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Examining over 100 years of flight automation and the history of the autopilot

Aerotime

The 56 aircraft that participated in the 1914 competition presented a wide range of aviation innovations, ranging from assisted starting mechanisms, automatic carburetors, basic stabilization systems, and many other innovations that purported to benefit aviation safety. These inconsistencies caused the autopilot to disconnect.

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The Six Pack: Basic Flight Instruments

Pilot Institute

The stability of the spinning disc increases with an increase in mass or speed of the disc. It may take a few seconds to several minutes for the gyroscope inside the AI to stabilize and the instrument to indicate correctly. The pitot-static system consists of one or more pitot tubes and static ports.

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Flight Review: Van’s RV-12 LSA—Singular Success

Plane and Pilot

Sure, there are the removable wings and an unusual-for-an-RV stabilator out back for pitch control, but there’s nothing revolutionary in the concepts or execution. In fact, the unusual pitot-tube location—it peeks out from the center of the prop spinner—was chosen to reduce fuselage-to-wing connections.

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Airspeed and Altitude Control Simplified: Tips for Stable Flying

Pilot Institute

It works by reading the difference between static pressure and total pressure from air flowing into a pitot tube. Using the VSI and Altimeter for Stability The vertical speed indicator and altimeter are your best tools for maintaining a steady altitude. Here are some helpful ways to improve your controls!

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The Hazards of Aircraft Icing: Explained

Pilot Institute

It can also disrupt sensors needed for flight safety, like the pitot tubes. If ice blocks a pitot tube, your aircraft’s instruments will provide inaccurate airspeed readings. Most aircraft are equipped with a pitot heater to prevent icing in the pitot tube.

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Flight Review: Van’s RV-12 LSA—Singular Success

Plane and Pilot

Sure, there are the removable wings and an unusual-for-an-RV stabilator out back for pitch control, but there’s nothing revolutionary in the concepts or execution. In fact, the unusual pitot-tube location—it peeks out from the center of the prop spinner—was chosen to reduce fuselage-to-wing connections.