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

Pilot's Life Blog

FEBRUARY 11, 2025

Aerodynamic Differences Fixed-Wing Aircraft (Airplanes) Airplanes , or fixed-wing aircraft, generate lift through their stationary wings as they move forward. Control Mechanisms Airplane Controls In airplanes, pilots manage flight using three primary controls: the ailerons, elevator, and rudder.

Torque 52

Torque Lift Airplanes Stability 52

Pilot Institute

APRIL 5, 2024

Landing an airplane is not easy, even for experienced pilots. Your ailerons and rudder will be neutral once you’re in the crab position. We use the rudder to align the aircraft’s longitudinal axis with the centerline. Simultaneously, we apply ailerons opposite the rudder input. We call this de-crabbing.

Crosswind 52

Crosswind Longitudinal Axis Aileron Rudder 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. The trigger can be any external force such as a wind gust or turbulence.

Stability 52

Stability Center of Gravity Aileron Rudder 52

Pilot Institute

FEBRUARY 20, 2025

These control surfaces dictate the aircraft’s roll, and this allows it to bank smoothly through turns or even recover from turbulence. Or how do modern airplanes reduce dangerous effects like aileron flutter or adverse yaw? Adverse yaw is a side effect of aileron use, countered by rudder input. What Is an Aileron?

Aileron 90

Aileron Weight-Shift-Control Rudder Longitudinal Axis 90

Photographic Logbook

FEBRUARY 2, 2025

At the airport, there was ice and snow to remove from in front of the hangar door, fuel to add to the Warrior now resting on three fully inflated tires (the left main had a new tube), and then there was the moment when I slipped on ice while pulling the airplane from the hangar and landed flat on my back. 164 airplanes.)

Runway 89

Runway Knot Weather Turbulence 89

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. The afternoon turbulence had subsided a bit, making it easier to maintain a holding pattern over the town of Cabot, located 6 miles from the approach end of Runway 25.

Runway 98

Runway Crosswind Rudder Pilot 98

Pilot Institute

MARCH 29, 2024

Common mistakes include neglecting clearing turns, delaying stall recovery, and misusing the rudder. Higher altitudes are also less prone to turbulence and have fewer birds. Turbulent air will require a larger airspeed margin. As you increase the throttle, anticipate the need to add more right rudder. What Is Slow Flight?

Lift 52

Lift Rudder Drag Checkride 52

Air Facts

JANUARY 31, 2025

Being a good systems engineer, I looked at the data from 551 RV-series airplane events over the past 25 years. This kind of spin entry is also known as a spin over the top, because when entering the spin from a turn, the airplane will spin towards the higher wing. Recorded data says no spin. To keep the turn going, add back pressure.

Turbulence 52

Turbulence Airplanes Crosswind Pilot 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. And only focus on aligning the center of the airplane. Another way is to polish the skills you already learned. Hopefully not.

Crosswind 52

Crosswind Aileron Runway Gross Weight 52

Pilot Institute

AUGUST 2, 2024

Environmental Factors Turbulence Severe turbulence can cause disruption to an aircraft’s flight. In some cases, the aircraft may lose control due to the severity of the turbulence. Use rudder to check balance. Pilots can protect themselves from startle through scenario-based training. Then, restore cruise power.

Altimeter 52

Altimeter Descent Turbulence Lift 52

Pilot Institute

OCTOBER 12, 2024

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. The turbulent air hits the horizontal stabilizer, which causes a vibration that can be felt throughout the aircraft. This requires rudder input to maintain directional control.

Stability 52

Stability Horizontal Stabilizer Lift Airplanes 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?

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?

Runway 52

Runway Wind Shear Crosswind Ceiling 52

Chess In the Air

JUNE 24, 2022

This is a hard one to gain insight from other than this: Some atmospheric events are bigger than our plastic airplanes. A sudden and very powerful wind gust from behind, which caused the airplane to stall and spin in just as he was in the midst of his final turn.

Pilot 52

Pilot AGL Wind Shear Runway 52

Air Facts

SEPTEMBER 9, 2024

The many analyses and videos on these topics have been done in what can best be described as laboratory conditions, carefully selected optimum conditions of pilot, airplane, and environment. An incomplete summary description of FASF is whether the airplane made it out of ground effect.

General Aviation 98

General Aviation Pilot Approach Airplanes 98

Pilot Institute

NOVEMBER 20, 2024

You matter just as much as the airplane you’re piloting. Visualization: Picture yourself easily handling challenging situations, like navigating turbulent weather or working through complex procedures. You’re the one flying the airplane. Key Takeaways Focus on sleep, diet, and exercise to stay flight-ready.

Pilot 52

Pilot Weight-Shift-Control Cockpit Airplanes 52

Pilot Institute

JANUARY 15, 2025

VS Stalling speed or minimum steady flight speed at which the airplane is controllable. As we go through them, use the Pilots Operating Handbook (POH) for the airplane you fly, and make a note of the speed for each V-speed. For example, if you encounter turbulence, the bumps you experience will increase the load factor.

V Speed 98

V Speed Runway Pilot Knot 98

Professional Pilot

JULY 3, 2024

We were IMC with some moderate turbulence when, out of the blue, the prisoner jumped up between us and tried to grab hold of the captain’s gun, which was in his holster. I watched carefully for higher or lower miles on the DME and corrected with a bit of rudder as necessary to keep the miles decreasing. Alejandro Gómez ATP.

Pilot 40

Pilot Runway NOTAMs TWR 40

AV Web

DECEMBER 8, 2024

In a final report that seems scripted to prove the old adage about aircraft accidents resulting from a series of seemingly minor mishaps, the NTSB has determined that pilot actions, not turbulence and later a trim issue, as was widely reported at the time, caused an upset that led to the death of a passenger on a Challenger 300 in 2023.

Turbulence 105

Turbulence Horizontal Stabilizer Pilot Rudder 105