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Flying a Small Plane: Key Insights for Beginners

Pilot's Life Blog

Primary Flight Controls The primary controls of a small plane are the yoke, rudder pedals, and throttle. Rudder pedals help manage yaw, which keeps the aircraft aligned during turns or crosswinds. It requires managing descent rates, aligning with the runway, and controlling speed for a smooth touchdown.

Weather 52
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Your First 10 Hours of Flight Training: What to Expect

Inflight Pilot Training

Your instructor will introduce you to the basic components of the aircraft, including the fuselage, wings, ailerons, rudder, elevator, and landing gear. Youll also practice different types of landings, including touch-and-go landings, and begin adjusting for crosswinds and environmental factors that affect landing performance.

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Flight Sims for the Win: It’s All About Repetition and Drill

Flying Magazine

If utilizing Runway 17 with left traffic, the crosswind turn will be heading 080, downwind 350, base 260, etc. Put the aircraft in level flight to give them a moment to consider their next course of action so they are not anxiously doing climbs, descents, and unplanned turns. You may even put the learner in and out of the clouds.

Crosswind 105
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What to Expect in Your First Flight Lessons

Plane and Pilot

Taxiing procedures: Moving the aircraft to the runway involves steering with your feet using the rudder pedals. Landing Approach and descent Returning to the airport involves setting up for a stable approach. Ground operations Before takeoff, youll learn how to operate the aircraft on the ground. Its an unfamiliar but fun experience.

Rudder 98
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How to Improve Your Landings

Pilot Institute

Learn to use aircraft references to establish a stable descent rate and pitch, ending up in a smooth roundout and flare. A quick way to estimate the correct descent rate for a 3-degree glidepath is to multiply your groundspeed by five. 60 x 5 = 300 feet per minute is your recommended descent rate. Flying at 60 knots?

Descent 52
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White-Knuckle Affair

Plane and Pilot

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 98
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How to Land an Airplane

Pilot Institute

If there is a crosswind at the airport, you should mention this in your brief. Discuss your nominated crosswind technique. Explain what aircraft input you will require to land the aircraft in the crosswind. For example, the crosswind is from left to right. Add a zero, and that gives you a 400ft target rate of descent.