Pilot Institute

DECEMBER 12, 2024

These two simple features power three of the most important cockpit instruments. This setup is called the pitot-static system. In this article, well break down how the pitot-static system works, what it measures, and why its so important. Key Takeaways The pitot-static system measures airspeed, altitude, and vertical speed.

Pitot Tube 97

Pitot Tube Altimeter Airplanes Descent 97

Pilot Institute

OCTOBER 17, 2024

If you’re flying IFR in winter weather, icing is a threat you have to actively prepare for. If you can understand the conditions that lead to icing and know how to react when it happens, you’ll keep yourself ahead of the harsh weather. And ice doesn’t just build on your wings; it can sneak up on you quickly.

Weather 52

Weather Pitot Tube OAT Tail 52

AeroSavvy

OCTOBER 26, 2020

Airlines are upgrading older cockpits with newer displays, so this old indicator will soon become a relic. Ram air from a pitot tube and static (undisturbed) outside air from a static port, usually a hole on the side of the fuselage. The speeds are based on aircraft weight and performance (affected by runway and weather).

Pitot Tube 52

Pitot Tube Indicated Airspeed Knot Altimeter 52

Pilot Institute

NOVEMBER 1, 2024

It can also disrupt sensors needed for flight safety, like the pitot tubes. If ice blocks a pitot tube, your aircraft’s instruments will provide inaccurate airspeed readings. Most aircraft are equipped with a pitot heater to prevent icing in the pitot tube. The result is an uneven, lumpy ice layer.

Pitot Tube 52

Pitot Tube Drag Lift Airfoil 52

Plane and Pilot

NOVEMBER 19, 2024

When you’re starting to feel human again after major surgery, what’s a good plan for getting safely back into the cockpit? The first flight got weathered out, with broken clouds at 1,500 feet. Repairs included replacing the pitot tube/angle-of-attack sensor and the outside air temperature probe.

Pitot Tube 59

Pitot Tube Approach Aileron Instrument Landing System 59

Professional Pilot

JANUARY 2, 2025

It can also become lodged in pitot tubes or other ports, making altitude and airspeed readings unreliable. Heeding VAAs is important because they define areas of ash concentration that present dangers to aircraft, and that concentration is frequently too low for an ash cloud to be seen by a pilot from the cockpit.

Pitot Tube 40

Pitot Tube Weather Pilot NOTAMs 40