I have a few general questions, if any one could throw out a few answers, I'd sure appreciate it. My sole reason for asking them is just general knowlege and interest- by the way I'm hell at cocktail parties and loaded with mostly useless trivia.

1. How does the LSAS on the MD-11 actually work?-in a nutshell. I'm not a pilot-just curious.
2. When A/C undergo C & D checks, how do smaller airlines deal w/o the A/C? And what general percentage of A/C at larger airlines are in the hangar undergoing checks? 5-10-etc.

Thanks in advance.

OA84

What's LSAS? I am a pilot and I'm curious.

Lemme guess, something about Longitudinal Stability? That airplane has such a small horizontal stabilizer, I believe this LSAS thingie helps the pilots keep the plane upright MD-11 drivers will surely chime in.

Otto- I think it's Longitudinal Stability Augmentation System- but I don't know. Again, just kind of curious for curiousness' sake.

Gordon has it. The Longitudinal Stability Augmentation System (LSAS) is a computer that constantly trims the stab to make up for the shortcomings of the tail size. Works good, lasts long time.

I'm glad I fly a Boeing.

I read an interesting quote somewhere on the net: "If it ain't Boeing, I ain't going."

Very true.