Hello guys.I'm sorry but I have to ask, what is an "airstar"?I tried to do some research, but the only results I got was a rusian cargo airline of the same name.Thanks!Armando Arjona

im sorry but seriously ?http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airstair

As the link on UVW's reply shows, they are folding or retractable stairs built into an aircraft's doorway. They are intended for use at airports with limited support facilities, or to allow people to emplane or deplane when not at an airport terminal, which is why many military aircraft have them (usually built into the back of the door which hinges at the bottom), you will probably have seen private jets with such an arrangement. Airstairs are not universally loved by aircrews, especially the ones on the Boeing 737 which fold out from a little space under the main doors, since they have a rather complex folding mechanism which can sometimes jam or malfunction, and they have been known to be removed from aircraft because of that, since doing so also saves weight (approximately 390 lbs in fact). Airstairs also achieved some notoriety on the Boeing 727, since that aircraft has a set of airstairs built into the rear lower fuselage entry door, which could be opened in flight if the aircraft was depressurised, and that was how a hijacker going by the name of DB Cooper escaped from an aircraft he hijacked with the ransom he collected, jumping out with a parachute, although it is in fact now believed that he was killed when doing so, although that's never been actually proved. When a copycat hijacker did the same thing a few weeks after Cooper's caper on another Boeing 727, the 727's rear airstairs door was modified with a special vane which prevented the door from being opened in flight by means of the the airflow keeping it locked by pressing on the vane. This is actually known as 'the Cooper Vane' in reference to the mysterious DB Cooper. Al

As the link on UVW's reply shows, they are folding or retractable stairs built into an aircraft's doorway. They are intended for use at airports with limited support facilities, or to allow people to emplane or deplane when not at an airport terminal, which is why many military aircraft have them (usually built into the back of the door which hinges at the bottom), you will probably have seen private jets with a similar arrangement. Airstairs are not universally loved by aircrews, especially the ones on the Boeing 737 which fold out from a little space under the main doors, since they have a rather complex folding mechanism which can sometimes jam or malfunction, and they have been known to be removed from aircraft because of that, since doing so also saves weight (approximately 390 lbs in fact). Airstairs also achieved some notoriety on the Boeing 727, since that aircraft has a set of airstairs built into the rear lower fuselage entry door, which could be opened in flight if the aircraft was depressurised, and that was how a hijacker going by the name of DB Cooper escaped from an aircraft he hijacked with the ransom he collected, jumping out with a parachute, although it is in fact now believed that he was killed when doing so, although that's never been actually proved. When a copycat hijacker did the same thing a few weeks after Cooper's caper on another Boeing 727, the 727's rear airstairs door was modified with a special vane which prevented the door from being opened in flight by means of the the airflow keeping it locked by pressing on the vane. This is actually known as 'the Cooper Vane' in reference to the mysterious DB Cooper. Al

Hi Alan, interesting stuff there, nice to know not only do you give a definition, but a background.

im sorry but seriously ?http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airstair

Uhm... yeah.I somehow missed the "i"