Reverse thrust question

[matt]

I was wondering what safety features are in place to prevent the thrust reversers from being used accidently in-flight.

Thanks

[tusphotog]

Depending on the aircraft, there are sensors in the wheel that will prevent the reversers opening in flight. No weight on the wheels, no reverse thrust.

Some aircraft (DC-8, C-17) can deploy them in flight, on the inboard engines only. This allows them to get a very high rate of descent. It also shakes the plane like crazy.

Here's a video from the cockpit that shows it on a C-17. According to the poster, they went from 20,000 feet to 11,000 feet with a rate of descent of 13,000 feet per minute. :shocked: A normal descent is 1,500-2,500 fpm.
http://www.flightlevel350.com/Aircraft_Boeing_C-17_Globemaster_III-Airline_Untitled_Aviation_Video-5025.html

[CAflyer]

wow, that is very shaky. Those fly in and out of Long Beach Airport and are so loud and huge!

[Barb-SAN]

Note how calm the pilots are...just another descent...:D

[Barb-SAN]

I was wondering what safety features are in place to prevent the thrust reversers from being used accidently in-flight.Thanks
I just saw this article concerning the thrust reversers on the plane that crashed in Madrid. I'm linking it here for reference while we are waiting for an answer from Capt. Hutch about thrust reversers safety features in general.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/spain/2639738/Spanish-crash-plane-had-known-mechanical-problem.html
Note that "Investigators are exploring the possibility...." not that they have reached firm conclusions about what happened. "A preliminary report will be issued within a month,"

[Captain Hutch]

Hey y'all,

check my answer over in the general discussion on thrust reversers. Also, I put some comments in there about tailwinds--I meant to specify that they applied to both takeoffs and landings. The limit for most airliners is 10 knots for both takeoffs and landings and I have never heard of an airliner accepting higher than that. that includes gusts, so as a pilot you have to be away of the vector wind that translates to exactly what the tailwind is. I think I discussed this in another thread somewhere before.

Hutch :tiphat: