Pilot's Life Blog

FEBRUARY 26, 2024

The tradition of cutting the shirt tail of a student pilot after their first solo flight dates back to the early days of aviation. There are a few references to where this came from historically – let’s explore the heavy plane tail, the clipping, of birds wings, and the Navy.

Pilot 52

Pilot Tail Drag 52

Pilot's Life Blog

MARCH 15, 2024

Below are other critical pieces of the wings that help give the plane additional lift, reduce drag, or achieve lower speeds in preparation for landing: Ailerons: A French word meaning “fin” or “little wing,” the aileron helps control the airplane’s roll. What are the basic parts of this section?

Horizontal Stabilizer 52

Horizontal Stabilizer Aileron Air Traffic Control Lift 52

Vintage Aviation News

JANUARY 14, 2025

However, since Convair was also developing the XF-92 delta wing prototype for a future Air Force interceptor, the design team at Convair, led by Ernest Stout, proposed a new delta wing aircraft with retractable hydro-skis for takeoffs and landings, a watertight hull, and a single delta tail.

Cockpit 96

Cockpit Flight Deck Drag Stability 96

Vintage Aviation News

JULY 23, 2024

This is consistent with the theory, as a displaced torpedo would have bulged the bomb bay doors, which wind resistance could then have pealed back – leading to a rapid increase in drag preventing the aircraft from gaining altitude at sufficient speed.

Cockpit 130

Cockpit Runway Drag Pilot 130

Plane and Pilot

JANUARY 7, 2025

The tail comes off the ground before you even realize the airplane is ready, climbs like a bat out of you know where, handles like its on rails, and can land almost anywhere in a matter of a couple hundred feet. But my recommendation is to find a very early Bonanza for your first V-tail experience.

Airplanes 98

Airplanes Tail Pilot Jet 98

Pilot's Life Blog

JANUARY 12, 2025

Understanding the Basics of Flight Principles of Flight: Lift, Weight, Thrust, and Drag Flying a plane for the first time requires a basic understanding of the forces that make flight possible. Thrust, produced by the engines, moves the plane forward, while drag, or air resistance, slows it down.

Aileron 52

Aileron Rudder Drag Descent 52

Vintage Aviation News

APRIL 26, 2024

Photo copyright Russell Munson] On April 26th, 1964 a radial-powered biplane with wings and tail in Champion Yellow and Stearman Vermillion-painted fuselage took off from an airfield near Lumberton, NC. “The steel fuselage frame, tail surfaces, and landing gear have been repaired as needed, media blasted, and primed.

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Airplanes Aileron Tail Hangar 105

Vintage Aviation News

OCTOBER 11, 2024

However, this wasn’t the only unique thing about Cierva Twin; it was outstanding in its class for the following reasons – Coaxial Rotor System – This design eliminated the need for a tail rotor, reducing mechanical complexity and increasing lift efficiency. This allowed for more stability and control, especially in hover.

Tail 52

Tail Drag Ceiling Cargo 52

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. Remember that wings, propeller blades, and tail surfaces are airfoil-shaped. This leads to a serious loss of lift and an increase in drag. If you don’t act quickly, you’ll soon feel its effects.

Pitot Tube 52

Pitot Tube Drag Lift Airfoil 52

World Airline News

OCTOBER 29, 2024

From Delta Air Lines: Go behind the scenes with two teams who play a key part in the product strategy and engineering aspect of a nose-to-tail cabin redesign. Debuting on a narrowbody Boeing 757 aircraft that will begin flying on domestic and short haul international routes later this fall, followed by a widebody Airbus A350 in early 2025.

Tail 59

Tail Drag Approach Airplanes 59

Pilot Institute

NOVEMBER 11, 2024

Increased lift on the raised wing immediately creates more induced drag. What’s induced drag? Induced drag is the resistance that happens as a result of creating lift, caused by swirling air around the wings that slows the airplane down. The higher drag on the raised wing reduces its speed relative to the lower wing.

Stability 52

Stability Center of Gravity Aileron Rudder 52

Northstar VFR

JULY 21, 2024

As air flows over it, a force like lift results, and the tail is pulled in the opposite direction of the deflection. But instead of an upward force of lift on a wing, it’s a horizontal force pushing the tail of the plane causing the nose of the plane to move left and right. This is called adverse yaw.

Rudder 52

Rudder Airplanes Pilot Stability 52

Fear of Landing

MARCH 22, 2024

Gradually used to replace metals on parts of aircraft tails, wings, engines, cowlings, and parts of the fuselage, composites reduce overall aircraft weight and improve operational efficiency. Area Rule In the 1950s, NASA scientist Richard Whitcomb discovered several fundamental solutions to key aerodynamics challenges.

Wind Shear 52

Wind Shear Airfoil Drag Airline 52

Airspeed Junkie

AUGUST 2, 2024

Notable design changes included the introduction of a swept tail design in 1960 and a new cowl design in 1961, which improved aerodynamics and performance. Micro vortex generators are also a popular upgrade, optimizing airflow over the wing and tail surfaces to enhance control.

Knot 98

Knot Cockpit Pilot Gross Weight 98

Fear of Landing

SEPTEMBER 20, 2024

Flying in clouds of cold and warm fronts can lead to very small supercooled water droplets which build up as rime ice on the parts of the aircraft exposed to the wind: probes, antennas, and the leading edges of the wings and tail. This signifies a significant increase in drag which is causing the airspeed to drop by 15 to 20 knots.

Knot 91

Knot Approach Descent Weather 91

Plane and Pilot

AUGUST 18, 2024

Most of the time, I would turn the floatplane setting the tails of the floats onto the shore in order to make our departure a simple matter of climbing in, starting the engine, and with a burst of throttle, sliding into the deeper water and going about our day. In short order, we loaded our gear and beat a hasty retreat back to Ketchikan.

Airplanes 61

Airplanes Torque Tail Pilot 61

Plane and Pilot

AUGUST 18, 2024

Most of the time, I would turn the floatplane setting the tails of the floats onto the shore in order to make our departure a simple matter of climbing in, starting the engine, and with a burst of throttle, sliding into the deeper water and going about our day. In short order, we loaded our gear and beat a hasty retreat back to Ketchikan.

Airplanes 60

Airplanes Torque Tail Pilot 60

Air Facts

JULY 1, 2024

He was in his forties when we flew together in his V-tail Bonanza. 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. The Power Jockey. I could tell he was a good pilot. His skills were excellent, and his anticipation was admirable.

Knot 94

Knot Approach Pilot Runway 94

Chess In the Air

JULY 24, 2022

Staying in ground effect protects the glider from a stall because of lower induced drag. However, perhaps the safest response for everyone involved would have been the following: Rather than trying to climb with the tow plane, I should have stayed in ground effect while communicating the request for a greater airspeed.

Knot 52

Knot Ground Effect Tail Pilot 52

Vintage Aviation News

AUGUST 29, 2024

MiGs on your tail! It felt like we were dragging an 18-wheeler truck! Functioning exactly as designed, those flat-plate boards sticking into the airstream were creating beaucoup drag, battling against the J-79s’ thrust. Four o’clock!” Break right! Break left! Frantically, I kept scanning the instrument panel, mind racing.

Drag 52

Drag Thrust Pilot Rudder 52

Pilot Institute

MARCH 26, 2024

However, the increased drag might make it impossible to take off again. Make sure not to pull back too hard, or you could cause a tail strike. This does two things: it keeps the load on the wings and increases drag. A soft touchdown can only do so much if the field is too muddy or has massive potholes.

NOTAMs 52

NOTAMs Runway Approach Descent 52

Aerotime

NOVEMBER 15, 2024

Winglets and Sharklets Both Airbus and Boeing operate aircraft with wingtip devices that are designed to increase aircraft efficiency by removing drag. The devices would prove to “reduce wingtip drag” and increase “fuel efficiency by 6-7%” but would need be positioned uniquely for each aircraft type.

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Lift Drag Air Traffic Control Tail 276

Chess In the Air

JULY 4, 2022

Once Shmulik was in the pattern the key thing that possibly could have helped him (besides a greater altitude) is a very high airspeed to get out of the sink and safeguard against the sudden tail wind. If that happens, the propeller causes a lot of extra drag, comparable to half-extended airbrakes.

Wind Shear 52

Wind Shear AGL Runway Lift 52

Airspeed Junkie

JULY 31, 2024

Innovative features like the Hybrid Laminar Flow Control (HLFC) system further enhance the Dreamliner’s fuel efficiency by reducing aerodynamic drag. The aircraft’s design, which includes advanced composite materials, contributes to significant weight savings and improved fuel economy.

Turbulence 59

Turbulence Aviation Technology Airline Airlines 59

Pilot Institute

APRIL 5, 2024

A sideslip approach creates excess drag and requires more control inputs. But remember, the crosswind you just battled is still hitting the aircraft’s wing and tail. Preparing Your Approach Decide if you want to use the crab or the sideslip approach. The crab method is the most comfortable way to fly the approach.

Crosswind 52

Crosswind Longitudinal Axis Aileron Rudder 52

Professional Pilot

NOVEMBER 13, 2024

The system is well-suited for aircraft of any size, and offers low power consumption and reduced drag from its low-profile antenna. It is designed as a tail mount antenna, and operates on Viasat GX and next-generation networks, which makes it especially suitable for mid-sized business aircraft.

Jet 94

Jet Tail Drag Cockpit 94

Vintage Aviation News

DECEMBER 27, 2024

Despite some engine troubles, the FJ-3 gained greater acceptance with the fleet than the FJ-2 and was later modified to carry the AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missile as the FJ-3M and in 1956, the Navy retrofitted all its FJ-3s with refueling probes under the left wing to couple to a drogue dragged behind an aerial refueling tanker.

Jet 111

Jet Approach Flight Deck Drag 111

Vintage Aviation News

DECEMBER 14, 2024

This was why the strakes were added to the X-29’s tail, in order to reduce drag from using the trim on the canard in the nose. One of the biggest challenges for the X-29 was the unusual center of gravity, which was affected by the rear-mounting of the forward-swept wings and made the X-29 inherently unstable.

Horizontal Stabilizer 96

Horizontal Stabilizer Center of Gravity Tail Drag 96

Vintage Aviation News

OCTOBER 22, 2024

The aircraft felt underpowered and, faced issues with transonic drag, and went under further refinements in the design. The aircraft featured a mid-wing monoplane design with a 45-degree swept wing and tail surfaces. “Jack” D.T.W. Pat” Patton achieved a top speed of Mach 1.2 during this flight; however, certain setbacks were observed.

Weather 97

Weather Drag Payload Stability 97

Plane and Pilot

DECEMBER 2, 2024

They were counted as they loaded up and sat between each other’s legs, facing the tail. Still facing the tail but now standing, they checked the gear of the jumper ahead of them, sounding off in the affirmative. On command, the stick stood as one, hooking in their static lines aft of where I was tethered. Air Force C-130.

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Airplanes Pilot Cockpit Tail 75

Vintage Aviation News

DECEMBER 26, 2024

Flying against Captain Tom Curtis, the two “Sixes” engaged in a “vertical rolling scissors” maneuver at 38,000 feet (11,600 meters), trying to get behind the other’s tail. Foust did everything in his training to try and recover from the spin, including deploying his plane’s drag chute.

Pitot Tube 59

Pitot Tube Ground Effect Drag Pilot 59

Vintage Aviation News

AUGUST 22, 2024

Load’s” relatively safe haven high in the tail section left him hanging upside down on steel-wire control cables, emulating a tree sloth. That meant balancing aerodynamic forces on the flight controls with a large “trim wheel” linked by cables to tabs on the aft edge of our horizontal tail. I was dragging tail.

Weight-Shift-Control 52

Weight-Shift-Control Tail Cargo Airplanes 52

Photographic Logbook

AUGUST 5, 2023

A narrow road twisted and turned precariously up the mountain to our home for the week, evoking comparisons from my family to the Tail of the Dragon. The hungry bear actually dragged the garbage can partway up the mountain before abandoning it. To me, the most challenging part of the drive was the driveway itself.

Weather 52

Weather Runway Approach Clearance 52

Photographic Logbook

SEPTEMBER 22, 2024

Though renowned for its maneuverability, the Triplane struggled to pull away from the Camel, fighting against the fundamental drag of its triple tiered wings. He's at full takeoff power and he's got the tail up! This is the magic of Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome, the Hudson Valley's temporal anomaly. Where is he going?! What is happening?!

Airplanes 58

Airplanes Runway Pilot Aileron 58

Plane and Pilot

OCTOBER 3, 2024

True, a slightly higher aspect ratio wing was desired, which in turn required a larger vertical tail and thus a little extra mass, but the size, approximately 20% larger than a Widgeon, was set. The airfoil is a Harry Riblett shape, giving modernized flow separation on the leading edge for a soft stall yet with good lift and drag performance.

Airplanes 59

Airplanes Rudder Knot Aileron 59

Vintage Aviation News

AUGUST 26, 2024

B-24D 41-23908 Hill AFB 19Mar2024 Veronico with restored Martin 250CE turret and tail turret as recovered from Alaska. Unlike the P-38, though, the Liberator parts had to be dragged down a 40 foot bluff, and since Polar Bear sprung a leak due to hitting an underwater rock, the barge had to be anchored 250 yards from the shore.

Weather 124

Weather Tail Drag Ceiling 124

Vintage Aviation News

JUNE 24, 2024

So, the decision was made to attach cables to the aircraft and drag its tail first onto the beach, but this was not accomplished until the next day once recovery equipment could be mobilized. Due to the prolonged exposure of the aircraft to corrosive saltwater, both insurance and the FAA declared the airframe to be a total loss.

Drag 111

Drag Lift Tail Pilot 111