Which is more difficult to take off or land. What is harder and more dangerous for an airplane: takeoff or landing? Which is more dangerous, the takeoff or landing of the plane

To get to the desired destination, travelers can choose a different type of transport, but the fastest and most convenient was and remains a modern airliner. However, many passengers are afraid of air travel, and they choose another carrier, which is much slower to cope with its work. Fear of air travel should be viewed as a psychological problem, because in fact, transport is considered the safest means of transportation. And the most dangerous takeoffs and landings of airplanes on video clips and in films are often just fictions of filmmakers. So, in this article we will try to analyze whether the flight is dangerous for the passenger and which stage of the flight can be considered the most dangerous.

Air travel can be divided into several stages:

• takeoff;
• the stage of finding air transport in the airspace;
• landing of air transport.

According to analytical studies, accidents occur when an airliner takes off from the ground and at the time of landing. The dangerous takeoffs and landings of the aircraft can be viewed on the video, but you should not believe their complete truthfulness. After all, it is not uncommon for such stories to be taken from well-known films in order to increase the traffic of their own website. But now we will try to get a truthful answer.

Which is more dangerous: takeoff or landing?

In fact, there is a likelihood of emergencies both during takeoff and landing of an airliner. And as soon as the aircraft rises to a sufficient height, air travel will become much safer. This can be explained quite simply - the plane is in close proximity to the ground, so there is very little time left to change the malfunction, which leads to an emergency.

So which is more dangerous: takeoff or landing of the plane? In fact, the risks are fraught with two stages of air travel, so it is worth considering them in more detail.

The famous water landing on the river. Hudson. A feature film "Miracle on the Hudson" was shot based on the event

Airliner take off - what is its danger?

So, the aircraft take off is potentially dangerous, why is this stage considered as such? There are several reasons that can cause an emergency during takeoff:

1. Engine operation at takeoff speed. The fact is that the engines, operating in this mode, can fail and prevent the airliner from leaving the runway. The pilot can independently decide on takeoff or braking if he notices a malfunction in the engine.
2. Incorrectly calculated airliner configuration. This position should be calculated by the pilot of the aircraft before the takeoff of the aircraft, but whether the alignment of the aircraft will be correct, unfortunately, can only be found after the aircraft has taken off from the runway.
3. Strong headwind flow. No less dangerous during takeoff are strong gusts of side wind, which can simply carry the airliner to the adjacent lane, which will lead to an emergency.

Of course, these are the most common reasons that an airliner with passengers can wait for during takeoff. The most dangerous landings of aircraft in the video can be seen in full.

Landing hazard

Dangerous landings of passenger planes also take place. You can list the following reasons for risky situations:

1. Wind currents (both directional and lateral). If there is a strong crosswind, it is very difficult for the pilot to fly the airliner, which can lead to a failed landing.
2. No less frightening for an aircraft approaching for landing is a sharp redirection of the wind. If it changes abruptly or stops altogether, then the airliner will simply lose altitude, and the necessary height reserve may simply not be available when landing.
3. Bad visibility. The airliner should land with excellent visibility. And if it is possible to lift transport into the sky even in fog, then landing should be carried out with poor visibility by visual reference points. In order for pilots to enter normally in poor visibility, they are required to pass exams annually.
4. Alignment check. As mentioned earlier, the pilot is in charge of centering the airliner before the plane takes off. But since the plane loses its fuel in the sky, by the time of landing it may turn out that the previously adjusted alignment has changed. This moment must be monitored in order to prevent the occurrence of an emergency. And the alignment can be stabilized using fairly simple methods, for example, by asking passengers to transfer to another part of the plane or to another cabin.
5. Insufficient adhesion of the landing gear to the landing strip. Quite often, an emergency situation can happen due to an insufficient coefficient of adhesion. A sharp change in weather conditions can lead to it, as a result of which the landing strip will be covered with ice and it will be very difficult to control air transport.

As you can see, real dangers, of course, exist, but thanks to the experience and skills of the pilots, it is quite easy to cope with them and successfully fly into the sky or, on the contrary, land a modern airliner with passengers on board.

Videos from the crash sites keep many tourists awake. And the fact that the probability of death in the sky is extremely small does not calm everyone.

Soaring in the sky like a bird is a man's old dream, which came true relatively recently. If everyone is accustomed to traveling on the ground and has been doing it for many centuries, then mass flights have become possible relatively recently. The Wright brothers made their first controlled flight in 1903, and since then aviation has rapidly entered the life of mankind. And with it the eternal question: is it dangerous to fly by plane?

According to statistics,. However, despite the obvious convenience, half of the people who have visited the sky at least once experienced anxiety during the flight. This fear is especially common among the elderly and pregnant women, due to their low stress tolerance. Although this is not alien to other categories of the population. Approximately 15% of people are susceptible to aerophobia to varying degrees, some abandon air travel forever.

Many people judge the dangers of flying based on press stories about plane crashes. Now you can freely watch footage from the places of any crash, the details are savoring in the press and broadcast in all media.

Few people think about the fact that there are many more fatal car accidents. So much so that there won't be enough airtime to tell about everyone. About 1,200 people die in plane crashes a year while car accidents send 1.2 million to the next world. By the way, hippos, lightning bolts and obesity kill more people per year than airplanes.

The crew sees a person who is afraid to fly at once: a frightened look, trembling of hands, sweating. They try to calm such people so that the panic does not worsen or become contagious. The fear that the crew will make a mistake is partly justified; in most aircraft crashes, the human factor is the root cause.

Don't worry about the pilot falling asleep. In addition to him, there is a second pilot and autopilot, which will not leave the car uncontrolled. There is no need to be afraid of system failure either. Each of them is interchangeable, everything is thought out, they were not built by fools. Even in case of engine failure, there is a second, and sometimes a third.

Why is it dangerous to fly an airplane

There is a very real danger of a bird getting into the engine. If this is a small bird, then the tragic consequences will only be for the bird itself. If, for example, a crow flies into the engine, this can cause serious consequences for the engine. But there are no birds at flight altitude, and there are special scarers at airports.

Whether it is dangerous to fly an airplane can be judged by the number of crashes. If initially, with the development of air transport, the number of accidents increased, then since the 80s of the last century, this trend has been interrupted. Over the past decade, the number of plane crashes has decreased by 36%. In Western Europe and America, plane crashes have generally become a rarity. Some countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia are blacklisted.

Which is more dangerous, the takeoff or landing of the plane

It is not for nothing that these actions of the pilots are accompanied by a request to hide their phones and are met with thunderous applause from passengers. Why are aircraft taking off and landing dangerous? Because they are the ones that require the most effort and experience from the pilot, especially in difficult airports.

During takeoff, there is a high likelihood of engine failure due to extreme load. The board is loaded with people and fuel, and the height has not yet been reached. The largest plane crash in terms of the number of casualties occurred during takeoff. In 1977, 583 people died in a collision between two aircraft in Tenerife.

Landing frightens passengers with its vibration and impact on the ground, and pilots, sometimes even experienced ones, with unpredictability. The pilots even have a saying on the occasion: "Takeoff is dangerous, the flight is beautiful, the landing is difficult." During landing, a lot depends on the skill of the crew. The longer and wider the runway, the easier it is to land the car.

Thus, both processes are equally dangerous, but for different reasons. Takeoff - due to the risk of equipment failure, landing - due to the complete dependence on the actions of the pilot. According to statistics, most accidents occur during landing.

Real dangers

If the risk of crash is really minimal, then there are more real reasons why it is dangerous to fly in airplanes. For example, the danger of catching an infection. The air in the cabin is circulated with the help of pumps, and is not always quickly replaced by fresh air. Given the confined space, even one sick person can infect half of the passengers. When flying to unfavorable countries, the crew insures themselves and sprays an insecticide in the cabin that protects against infection.

Thrombosis resulting from prolonged sitting can be harmful to health. Therefore, it is better not to sit too long, but to do something, sometimes get up or do special exercises so as not to allow the blood to stagnate.

It is dangerous to fly often and for a long time. For 200 hours of summer, you can get the maximum allowable dose of radiation, and if you fly at supersonic speeds, then the time is reduced to 80 hours. Long flights contribute to the disruption of biorhythms. Especially dangerous in this regard are flights to the east or crossing time zones. The general working capacity of the body, sleep, and the work of the gastrointestinal tract are impaired.

On this site I pay a lot of attention to aerophobia and how to deal with it. Because this is a very common fear, and even I myself hate going up into the air.

In the next article on airplanes and flights, we will talk about why, in fact, flying is much safer than we imagine. Honor and clear your sky!

Is turbulence dangerous, how weather conditions and lightning strike the plane - these and other questions are answered by the British Airways pilot.

Turbulence zone - is it dangerous?

Despite the inconvenience, it is absolutely safe; in our Fly With Confidence courses, we try to explain this as clearly as possible. Aircraft that carry passenger air travel can withstand tremendous turbulence, much greater than what you are likely to experience.

The problem with turbulence zones is that they cannot be detected in advance. True, pilots who have flown through these zones report this fact - this information reaches those pilots who fly after them.

Sometimes you can get out of this zone if you change the flight altitude (take off higher or lower), but this does not always help. It affects only the passengers' feelings, but not in any way on the flight safety.

Wind shear, or wind shear. What is it? Dangerous?

Wind shear is hazardous during landing and takeoff. This is the sudden change in wind speed or direction as the aircraft increases or decreases in speed.

If the wind affects the speed in such a way that it falls below the minimum allowable, then the probability of the plane crashing is high.

All pilots undergo hours of training, and aircraft and some airfields are equipped with potential shift warning systems.

Is it worth worrying if the flight takes place in bad weather conditions (snow, rain)?

No. Pilots are very well versed in weather conditions, always studying the current forecasts at the airports of departure and arrival, as well as the weather at the airports along the route.

As for the fuel reserves, we always have a larger amount, if, according to the forecast, problems are expected at the arrival airport - at such moments it may be necessary to postpone the landing and go around.

Is too windy weather an obstacle to landing?

There are many videos on the network when the plane approaches the landing at an angle, is it safe?

Each type of aircraft has a limit that pilots will not violate in a crosswind. Oftentimes, smaller airports do not have a “headwind” runway, so yes, the wind in very few cases can be an obstacle when landing.

But the wind speed and direction are analyzed in advance, in rare cases the flight may be canceled or transferred to a nearby airport for this reason.

As for the video, they look scary, but there is a special control technique for landing in a strong crosswind, all this is safe and worked out by the pilots.

How do pilots land in dense fog?

Using the Autoland program. It is a sophisticated system that uses ILS - Instrument Landing System - a combination of ground beams that will direct an aircraft towards the landing strip.

Pilots in this case may not see the strip until the landing gear hits the ground. So maybe, say, at Heathrow Airport, where there is a modern ILS system.

Pilots land by hand 98% of the time, but Autoland training takes place at British Airways every six months throughout the pilot's career.

What happens if lightning strikes the plane?

Nothing, all commercial aircraft are designed so that lightning strikes will not affect performance in any way. Aircraft are equipped with electrostatic spark gaps, which are usually located at the ends of the wings.

If lightning strikes the plane, then they divert electricity into the air. After any such incident (and this is also a great rarity), the aircraft is inspected for damage to the skin.

What happens if a tire bursts?

At low takeoff speeds this can be a reason why takeoff can be canceled, but at high speeds the flight will not be interrupted. The plane can land with any number of burst tires.

Should you be afraid of colliding with birds?

Of course not, this kind of thing rarely happens. If this happens, the damage to the aircraft is minimal or nonexistent, and all engines are tested to withstand a collision with a bird.

Air collision - what are the chances of that?

There are three things you should know about this.

First, airport dispatchers undergo rigorous selection, training and licensing. Their task is to create a so-called protective bubble, which increases in size with increasing height and speed of the aircraft.

Second, the pilot is a professional in his field, he goes through a huge number of tests, selections and checks.

Third, all aircraft are equipped with electronic systems that allow pilots to negotiate with each other.

If an airline is a low-cost carrier, is it more dangerous to fly with it? They save the same.

I cannot be responsible for other companies, but there is a minimum level of training and tests for all ICAO (International Civil Aviation Association) member airlines. And this level is actually very high.

Is it more dangerous to fly in small planes?

No, they have the same equipment and safety standards, but the turbulence in small aircraft is felt more strongly. Therefore, most passengers may feel that flying on such an aircraft is more dangerous.

What is the most dangerous part of flying? It is considered to be takeoff or landing.

Believe me, your taxi ride to the airport is statistically much more dangerous than any part of the plane ride.

Soon after takeoff, I feel the fall of the plane, what is it?

These are just the features of our vestibular apparatus, which is used to being on the ground. As for the aircraft, the pilot only reduced the rate of climb.

At cruising altitude, can I sometimes hear a sudden loud hum from the engines, as if the power of the turbines is increasing?

This is a standard step climb technique used to improve engine efficiency when the aircraft becomes lighter (using up some fuel).

How do you know if an airplane has enough fuel?

The fuel level is what the pilot always controls. By law, an aircraft must carry a supply of fuel for emergencies.

Can telephones affect aircraft performance?

Do pilots sleep on board?

On long-haul flights (more than nine hours), the third pilot always flies with us. The pilots take turns resting in the personnel area. In some cases, there may be four pilots on board at once.

What happens if one of the two pilots loses the ability to fly the plane? And if both?

One pilot is perfectly capable of flying an airplane - this is standard simulator training. There have never been cases in the world that two pilots were disconnected at once, these are fictions from films. As mentioned above, there are often three or even four pilots in the crew.

Is it dangerous to fly at night?

No, because the technique and all the tools are used in the same way as during the day.

The head of the flight-methodological department, pilot-instructor of Tu-154 and A320, Alexander Ushkov, is in charge.

It is known that smoking is prohibited on board, but passengers still smoke in the toilets. How safe is it for flying?

Smoking on board the aircraft is strictly prohibited! The liner flies at high speed, there is a lot of oxygen, as well as flammable substances. And a fire on board is a terrible thing. If it started in a hard-to-reach place, it is very difficult to extinguish it!

The pilots have one instruction for this case - to land the plane as quickly as possible, including outside the airfield. So, at one time in America, almost 350 passengers burned down in 15 minutes due to the fact that one of them smoked in the liner's toilet and threw a cigarette butt into a waste paper container! Now in the toilets of each airliner, special sensors are installed, and if someone smokes, a red alarm is triggered. Including in the cockpit. Red indicates the highest level of hazard on board. The offender could face a fine and be escorted to the police upon boarding. By the way, in the United States, a passenger once locked himself in the toilet and smoked. When the stewardess made a remark to him and asked him to leave, he was nasty to her. The crew reported to the ground, 2 fighters immediately took off, and the liner landed, accompanied by them. The smoker was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Recently, an American pilot was forced to land a plane on a river because a flock of geese got into the engine. It turns out that every passenger puts himself in danger - after all, birds fly every day ...

Birds fly every day, but they rarely get into aircraft engines. Our airport, like others, has an ornithological service that prevents birds from gathering at the airfield. This service is armed with acoustic, laser, pyrotechnic installations that cause panic in birds.

It is important not to allow birds to approach the plane during takeoff and landing, since during the flight itself we have different heights with the birds. By the way, if one goose gets in, it will most likely not damage the plane, but the flock, as it was in the USA, can disable the plane. It is impossible to shut down the engines with something - the plane simply will not take off.

- Some say that the most dangerous moment is takeoff, others - landing. How really?

The threat of an emergency situation exists both on takeoff - the engines operate at a high, almost limiting mode, the landing gear and fuselage carry a heavy load, and on landing. Especially in bad weather conditions. But the load on the pilot is greater when landing.

Special squad for the president

The head of the aviation security complex Denis Muravyov is in charge.

Our compatriots in flight are very fond of drinking, and then arrange fights on board. Why are airlines not fighting this problem in any way? Why is it not forbidden to sell alcohol on board the plane and at the airport?

We have rules of conduct for passengers on board, which also apply to drinking.

First, an openly drunk person will not be allowed on the plane. Secondly, it is prohibited to open packages with alcohol purchased in duty free shops in the salon. Flight attendants will not offer free alcoholic drinks to a drunk passenger either. But some still manage to drink hard, make a scandal, fight, and so on. In this case, the commander has the right to land in any country in the world and hand the brawler into the hands of law enforcement agencies. In November 2008, we handed over 12 violators to foreign authorities. We can also claim damages through the court. Even if it is 100 rubles!

Now we are in litigation with passengers, because of whose drunken trick the crew was forced to turn the plane back to St. Petersburg from the middle of the way. By the way, in Europe, such passengers are entered into the EU database and subsequently may be refused a visa. As for the ban on the sale of alcohol at airports, I am in favor. But you will not see this in any country in the world. Perhaps in Saudi Arabia. I would like to note that this is not only a Russian problem. Americans, French, Germans face this ...

The head of the press service Marina Peshekhonova is in charge.

- Which aircraft do Prime Minister Putin and President Medvedev prefer - domestic or foreign?

A special squadron is responsible for the transportation of senior officials. Historically, its fleet consists only of Russian aircraft. This is board number 1 Il-96, as well as airplanes

Il-62, Yak-40, Tu-154 and Tu-134. So both the president and the prime minister fly on domestic airliners. And safety and comfort are guaranteed on any type of aircraft.

In the worst old days, I divided all phases of flight into four distinct fears:

1) takeoff when flying there;

1) landing when flying there;

3) takeoff when flying back;

4) landing when flying back.

Why did I do this? Because I was so brainwashed by society that it made me believe that takeoff and landing are the most dangerous phases of flight.

My first draft of the questionnaire included two questions that I later omitted:

1) form of movement;

2) what phase of the flight do you consider the most dangerous?

Ironically, the answer to the first question was always yes. Likewise, the answer to the second question was invariably the same: landing and takeoff. What is the irony here? The point is that, although each answer seems correct, they contradict each other. If the flight is safe, then how can you say that takeoff and landing are dangerous? In fact, it is the wording of the second question that is the cause of this logical error. Landings and takeoffs are not hazardous, and the truth is, none of the phases of flight pose a risk.

However, due to the fact that a relatively small number of accidents often occur during takeoff or landing, our fooled brain leads us to believe that these maneuvers are really dangerous. They are no more frightening than the start and stop of a train. The wording of the question gives the impression that the flight is actually dangerous.

Even after I learned to calmly endure flights, my wife and I always held hands during takeoff or landing. And when each takeoff or landing ended safely, we smiled at each other, as if we had survived an avalanche or hurricane. Why did we behave this way? After all, we didn’t perform a similar ritual using other modes of transport. I now know that I personally did this because I sincerely believed that I had experienced some very important event. But why did such a need arise for Joyce, who claimed that she had never suffered from a fear of flying?

We keep this ritual to this day. I can't say for Joyce, but I do it not out of fear during takeoff or landing, but because it has become a sweet, beloved habit that reminds me of the times when I was not so much holding her hand as I was almost breaking her. fingers. Joyce says that she is not afraid of flying because if we die, then at least we will die together. I find it comforting and flattering, but the fact that we don't hold hands when we board the bus or train means that she must be seeing significantly more opportunities to die during takeoff or landing.

Let's now explain what makes takeoff and landing perfectly safe. You taxied safely to the main airstrip. The engines are already running, they've just been checked, like the rest of the plane. The captain ramps up the engines and then releases the brakes. The plane begins to run up the runway. It reaches the speed when you instinctively feel that the plane should take off. But it doesn't take off. You understand that something is wrong. And that's when you start to regret taking your golf clubs with you and worry if the runway is enough. You find yourself trying to physically lift the plane. You want to shout to all passengers:

“Well, come on! If we all focus our efforts, we can get this thing off the ground! "

In all likelihood, your sensations are correct, the pilot could easily take off at the speed that you felt. So why didn't he do it? Because he wants to survive, just like you.

The exact speed at which the pilot should pull the stick towards himself is calculated in advance. The airline weighs your baggage not only to get more money from you in the form of extra weight fees. She knows the weight of the plane itself, but she also needs to know the number of passengers and crew, the weight of the cargo and fuel. Based on this data, the exact speed at which the aircraft must take off to take off is calculated.

However, it would be very risky to take off at this very speed: the slightest error in calculations, a change in wind strength or a failure in any of the engines at the time of takeoff can cause the plane to lose speed. Therefore, the pilot does not even try to take off at this speed. As in everything related to modern civil aviation, a safety factor is laid in the takeoff of the aircraft. If we talk about the speed on takeoff, then this margin is about 30%. Therefore, if the actual takeoff speed is 240 km / h, then this means that the pilot could take off at a speed of about 180 km / h.

How does the pilot keep the plane on the ground when the laws of aerodynamics dictate to him that the plane should take off at a speed of 180 km / h? Here he is assisted by a control system that makes it possible to change the shape of the aircraft. Both the wings and the tail have movable parts. These are called flaps. Think of the brimmed hat. If the brim sags, then the hat is unlikely to fly off your head. If they are raised up, then no pins will hold it.

In the initial phase of takeoff, the pilot uses flaps, similar to the way spoilers (lift absorbers) on cars are used to keep the plane on the ground. When it reaches a speed at which the plane can take off without hindrance, it simply removes these flaps, and the liner can only obey the laws of nature and soar up.

The aircraft underwent a technical inspection before being towed to the runway. There is a wide, flat runway in front of the pilot. It accelerates to the calculated take-off speed, pulls back the lever, and the plane has no choice but to take off. What could happen here?

I am sure you have remembered many of the dangers. We'll talk about them in the next chapters. Perhaps most often there is a fear that

ENGINE WILL FAIL.