Northstar VFR

JULY 21, 2024

It’s a rite of passage for pilots-in-training to hear these words come from their flight instructor repeatedly. The pilot can control the yawing of the plane by inputs on the rudder pedals. Some new student pilots think the rudder and vertical stabilizer are the same thing. The pilot controls the throttle to create thrust.

Rudder 52

Rudder Airplanes Pilot Stability 52

Pilot Institute

FEBRUARY 20, 2025

Have you ever wondered how pilots keep control at high speeds, during stalls, or even when systems fail? The pilot is able to control the aircrafts roll by turning the control yoke or sidestick in the cockpit. The hydraulic system works similarly to a cars power steering and greatly reduces the effort needed by the pilots.

Aileron 90

Aileron Weight-Shift-Control Rudder Longitudinal Axis 90

Plane and Pilot

AUGUST 18, 2024

Knowing this, smart pilots plan for contingencies as much as possible. If you talk to any floatplane pilot who flies in remote areas, it is a good bet that they will have lots of stories of mishaps and near disasters. He had to drag out his tent and spend the night waiting for the next high tide to release him from his predicament.

Airplanes 80

Airplanes Torque Tail Pilot 80

Plane and Pilot

AUGUST 18, 2024

Knowing this, smart pilots plan for contingencies as much as possible. If you talk to any floatplane pilot who flies in remote areas, it is a good bet that they will have lots of stories of mishaps and near disasters. He had to drag out his tent and spend the night waiting for the next high tide to release him from his predicament.

Airplanes 78

Airplanes Torque Tail Pilot 78

Air Facts

JANUARY 13, 2025

Richard Collins memorably wrote about Cirrus pilots in previous articlesboth what they do wrong and what they do right but here Ill focus on the airplane. This one is blindingly obvious, but perhaps for that reason some macho pilots pretend this is a weakness, as if real pilots prefer to endure pain when they fly.

Airplanes 98

Airplanes Rudder Knot Pilot 98

Fear of Landing

SEPTEMBER 20, 2024

Both pilots were very experienced, each with over 5,000 hours of flight experience. One of the pilots turned the airframe de-icing system back on. In order to do this, the APM uses the calculated take-off weight entered by the pilots at engine start using a rotary knob on the APM panel. The Electronic Ice Detector sounded again.

Knot 104

Knot Approach Descent Weather 104

Pilot Institute

APRIL 12, 2025

Newton’s Third Law helps pilots and engineers improve flight safety and aircraft performance. If the pilot increases the wings angle of attack too much, the airflow can separate from the wings surface, causing a stall – an abrupt loss of lift. What does Newtons Third law tell pilots about thrust?

Lift 52

Lift Thrust Torque Aileron 52