Strange aeroplane noises. How so?
Discussion
I know we've got a few plane experts on here, so someone might be able to answer this one for me.
Just taken off from Montreal en route for London, big plane, something like a 777, about 15-20 mins in I guess. All of a sudden the noise of the air whooshing past changes, for all the world sounding like we're going through a tunnel ,sort of echoey!
Went on for two or three minutes then back to normal, again, just like we'd come out of a tunnel.
Absolutely bizarre.
I don't think it was the noise of the engines, sounded more like the wind noise. The pitch of the plane didn't seem to change. And I think we were still climbing.
Any ideas? It's been baffling me ever since.
Just taken off from Montreal en route for London, big plane, something like a 777, about 15-20 mins in I guess. All of a sudden the noise of the air whooshing past changes, for all the world sounding like we're going through a tunnel ,sort of echoey!
Went on for two or three minutes then back to normal, again, just like we'd come out of a tunnel.
Absolutely bizarre.
I don't think it was the noise of the engines, sounded more like the wind noise. The pitch of the plane didn't seem to change. And I think we were still climbing.
Any ideas? It's been baffling me ever since.
I have a feeling this could have something to do with an atmospheric inversion layer.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inversion_(meteorolog...
Essentially you would be hearing the sound bounce off the inversion, which was fairly close to your flight level.
Science eh?
-edit-
Since you are on the plane for a while and the steward/esses will be a little quiet until dinner, ask them to ask the captain over the intercom.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inversion_(meteorolog...
Essentially you would be hearing the sound bounce off the inversion, which was fairly close to your flight level.
Science eh?
-edit-
Since you are on the plane for a while and the steward/esses will be a little quiet until dinner, ask them to ask the captain over the intercom.
davepoth said:
I have a feeling this could have something to do with an atmospheric inversion layer.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inversion_(meteorolog...
Essentially you would be hearing the sound bounce off the inversion, which was fairly close to your flight level.
Science eh?
Hmmm... interesting.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inversion_(meteorolog...
Essentially you would be hearing the sound bounce off the inversion, which was fairly close to your flight level.
Science eh?
Ari said:
Bandwidth? 
Sorry, I took your statement literally "Just taken off from Montreal en route for London,"
Where as I think you meant, "On a recent flight, we had... etc"
Sorry, I thought you were posting with one of these fancy new inflight wifi services and I was curious as to what they are like in reality...
davepoth said:
Ari said:
Bandwidth? 
Basically he's asking how fast the porn downloads.
I had an almost overwhelming desire to use the satellite phone, $10/minute plus connection charge (never found out what that was). I wanted to phone my girlfriend and do the "I'm on a horse" bit from the Old Spice advert, except "I'm on a plane".
Only I figured knowing my luck I'd either get her answerphone, or I'd get her, do it, and then spend $50 trying to explain what the hell I was on about!

davepoth said:
Basically he's asking how fast the porn downloads.
Porn, top gear repeats, etc. Anything to keep me distracted from the fact I would me in a metal tube hurtling at 600mph with no access to the controls and having placed all my faith in underpaid technicians, engineers and fabricators. Not to mention groundstaff. Control freak, moi?zaphod42 said:
Ari said:
Bandwidth? 
Sorry, I took your statement literally "Just taken off from Montreal en route for London,"
Where as I think you meant, "On a recent flight, we had... etc"
Sorry, I thought you were posting with one of these fancy new inflight wifi services and I was curious as to what they are like in reality...
No, the latter I'm afraid. How cool would Internet access on a plane be though?

zaphod42 said:
Porn, top gear repeats, etc. Anything to keep me distracted from the fact I would me in a metal tube hurtling at 600mph with no access to the controls and having placed all my faith in underpaid technicians, engineers and fabricators. Not to mention groundstaff. Control freak, moi?
Amateur. You've forgotten terrorism, and that shifty looking bloke two rows back...Ari said:
Oh I see, sorry!
No, the latter I'm afraid. How cool would Internet access on a plane be though?
Like this? http://www.gogoair.com/gogo/cms/airlines.doNo, the latter I'm afraid. How cool would Internet access on a plane be though?

sebhaque said:
Flying through a cloud can cause this effect. It's the same as when you're gazing out of the window going through the clouds and they're peacefully ambling by, when you get a big f
ker hurtle past the window about six feet away from you. Wakes you up if you're dozing off.
That's interesting, I've not noticed that (not that I've flown a lot). I figured we'd be too high for clouds, but it was dark so could have been, I wouldn't have known.
ker hurtle past the window about six feet away from you. Wakes you up if you're dozing off.zaphod42 said:
Like this? http://www.gogoair.com/gogo/cms/airlines.do
That is awesome!! 
Wonder if you could Skype through it? "Hello Darling, I'm at 35,000 feet doing 600 mph".
Or more likely:
[deep vpoice} "I'm on a plane".
"What? No, like in the advert. You know, the advert. Brut. No, Old SPice. Chap on a horse? You remember, big black sexy chap. Ah yes, that's the one... He said "I'm on a horse, and I'm on a... Oh never mind, what's for dinner?"
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