How do aircraft fly? How do jet engines work? And did you know... 1. An important job of the ground crew is to ensure that on very windy days, the engine is orientated into the wind. A strong rear wind would turn the fan blades in the opposite direction, and if it's very strong, could result in a poor airflow through the engine. This increases the combustion chamber temperature which can burn out and shorten the lifespan of the turbine. This is known as a hot start. 2. The APU delivers air at around 45 PSI. That's similar to the pressure in a well-inflated mountain bike tire! 3. A lot of aircraft will also use a ground cart to start up. This is a motor which is substituted in instead of the APU to provide high-flow air to the engine. It's often cheaper to maintain and thus saves on maintenance cost of the APU. 4. For military engines, the requirement is a little more straightforward. You want to start
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