It’s been cold here in Seattle and across many parts of the country over the last several days. All week long I have had the pleasure of scraping an inch of ice and frost off my windshield each morning. If my car’s windshield is icing over, the same can probably
…Category: Aircraft Performance
View All CategoriesTakeoff and landing are perhaps two of the most labor intensive tasks involved in piloting an airplane, and they start long before the wheels leave the ground.
Takeoffs involve much more than smooth piloting skills; they involve careful planning and preparation. A very smooth takeoff is of little value if
…Maneuvering during slow flight is a task required of all private pilot airplane applicants per 14 CFR §61.107(b). The applicant must be able to demonstrate this task to a set of evaluation standards outlined in the Airman Certification Standards (ACS-6). The Private Pilot ACS, effective June 15 2016, revised
…The majority of pilot-caused aircraft accidents occur during the takeoff and landing phases of flight. So today on the Learn to Fly Blog, we’ll take a look at how runway conditions can effect takeoff and landing performance. Today’s post comes from The Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge.
Runway conditions
…Before reading today’s post, go back and re-read our post on airplane stability from earlier this month. As promised, we’ll talk today about how static and dynamic stability applies to you as a pilot. We’ll pick up where we left off in Bill Kershner’s The Advanced Pilot’s Flight Manual.
Today, we’ll introduce airplane stability. As you’re well aware of by now, there are three axes around which the airplane moves (yaw, pitch, and roll). These axes pass through the airplane’s center of gravity, or the point where the airplane weight is considered to be concentrated. An airplane that is
…Today’s discussion is on torque. An airplane of standard configuration has an insistent tendency to turn to the left. This tendency is called torque, and is a combination of four forces: reactive force, spiraling slipstream, gyroscopic precession, and P-factor.
Reactive force is based on Newton’s Law of action and reaction.
…This week’s discussion is geared towards the topic of aircraft performance and I thought today would be a great day to talk about crosswinds. The tree blowing across the freeway on my way into the office this morning is probably what gave me the idea. After all, March comes in
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