Spiral staircase. The staircase is next to the galley of the plane. If you saw the movie "Air Force One", then you know that the 747 also has an elevator (actually 2), that the crew can ride down to the galley on the lower level.

The MD-80 is the updated version of which airplane?

DC-9. The DC-9 is a workhorse that has been flying for more than 30 years. It is generally used for short haul.

When a flight is addressed as "heavy", as in "Delta five eight heavy, cleared for landing runway 28 left", what does heavy mean?

Gross weight of more than 250,000 pounds. Some of the "heavy" aircraft are: 747, 767, 777, DC10.

The first two engine passenger aircraft immediately certificated for Transatlantic/Transpacific flights without the normal 'two-year-in- service' wait is a Boeing. Which?

777. The dynamic brake test in the testing phase of this aircraft's development cost more than $1,000,000 per test.

How many cockpit crew are normally assigned to a transoceanic 747 flight?

Four. Usually but not always, one extra pilot to rotate rest periods.

Virgin Atlantic Airways at one time carried a piano and pianist on board its Transatlantic flights.

True. The owner and founder of Virgin Atlantic Records, Richard Branson also dabbled with an on board casino, and many other innovative features.

What does the term DME mean to aviation?

Distance measuring equipment. A device to advise the pilot how far to/from a given location.

Where is the Embraer aircraft manufactured?

Brazil. It has become a very popular aircraft for short haul flights. Used primarily by regional airlines.

The original model of the Boeing 707 was nicknamed what?

Water Wagon. The 707 initially carried a lot of water that assisted the engines with takeoff thrust.

The seating configuration of the 747 is normally nine or ten seats across. What is the normal configuration of the 767?

Seven across. With two aisles, it has the lowest percentage of "middle" seats, i.e. not a window or aisle. One of my favorite airplanes.