Neil deGrasse Tyson Explains Advancements in Aviation

How have airplanes changed over the years? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice go over some of the ways airports and airplanes have changed.
Discover some facts about how airplanes have changed. Why do current airplanes take off at a steeper angle than they used to? We discuss noise pollution and making plane engines quieter. Are planes less turbulent now? That, plus, what do modern roller coasters and airplanes have in common?
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About StarTalk:
Science meets pop culture on StarTalk! Astrophysicist & Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson, his comic co-hosts, guest celebrities & scientists discuss astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe. Keep Looking Up!
#StarTalk #neildegrassetyson
Special thanks to mylosairplanefan for the Airplane footage. Check out their channel: www.youtube.com/ @mylosairplanefan
Photo Credit, Boeing: www.boeing.com/commercial/777...
00:00 - Introduction
0:44 - Are Airplanes Getting Quieter?
3:50 - Why Do Planes No Longer “Taxi”?
5:28 - Airplane Wing Engineering
6:18 - Stability in the Air
8:00 - Precision Weather Forecasting
9:15 - Banking Turns
13:33 - Use of Computers in Airplanes

[@StarTalk]

What do you think the next major advancement in aviation will be?

[@billakers6082]

Single pilot airliners. Pilot wears a bio monitoring suit that determines the status of the pilot. If the pilot is incapacitated the computers remove the pilot from the command loop and land at the nearest suitable airport.

[@halfrhovsquared]

To ban Neil De Grasse Tyson from spouting BS about aviation and put him on a no-fly-list for convincing people that a helicopter will fall out of the sky if its engine fails or that before computers, turns had to be done with a rudder and that there was no such thing as co-ordinated flight. He cannot tell the difference between poorly-made movies and reality.

[@shasankpudasaini6297]

Reaching my hometown Kathmandu , Nepal in half an hour from Dallas, Texas .

[@sameer26121980]

1. Design planes to fly over oceans without fear of crashing into waters. This will save more fuel by flying using shorter routes. 2. Alternate fuel. Maybe fuel cell? 3. Design planes routes like ICBMs. This can save fuel.

[@lymanmj]

Find a way to remedy the insane levels of air pollution commercial airliners create. Far more pollution per traveler mile than any other.

[@Katanada42]

Neil, Boeing engineer & pilot here, always a big fan of your work. Would love to help clarify some of the ideas here and update you on more aviation advances.

[@smallworld707]

Make some videos on the same topic to help students out? No money in that but lots of blessings sent your way

[@MikiLund]

To bad you guys didn’t follow time !!

[@tgeliot]

Please do.

[@tgeliot]

Airplanes banking is not new at all. It's just more precise now. But I've been flying since the 1960s, and I've never felt pulled left or right. Some years ago an experiment was done on some private pilots where they injected novacaine into the pilots' butts. Sure enough, they had trouble banking correctly. They really were flying by the seats of their pants!

[@stephaniewilley2224]

Neil, I am older than you. Only once in my life, in my childhood I was a passenger on a Boing 707. Those four turbojet engines were so loud INSIDE the cabin that my ears were still ringing hours after a 5 hour flight. Today I am barely aware of the large twin turbofan engined Boing's flying over my house at 5,000 or 6,000 feet.

[@CAMacKenzie]

And then, in the REALLY old days, like the '50s when I was a kid, there were big piston planes. Noisy as that Boeing 707 was, a DC-7 or a Constellation was louder. And they didn't climb anywhere near as steeply, so, having taken off, they might have to circle a couple of times to get high enough to clear local mountains.

[@erinncarl9294]

Boeing, not boing.

[@0x0michael]

@@erinncarl9294 based on their recent history boing is appropriate

[@michaelgoetze2103]

@@0x0michael 🤣🤣

[@MarinCipollina]

@@CAMacKenzie Those old piston prop radial engines loudly rumbled and vibrated, and were in fact quite loud, but the turbofans of the 1960s absolutely shrieked.

[@CallMeEspi]

Neil has the wrong term when he says Taxi. He meant "hold" (in a pre-determined holding pattern near the airfield). Taxiing is what planes do when they move on the ground, like when you taxi from the stand to the runway.

[@mikeorr3333]

I had to scroll a long way to find this. You are absolutely correct. Also, he mentioned the turns to line up with the runway. Of these there are typically two: the turn from downwind approach to base, and the turn from base approach to final.

[@frozentoaster]

You are right mate. I also scrolled down to see if anyone else thought the same way :)

[@markvanslyke294]

I wrote this in a separate comment but yes, exactly, he butchered that nomenclature; that was being in a holding pattern getting vectors from ATC... taxiing is when aircraft move under their own propulsion on the ground -- and that is all aircraft every day whether it's a Cessna or an A350... I love him to death but sometimes he veers into topics where he should solicit feedback from people who do THAT thing

[@mikeorr3333]

@@markvanslyke294 I don't fault him for not knowing common aviation terms. However, if roles were reversed and someone he was speaking with misused a physics term; I feel confident he would supply them with the correct terminology. I also fully believe he would want to know what he missed for his own benefit.

[@markvanslyke294]

@@mikeorr3333 I agree, but considering that he emphasized that the first A in NASA stands for aeronautics and that he has been a government and private consultant -- I think it's reasonable that he knows basic aircraft nomenclature, especially since he genuinely seems to be enamored with aviation. Again, I have all of his books and have probably seen every podcast he's been on, I'm just being a little critical because aviation terms are very germane to physics...

[@thud.]

Taxiing (rarely spelled taxying) is the movement of an aircraft on the ground, under its own power, in contrast to towing or pushback where the aircraft is moved by a tug. The aircraft usually moves on wheels, but the term also includes aircraft with skis or floats (for water-based travel).

[@PCarDriver87]

Yeah I was surprised by how he misused that word.

[@osorious]

I didn't understand why he used that word. Should he have used "holding"?

[@TheBarzook]

@@osorious Yes the other guy caught it, it is holding and it's true though, it's pretty rare that we hold before landing, even after a missed approach, often the tower will just vector the planes "manually" are re-sequence them without entering a holding pattern.

[@deanfowlkes]

@@TheBarzook - Rare? You better be doing at least one every six months, buddy. 😜🤣 Just kidding. I knew what you meant.

[@Three-LeggedCat]

​@@PCarDriver87He is both pompous and overrated.

[@fredcrook8228]

I lived in a suburb right next to O'Hare airport from 1980-90. I could look out the window and see the planes lining up to land when a certain runway was open for landings. They would be spaced about a minute apart and the whole house would vibrate when they passed over. In the summertime, even when the air conditioning wasn't needed, we would often need to keep the windows and doors closed so we could hear the television, radio, and each other. When I moved a little bit further away in '99, I was awakened a few times to a strange sound that I swore in my half-awake state must have been a UFO landing in the street. It turns out, I was now living far enough away from O'Hare that I was hearing airplanes throttling down for landing, which is one spooky sound. I still live in the same house and I've noticed it's a LOT quieter these days.

[@landit]

Me too. I’m about 5 miles away. 👋🏽

[@terrygorman5810]

Arlington Heights until 1977. Loud, loud loud!!!

[@mmi16]

Was flying into O'Hare through the 1980's - as I was waiting to exit my plane I could see landings taking place every 40 seconds.

[@fairviewjc]

Same experience. I lived next to Foster Avenue right on the lake in the early 70s. That's how far from O'Hare? Foster is right on line with one O'Hare runway and you could see the planes lined up over the lake in their final approach. Every 40 seconds (?) whatever was playing on the stereo would be drowned out. In an odd way, however, the experience did make me appreciate the safety of air travel. When you see and HEAR that many planes landing the number of planes that are. safely landing every minute of every day really sinks in.

[@George-ni5ic]

The “Bensonville Pause”

[@stephaniewilley2224]

In 1965 Boing test pilot Tex Johnson performed a complete barrel roll in a 707 (unplanned and in front of the Boing CEO) with a cup of coffee sitting on the dash panel, never spilling a drop. Quite an airplane ... quite a pilot.

[@James-pl2oy]

Tex was something else! They sure don’t make them like they used to

[@stevestadnik9206]

He got heat for that. He replied, you want me to sell your airplane don't you. Engineers said, we know it can do it, but please don't do it anymore. Love that story.

[@FiveTwoSevenTHR]

1955*

[@renan3798]

There are videos of Bob Hoover on KZbin pouring a cup of tea while doing an 8 point barrel roll. Incredible piloting.

[@alex0589]

So impressive how that plane could carry his giant brass balls

[@gaetanoroccuzzo]

On the subject of airplane's noise. I can never forget, in the 80's I happened to be working at Heathrow airport cargo area, in close proximity of the runaway. Everyday, when Concord was taking off, we had to suspend any activities because vibrations and sound were indeed overwhelming. Glorious memories!

[@diceman199]

I used to work in a building on southside of heathrow, cargo area. Even indoors you could hear concord. Mind you....still not as loud as Vulcans

[@sebl1987]

The trick with the glass of water is always funny to do, even when you perfectly know what happens. But it is also done without computer with a turn coordinator (technically a ball in a u shaped pipe) or, for a glider with a whool wire. This turn coordination is very important for the confort of the passengers, but also to avoid asymetric stall.

[@divarin1]

Yeah that's what I was thinking. Having a coordinated turn doesn't require a computer, it requires a rudder and an attentive pilot that coordinates the bank with the yaw. That's nothing new this dates back to very early days of aviation.

[@jadenkhoohoukit4573]

Yeah that turn slip indicator is the one that eliminates the feeling of you’re in a turn , as long as the ball is in the centre it basically eliminates the side-slipping which causes the turn feeling

[@DrzewieckiDesign]

Sometimes you actually want a little side-slip to get more ventation on your side on a hot day! 🤣

[@DataPilot370]

Back in my flying days, we had to coordinate our turns manually - no computers. We had a turn coordinator, which included a glass tube filled with fluid and a little ball. All we had to do was keep the ball centered in the tube.

It's not rocket science. Is he going to tell us about the miraculous "Dimmer Switch" next. It's both a switch AND a dimmer AT THE SAME TIME!

[@Mbartel500]

Sorry Neil, but taxiing happens on the ground. That is why the short sections of asphalt or concrete between runways are called taxi-ways. Even Chuck knew this, as he was surprised you said planes “taxi” in the air, in a holding pattern.

[@Yazennnnnn]

Yeah I was so confused when he said that

[@bipolarminddroppings]

Only in America do you drive on a parkway. Just so you know.

[@andrewlindenfeld6222]

I'm pretty sure you are ignorant to the fact that taxiing can actually happened in the air as well…

[@theMazdaManiac]

​@@andrewlindenfeld6222 - please explain to us how that occurs.

[@sinformant]

​@@andrewlindenfeld6222it isn't taxiing in the air, it is a holding pattern. Taxiing is what happens on the ground where the plane is literally driving to the runway that it is cleared to takeoff on.

[@tipsfan88]

When a flock of geese takes out both engines I want Sully not a computer

[@gordonkachuk5457]

Actually when an aircraft banks and you perceive to be horizontal is called a coordinated turn. This is done by not only using your ailerons to bank, but to also use the rudder (change of direction) in the process. On the flight deck you have what is called turn & bank indicator found even in early biplanes, or the more modern turn coordinator. In both cases you have a slightly bent level with a ball in the middle. in a coordinated turn all you need to do is to keep the ball centred. (no slip and no skid) When on autopilot these coordinated turns are done automatically (computer enhanced).

[@user-rc1hm3cf2i]

That's not quite true

[@derekrix5121]

lol all the pilots watching and looking for this comment

[@petrlorenc7230]

I'm an aviation enthusiast, so it's rather easy to please me with the subject alone, it's just....nice summary of development since my first flight in an IL-62 indeed. Thanks, Doctor Tyson!

[@oscarmedina1303]

Pilots have been using a "slip skid" indicator for decades. It is a curved, liquid filled instrument with a bubble in it. By keeping the bubble centered, the centrifugal force is centered and the plane is neither slipping or skidding during the turn and the feeling of gravity is centered through your body. The tech already existed when I got my license in 1973. The process is called a "coordinated turn".

[@CaptainChemtrails]

As an airline captain I was a bit disappointed in some of the things you pointed out. Big one being “pilots being there for show”. That is definitely not the case, yes we are heavily aided in automation these days however even on routine non emergency situations there many decisions we have to make and correct the automation that would have easily result in a mishap and or fatal accident. Although we make it seem routine, it is very naive and ignorant to think we are there simply “for show.” And it takes the synergy of at least 2 properly trained pilots to collaboratively make this happen. I love your shows but with this being in my area of expertise I’m a bit disappointed Neil and Chuck.

[@aboriani]

Pilots learn in the earliest lessons how to do what we call a "coordinated turn", where the bank angle and turn rate is such where no "side slipping" happens and the occupants perceive no lateral acceleration. And is all done manually, with hands and feet only. Early autopilots systems (two axis) back in the day were not able to do that (WW2 era and soon after), but after the introduction of the Yaw Damper system, the system was able to take care of the rudder inputs as well.

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

The amazing part here is the engineering involved... For a pilot, it's "getting a feel of the aircraft", and is more involved in sensing that lateral "slip" sensation, and knowing what to do with the controls to eliminate it. Eventually you just build the muscle-memory to use the controls so you never really feel it at all... through practice. On the engineer's side, developing that Yaw Damper System, they had to figure out the math of eliminating the slip without using "feeling". I'm sure there are sensors, and if not, they COULD be developed for some feedback to the computer... just like a pilot... BUT somebody had to sit down and do the math for the Yaw Damper to work in the first place... not too much yaw... and not too little... AND then build a system that could get it right consistently... ...AND then they refined that system to get it right even with crosswinds, at any speed or altitude (and thinner air doesn't give as much lift OR drag)... and get it right every time... THAT is amazing. ;o)

[@aboriani]

@@gnarthdarkanen7464 Oh yes, that is truly amazing. The evolution of every aspect of an autopilot system and the seamless integration with the real physics of flying amazes me every time I push that button and see how smoothly it controls the airplane...

[@oscarmedina1303]

@@gnarthdarkanen7464 Pilots have been using a "slip skid" indicator for decades. It is a curved, liquid filled instrument with a bubble in it. By keeping the bubble centered, the centrifugal force is centered and the plane is neither slipping or skidding during the turn and the feeling of gravity is centered through your body. The process is called a "coordinated turn". The tech already existed when I got my license in 1973. It's a pretty simple instrument. Like the bubble tool in a carpenters level.

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

@@oscarmedina1303 Does that mean you did a bunch of calculus to get your controls right??? No. It's JUST another indicator... AND I'm well aware of how it works. I used a quarter-ounce "split-shot" lead sinker crimped to a piece of nylon in my own ultralight for years to SEE the same thing, at least while I was picking up on the FEEL, and later when I was explaining such to others interested in starting out on the little crafts that (at the time) didn't require so much as a certification to get off the ground... As long as it was "dead vertical" you were "correct" in the controls... simple and works on all the same principles. The reality STILL stands... The amazing part is someone sitting over a table with slide rules and calculators and scratching together the design for the Yaw Damper System we have today... and that it seamlessly allows the Autopilot to control the plane... It's also amazing that jetliners can travel at the speeds they do, and generally be "driven" much the same as cars... So long as pilots stay under about 30 degrees bank, the Yaw Damper does all the rest of the control FOR THEM... AND it all started with the engineers doing "the hard math" from feedback they got out of pilots like you and me who probably couldn't put that math together with guns to our heads... or for all the money on the planet. You "got the feel" for piloting much the same as I did... simple as that... no matter which or how many tools you used to do it. ;o)

[@byronwatkins2565]

The pilots are there to handle extraordinary circumstances like equipment failure, itinerary changes, civil unrest, etc.

[@jishcatg]

Not to mention, if you can lock out the pilots completely from a radio transmission, that will have the potential to be hacked. So you're really just adding a whole new level of security threat, where the terrorist doesn't have to bother getting a weapon on the plane at all to use it to cause damage. It's just not possible to know a system is 100% secure, and it probably never will be possible.

[@byronwatkins2565]

@@jishcatg So far, everything one person has invented, another person has figured out how to break. Generally, breaking is easier than building -- one might consider this an axiom of the second law of thermodynamics.

[@ohheyitskevinc]

Just spoke w/my best friend who’s a 777 captain about what was said. Some smaller jets “could” take off at a steeper angle/rate, but they’d need more power = more noise. Landing is still the same noise level, the same descent rate, and they land at both ends of the runway depending on wind direction, so I’m not so sure about what was mentioned at the beginning. He hasn’t heard anything anyway. Most wide bodies take off at ~15° and always have. Would be interesting to get a pilot on and have a good talk about it all.

[@b737ngpilot]

Taxi is a manoeuvre on the Ground…….after engine start the movement on the ground is called taxi until takeoff or after landing to the gate…..……..what you mentioned is Holding pattern in the air for delay

[@cadydiditcustoms6654]

I came for this comment too.

[@LokiDWolf]

Yeah, they sort of generalize a LITTLE too much. Lol

[@Wis_Dom]

@@LokiDWolf It wast the point of the video, so it's not necessary to be ultra specific about taxi.

[@johnp139]

@@Wis_DomThe fact that he portrays himself as such a know-it-all is the point!!! This is yet ANOTHER THING that he knows very little about yet he portrays himself as being a ln expert!!!!

[@Wis_Dom]

@@johnp139 You THAT triggered? I wrote that 5 months ago. 🤣🤣 Get some fresh air.

[@peteb152]

Taxiing is done on the ground just like others have pointed out. Neil even seems so sure reassuring Chuck it was done in the air 😂 We still love you Neil

[@hifiandrew]

One quibble, (there's probably a dozen comments already saying this) airplanes have never "leaned" in a turn, like you feel in a car in a turn. From the earliest days, they have an instrument with a tube of liquid that looks like a carpenter's level, but instead of an air bubble, it has a little marble-like or buckshot size ball. If the plane is skidding where you'd feel a leaning, the pilot would correct it by pressing the rudder to center the marble. The old adage among pilots is 'step on the ball', if the ball is on the right, you step on the right rudder pedal. That is how you always maintain coordinated flight. Autopilots do this well but you've never needed a computer for it, any good pilot would keep you from spilling your drink.

[@JBG-AjaxzeMedia]

Neil, it's called a go around, and chuck was right its also called a holding pattern, taxiing is what you do on the ground when going from runway > terminal or terminal > runway, you don't taxi in the air

[@AmericanNoiseMaker]

While the computer does coordinate the turns to make you feel horizontal, there is a analog turn coordinator on older aircraft. The technology has been around a long time.

[@bryan9931]

The LOUDEST aircraft noise I ever experienced was over Macho Grande......which explains why I'll never be over Macho Grande

[@johnp139]

Those wounds run pretty deep.

[@thierrymarcellus9082]

Mathematicians, physicists, programmers, and engineers should be treated like rock stars… Proud to have been all 5 of them.

[@gerardmoran9560]

Neil I love your enthusiasm for aviation. A few points- after decades as an airline pilot for one of the big 3, I would perform maybe 3 or 4 auto-lands per year. That happened when the visibility was so low that you couldn't see the runway until you were over it. By the way, the auto-land crosswind limit is (on nearly all jetliners) 15 kts. The autopilot can handle 15 kts. of crosswind but the pilot could do a landing with 35 kts. of crosswind. It's never very foggy and windy at the same time so it works. Also, I'd estimate that a third of the auto-lands I'd do was because the maintenance controller required it to keep the airplane "current". The autopilot, like pilots, need to perform a number of satisfactory landings over 90 day period. Finally, the term you were looking for was "zero lateral Gs". That's not a result of a computer but the physics of flight. It's the components of lift (horizontal, vertical and resultant) and it's the same on an A-380, B-747 and a J-3 Piper Cub in coordinated flight. Cheers!

[@davidbutler99]

Roger that. Vstep on the ball Neil.

[@sparkyprojects]

Someone said that planes of the future will have a pilot and a dog, the pilot is there to feed the dog, the dog is there to bite the pilot if he touches anything

[@abd4704]

What 😂 Referance

[@jonbateman3245]

That’s brilliant and had me giggling like an idiot 🤣😂

[@johnp139]

Until something goes wrong!!!!

[@0x0michael]

Watching this the second time and i noticed the Taxi Error, taxing refers to airplane ground movement (not taking off or flying around the airport).

[@feedsthebirds5203]

WOW!!! Yes Neil ... I remember those days from my childhood!! Both of my sets of grandparents lived in the same suburb right next to our large airport. I remember that when we visited my grandparents and were outside, we all had to stop talking and wait for the plane. Thanks for the memory ... I had forgotten that!!

[@tardiscommand1812]

Man this video flew by

[@gundam00able]

I know right?!

[@EldenRink]

😂

[@DannyJoh]

When this episodes aired, it was just plane and simple science

[@Emma15969]

😂😂😂

[@peterlyall2848]

What you said flew over top of my head....Pete from Tasmania, in Australia...have great day Y'all

[@KenSmith-bv4si]

I used to be in the USAF but, I'm still a Phantom Phixer, we used to take a plane to the trim pad and do engine run ups with engine shop and a D model Phantom is really loud but, the loudest plane I ever heard on take off was Habu aka the SR-71. You knew when they were starting the engines, they had 4 Buick V8's screaming @5K rpm's. On take off the afterburners would come on and deer gawd it was awesome watching him shoot straight up and outta sight.

[@KenSmith-bv4si]

@SeaPin The V8's are used to start Habu's J58 engines

[@darkpepsi]

@SeaPin yes, those were rolled out to power up the J58 engines. Also yes about the fuel leaking on the tarmac: the SR-71 had what was called “wet tank” instead of a “dry tank” for the special formulated jet fuel the aircraft used. As soon as the SR-71 went higher in Mach, the gaps from the titanium skin would expand and “sealed” all the gaps until it returned from its mission and those small gaps return after the aircrafts skin cooled and contracted. Engineers who did the maintenance could only do small bandage fixes as it would return to being where it was. Lastly for the fuel: the USAF didn’t fully fill up the SR-71 so they only added the necessary fuel for take-off and do an aerial refueling to top it off for its mission.

[@RyanFlyinHigh]

4:52 you are mistaken, what you are describing is a holding pattern. Taxiing is the ground movement of an aircraft under its own power to around the maneuvering area of an airport. Example: going from the gate to the runway.

[@00Skyfox]

Hey Neil, the thing about bank angle and keeping the effective gravity straight down in an airplane was solved decades ago with a slightly curved fluid-filled tube with a ball in it, and a couple lines either side of center. It's called the inclinometer and it's part of the turn coordinator instrument. As long as just enough rudder is used for the bank angle, the ball stays centered and that shows the effective gravity is still straight down through the bottom of the plane, no computer needed.

[@carultch]

That's why when pilots land in a crosswind, the call it "stepping on the ball". That's when they need to deliberately apply a rudder input to abruptly yaw the plane, to realign with the runway, unlike the gradual rudder input they apply when doing a coordinated turn.

[@00Skyfox]

@@carultch Actually that's the opposite of "stepping on the ball". Stepping on the ball means during a normal turn, if the ball is to the left of center you put more pressure on the left rudder pedal, and if the ball is right of center you put more pressure on the right. That results in coordinated flight that keeps the effective gravity straight down through the bottom of the plane. Coming into a crosswind landing is a side slip where you use ailerons to bank into the wind and then use opposite rudder to keep it aligned with the runway. It's an uncoordinated flight maneuver that uses the horizontal component of lift (caused by the bank) to counteract drift from the wind. The ball will be far outside of center on the side that is towards the ground.

[@johnm8224]

03:50 - That's called STACKING, not Taxi-ing... Taxi-ing is moving around the airport on the ground.

[@EricDavidRocks]

Neil's not quite correct on the 50% thing. Found this online: What does a 50% chance of rain actually mean? The scientific definition is called the “probability of precipitation,” or PoP for short, and it is actually a mathematical equation: Probability of Precipitation (PoP) = C x A “C” is the percentage confidence that rain will form across the area, and “A” is the percentage area that is expected to get rainfall. PoP is expressed in a 12-hour window (6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.). Here are two examples where there would be a 50% probability of precipitation. Example 1: I am 100% confident that rain will form, but only 50% of the area will be affected. Plug these numbers into the equation PoP = 1.0 x 0.5 = 0.5 = 50% Probability of Precipitation Example 2: I am 50% confident that rain will form, but if it does, I am 100% confident that the entire area will be affected. Once again, plug these numbers into the equation: PoP = 0.5 x 1.0 = 0.5 = 50% Probability of Precipitation What about a 30% chance of rain? Example 3: I am 30% sure that rain will form, but if it does I am 100% confident that the entire area will be affected Pop = 0.3 X 1.0 = 0.3 = 30% Probability of Precipitation Thus, the chance of rain is actually a statistical probability that evaluates the likelihood of rain, the coverage of rain, and the timing of rain.

[@johnp139]

EXACTLY what I was thinking!!!!

[@javiere.gonzalez1021]

10:40 Is this describing making a coordinated turn? If that's the case, rather than speed vs angle, it's thought about in terms of YAW and bank angle. Not sure when turn coordinator indicators were invented, but it's definitely a neat piece of 'tech'.

[@buzbuz33-99]

Thought provoking as always! Just one small clarification: An aircraft turns by using lift (vertical to you) to counteract gravity and to create the horizontal displacement (relative to the earth) that causes the aircraft to turn. So ideally, you should have always been experiencing only vertical forces when the aircraft turns. However, there are various factors (such as increased drag on the outward wing) which create a slight lateral motion which pilot must use rudder to correct. Since you have probably spent a lot of time in airplanes, I expect that this is what you were experiencing - which all brings us back to the main point of this video - that improvements in electronics (including flight controls and the autopilot) have vastly improved the flight experience.

[@louiseevans2263]

I have to say- Neil and Chuck, I can watch your videos for hours. I book travel for employees (fishing crews to AK) more than I go myself- but this was awesome intel! Thanks so much, to the both of you, for keeping these videos going even after COVID. You rock! 🥰😎

[@willenholly]

My Differential Equations professor was Boeing engineer. He talked about how they calculated the stresses on every part of the aircraft and mentioned the part about banking and keeping passengers in their seats. Remarkable.

[@johnp139]

You mean common sense?

[@fun1k]

Wow, that is mindblowing. Not only the big stuff, but quality-of-life improvements, too.

[@00bikeboy]

We generally don't appreciate all the technology advances we have today because they appear so gradually. I don't fly that often, but the last time I did I was astounded how quiet the plane was inside at take off. Impressive engineering.

[@charlie-obrien]

I'm not afraid to fly but the takeoffs on a 707 or larger plane used to shake the whole plane so badly I would become quite anxious, gripping my armrests. Now it is as smooth as butter and I don't even notice.

[@emmanuelefekodo7491]

I was recently on the takeoff path at the Lagos airport in Nigeria when a 1st generation Boeing 737-200 flew overhead, it was amazingly loud and I couldn't believe we all were used to the noise back then in the '70s '80s, and early 90s.

[@0x0michael]

Oh African Aviation, the Valhala for Airplanes

[@agubata1]

@@0x0michael Valhalla means a place of honour, glory or happiness in Norse mythology. Are you just pulsing with ignorance or do you have a point?

[@seamusmcfadden994]

​@@agubata1 Lighten up Francis.

[@torenicolaifjelldal]

We never got used to the noise from the airplanes. Inside the planes it was terrible, and close to the airport it was terrible. (Born December -71)

[@nas9971]

I especially enjoyed this episode guys. Great work 👏

[@dmd7472]

Unless it’s spirit let’s be honest So pleasant having these videos. No stress. No drama, conspiracies, blatant fabrications or angry people screaming. It’s a safe place if that phrase is acceptable

[@GREGGRCO]

Great update !! Yes. I miss the low loud grumbling roar of take offs now a days. It is amazing.

[@mateidragosadrian2038]

I had a window seat once, so could have clearly see outside the airplane. Had a glass of water on the table and was looking out. Suddenly the airplane starting banking towards the left side (my side) so I just grabbed the glass and hold it, scared that it was going to spill. Was pretty amazed when I looked to the guy next to me that had his glass on the table, and the water was still level, despite the steep bank angle. Thanks for the explanation

[@johnp139]

You are so ignorant

[@flightsimdev9021]

Great video Neil, I loved your animation of an aircraft banking, we only bank at 30º, for customer comfort, if my aircraft had that bank on it, my autopilot would be screaming at me "Bank angle, bank angle"

[@CJ-gn8qm]

I’m with you Neil! I’m an engineer and had the opportunity to work at London’s Heathrow Airport for a couple of years with access all areas in all 5 terminals!Just a brilliant place to work!

[@kimsland999]

I do IT computer delivery and pick up at airports. I was shocked that they gave me access to back offices really everywhere, with just about zero security clearance. Hi I'm from this company delivering to this area - No problems, go straight through the security doors! :O By the way, those back corridor offices? Its like 1960 back there, zero cosmetics really old looking areas. I was saddened that presentable Captains etc must come out of those outdated rooms!

[@MeteorMark]

Excellent, fun and informative video as always Gentlemen! Two things I noticed, in the beginning you were speaking of a 747 taking off, while a two engine het flew into view... And the bank angle on the racetrack looked familiar to me, and it's indeed the Hugenholz turn at Zandvoort Circuit in the Netherlands! And I love airplanes and to fly as well, first "experience" as a two year old on a KLM B747 to New York. Am living almost under the inbound and outbound of runway 18R/36L of AMS Schiphol Airport. Some noisy planes still, weird thing some of the quieter planes now have is, when they throttle down, engines go slightly out of sync, and a loud howl is the result of the mixing of the frequencies!

[@LokiDWolf]

I've been playing Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 for about 6-7 months. I can't explain how exciting the tech is to me. EVEN A SIM! I'm going to get my license one I can financially do so. But I'm with ya - the advancements are incredible! The Pilot is there to supervise because things STILL happen.

[@FreemindTv11]

Good luck with your license

[@beneidem369]

Hey! Get at it! Flight sim is a fantastic training *aid* if used correctly, but the real thing is so much better!!! Best of luck starting out your training!

[@oscarmedina1303]

You are going to LOVE being the pilot in command of your own aircraft. Good luck with your training. Pick an instructor who's teaching style you enjoy. It goes a long way towards getting your license. Do the required medical exam first, otherwise you may get a big disappointment after spending lots of money. Make sure you have passed the medical requirement before spending the money.

[@philipberthiaume2314]

My mother's cousin was a pilot in the Canadian Air force during the Korean war. I got the fly with him one time when I was a child. I will tell you this, if you had a glass of water in your hand, it was going to end up all over your front as he gained altitude and flew with determination, lol.

[@willmo1725]

Well i found this episode, very interesting. I love planes and watching and reading about them is a favorite of mine. The thing i find most amazing is the ever increasing efficiency of the jet engine. That steep take off has the newer engines to thank. So powerful and efficient, 4 engine aircraft, like the 747 and a380, cost to much to run. 747 did it way longer than the airbus a380. Loved the show.

[@stephenbenner4353]

There’s one back country road near where I live that has all kinds of twists and turns that you can easily drive at 80 miles per hour. I did that around twenty years ago when I was younger, but the point is that the banking of the road was engineered for a much faster rate of travel than the current speed limit.

[@Leviajohnson]

Worked at the airport all through college these last 4 years. Definitely interesting points by Neil and I can’t say he’s wrong. Love you guys. Thanks for the StarTalk!

[@chananjamajiji5412]

Except taxiing isn’t what he described, he was describing holding

[@Leviajohnson]

@@chananjamajiji5412 I though he was about to explain all these cool electric towing vehicles used to haul the planes around with the jet engines off. Been seeing a lot of those recently. Nothing makes you feel more oblivious than an entire Boeing sneaking up on you lol

[@johnp139]

I can.

[@johnp139]

@@LeviajohnsonWith no airflow in the cabin?

[@4ngeldus739]

Neil as someone studying cyber security, any method implemented to make the plane remote controllable would also make it so it can be hijacked remotely as well. Someone will figure out how to hack and manipulate it, guaranteed

[@erictaylor5462]

4:15 That's wrong. What Neil is talking about is called "holding." Taxiing is the airplane moving around on the ground. Holding is still done, but it's much more rare now, because arrival times are planned so when the plane gets to were it is going it has a slot in the landing order.

[@mymoviefilms]

Taxiing is when a plane is moving on the ground and not being pushed or pulled by a second vehicle but using it’s own engine(s). From the runway to the gate for example.

[@dillcifer]

Taxi is not the word, Neil. You are describing ‘holding’. Planes taxi when they move around on the surface of the airport.

[@celestialnavigator3116]

Commercial aircraft are also much quieter since the late 70s due to the high bypass ratio turbofans.

[@MrArtVendelay]

I remember the same thing. I grew up fairly close to Idelwild/JFK. It was noisy. The SST flew right over my house twice per day.

[@cjack7302]

I'm glad you guys added visuals for this video!!

[@videonunta]

Neil deGrasse Tyson, brilliant man! Absolutely amazing! But sometimes he gets the simplest concepts wrong, like that helicopter autorotation thing. Somebody should take the time to explain coordinated turns to him.

[@garyjstephens]

I’m a pilot and I love you Neil. But airplanes taxi on the ground. And they “hold” in a pattern (in the air). Those wing tips are called “winglets”. And those types of turns are called “coordinated turns”. They happen when the pilot coordinates his rudder control input with his aileron control input. It has absolutely nothing to do with a computer. As we pilots have had “turn coordinator” instruments since long before computers. Autopilots, analog and digital, perform perfect coordinated turns. But they existed LONG before computers were in the cockpit!!!! If you doubt this google it. Do more research man. Or stick to the stars.

[@oscarmedina1303]

So true. Fellow pilot here.

[@robertmcbee4671]

Back in the 60's I remember hearing sonic booms from experimental flights conducted out in Mohave desert. They were interesting and sometimes would make you jump. As for the noise from take-off's are concerned it is housing encroachment that caused the air ports to require air planes to take off at a steeper angle so noise would be cut. As far as the engines being quieter it is because of the Gen 2 series, maybe even newer now, of engines. These engines were designed to have a cold air envelope surround the exhaust stream from the fan which helps keep the noise muffled. The computers are great for the airplanes but in reality they are just a box of parts and are worth nothing until a program tells all them parts what to do. I hope the next major advancement in aviation comes from a high speed lighter than air type ship. This will allow hovering over an airport if necessary, reduce crashes, and cut back on fuel as much as the computers did for the timing aspect of flight duration.

[@Thatdavemarsh]

John Wayne take off is a trip, climb to about 1000+ ft and throttle to nothing as you go over Newport. You get a great dip feeling and the attendant saying “shhh, we’re flying over rich people”. No joke.

[@Brownyman]

The invention of geared shaft jet engines where the compressor side and exhaust side can spin at different speeds has also been a huge innovation ✈️

[@tvm73836]

I’ll listen to ANYTHING Neil deGrasse Tyson talks about!! I love this guy!!

[@delstanley1349]

I remember back in the 70s-80s when the US Open (tennis) was broadcasted on TV, the TV announcer would sometimes pause to let the plane pass so he could hear himself (as well as the viewers hear him) speak. At that time the Open was played in or near Queens in NYC which was near JFK airport. Sometimes the tennis server would hold his serve, keep the ball bouncing until the plane passed, then finally serve. I haven't seen a tennis match including the US Open in years, and don't know what the jets are up to these days if they indeed still fly over the matches, or told to go around.

[@AlexA-nd3yy]

The US Open moved to Flushing Meadows in 1978. Before that as Neil said, players might wait for a plane to go by. Other players waited for maximum noise from the planes to serve, so that the opponent did not have the sound to help return the shot. That was within the rules, but hardly seems cricket.

[@georgecarlson1460]

What used to be spent (time and fuel) in holding patterns at destination is now just time in a "ground hold" (time only, maybe a bit of APU fuel) at the starting point thanks to the air traffic control system.

[@dewardroy6531]

Holding was never called taxiing, ever.

[@adrees]

I love Chuck & Neal, Neal & Chuck! They are the best scientific dynamic comedic duo.

[@TheBarzook]

The fact that the water in your glass stays level during a turn doesn't have anything to do with the planes being technologically advanced. It's called a coordinated turn and we learn to do that in the first 5 hours of flying lessons. You can feel when you're uncoordinated because your body will want to slide more to one side, but you can also rely on an instrument called a turn coordinator to fine tune your turn. It's done by applying a certain amount of the turn and correction as you turn to keep everything centered.

[@J040PL7]

The problem when a computer makes a mistake, it doesn't know it's a mistake. Neither do some humans but you get the point 😂

[@Pit1993x]

That's why you usually have multiple computers that have to agree on something or that can discard information that doesn't match what the others are coming up with. :) I agree with your inherent point, just some context. ^^

[@georgehilliard9308]

Triple redundant is great for covering computer errors and some equipment failures but what does it do when the engine comes apart and cuts all three hydraulic circuits. The computer will crash but a pilot will try to fly the plane somehow and maybe save some of the passengers (flight 232)

[@scyz2807]

That was just plane fascinating! : - )

[@johnp139]

It was plane WRONG as well!

[@KaiCyreus]

the editing goes a little extra today.. appreciate that ☆

[@tuanpiccusgaming3555]

Taxying is the activity of moving the aircraft along the ground between the gate and the runway. You are referring to holding. Perhaps you should try flying to London Heathrow, they hold all the time there.

[@Alanc419]

😂 @ they hold there all the time…

[@fantasticsound2085]

Several others have already mentioned taxiing being movement on the ground, but I'm surprised at the amount of incomplete or flat out incorrect information in this episode. Regarding flared wingtips, in addition to increased efficiency, the more laminar airflow is safer for other aircraft either taking off from adjacent runways or taxiing on adjacent taxi-ways. The turbulence from a jumbo-jet without such wingtips extends far out from the wingspan of the aircraft. I'm not sure where you're getting your information regarding weather, turbulence stability and distance/time calculations, but it doesn't have any basis in the reality of air travel. Weather information is only better when you're accessing local information, as in measured at the airport, on the runway. Flights regularly alter their altitude and heading, mid-flight, when weather changes. When it comes to holding patterns, that has nothing whatsoever to do with accurate calculations. So many flights are delayed, etc, there's no way they could account for how many airplanes will arrive at an airport at any given time. Not to mention any flight experiencing a deviation resulting in a go around, meaning they must attempt a second landing. The idea that planes are on a tight schedule adhered to by most, let alone all, to eliminate holding is simply ludicrous. Give credit to ATC and pilot training, in addition to computer control advancements, that allow them to reduce distances between airplanes taking off and landing without sacrificing safety. Has nothing to do with flight time calculations. Certainly computers and fly by wire technology has increased stability under relatively smooth air conditions, but turbulence is turbulence. Anyone flying into or out of Atlanta, among many other places, can attest to turbulence still being a jarring issue. The same was true when I flew, as a passenger, into Costa Rica and had to do a go around due to violent turbulence on both attempts to land. Turbulence is still an issue mid-air, as well. Bear in mind, no matter how violent it feels to us, pilots will tell you mid-air turbulence isn't going to cause your plane to crash. It's only a comfort issue. (But the fact remains computer control does not eliminate the effect of turbulence on the airplane.) As for computers, nobody wants to place ultimate control of an airplane in computer control alone. Computers don't know what they don't know. They are only as good as their programming, as evidenced by several well known, computer driven air disasters in which faulty programming caused the trained actions of pilots to be thwarted by computer overrides working against them. Computers are workhorses of jumbo-jet aviation, but the pertinent information regarding every takeoff or landing is carefully entered by trained pilots who use information from ATC and weather, etc to determine the best settings for landing. And. the pilots still make moment to moment corrections to adjust for conditions. We may have the technology to automate all aspects of aviation, but applying them to a jumbo-jet is still beyond what carriers are willing to spend for an aircraft. That's saying something given these planes already cost hundreds of millions of dollars. I'd love for you to revisit this conversation with a seasoned pilot or other aviation expert, because it seems like you are uncharacteristically incorrect on a lot of this information. Cheers.

[@johnp139]

It’s about reducing the vortices, nothing to do with laminar flow!!!

[@bradmeacham6982]

I'm generally an "Embrace The Technology!" kind of person. Yet, when it comes to flying commercial planes without a human pilot, I humbly refer you to Sully Sullenberger (pilot) and Jeffrey Skiles (copilot) and the "Miracle on The Hudson". I do not believe the onboard computer (with today's capabilities) would have had the ability to recognize that both engines were taken out by bird strikes, and then come up with any place to even attempt a zero engine power landing.

[@melondoc]

Came here to say this and to add... MCAS

[@chuckoneill2023]

I lived in Des Plaines, IL. Directly under the O'Hare approach. We did, indeed pause conversations for the jets.

[@raynic1173]

3:20, Shea Stadium was literally right down the road from LaGuardia airport. Jets flew over at ~ less than 1000 ft.

[@michaelsmolarz3704]

It’s not 50 percent chance,it’s 50 percent of the area is going to receive rain

[@Alanc419]

Probability of precipitation!! Nailed it! Absolutely correct!! 👍

[@joshvirtanen6606]

Once again neil misrepresents how percentage works in weather forecasting. Get with it neil, 50%chance of rain definitely does not mean it's a coin toss if it rains or not 😂

[@Li-yt7zh]

How does percent chance of rain work / what does 50% chance rain mean in wewther forecasts pls ?:)

[@carultch]

@@Li-yt7zh A 50% chance of rain means that 50% of the ground covered in the region of the forecast, will receive rain. To the general public, it feels like it is no more a reliable source of information than a coin toss, but there is a scientific meaning to a 50% chance of rain, and it is objectively different than any other percentage chance of rain.

[@Li-yt7zh]

@@carultch Thank you for writing that :) I guess it would only be a 50% chance for an observer who is randomly placed anywhere in the region (without practical restrictions like access, treating bodies of water same as stable ground/no moving waves...) who then remains stationary, to see rain XD.

[@williamlathan6932]

Loved the show!!!!🎉 What you called taxiing in Aerospace we call it loitering. 😊

[@UncleAbdul]

Chicago's Midway airport had housing built up tto the its fencing (It was built back in the '40's). This led up to the situation where crashes on takeoff would occur about a mile away taking out an entire block or two of houses.

[@WtfYouMeanDude]

If i wanna fly - i drink a redbull..

[@Dizma_Music]

🛸

[@josephnyongesa193]

This is amazing. We have really advanced. Such good synergy between the two of you. Initially, I was like Chuck is a postdoc student in Physics accompanying the proffessor for some touch of humour. :-).

[@iiersnitxa]

about the 'Taxi' discuss, in Brasil and maybe in Portuguese altogether we use 'Taxear' to the random path around the airport while waiting for go down.

[@carultch]

Taxiing is on the ground, which you probably call taxear. What Neil is talking about in that scene, is really called holding, or a holding pattern. The airplane travels in a running track shape, with 180 degree turns and straight sections between its 180 degree turns. The reason for this, is so it can re-calibrate its gyroscopes during the straight sections between the turns. If the airplane just moved in simple circles, its gyroscopes would get a false reading of which way is down. The gyroscope is there to tell the pilot which way is down, when it pitches and rolls. Since it needs to adapt to the planet's curvature, rather than always pointing in a fixed direction in space, it uses pendulous vanes to slowly adapt to local gravity. The banked turn interferes with its reference for local gravity, and many planes only run the pendulous vanes when the apparent gravity is within a close margin of 1 standard g, so that banked turns don't mess with this reference.

[@Sammasambuddha]

Hit *LIKE* before you watch!

[@tinman3381]

Neil , a 747 can weigh as much as 455 tons . 😎👍🇺🇸🇺🇦

[@TheGretsch6120]

In 1984 I was in Marine boot camp. MCRD in San Diego is right next to the runway of San Diego airport. Even the DIs had to pause yelling at us regularly because of the noise.

[@raymoran5422]

A good pilot makes coordinated turns by careful control of the rudder and stick. The turn and bank instrument shows how coordinated the turn is with a ball. Flight instructors typically criticize their students when the student is turning and the ball is not centered. Of course if the plane is in auto pilot, the AP will make perfect coordinated turns.

[@tonyvandermolen3675]

Neil, brilliant as he is, should take some flight lessons. I volunteer (FAA CFII, retired United Airlines captain)! Almost everything he said in the video is wrong. An airplane turns by banking i.e. tilting the lift vector. This initially creates a sideways force that is immediately cancelled out by the fact that the aircraft has a tail, specifically a vertical fin that will not allow sideways flight. The fin does though have a movable control surface (a rudder) that allows the pilot to control sideways flight if desired, normally not. In an normal turn, the rudder is used to compensate for undesired adverse yaw from aileron deflection, so as to maintain a no-slip condition.

[@bullettube9863]

If you thought a 747 was amazing when you saw it takeoff you should feel what it is like to be inside! My wife and I flew to California on a 747 in 1971 and it was amazing! But because of a mix-up we flew by a DC8 on the way back and the difference was very noticeable, the DC8 was a big plane but compared to the 747 it felt cramped and it was noisy. So yes, air travel is much better today, however they still can't guarantee that your luggage will arrive at the same airport as the plane.

[@echt114]

@bullettube9863: If you haven't done it yet, try first class on an A380. The quiet and stillness is surreal. You can forget you're on a plane (if you can forget the fee that is).

[@hudsonhollow]

If you want cramped, try flying to London on a 787 economy class!!! 😱 The fact that I flew to London and back from Orlando for less that $500 is amazing, though!!!

[@SnotrocketLT4]

Man, I really love Neil & Chuck, but Neil is too smart for his own good and almost as smart as he thinks he is. He should have talked to at least one pilot before doing this. You could have a glass of water sitting in front of you , without spilling, on a plane for the last 100 years, just not on Spirit Airlines, right Chuck?It’s not because of computers. You’re still awesome though, Neil.

[@johnp139]

Out of HUNDREDS of flights, my luggage has only not arrived ONCE!!!!

[@bullettube9863]

Everyone I know has had their luggage lost at least once. My son lost their stroller on a trip from Orlando, and American airlines never figured out what happened to it! I used a trick my sister taught me and tied a red ribbon to the handle on my suitcase. Wouldn't you know a woman had done the same thing and we took each others luggage at Portland airport!@ @@johnp139

[@creoleboy911]

Slowly but surely Neil's starting to look like Einstein ...

[@johnp139]

NOT!!!!

[@paulspeakman551]

I grew up in the 60's and 70's about 15 miles from an air force base where B-52 bombers were stationed and they would regularly fly over on approach at about 1000 feet. Talk about noise. O! M! G! Eight screaming jet engines! Not only was it deafening, they also caused the reception on the antenna TV's go haywire.

[@josephking6515]

I had not long gained my CPL and ANZ had their new B762 delivered and a group of us CAC guys were at the perimeter fence near RWY 29 threshold watching the 767 taking off on RWY 02. We could see it accelerating towards us but didn't hear the hi-bypass RB-211s until it passed us a bit before the 02/20 - 11/29 intersection and even then it wasn't that loud and nothing like the RR Darts on the F-27. I know different machines and powerplants but the RB-211s were so _whisper quiet_ after the DC-8s JT3D _noise makers._ It's also amazing that it was only *66 years* from the first powered flight by RIchard Pearse in March 1903 until man walked on the moon in July 1969. Has there been a time of such a technology leap in such a short time frame before or since?

[@billakers6082]

In most cases the airport was there way before the real estate development, then Karen moved in.

[@Alanc419]

😂😂

[@johnp139]

Exactly!!!

[@odnetnin4720]

I grew up near an airport, not super close, but they were frequent. I do remember them being a distraction when flying over. We moved later, no longer heard the planes as the trains drowned them out!

[@bipolarminddroppings]

I used to work at a Mercedes-Benz dealership that is quite literally at the end of the runway at Stanstead Airport. The runway ends, there is about 20 metres of grass, a road and then the building I worked in. Whenever a plane was landing or taking off, you had to stop whatever conversation you were having and just wait, even indoors. In the winter you would be working and all of a sudden it would sound like a bomb went off as a block of ice fell off the bottom of a plane as it came into land and smashed on the roof.

[@spyder3406]

I'm a advid airplane enthusiasts and I approve this video .....your the man Neil