Pilot Institute

NOVEMBER 16, 2024

Combining the data shown on your cockpit instruments helps you make better judgments. One example is Indicated Airspeed (IAS), which is the airspeed you read directly from cockpit instruments. For instance, an aircraft maintaining a steady IAS at 30,000 feet will have a faster TAS than at sea level due to reduced drag from thinner air.

True Airspeed 52

True Airspeed Indicated Airspeed Altimeter Lift 52

Fear of Landing

SEPTEMBER 20, 2024

During the conversation with the controller, there was the sound of a single chime on the cockpit voice recorder. The crew acknowledged and said that they were at the ideal point of descent and waiting for clearance. This signifies a significant increase in drag which is causing the airspeed to drop by 15 to 20 knots.

Knot 89

Knot Approach Descent Weather 89

Pilot's Life Blog

JANUARY 12, 2025

Understanding the Basics of Flight Principles of Flight: Lift, Weight, Thrust, and Drag Flying a plane for the first time requires a basic understanding of the forces that make flight possible. Thrust, produced by the engines, moves the plane forward, while drag, or air resistance, slows it down.

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Aileron Drag Rudder Descent 52

Pilot's Life Blog

JANUARY 12, 2025

Understanding the Basics of Flight Aerodynamics 101 Flying a small plane revolves around understanding four key forces: lift, thrust, drag, and weight. Thrust, produced by the engine, propels the plane forward, overcoming drag, which is the resistance caused by air. These forces must work in harmony to maintain flight stability.

Weather 52

Weather Pilot Drag Rudder 52

Air Facts

JULY 1, 2024

After all the preliminaries, and in full command of the cockpit, we, my instructor and I, took off on a simulated flight from Teterboro, New Jersey enroute to Norfolk, Virginia (short flight) at 15,000 feet. I put the gear down one dot above the glideslope and let the drag bring the aircraft down at its 550 foot-per-minute descent rate.

Knot 97

Knot Approach Pilot Runway 97

Pilot Institute

NOVEMBER 1, 2024

And ice doesn’t just make things slippery, it messes with the airflow over the wings, cuts down on lift, and ramps up drag. This leads to a serious loss of lift and an increase in drag. This roughness adds to friction drag, which can reduce lift and increase drag by as much as 50% on a wing’s leading edge and upper surface.

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Pitot Tube Drag Lift Airfoil 52

Vintage Aviation News

FEBRUARY 11, 2025

The aircraft also featured a pressurized cockpit, and considerations were made for it to be armed with six 20mm cannons or six 12.7mm machine guns.Consolidated-Vultee submitted the design of the Model 102 to the US Army Air Force’s Air Material Command in September 1943, and the Model 102 was approved for further development as the XP-81.

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Thrust Tail Jet Drag 52

Pilot Institute

FEBRUARY 20, 2025

The pilot is able to control the aircrafts roll by turning the control yoke or sidestick in the cockpit. The problem is that the aileron can only be deflected to a point after which the drag becomes significant. The resulting loss of lift leads to a rapid descent by the aircraft. This is called having a wing drop.

Aileron 87

Aileron Weight-Shift-Control Rudder Longitudinal Axis 87

Vintage Aviation News

DECEMBER 26, 2024

Air Force, in the cockpit of Convair F-106A Delta Dart 56-0467, at Edwards AFB, December 15, 1959, following his world speed record. Foust did everything in his training to try and recover from the spin, including deploying his plane’s drag chute. Rogers set a world speed record of 1,525.96 mph (2,455.79 Major Joseph W.

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Pitot Tube Ground Effect Drag Pilot 59

Vintage Aviation News

AUGUST 22, 2024

We strapped into the cockpit, completed routine checks and procedures, started the engines, and taxied to the end of the runway. Descent check!” A year ago, I’d been flying a sleek supersonic jet, strapped into a snug, compact cockpit. I was dragging tail. I called, setting up to land.

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Weight-Shift-Control Tail Cargo Airplanes 52

Plane and Pilot

OCTOBER 3, 2024

Winging It Aside from the aforementioned desire for a greater aspect ratio for reduced drag, the one-piece Gweduck wing was developed for minimal weight, ease of construction and benign handling. Keeping drag corralled was emphasized as the Gweduck mission is foremost long-distance cruising. Maintenance room is generally very good.

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Airplanes Rudder Knot Aileron 79

Vintage Aviation News

AUGUST 26, 2024

When he attempted to contact the tower again, he discovered that the antenna on his primary radio was gone, having iced over during his descent through the overcast and snapped off. Soon after emerging from the cockpit, Lt. However, when Kidder broke through the clouds at 1,500 feet, all he could see was freezing water below him.

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Weather Tail Drag Ceiling 124