Pilot's Life Blog

MARCH 15, 2024

Below are other critical pieces of the wings that help give the plane additional lift, reduce drag, or achieve lower speeds in preparation for landing: Ailerons: A French word meaning “fin” or “little wing,” the aileron helps control the airplane’s roll. What are the basic parts of this section?

Horizontal Stabilizer 52

Horizontal Stabilizer Aileron Air Traffic Control Lift 52

Northstar VFR

JULY 21, 2024

The rudder is a movable flight control which is mounted on the trailing edge of the vertical stabilizer on the back of the airplane. Some new student pilots think the rudder and vertical stabilizer are the same thing. The vertical stabilizer is a vertical fixed part of the plane’s empennage. Why is the rudder so important?

Rudder 52

Rudder Airplanes Pilot Stability 52

Flying Magazine

APRIL 26, 2024

The small aileron “tabs” were not doing a great job in crosswind ability. As is often the case with swept-wing jets, sometimes extra drag is required beyond gear and flaps. Hand flying the circuit, I blasted through the shear with ease, but the big wings made it even more noticeable in rolling motions and aileron slop.

Crosswind 105

Crosswind Weather Knot Aileron 105

Pilot Institute

JULY 12, 2024

The easiest way to achieve this is by flying a stabilized approach. So, what is a stabilized approach? A stabilized approach requires the pilot to establish and maintain a constant angle glidepath towards an aiming point. Add any more pressure, and the wheel will stop rotating and drag along the runway instead.

Descent 52

Descent Weight-Shift-Control Crosswind Runway 52

Pilot Institute

MAY 4, 2024

This gives you a safe buffer on the stall speed and plenty of time to stabilize. Full flaps are generally used since they lower approach speed and increase drag. The drag allows for a steeper descent, which is particularly helpful when avoiding obstacles. With a short field landing, we aim to be at 1.3

Weight-Shift-Control 52

Weight-Shift-Control Runway Approach Descent 52

Pilot Institute

MARCH 29, 2024

Drag : The aerodynamic force opposing the aircraft’s forward motion. This increases lift but comes at the cost of increased induced drag. Pilots must counteract the additional drag with more thrust to maintain altitude. Trim for level flight once you’re stabilized at your target speed.

Lift 52

Lift Rudder Drag AGL 52