Pilot Institute

OCTOBER 16, 2024

Landing an airplane can be one of the most nerve-wracking tasks for a student pilot. Getting an airplane to fly is easy. As a pilot, you will need time to master it. A pilot must consider several things before landing. An IFR pilot will run the GUMPS checklist before passing the final approach fix.

Airplanes 52

Airplanes Descent Approach Runway 52

Air Facts

MAY 24, 2024

As I went through the preflight inspection, my wife strapped my daughter into the car seat and climbed into the airplane herself. With a little forward pressure on the yoke, I was able to keep the airplane on the runway to continue picking up airspeed as we arrived at my target of 60 knots for takeoff.

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Aileron Crosswind Knot Runway 94

AV Web

OCTOBER 8, 2024

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) has responded to numerous requests from members for advice on how best to prepare an aircraft for surviving extreme weather, such as the hurricanes that are savaging the U.S. Check the Pilots Operating Handbook for best advice on whether to set the brakes or not.

Pitot Tube 78

Pitot Tube Aileron Lift Hangar 78

Vintage Aviation News

OCTOBER 8, 2024

Showing off the aircraft that week was Bernie Vasquez, a consummate warbird pilot whose logbook is filled with the most epic warbird and classic aircraft in the world. Like so many pilots, Berine’s story started at the local airport. So, my mom would take me out there, and I’d just watch the airplanes….My

Airplanes 116

Airplanes Aileron Hangar Pilot 116

Plane and Pilot

SEPTEMBER 20, 2024

The pilot died instantly. Alongside a nearby highway, some recognizable bits of airplane, the vertical stabilizer and rudder, a horizontal stabilizer and elevator, fell separately to Earth. I think there are only about 150 hours on it,” he said when asked about the plane and pilot. The pilot learned to fly in the U.S.

True Airspeed 70

True Airspeed Indicated Airspeed Horizontal Stabilizer Aileron 70

Plane and Pilot

SEPTEMBER 20, 2024

The pilot died instantly. Alongside a nearby highway, some recognizable bits of airplane, the vertical stabilizer and rudder, a horizontal stabilizer and elevator, fell separately to Earth. I think there are only about 150 hours on it,” he said when asked about the plane and pilot. The pilot learned to fly in the U.S.

True Airspeed 68

True Airspeed Indicated Airspeed Horizontal Stabilizer Aileron 68

Pilot's Life Blog

MARCH 15, 2024

Learn the basic structure of an airplane while in flight school at Leopard Aviation. One of the first things an aspiring pilot learns in flight school is the various sections of an aircraft. From the navigation display to the wing structure, understanding all segments of an airplane is crucial in the aviation industry.

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Horizontal Stabilizer Aileron Air Traffic Control Lift 52

Plane and Pilot

AUGUST 21, 2024

To help pilots avoid stalls, the FAA, in concert with all the king’s horses and men, rewrote the requirements for private pilot training, including stalls. Unless there are unusual gust conditions, stalls occur because the pilot pulls back too hard on the wheel or stick. And for young pilots, I think that’s entirely appropriate.

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Rudder Airplanes Pilot Aileron 64

Pilot Institute

SEPTEMBER 30, 2024

That’s called “adverse yaw”, it’s a sneaky little quirk of flying that every pilot has to learn how to manage. The lift and drag imbalance between the left and right ailerons creates adverse yaw. A pilot can prevent adverse yaw by using rudder, and making sure that a turn is coordinated. Uh oh, what just happened?

Aileron 52

Aileron Drag Rudder Lift 52

Vintage Aviation News

APRIL 29, 2024

It was not long before he had earned his license and bought his first airplane, a Cessna 140. He would later go on to do a large amount of executive flying eventually flying for the Teamsters and the personal pilot to Jimmy Hoffa. “ He sounded pretty unimpressed and said that they were not really looking for any more pilots.

Cargo 115

Cargo Cockpit Airplanes Pilot 115

Plane and Pilot

OCTOBER 4, 2024

With your fresh pilot certificate, what fun steps can you take to continually grow as an aviator? The question for the new private pilot is simple: Is that a doorway to go through or one that you never open, limiting your flying career? One is with other pilots. Ride with other pilots and learn from them.

Crosswind 52

Crosswind Aileron Runway Gross Weight 52

Flight Training Central

MARCH 4, 2024

The airplane will be flown at 1,000’ AGL parallel to and at an equal distance from the field boundaries – about ½ – ¾ miles from the boundary as you would fly a traffic pattern. As the airplane turns onto the following base leg, the tailwind will decrease and becomes a crosswind.

Groundspeed 52

Groundspeed Crosswind Aileron Rudder 52

Plane and Pilot

NOVEMBER 10, 2024

Sometimes it’s emotional—the Beech Starship, what few of them are still in the wild, inevitably wow viewers of both the pilot and nonpilot persuasion. How did any given airplane sell? However, the airplane must be completed in a way that it conforms exactly to the SLSA example, of which there must be one for an ELSA to exist.

Airplanes 88

Airplanes Knot Pitot Tube Gross Weight 88

Flight Training Central

MARCH 29, 2024

The FAA continues to add new questions based on guidance from the Private Pilot Airman Certification Standards. What is the most hazardous wind condition when taxiing a tricycle gear airplane? What are the reporting requirements for a pilot convicted of possessing and selling marijuana? Read the complete March 2024 update here.

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Aileron Crosswind Ground Effect Stability 52

Pilot Institute

APRIL 5, 2024

Landing an airplane is not easy, even for experienced pilots. Why Crosswind Landings Aren’t Easy Ideally, pilots want the wind to hit the aircraft dead on the nose while landing. If the pilot makes no corrections, the aircraft gets blown off the runway centerline. The ailerons control our lateral position over the runway.

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Crosswind Aileron Longitudinal Axis Rudder 52

AV Web

NOVEMBER 24, 2024

Henry, my IA, was busy looking at my aileron cables while talking with me about the wisdom of frequent air filter changes for my mighty 85-horsepower plant. Chad is a nice guy and a competent pilot. “We just found out that my airline is furloughing three hundred and fifty pilots,” he said dolefully.

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Pilot Aileron Hangar Airline 79

Pilot Institute

NOVEMBER 11, 2024

If you’ve ever been on a flight and felt the airplane swaying side to side, you might’ve experienced a taste of what’s known as a Dutch roll. Learning about the Dutch roll can make your next flight feel a little more grounded, even when the airplane isn’t. It may feel alarming if you’re not sure what’s happening.

Stability 52

Stability Center of Gravity Aileron Rudder 52

Pilot Institute

SEPTEMBER 18, 2024

Steep turns should be one of the most fun maneuvers pilots learn. But for many pilots, flying coordinated turns while keeping altitude and speed steady is hard enough. In maintaining a properly coordinated steep turn, the pilot must use the opposite aileron to maintain bank.

Lift 52

Lift Aileron Drag Pilot 52

Vintage Aviation News

OCTOBER 4, 2024

Photo- Chuck Wahl/Vulture’s Row Aviation Chuck Wahl’s affinity for aviation, and more specifically warbirds, can be traced back to his grandfather, who flew B-17s and B-24s during World War II and his father, who flew A-7s and AV-8As (as exchange pilot in the Marine Corps) in the Navy. They’ll be finished this winter.”

Airplanes 124

Airplanes Aileron Pilot 124

Vintage Aviation News

OCTOBER 30, 2024

But in Minden, Nebraska, just south of Interstate 80 and in the shadow of a row of grain elevators across the street and the railroad, there is an incredible collection of all manner of antiques, from historic buildings, cars, a steam locomotive, household appliances, and even airplanes. They can all be found in the Pioneer Village.

Airplanes 105

Airplanes Jet Pilot Weather 105

Plane and Pilot

SEPTEMBER 23, 2024

As World War II ended, self-taught design legend Albert Mooney was not surprised to learn that the Army Air Corps had graduated over 250,000 pilots. Would these pilots returning from the war want to own and fly a personal airplane, and if so, what would it look like? Accommodation for the pilot was, in a word, spartan.

Tail 75

Tail Aileron Pilot Airplanes 75

Flying Magazine

MAY 15, 2024

Each day, the team at Aircraft For Sale picks an airplane that catches our attention because it is unique, represents a good deal, or has other interesting qualities. Piper’s Cherokee Six appeals to pilots for some of the same reasons that other Cherokee models are popular, including stability, predictable handling, and reliability.

Aileron 52

Aileron Transponder Rudder Stability 52

Plane and Pilot

NOVEMBER 10, 2024

Sometimes it’s emotional—the Beech Starship, what few of them are still in the wild, inevitably wow viewers of both the pilot and nonpilot persuasion. How did any given airplane sell? However, the airplane must be completed in a way that it conforms exactly to the SLSA example, of which there must be one for an ELSA to exist.

Airplanes 80

Airplanes Knot Pitot Tube Gross Weight 80

Pilot Institute

MAY 9, 2024

Despite the easygoing name, many pilots find lazy eights harder than they thought. There’s a reason why it’s been a commercial pilot practical test staple for decades. If you’re about to begin your commercial pilot journey, you’ve come to the right place! Let’s get started.

Rudder 52

Rudder Lift Aileron Drag 52

Flight Training Central

DECEMBER 4, 2023

A pilot needs to control the airplane in a manner that the wings support the weight of the airplane as long as practical to minimize stresses imposed on the landing gear by a rough surface or to prevent sinking into a soft surface. Once committed to the landing, the pilot should gently lower the nose-wheel to the surface.

Approach 52

Approach Ground Effect Final Approach Airplanes 52

Plane and Pilot

NOVEMBER 19, 2024

When I had the endurance to drive 20 miles to an appointment, had good situational awareness of all the cars around me on the freeway, and when driving didn’t take 100 percent concentration, I had passed the first challenge before getting in the airplane. I’m focusing on the old pilot part, not the bold pilot.

Pitot Tube 61

Pitot Tube Approach Aileron Instrument Landing System 61

Plane and Pilot

SEPTEMBER 24, 2024

In summary, it says that if you’re not fit to fly, or are taking medications, you cannot act as PIC or a required crewmember (safety pilot). Obvious recovery goals include being able to get in and out of the airplane, operate all the controls with sufficient force, and maybe push the plane around on the ground. And remember FAR 61.53.

Torque 61

Torque Aileron Airplanes Pilot 61

Plane and Pilot

SEPTEMBER 15, 2024

Efforts like this freed male pilots for combat missions, and her dedication led to her appointment as commander of Reading Station. Further complicating matters was the fact that the plane would be delivered by civilian pilots. The post White-Knuckle Affair appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine. Images By Gary Figgins.

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Runway Crosswind Rudder Pilot 86

Fear of Landing

MARCH 1, 2024

A reader contacted me about a fatal crash which killed a pilot and his instructor in November 2021. There were two on board, a private pilot and a flight instructor, both of whom were killed in the crash. The fuselage was crushed and the wings only partially attached to the fuselage, with damage to the ailerons and flaps.

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Descent Airplanes Knot Pilot 52

Plane and Pilot

NOVEMBER 7, 2024

With each wiggle and movement, the airplane bobbed accordingly, just dying to do something other than the relatively gentle climb I’d commanded for the last three minutes. I grew up flying aerobatic airplanes—but they were nothing like this. The Lycoming 580 out front was pushing out better than 300 hp.

Aileron 52

Aileron Rudder Airplanes Pilot 52

Air Facts

AUGUST 2, 2024

My first and last flying road trip Air Facts Journal Pilots tend to be optimists and seem to lead a richer fantasy life than most. For example, how many pilots have at some point fantasized that one day they might be called to the cockpit in an emergency? As it happened, my pilot brother-in-law, Chaz, thought this was a fine idea too.

General Aviation 97

General Aviation Weather Pilot Cockpit 97

AV Web

DECEMBER 22, 2024

I did not fly through tropical storms, hurricanes, or blizzards; the only inversions I have experienced were voluntary aileron rolls or the occasional intentional spin. None of my students have killed themselves in an airplane, and all of them have miraculously passed their check rides without too much drama.

Airplanes 52

Airplanes Aileron Hangar Crosswind 52

Pilot Institute

OCTOBER 12, 2024

Power-off stalls can be anxiety-inducing for student pilots when they first experience them. A power-on stall occurs when the airplane’s nose rises too high, and the angle of attack becomes too steep, disrupting the airflow over the wings. There are very obvious indications the pilot receives of an impending stall.

Stability 52

Stability Horizontal Stabilizer Airplanes Lift 52

Vintage Aviation News

DECEMBER 15, 2024

On this day in aviation history, December 15, 1948, the small, white, tailless airplane rose from the Rogers Dry Lakebed into the desert skies of California. Among the Air Force test pilots to fly X-4 46-677 in the summer of 1950 were Chuck Yeager, Frank Kendall Everest, Jr., Griffith became the first NACA pilot to fly the X-4.

Stability 52

Stability Horizontal Stabilizer Aileron Rudder 52

Plane and Pilot

OCTOBER 2, 2024

While instructors idly watch, airplanes go off the runway, landings become too harsh, structure gets overstressed, and tolerances are exceeded. Even if it’s possible to complete the training course in a reasonable time with these stipulations, the product of a bubble-wrapped curriculum is a half-trained pilot. Who Has the Airplane?

Runway 52

Runway Wind Shear Crosswind Ceiling 52

Plane and Pilot

OCTOBER 2, 2024

While instructors idly watch, airplanes go off the runway, landings become too harsh, structure gets overstressed, and tolerances are exceeded. Even if it’s possible to complete the training course in a reasonable time with these stipulations, the product of a bubble-wrapped curriculum is a half-trained pilot. Who Has the Airplane?

Runway 52

Runway Wind Shear Crosswind Ceiling 52

Pilot Institute

MARCH 29, 2024

Key Takeaways Slow flight trains pilots to handle the aircraft at speeds just above stalling. That’s why it’s crucial for pilots to learn aircraft control at low speeds. Additionally, both private and commercial pilot checkrides require the demonstration of slow flight. Pilots use reference stalling speeds instead.

Lift 52

Lift Rudder Drag AGL 52