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. If there is a crosswind at the airport, you should mention this in your brief. Discuss your nominated crosswind technique. For example, the crosswind is from left to right. Safe flying!

Airplanes 52

Airplanes Descent Approach Runway 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

How did any given airplane sell? In order to be flown by a sport pilot, the resulting airplane must still meet the current regulations—1,320 pounds maximum gross weight, 120 knots max cruise speed, for example—but how it gets there is up to the builder. But successful? Not at all. Was it profitable for the company?

Airplanes 96

Airplanes Knot Pitot Tube Gross Weight 96

Flight Training Central

JANUARY 1, 2024

Personally, I have made two resolutions: 1) I am not going to eat any olives (I hate olives and haven’t eaten one since I was a kid and figured out I hate olives) and 2) not to kill myself (or anyone else) with an airplane. Sometimes things happen that are completely out of our control. It requires us to change everything. No Problem!

Crosswind 52

Crosswind Approach Rudder Airplanes 52

Plane and Pilot

OCTOBER 4, 2024

Beyond that, likely with an instructor, you can learn fun, new skills in the same airplane. If you have access to both low- and high-wing airplanes, you can practice till you’re really good in both. I was telling him how I had just made a whole series of beautiful, one-wheel, crosswind landings. He looked puzzled. Hopefully not.

Crosswind 52

Crosswind Aileron Runway Gross Weight 52

Air Facts

SEPTEMBER 13, 2024

The many analyses and videos on these topics have been done in what can best be described as laboratory conditions—carefully selected ideal conditions of pilot, airplane, and environment. NTSB ERA22LA169 describes a funny engine noise that prompted an earlier than planned turn to crosswind for an anticipated return to the airport.

Gross Weight 98

Gross Weight Runway Airplanes Pilot 98

Plane and Pilot

NOVEMBER 10, 2024

How did any given airplane sell? In order to be flown by a sport pilot, the resulting airplane must still meet the current regulations—1,320 pounds maximum gross weight, 120 knots max cruise speed, for example—but how it gets there is up to the builder. But successful? Not at all. Was it profitable for the company?

Airplanes 92

Airplanes Knot Pitot Tube Gross Weight 92

Plane and Pilot

SEPTEMBER 15, 2024

I watched the stick flutter to and fro in sync with the rudder pedals as Wilkins fought to maintain the centerline, all the while pushing in the throttle. Once there, he put us in a slight right turn toward our first fuel stop 60 miles ahead, continuously fighting the stick as the gusting left crosswind did its best to push us off course.

Runway 95

Runway Crosswind Rudder Pilot 95

Pilot Institute

MAY 9, 2024

The higher speed creates extra lift, causing the airplane to bank further into the turn. The pilot’s job is to prevent the airplane from banking too quickly or too far. In our example, the right wing has more lift, and thus more drag, than the left wing as the airplane rolls. Let’s look at why this happens.

Rudder 52

Rudder Lift Aileron Drag 52

Pilot Institute

JULY 12, 2024

You’ll have to determine the correct point for your particular airplane, but once you do, you can set up your downwind leg perfectly for any runway. Flying the Base Leg All aircraft land into the wind, so the base leg usually involves some crosswind. The crosswind can push you out and mess up your glidepath if you’re not careful.

Descent 52

Descent Weight-Shift-Control Crosswind Runway 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. The approach for the soft-field landing is similar to the normal approach.

Approach 52

Approach Ground Effect Final Approach Airplanes 52

Pilot Institute

OCTOBER 13, 2024

The wheels touch down too hard, and before you know it, the airplane is bouncing right back into the air. Common Aircraft Types Bounced landings can occur in different airplane models, including the popular Cessna 172. You should use the rudder to do this. What do you do? The real challenge comes down to how you handle it.

Descent 52

Descent Runway Rudder Pilot 52

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. Once the yaw dampens, gradually reduce rudder input to neutral.

Stability 52

Stability Center of Gravity Aileron Rudder 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. A week later it was off into the blue with new Garmin radios in the elderly airframe.

Pitot Tube 69

Pitot Tube Approach Aileron Instrument Landing System 69

Plane and Pilot

OCTOBER 29, 2024

Fussing with the avionics to keep tabs on the weather gave many more knob touches than the airplane itself. Kentland has a 4,000-foot runway, east/west, with a crosswind straight out of the north. And on short final at Knoxville, I got chirps from a flock of unrecognized electronic birds, telling me something but not in airplane-speak.

Weather 67

Weather Runway Knot Rudder 67

Northstar VFR

APRIL 21, 2024

Step Two: FOI and FIA Written Exam Your CFI ticket is going to require two written exams : the Fundamentals of Instructing exam (FOI) and the Flight Instructor Airplane (FIA) exam. The Flight Instructor Airplane exam is essentially a more in depth Commercial written exam. I ask them to teach me how an airplane flies.

Checkride 57

Checkride Airplanes Pilot Crosswind 57

Pilot Institute

MAY 4, 2024

Will you need a crosswind correction? Airplanes with higher wing loading may need power all the way until the flare. Not Applying Crosswind Controls Directional control becomes difficult when proper technique isn’t applied during crosswind conditions. These stick and rudder skills will help you with crosswind landings.

Weight-Shift-Control 52

Weight-Shift-Control Runway Approach Crosswind 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. By doing so, a recognizable, firm input demonstrates that using all the aileron travel wasn’t the answer—those rudder pedals are not footrests. Who Has the Airplane? 1 priority.

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. By doing so, a recognizable, firm input demonstrates that using all the aileron travel wasn’t the answer—those rudder pedals are not footrests. Who Has the Airplane? 1 priority.

Runway 52

Runway Wind Shear Crosswind Ceiling 52

Air Facts

SEPTEMBER 27, 2024

In 1998, I joined a venerable flying club, Stick and Rudder Flying Club of Waukegan National Airport (KUGN). About halfway to our destination, with the airplane trimmed out nicely for cruise, I had Diane again at the controls, but with a bit more instruction. Hopefully you can acquire that experience without injury or damage.

Pilot 98

Pilot Descent Runway Crosswind 98

Plane and Pilot

OCTOBER 29, 2024

Fussing with the avionics to keep tabs on the weather gave many more knob touches than the airplane itself. Kentland has a 4,000-foot runway, east/west, with a crosswind straight out of the north. And on short final at Knoxville, I got chirps from a flock of unrecognized electronic birds, telling me something but not in airplane-speak.

Weather 52

Weather Runway Knot Rudder 52

Air Facts

JUNE 21, 2024

This school owned no airplanes—all the aircraft were “lease-backs,” by owners. On my one and only flight with the young flight school co-founder, he suddenly slammed the airplane into a 60-degree left bank and pulled aggressively, saying “What do you think of this ?’’ I don’t think he knew what the ailerons or rudder did.

Rudder 75

Rudder Crosswind Knot Airplanes 75

Air Facts

AUGUST 26, 2024

Now it’s time to look at VFR pilots, and to spare you the suspense, the answer is similarly prosaic: loss of control on landing damages more airplanes than any other accident scenario. That means every day in the summer somewhere between two and five airplanes are damaged—just on landing! What can be done? First, some perspective.

Knot 98

Knot Runway Airplanes Pilot 98

Flight Training Central

JANUARY 15, 2024

As part of your preflight preparation, you should always consult the POH/AFM performance charts to determine the airplane performance is acceptable for a safe takeoff and climb for the conditions and location. The landing gear and flaps should also remain in takeoff position until the airplane is clear of obstacles.

Density Altitude 52

Density Altitude Indicated Airspeed Runway Lift 52

Pilot Institute

APRIL 19, 2024

You’re at a high pitch attitude and are counteracting the left-turning tendencies with rudder. Increasing the angle of attack will cause the airplane to slow below best glide speed. The airplane will be closer to the critical AOA in the turn. A spin at such low altitudes guarantees a crash. The reason for this is twofold.

AGL 52

AGL Runway Descent Lift 52

Plane and Pilot

OCTOBER 3, 2024

Since then, the team has advanced the airplane into a kit, one made out of carbon fiber and incorporating more than 1400 hours of the prototype’s operation. But now they are, and as no other Experimental—or certified airplane for that matter—can do what the Gweduck can, it’s time to take a good look at the program.

Airplanes 72

Airplanes Rudder Knot Aileron 72

Plane and Pilot

DECEMBER 16, 2024

A strong or soft market overall can dramatically influence any given airplanes success, quite apart from how it looks or performs. Plus, you know, the airplanes were pretty OK. Literally overnight we got eight semitruck loads of equipment outtooling, molds, and even airplanes. General aviation is driven by myriad forces.

Rudder 71

Rudder Airplanes Aileron Crosswind 71

Vintage Aviation News

OCTOBER 18, 2024

It actually flew fine, and it flies like a normal airplane. “If you view the video of the first flight on YouTube ( LINK ), you’ll see the airplane does some wiggling around, but most of that was done on purpose as I was trying to get the feel of it as fast as I could.” It’s the rudder that is doing everything.

Airplanes 124

Airplanes Crosswind Tail Cockpit 124