Plane and Pilot

NOVEMBER 22, 2024

It’s a bright sunny day, great visibility, some high stratus clouds, a bit windy maybe (050 at 10 knots gusting to 15 knots), and folks are wearing hoodies as the temperature is a brisk 38 degrees Fahrenheit. When flying alone, general aviation pilots should follow the same rules. The ramp isn’t busy at all.

Pilot 93

Pilot Knot Airplanes Lift 93

Plane and Pilot

NOVEMBER 19, 2024

This 172 had a flap extension speed of 85 knots, and my old Cessna 172’s limit was 100 mph, or 87 knots. The 172 has a steerable nosewheel, much heavier than the rudders on my RV-9A with a castering nosewheel. The newer 172 (46 years old) did and had a 3-G limit with flaps extended.

Pitot Tube 84

Pitot Tube Approach Aileron Instrument Landing System 84

Plane and Pilot

AUGUST 3, 2024

One benefit of these aerodynamic tweaks is a vibration, or “initial buffet,” that is felt in the seat of the pants and flight controls, about 10-15 knots above stall speed. So back here in general aviation land, let’s take a look at where we might encounter unexpected stall conditions.

Airplanes 82

Airplanes Approach Horizontal Stabilizer Pilot 82

Pilot Institute

OCTOBER 16, 2024

Brief that you will use the right rudder to align the aircraft straight with the runway and the left aileron to counteract drift. Take your ground speed in knots and divide it by two. So if your Vso is 50 knots, then aim to fly 70 knots. So if our stall speed was 50 knots, our approach speed would be 65 knots.

Airplanes 52

Airplanes Descent Approach Runway 52

Pilot Institute

SEPTEMBER 18, 2024

It’s as close to “evasive action” as you can get while flying a general aviation aircraft. Proper rudder use is required to counter adverse yaw to maintain coordinated flight. Apply the necessary rudder to maintain coordinated flight. Steep turns should be one of the most fun maneuvers pilots learn.

Lift 52

Lift Aileron Drag Pilot 52

Pilot Institute

FEBRUARY 20, 2025

Adverse yaw is a side effect of aileron use, countered by rudder input. 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. This is where the rudder comes in.

Aileron 87

Aileron Weight-Shift-Control Rudder Longitudinal Axis 87

Fear of Landing

OCTOBER 18, 2024

Catalina Airport is open to general aviation from 08:00 to 17:00. The wind favoured runway 22, as usual, but at only 5-7 knots, it wasn’t really a factor. My feet danced on the rudder pedals as I fought to keep the plane going straight down the runway. Needless to say, we lost.

Runway 52

Runway Altimeter Pilot Lift 52

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

Pilot Institute

JANUARY 15, 2025

V-speeds can be defined using any type of airspeed, such as knots or miles per hour, but the designation remains V unless a Mach number is used then it becomes M. In most General Aviation (GA) aircraft, VR is usually the same regardless of conditions. In the Cessna 172, you can fly with 10 degrees of flaps below 110 knots.

V Speed 98

V Speed Runway Pilot Knot 98

Photographic Logbook

JANUARY 25, 2025

With as much as 25 knots of tailwind, we made the flight from Sodus to Alton Bay in only two hours. The entire morning was a parade of general aviation airplanes swooping low (some lower than others) over the parking area before touching down on the ice. Lake Winnisquam with Lake Winnipesaukee in the distance.

Runway 68

Runway Airplanes Threshold Approach 68

Plane and Pilot

OCTOBER 3, 2024

We routinely taxi at 1200 rpm due to the low spray…[we] can cruise at 10 knots” in displacement mode, something a Goose can’t do. Early on a speed restriction of 130 knots was applied as a flutter issue. This was resolved on the kit version and led to cruising at 50% power and 120 knots, which proved to be the Gweduck’s sweet spot.

Airplanes 79

Airplanes Rudder Knot Aileron 79

Plane and Pilot

DECEMBER 16, 2024

General aviation is driven by myriad forces. With the F2, the rudder and vertical stabilizer are changed, with the rudder becoming a much smaller surface than before. You can sit there with full back stick, full aileron one way and full rudder the other, and its perfectly controllable. Well see about that.

Airplanes 98

Airplanes Rudder Aileron Crosswind 98

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. Stall Speed, Flaps Down: 44 knots Takeoff Distance: 1,017 ft. Takeoff Over 50-ft.

Knot 96

Knot Airplanes Rudder Gross Weight 96