Ask a Flight Instructor

JANUARY 26, 2025

I typically arrive over the airfield/intended landing point 3,000 AGL then fly a 360 degree steep descent to a short final. I am a military T-6 (TEX2) instructor and occasionally fly simulated forced landing patterns at non-towered airfields. This maneuver is described in JO 7110.65 (PCG).

AGL 52

AGL Descent Runway Pilot 52

Pilot Institute

JANUARY 27, 2025

This information is used to determine altitude, rate of climb or descent (i.e., Usually, on general aviation aircraft, only one of each is required. The pitot-static system is used to measure the static and dynamic pressure of the air during flight. vertical speed), and airspeed.

Pitot Tube 52

Pitot Tube Altimeter Instrument Flight Rules Descent 52

Vintage Aviation News

FEBRUARY 19, 2025

In order to shorten development time and save costs, the aircraft featured components of two closely related aircraft of the Beech Aircraft Company in Wichita, Kansas: the wings, ailerons, and landing gear of aBeech Bonanza general aviation aircraft and the tail assemblyof a Beech T-34 Mentor military trainer.

Thrust 94

Thrust Center of Gravity Descent Cockpit 94

Air Facts

SEPTEMBER 13, 2024

What NTSB Reports Say About Impossible Turns and Angle of Attack—Part 2: Analysis, Questions Raised, and Next Steps The current emphasis in general aviation (GA) safety is on visual angle of attack (AOA) indicators and impossible turns (return to the airport following engine failure). for several general aviation airplanes.

Gross Weight 98

Gross Weight Runway Airplanes Pilot 98

Pilot Institute

OCTOBER 16, 2024

Descent Point Nominate a descent point that will give you a constant 3° profile to the threshold. We can calculate the rate of descent required to achieve a 3° profile. Add a zero to this number, and you have your target rate of descent. Add a zero, and that gives you a 400ft target rate of descent. Good question.

Airplanes 52

Airplanes Descent Approach Runway 52

Plane and Pilot

AUGUST 3, 2024

So back here in general aviation land, let’s take a look at where we might encounter unexpected stall conditions. If the engine does not restart, maintaining the descent and a margin above the critical angle of attack is a better bet than stalling. When it’s airplane versus the ground, the ground always wins.

Airplanes 78

Airplanes Approach Horizontal Stabilizer Pilot 78

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. However, the General Aviation Revitalization Act of 1994 paved the way for its return, and production resumed in 1996.

Knot 98

Knot Cockpit Pilot Gross Weight 98

Photographic Logbook

SEPTEMBER 2, 2024

Post-Pandemic Pancakes Perhaps second only to hyperbolic "there I was" stories and debates over which type of aircraft wing placement is superior (low, obviously), fly-in pancake breakfasts are deeply ingrained in general aviation pilot culture. This greatly simplified descent planning.

Crosswind 52

Crosswind Runway Airplanes Descent 52

Plane and Pilot

AUGUST 27, 2024

The current record of safe landings is strong in the airlines, but the same can’t be said for us down here in general aviation land. Hmm, that is well and good for the jet jockeys, but how does that apply to me in my little 180 hp, four-seat, piston-powered dream machine?

Stability 83

Stability Approach Runway Pilot 83

Photographic Logbook

OCTOBER 10, 2023

Among General Aviation pilots, there was great fear that private aircraft would be permanently barred from controlled airspace, particularly around the epicenters of those attacks in New York City and Washington DC. Although 9/11 marked the weaponization of commercial aircraft, the aftereffects are felt most keenly by General Aviation.

Transponder 52

Transponder Approach Clearance General Aviation 52

Fullthrottle Aviation

FEBRUARY 24, 2022

In this scenario, a busy controller and task saturation led to a late descent, which resulted in an error of being too high and unstablized, and the lack of knowledge and training led to an undesired aircraft state of flying past the missed approach point at an inappropriate altitude.

Approach 52

Approach Aeronautical Decision-Making Weather Pilot 52

iPad Pilot News

MARCH 27, 2025

FlightAware Flight Tracker This app allows you to track real-time flight status and tracking map of any commercial flight worldwide, and can also track general aviation flights in the US and Canada. This app makes it a breeze to complete all the necessary forms right from your iPad.

Weather 91

Weather Pilot Flight Plan Airplanes 91

Pilot Job Central

SEPTEMBER 15, 2023

Descent planning can be complicated and needs to be done more than 100 miles from the destination. Applying an Airplane to a Mission When a pilot first starts in their aviation career they operate in the general aviation environment. These are more general aviation oriented rather than large scale fractional operators.

Pilot 52

Pilot Airplanes Weather Air Traffic Control 52

Flight Training Central

MAY 1, 2024

You can take a friend and fly for lunch at another airport, tour local landmarks or attend fly-ins to meet other pilots and get involved in the aviation community. Whether you want to fly for a living or just for fun, general aviation offers a safe, rewarding and efficient way to travel. and a normal landing.

Pilot in Command 98

Pilot in Command Pilot Airplanes Air Traffic Control 98

Professional Pilot

DECEMBER 10, 2024

The assumption that standards established for remotely-piloted aircraft systems (RPASs) and general aviation (GA) single-pilot aircraft may be transferred to transport category airplanes in commercial air transport is not feasible, because of the high standards of Part 25 certification.

Pilot 52

Pilot Cockpit Pilot in Command Cabin Crew 52

Professional Pilot

APRIL 10, 2024

Also, the implementation of CPDLC for the general aviation sector is taking a painfully long time. Learjet 45 Director City Aviation Williamston MI F AA airspace, infrastructure, and automation goals are on schedule. It’s lack of controllers to handle the volume of traffic.

Clearance 40

Clearance Pilot Weather Approach 40

Pilot Institute

FEBRUARY 20, 2025

In recent times, composite materials have been introduced for flight controls even in small general aviation aircraft. Fly-by-wire is expensive, so you wont find it on most small general aviation aircraft. The resulting loss of lift leads to a rapid descent by the aircraft. What Materials Are Used in Ailerons?

Aileron 90

Aileron Weight-Shift-Control Rudder Longitudinal Axis 90

Air Facts

SEPTEMBER 9, 2024

The current emphasis in general aviation (GA) safety is on visual angle of attack (AOA) indicators and impossible turns (return to the airport following engine failure). The current emphasis in general aviation (GA) safety is on visual angle of attack (AOA) indicators.

General Aviation 98

General Aviation Pilot Approach Airplanes 98

Plane and Pilot

NOVEMBER 29, 2024

Our trusty Continentals or Lycomings do well in cold climates as long as we warm up the engine fully before takeoff, manage the cowl flaps smartly, and avoid shock cooling in idle descents. These either block off some of the cowling intake or oil cooler, or both.

Ceiling 105

Ceiling Airplanes Weather Density Altitude 105

Plane and Pilot

NOVEMBER 29, 2024

Our trusty Continentals or Lycomings do well in cold climates as long as we warm up the engine fully before takeoff, manage the cowl flaps smartly, and avoid shock cooling in idle descents. These either block off some of the cowling intake or oil cooler, or both.

Ceiling 96

Ceiling Airplanes Weather Density Altitude 96

Plane and Pilot

SEPTEMBER 20, 2024

A few seconds later the airplane data showed a maneuver consistent with an aileron roll followed by a rapid descent about 1,000 feet before regaining its prior altitude and track above the highway.” The vertical descent rate reached the data-recording limit of 9,999 feet per minute. The plane just kept coming down.

True Airspeed 88

True Airspeed Indicated Airspeed Horizontal Stabilizer Aileron 88

Plane and Pilot

SEPTEMBER 20, 2024

A few seconds later the airplane data showed a maneuver consistent with an aileron roll followed by a rapid descent about 1,000 feet before regaining its prior altitude and track above the highway.” The vertical descent rate reached the data-recording limit of 9,999 feet per minute. The plane just kept coming down.

True Airspeed 86

True Airspeed Indicated Airspeed Horizontal Stabilizer Aileron 86

Pilot Institute

APRIL 12, 2025

High camber generally promotes more airflow deflection, thanks to something called Bernoullis Principle. This is why the typical airfoil shape has a curved top and a flat bottom, especially in slower-speed general aviation aircraft. They all rely on the same physics: push air down ( action ), air pushes you back up ( reaction ).

Lift 52

Lift Torque Thrust Aileron 52

Photographic Logbook

AUGUST 11, 2023

Finally, I called Hawthorne Aviation at the Cobb County Airport in Kennesaw, GA, a towered general aviation airport on the northwest quadrant of metropolitan Atlanta. I established a more aggressive descent rate than the usual 500 feet per minute, but was still too high upon reaching CICCA. Nothing was available.

Descent 52

Descent Approach Airplanes Runway 52

Pilot Institute

AUGUST 2, 2024

One of the leading causes of fatal general aviation accidents is the loss of aircraft control. An increasing rate of descent. High rate of descent – shown on your vertical speed indicator. If you pull back on the control column, you will see a reduction in the rate of descent. But the incorrect recovery.

Altimeter 52

Altimeter Descent Turbulence Lift 52

Photographic Logbook

JULY 21, 2024

This was granted and we were issued a descent to 1,500 feet as expected. While Alyssa attended to the restaurant, Mark and I pushed the Warrior back into a parking space at the unique general aviation airport occupying a terraced hillside. Now on with Newark Tower, I made the East River request.

Weight-Shift-Control 88

Weight-Shift-Control Clearance Approach Airplanes 88

Professional Pilot

NOVEMBER 14, 2024

“Twenty years ago, Garmin redefined the general aviation cockpit with the G1000, our first integrated flight deck. Additional safety tools such as Smart Glide , Smart Rudder Bias, Electronic Stability Protection (ESP ), Emergency Descent Mode (EDM) and Garmin Autothrottle further ensure confidence in every flight.

Flight Deck 52

Flight Deck Cockpit Runway Pilot 52

Pilot Institute

JUNE 26, 2024

Yet, statistics show that go-arounds are among the riskiest maneuvers in general aviation. 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.

Wind Shear 52

Wind Shear Runway Approach Aeronautical Decision-Making 52

Fear of Landing

OCTOBER 18, 2024

Catalina Airport is open to general aviation from 08:00 to 17:00. According to ADSB data , they were just 75 feet above ground when the aircraft entered a rapid descent of 1,700 feet per minute as they passed the departure end of the runway. Needless to say, we lost.

Runway 52

Runway Altimeter Pilot Lift 52

Plane and Pilot

OCTOBER 3, 2024

Climbs and descents were normal, and while not stunning, it seemed like this airplane could carry a load up and over the hills if needed—even though it is designed to operate down low. to accelerate out of slow conditions, so it’d be hard to inadvertently stall this thing.

Airplanes 77

Airplanes Rudder Knot Aileron 77

Plane and Pilot

NOVEMBER 13, 2024

said the company is the world’s largest privately owned aircraft manufacturer and was the number 1 seller of single-engine piston planes in the first quarter of 2024, according to the General Aviation Manufacturing Association (GAMA) figures. David Copeland, director of sales for Tecnam U.S.,

Knot 94

Knot Airplanes Rudder Gross Weight 94