Plane and Pilot

MARCH 6, 2025

I felt knots forming in my stomach. The winds and rain caught up with the little craft as if a hand was reaching out grabbing control of the airplane. The 152 rocked and bounced in the air currents as we approached the runway. It was all I could do to keep the airplane straight. I noticed that the wind was picking up.

Airplanes 94

Airplanes Threshold Runway Knot 94

Plane and Pilot

JANUARY 12, 2025

The story of this unique airplane begins in the early 1930s with Fred Weick, an engineer for the National Advisory Committee for Aviation (NACA). In a crosswind, you fly an Ercoupe down the runway with whatever crab angle you need to track the centerline and let the gear figure it out upon touchdown. Thus was born the Mooney Cadet.

Rudder 105

Rudder Tail Crosswind Airplanes 105

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 98

Airplanes Knot Pitot Tube Gross Weight 98

Flying Magazine

MAY 17, 2025

Flight Planning A pilot encountered 32-35 knot headwinds at cruise. After a review, the airplanes fuel capacity was less than the expected 40 at 35-37 gallons, and the fuel gauge was too optimistic. The jet he followed took too long to clear the runway, and the tower issued another go-around.

Pilot 112

Pilot Runway Gross Weight Approach 112

Flight Training Central

SEPTEMBER 9, 2024

Airplane performance can be defined as the capability of an airplane to operate effectively while serving a specific purpose. The result of an alteration in airflow patterns increasing induced drag about the wings of an airplane. 187 knots 162 knots 165 knots Correct! 356 feet. It reduces climb performance.

Density Altitude 105

Density Altitude Knot Ground Effect True Airspeed 105

Flight Training Central

FEBRUARY 10, 2025

The electronic E6B is equally useful when in the airplane, to help determine actual winds aloft, true airspeed, fuel burn, and descent planning. Find the crosswind component for Runway 36 if the reported wind direction is 320 at 12 knots. knots Correct! knots Correct! 106 knots 110 knots 115 knots Correct!

Flight Plan 52

Flight Plan True Airspeed Flight Computer Groundspeed 52

Pilot Institute

DECEMBER 31, 2024

Have you ever thought about landing an airplane without using flaps? Think about these scenarios: maybe the flaps stop working, or youre flying an older airplane that doesnt even have them. So, you should practice maintaining the correct sight picture by aligning the runway threshold with a fixed reference point on the windscreen.

Pilot 52

Pilot Drag Descent Approach 52

Pilot Institute

MARCH 19, 2025

When flying an airplane, you become a part of the air around you. Pilots use METARs for flight safety, runway selection, and weather planning. The wind is from the south at 8 knots. The KT indicates that the scale used is knots (an abbreviated term for nautical miles per hour ). Forget checking your phone apps or the TV.

Weather 84

Weather Altimeter Runway NOTAMs 84

Pilot Institute

MARCH 28, 2025

If youre flying an airplane with a short wingspan, you should do everything you can to avoid severe wake turbulence. This lateral movement takes place at a speed of about two or three knots. After one aircraft lands, the tailwind pushes the vortices forward into the runways touchdown zone. Mass and inertia also matter.

Turbulence 97

Turbulence Lift Drag Runway 97

Air Facts

JULY 15, 2024

Though wind is reported using such simple numbers like 270@15G20, I’ve come to believe that 20 knots here is not always the same as 20 knots there. I did a checkride in 30 knot winds in the flatlands of Kansas, almost straight down the runway. Then came the landing in 20 knots in the Hill Country of Texas, west of Austin.

Crosswind 98

Crosswind Knot Rudder Turbulence 98

Air Facts

APRIL 28, 2025

Our old and slow Stearman PT-17 biplanes were racing along at 65 mph as we were fighting a 20-knot headwind, so we were still almost 15 minutes from touchdown! We made a nice two ship formation landing on runway 8L and were directed to taxi to Deltas (TOC) ramp which is located mid-field.

Clearance 78

Clearance Runway Air Traffic Control Hangar 78

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. Nobody answered on unicom, and the facilities were at the west end of the airport, so I decided on left traffic for Runway 27.

Weather 73

Weather Runway Knot Rudder 73

Air Facts

MAY 14, 2025

He shook the stick in reply: Youve got the airplane. During each turn, we lost about 1015 knots, but once wings-level again, the jet quickly accelerated back to 300. For every 100 pounds above 1,000, add one knot to each airspeed. We touched down on speed about 100150 feet down the runway. Youve got the airplane.

AGL 52

AGL Final Approach Crosswind Threshold 52

Plane and Pilot

APRIL 28, 2025

He fretted about where to taxi the airplane at his home airport, which had a few taxiways that seemed to collect dirt and rocks. He gritted his teeth when other airplanes pulled out of transient parking without thinking about prop wash. We departed his home field on the 5,000-foot runway. Eighty knots, nothing.

Knot 54

Knot Airplanes Runway Pilot 54

Flight Training Central

DECEMBER 30, 2024

Video tip: how to recover from a spin with Patty Wagstaff – Join Patty Wagstaff in her Super Decathlon aerobatic airplane, as she explains how it’s possible to enter a spin, and then the proper recovery. Video Tip: Airport Runway Signs and Markings All airports with ATC control towers in the U.S.

Indicated Airspeed 52

Indicated Airspeed Airplanes Pilot Runway 52

iPad Pilot News

MARCH 11, 2025

These alerts include runway proximity, traffic, cabin altitude, destination weather, terrain, airspace and TFRs, carbon monoxide and more. The alert will only sound once every 60 seconds and is automatically disabled if groundspeed is less than 40 knots. RUNWAY ALERTS Runways – Alerts when nearing or entering a runway.

AGL 52

AGL Runway Groundspeed Descent 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. After one last check to my left to make sure there weren’t any yahoos on an unapproved short final (old habit), I took the runway then pressed the throttle in to full power. Approach switched me to Tower.

Aileron 98

Aileron Crosswind Knot Runway 98

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. But landing it safely on the runway is a skill. Brief that you will use the right rudder to align the aircraft straight with the runway and the left aileron to counteract drift.

Airplanes 52

Airplanes Descent Approach Final Approach 52

Air Facts

MAY 5, 2025

Flying a single engine airplane, under IFR, in the clouds, in a non-radar environment and without an autopilot, adds a great deal to the pilots work load. With three airplanes, we departed Springfield for Fairfield, Iowa to compete in an NIFA competition against five other schools. This was the situation on Friday, December 1, 1972.

VOR 52

VOR Weather Approach Runway 52

Photographic Logbook

FEBRUARY 2, 2025

Over the last three years, The Bear has expressed great interest in visiting Alton Bay, the only FAA-authorized ice runway in the continental United States. A very brief 2022 season for the ice runway eliminated opportunities to return that year. The Bear was furious that she missed out. The Bear and me flying to Alton Bay!

Runway 89

Runway Knot Weather Turbulence 89

Air Facts

JANUARY 13, 2025

The pros and the cons: Cirrus SR22 Air Facts Journal A note on the title: Last time I wrote about a particular airplane (the Cessna 210 ), I titled it Why I love it, why I hate it. Richard Collins memorably wrote about Cirrus pilots in previous articlesboth what they do wrong and what they do right but here Ill focus on the airplane.

Airplanes 98

Airplanes Rudder Knot Pilot 98

Air Facts

SEPTEMBER 25, 2024

If you’ve arrived at a non-towered airport recently, especially one with a busy flight school, you may have heard another airplane announce something to the effect of “overhead for the teardrop entry.” This is not an instrument procedure, but rather a way to enter the traffic pattern when approaching from the opposite side of the runway.

Crosswind 98

Crosswind Airplanes AGL Runway 98

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 is a terrible airplane for crosswinds.

Airplanes 124

Airplanes Crosswind Tail Cockpit 124

Flying Magazine

MAY 15, 2024

It can also be dangerous when the learner drops the airplane to fly the checklist or radio, so practice in the ATD is often a good way to learn procedures, as the ATD is a CFI-controlled environment. To get the most out of the scenario, the learner should use the same procedures in the airplane. It’s an ATD.

Crosswind 111

Crosswind Airplanes VOR Runway 111

Plane and Pilot

JANUARY 8, 2025

As we walked from the wharf to breakfast, I saw that peak wind gusts were tickling the 40-knot mark. Amy and I walked our gear out to the airplane, and she returned to the FBO while I did my ritual of loading everything up. In other words, Mooneys attitude was that you, not the airplane or factory, must set your own wind limits.

Crosswind 93

Crosswind Wind Shear Knot Airplanes 93

Plane and Pilot

FEBRUARY 28, 2025

Sadly, GA accident reports are littered with singles and twins that land just short of the runway with windmilling props and dry tanks. Anytime the airplane is heading downhill toward terra firma, our attention should be on the instruments in the clouds, and out the windows when the sky is clear. First, how much avgas is enough?

Descent 54

Descent Approach Final Approach Wind Shear 54

Vintage Aviation News

APRIL 25, 2025

Landing the 727 at Meigs Field would be a challenge, as the runway there was just 3,900-feet (1,200 m), but the airline had a capable crew to take N7017U on its final flight, with Captain B.C. After a low pass for the public and the press that had gathered to watch, Captain Thomas made the approach on runway 36 north.

Cockpit 95

Cockpit Pilot Ceiling Rudder 95

Air Facts

MAY 6, 2024

And she made a cloud of dust getting her airplane on the ground. As I listened in to the radio calls, I heard “Cessna November 50788 entering downwind for a full stop on runway 17” and “Twin Cessna November 61237 on final to runway 17”. We were cruising at about the same speed the Cessna could manage which was 105 knots.

Runway 98

Runway Crosswind Airplanes Knot 98

Vintage Aviation News

SEPTEMBER 8, 2024

” Johnny at the controls of his first airplane. In a T-6, I don’t care what you do, realistically, normal conditions, you might get 140 knots. That P-64 will cruise around all day at 180, 190 knots. It is honestly one of the most fun airplanes I’ve ever flown.” ” Johnny related. It’s a rocket.

Pilot 105

Pilot Airplanes Runway Cockpit 105

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

Flying Magazine

MAY 3, 2024

The plan included several weeks poking around the natural treasures of both the North and South Islands via campervan, then hiring a light airplane and flight instructor for an aerial exploration of the rugged Southern Alps. The sea breeze was gusting at 30 knots. Just put out 20 degrees of flaps and slow to 65 knots.”

Knot 119

Knot Weather Airplanes Ceiling 119

Photographic Logbook

JUNE 1, 2024

Tom and Ed with their airplanes at the fuel farm at Sodus. In my case, I reached a midfield left downwind simultaneously with another Cherokee on a right midfield downwind for the same strip of pavement, runway 2. You see the other airplane, right?" I acknowledged and noted that I had the Cherokee in sight.

Runway 88

Runway Approach Airplanes Turbulence 88

Plane and Pilot

SEPTEMBER 12, 2024

Pounding on the airplane to loosen ice was forbidden. I knew we were right-side up, but…two seconds later, the runway appeared where it should have been, and my pulse slowed to triple digits. With this airplane, DA presented a caution, but never really a threat. Time to make a 180, watch The Perfect Storm , and spend the night.

Knot 87

Knot Weather Density Altitude True Airspeed 87

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. Then off to the other runway for a full stop. So what did I observe?

Pitot Tube 79

Pitot Tube Approach Aileron Instrument Landing System 79

Pilot's Life Blog

JULY 10, 2024

It also keeps planes organized on the runway, but what is it exactly? Aviation taxiing is when an airplane or other aircraft with wheels rolls off, on, or along the runway at a slow, consistent speed. It’s simply when the plane moves around the runway for other reasons. What Is Aircraft Taxiing?

Clearance 52

Clearance Runway Air Traffic Control Pilot 52

One Mile at a Time

APRIL 2, 2025

View pushing back Vienna Airport View taxiing Vienna Airport We had a very short taxi to runway 16, where wed be departing from, and we rocketed off at 10:45AM. He warned of some turbulence on approach, and of strong winds at Washington Dulles, which were gusting up to 30 knots.

Approach 84

Approach Descent Airline Airlines 84

Flying Magazine

APRIL 25, 2024

While we were sitting in the airplane on the morning of the flight, the pilot received his IFR clearance, which kept us on the eastern route. We asked Potomac Approach to change our destination to Richmond (KRIC) and received a clearance for vectors to final to the ILS Runway 2.

Weather 111

Weather Wind Shear Clearance Turbulence 111