Aerotime

NOVEMBER 22, 2024

Once in the air and with airspeed building, the crew will note “ Positive Cimb ” and raise the landing gear and retract the flaps to their fully stowed position, making the wing profile an efficient shape for flight and decreasing drag. Part two will soon be available on AeroTime. Be sure to keep a good look out for it.

Cabin Crew 269

Cabin Crew Runway Clearance Knot 269

Plane and Pilot

SEPTEMBER 27, 2024

Be familiar with what an idling engine and slow gliding speed sound and feel like, what the clean descent rate is, how much altitude is lost during a 180- or 360-degree turn, and what minimum agl altitude you’ll want to have when you arrive abeam of your landing spot.

Drag 52

Drag Descent AGL Runway 52

Plane and Pilot

SEPTEMBER 6, 2024

For example, in a 200-feet-per-minute descent, a typical light plane will only gain a little speed. And in a plane, aerodynamic drag will keep it from going any faster. How does a pilot trade off a thousand feet of altitude for more speed? How much more speed does a pilot get trading off 1,000 feet versus 2,000?

Airplanes 90

Airplanes Descent Pilot Altimeter 90

Pilot's Life Blog

JANUARY 12, 2025

Most commercial planes cruise at altitudes between 33,000 and 40,000 feet, where the thinner air reduces drag, improving fuel efficiency. During ascent and descent, altitudes vary, and cruising altitudes may shift to avoid turbulence or traffic. What is the typical cruising altitude for commercial planes?

Weight-Shift-Control 52

Weight-Shift-Control Air Traffic Control Turbulence Weather 52

Air Facts

JANUARY 6, 2025

Light icing in the descent, we had briefed the increased Vref speeds as we had many times before. As the icing rapidly accumulated, we could tell the drag was multiplying at an alarming rate. The nose was covered from tip to windscreens in the same rough textured drag inducing accumulation.

Drag 98

Drag Runway Approach Ceiling 98

Vintage Aviation News

FEBRUARY 11, 2025

Davis stating, “The pilot had about a 10 second lag when he wanted to go and about 2 seconds lag when he wanted to stop, with both thrust and drag being powerful and non-adjustable when they did occur.” The throttle controls also suffered from control lag, with Frank W.

Thrust 52

Thrust Tail Jet Drag 52

Pilot Institute

OCTOBER 2, 2024

Your wings don’t create as much drag as they would at higher altitudes, which gives you extra lift. Key Takeaways Ground effect increases an aircraft’s lift and decreases drag. Secondly, drag decreases due to the ground disturbing the wingtip vortices, causing induced drag. It’s not magic—it’s ground effect.

Ground Effect 52

Ground Effect Drag Lift Runway 52

Pilot Institute

NOVEMBER 16, 2024

In most flight schools, the practical flight training portion will follow a set progression: Basic aircraft control : Learning to fly straight and level, make turns, and perform climbs and descents. Airport operations : Mastering takeoffs, landings, and understanding traffic patterns. Navigation : Planning and going on cross-country flights.

Pilot 52

Pilot Weather Checkride Flight Computer 52

Plane and Pilot

AUGUST 27, 2024

Our friends at the Flight Safety Foundation take the definition of a stabilized approach a bit further and specify that all briefings and checklists have been completed, sink rates are no more than 1,000 feet per minute (for jets), and only small changes in pitch, power, and heading are required to maintain the planned descent and touchdown point.

Stability 83

Stability Approach Runway Pilot 83

Fear of Landing

SEPTEMBER 20, 2024

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. The approach controller instructed the crew to continue to wait for the descent clearance. The flight crew confirmed SANPA.

Knot 92

Knot Approach Descent Weather 92

Pilot Institute

JULY 12, 2024

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

Descent Weight-Shift-Control Crosswind Runway 52

Pilot Institute

MAY 4, 2024

Any substantial changes to speed and descent rate will destabilize the landing. Full flaps are generally used since they lower approach speed and increase drag. The drag allows for a steeper descent, which is particularly helpful when avoiding obstacles. Power controls the rate of descent, and pitch controls airspeed.

Weight-Shift-Control 52

Weight-Shift-Control Runway Approach Density Altitude 52

Pilot Institute

MARCH 26, 2024

However, the increased drag might make it impossible to take off again. High-wing aircraft might need more power or pitch to arrest the descent. This does two things: it keeps the load on the wings and increases drag. Overcorrecting for a high descent rate will cause the aircraft to balloon.

NOTAMs 52

NOTAMs Runway Approach Descent 52

Pilot Institute

FEBRUARY 20, 2025

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. Adverse yaw is created due to the drag differential between the two sides of the aircraft. This creates drag. This is called having a wing drop.

Aileron 90

Aileron Weight-Shift-Control Rudder Longitudinal Axis 90

Pilot Institute

MARCH 29, 2024

Drag : The aerodynamic force opposing the aircraft’s forward motion. This increases lift but comes at the cost of increased induced drag. Pilots must counteract the additional drag with more thrust to maintain altitude. Later flap stages add mostly drag. The gear adds lots of drag but zero lift.

Lift 52

Lift Rudder Drag Checkride 52

Air Facts

JULY 1, 2024

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. Upon returning for the ILS approach, I called out the power settings of 18 inches of MP and 2400 RPM. I did not touch the flaps.

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.

Pitot Tube 52

Pitot Tube Drag Lift Airfoil 52

Pilot Institute

MAY 9, 2024

It’s just S-turns with climbs and descents, right? While the tilting lift vectors are an important source of adverse yaw, drag also plays a part. Any time a wing creates lift, it creates induced drag. In our example, the right wing has more lift, and thus more drag, than the left wing as the airplane rolls.

Rudder 52

Rudder Lift Aileron Drag 52

Airspeed Junkie

AUGUST 2, 2024

This system includes modes for: roll pitch heading vertical speed altitude hold approach These modes allow for a steady rate of descent, ascent, and consistent speed and altitude ranges. One of the standout features of the Cessna 172’s cockpit is its digital autopilot system.

Knot 98

Knot Cockpit Pilot Gross Weight 98

Pilot Institute

FEBRUARY 15, 2025

In seconds, an aircraft can be forced into an uncontrollable descent, leaving you with barely any time to react. An aircraft might experience a brief lift due to a strong headwind, only to be forced into an uncontrolled descent as the wind suddenly reverses. Keep wings level to prevent unnecessary drag or instability.

Wind Shear 66

Wind Shear Weather Descent Approach 66

Fullthrottle Aviation

FEBRUARY 19, 2022

The question came up on a group on social media where a student was asking the community how to perform the Emergency Descent maneuver (PA.IX.A). Establish and maintain the appropriate airspeed and configuration appropriate to the scenario specified by the evaluator and as covered in POH/AFM for the emergency descent. PA.IX.A.S4

Descent 52

Descent Aeronautical Decision-Making Airplanes Turbulence 52

Vintage Aviation News

DECEMBER 26, 2024

Foust did everything in his training to try and recover from the spin, including deploying his plane’s drag chute. When all his actions proved fruitless, Foust ejected from his F-106 at 15,000 feet.

Pitot Tube 59

Pitot Tube Ground Effect Drag Pilot 59

AV Web

DECEMBER 11, 2024

The last thing you want to do is make a normal descent and landing. From that perch, you can eyeball the airport and then execute a circling descent to both lose altitude and set up for the approach and landing. Both flaps and gear stay retracted until the runway is made, and only then do you add drag and land.

Runway 52

Runway Airplanes Approach Drag 52

Photographic Logbook

OCTOBER 11, 2024

I was initially flummoxed by the drag strip extending southward from the east end of runway 28 and flew downwind with a big offset from the runway to avoid flying over massive bleachers packed with hot rod enthusiasts. With a drag strip next door, at least noise complaints about airplanes seem unlikely.

Runway 82

Runway Approach Knot Drag 82

Photographic Logbook

AUGUST 11, 2023

No one wants the skin of their airplane to resemble a dimpled golf ball, Pollyanna commentary about drag reduction aside. I established a more aggressive descent rate than the usual 500 feet per minute, but was still too high upon reaching CICCA. Fortunately, the hail was small and the damage minor.

Descent 52

Descent Approach Airplanes Runway 52

Charles Ryan's Flying Adventure

MARCH 28, 2024

On the day of departure Even though we had plenty of time before our flight departure, we decided to head to the airport early as dragging our cabin baggage across the footpath was not ideal. At this point, we started our descent into LHR airport. Although the weather looks good, it was also another windy day. The last ray of light.

Weather 52

Weather Turbulence Runway Narrow-Body Aircraft 52

Pilot Institute

JUNE 26, 2024

It helps reduce the chances of a stall and puts you in a better position to arrest the descent and start your climb out. Pitch for Climb The next immediate action is to arrest the descent. After adding full power and arresting the descent, the next step is to retract the flaps.

Wind Shear 52

Wind Shear Runway Approach Aeronautical Decision-Making 52

Vintage Aviation News

AUGUST 22, 2024

Descent check!” I was dragging tail. Up-front, the copilot, flight engineer and I tried to remain inconspicuous, silently thanking Him that we weren’t back there with Big Buff and our load-sloth. Besides, we had our hands full, fighting to maintain control of the airplane. I called, setting up to land.

Weight-Shift-Control 52

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.

Airplanes 77

Airplanes Rudder Knot Aileron 77

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. However, when Kidder broke through the clouds at 1,500 feet, all he could see was freezing water below him.

Weather 124

Weather Tail Drag Ceiling 124

Pilot's Life Blog

JANUARY 5, 2025

The pre-landing check is the first step in ensuring the aircraft is ready for a stable descent. Additionally, configure the aircraft for a stable descent. Throttle adjustments, trim settings, and speed control are all important in setting up for a controlled, smooth descent to the runway.

Descent 52

Descent Final Approach Approach Runway 52