AGL and Lift - Aviator Connection

Throttle Mismanagement: A T-38 Lesson That Stuck

Air Facts

MAY 14, 2025

As he lifted off from a touch-and-go, I shook the control stick and said, Ive got the jet. Our Talon accelerated as it climbed toward pattern altitude1,500 feet AGL. The final turn in the T-38 is a nose-low, 180-degree turn designed to arrive on final one mile from the threshold at 500 feet AGL. Then I shook the stick.

AGL

AGL Crosswind Final Approach Threshold

How to Calculate Density Altitude (Without a Math Degree)

Pilot Institute

APRIL 30, 2025

the wings provide less lift) and reduced engine output (i.e., Air density is a critical factor affecting aircraft performance. Air that is less dense (lower density) causes a decrease in aircraft performance. This is due to reduced aerodynamic performance (i.e., less horsepower).

Density Altitude

Density Altitude OAT Altimeter Flight Computer

Power-off Stall: Recovery Steps Made Easy

Pilot Institute

NOVEMBER 2, 2024

This can cause you to lose lift. Remember Bernoulli’s Theorem and how lift is created. The loss of lift causes the aircraft to stall and lose altitude. The ACS states that recovery should be completed no lower than 1,500 ft AGL for single-engine aircraft and 3,000 ft AGL for multi-engine aircraft.

Descent

Descent Approach AGL Lift

What is a Stall? – When Wings Stop Working

Pilot Institute

JANUARY 8, 2025

Stalls Cause a Loss of Lift A stall is not related to engine failure. This misunderstanding can lead to confusion and, in some cases, accidents, as some pilots concentrate on engine performance instead of addressing the actual problem, a loss of lift. Now, the wings have to produce more lift to support this weight.

Lift

Lift Accelerated Stall Pilot AGL

Practicing Steep Turns: Techniques to Improve Pilot Control and Precision

Pilot's Life Blog

JUNE 18, 2025

This increases the load on the wings, requiring more lift to maintain altitude. Perform at safe altitude (3,000–4,000 feet AGL) using increased power (about 200–300 RPM above cruise). This maneuver is essential for developing spatial awareness and smooth control inputs, skills that carry over into more advanced flying.

Pilot

Pilot Aileron Rudder Turbulence

Types of Pilot Licenses Explained (Student, Recreational, Private, Commercial, ATP, and more)

Pilot Institute

APRIL 22, 2025

You may pilot aircraft with a Maximum Takeoff Weight (MTOW) of 1320 pounds, carry no more than one passenger, and fly only during the daytime up to 10,000 feet MSL (or 2,000 AGL). You can lift most limitations through the completion of a prescribed training course with an FAA-certified flight instructor. So, hows it any different?

Pilot

Pilot Weight-Shift-Control Lift Airplanes

The Choice to Fly

Air Facts

JULY 18, 2025

Soon, the wings gave up on lift—the right wing went AWOL, and the nose dropped sharply toward the ground. We were flying at 6,500 feet AGL over the Arizona desert, with hills rising in the distance. Without warning. He pitched the nose up about 15 degrees. My brain tugged at me: this is wrong. But no words came out. The 152 lurched.

AGL

AGL Airplanes Rudder Lift

Timeless Connection

Plane and Pilot

JULY 22, 2025

Although we were expecting the ceilings to lift, we were only able to climb to 1,300 feet agl before running out of proper cloud clearance. Finkbeiner and I had big plans for this flight, but Mother Nature had another idea. This certainly isn’t enough room for stalls,” I said. Yeah, I agree,” he replied.

Runway

Runway Airplanes Rudder Cockpit

LiDAR Drones: The Best Models for Surveying, Mapping, and More

Pilot Institute

MAY 21, 2025

These drones are built to handle serious LiDAR work, offering everything from extended flight time to heavy-lift capabilities. Payloads: Visual, IR, Zoom, LiDAR, Optical Gas Imaging, Magnetometer, Radiation Detection Weight / Max Takeoff Weight: 14 lbs / 20 lbs Price: $10,000 Use Case: Multi-use heavy lift aircraft. lbs / 15 lbs.

Payload

Payload Weight-Shift-Control Lift Weather

Stupid Pilot Tricks

AV Web

APRIL 15, 2025

With lateral options dwindling, the Bell 47D went into a vertical lift. After one full revolution, the helicopter lifted rapidly from the ground and climbed immediately. The pilot reported that he was too high and fast crossing the threshold 70 feet above ground level (AGL) at 90 mph. Feliz ao nuevo! pole dancer.

Pilot

Pilot Airplanes Runway Descent

Extend downwind for an arriving flight of two

Air Facts

SEPTEMBER 4, 2024

Once the fog lifted, we departed KVBT on an IFR flight plan. At 1,000’ AGL on mid-downwind, we could see Doc parked at the FBO. Little did we know that this delay would yield some of the biggest highlights of the weekend. We shared stories along the way, with Allie in the right seat and Mark in the back. Louis Approach Control.

Approach

Approach General Aviation AGL Weather

What Is Ground Effect?

Pilot Institute

OCTOBER 2, 2024

Your wings don’t create as much drag as they would at higher altitudes, which gives you extra lift. Key Takeaways Ground effect increases an aircraft’s lift and decreases drag. Lift increases due to the high-pressure area created by the compressed air beneath the wings.

Ground Effect

Ground Effect Drag Lift AGL

How to Master Slow Flight (Step-By-Step)

Pilot Institute

MARCH 29, 2024

Lift : The aerodynamic force generated due to airflow over the wings. The aircraft’s deceleration reduces the airflow over the wings, which reduces lift. When the lift force is less than the force of gravity, the aircraft descends. So, how do we increase lift to maintain altitude? Why does this happen?

Lift

Lift Rudder Drag Checkride

Riding the Mountain Waves

Plane and Pilot

NOVEMBER 27, 2024

FAA weather charts can help for higher altitudes but when just a few thousand feet agl, they may be less useful. We had been lifted above our assigned altitude.” I made a lazy turn away, lowered the nose slightly, airspeed thankfully increasing. Mountain waves often reveal their presence with visual clues like rotor or roll clouds.

Turbulence

Turbulence Weather Knot Descent

The most frequently missed Private Pilot Written Test questions from September 2024

Flight Training Central

OCTOBER 18, 2024

warm air being lifted rapidly aloft in the vicinity of mountainous terrain. 3,823 feet MSL the surface 700 feet AGL Correct! The most frequent type of ground or surface-based temperature inversion is that which is produced by: the movement of colder air under warm air, or the movement of warm air over cold air.

Pilot

Pilot AGL Ceiling Lift

How to Fly Perfect Lazy Eights

Pilot Institute

MAY 9, 2024

The higher speed creates extra lift, causing the airplane to bank further into the turn. The aileron on the right wing deflects down, increasing the camber and creating more lift. The left wing’s aileron deflects up, decreasing lift. The lift imbalance causes the roll. Perform the maneuver no lower than 1,500ft AGL.

Rudder

Rudder Lift Aileron Drag

Unbolted in Fairfield (Update on the 2022 Bell 407 GXP Crash)

Fear of Landing

APRIL 19, 2024

At approximately 30-40 feet agl, the spinning stopped and the helicopter appeared to stabilize for a brief moment before continuing a nose-low, forward descent into the grass north of Runway 28. Feather the blades to generate lift from the upward flow of air during the descent (instead of pushing the air downwards in powered flight).

Torque

Torque Indicated Airspeed Tail Knot

How to Make Perfect Steep Turns (Step-By-Step)

Pilot Institute

SEPTEMBER 18, 2024

A smaller bank angle will result in more lift, while an increased bank angle will reduce the lift. As an aircraft banks, lift is divided into horizontal and vertical components. The horizontal component of lift causes the aircraft to turn. Combining both components of lift, the total lift required increases.

Lift

Lift Aileron Drag Pilot

What Are Common Part 107 Test Questions?

Flying Magazine

MAY 10, 2024

2: A stall occurs when the smooth airflow over the unmanned airplane’s wing is disrupted and the lift degenerates rapidly. 1: To avoid a possible collision with a manned airplane, you estimate that your small UA climbed to an altitude greater than 600 feet agl. airplane is subjected to maneuvers other than straight-and-level flight.

Weight-Shift-Control

Weight-Shift-Control Air Traffic Control Aeronautical Decision-Making Density Altitude

Are Dry Microbursts Really An Invisible Trap? – Responding to Reactions

Chess In the Air

JULY 4, 2022

Most western pilots have patiently worked such lift for an hour or more while waiting for conditions to improve near their destination airport. Dust devils and other extreme lifting motions can also cause havoc near the surface. In some situations this may require a pattern entry at 2000-3000 ft AGL).

Wind Shear

Wind Shear AGL Runway Lift

Flight Sims for the Win: It’s All About Repetition and Drill

Flying Magazine

MAY 15, 2024

VFR to MVFR…then 2 miles visibility and a ceiling of 1,200 feet agl. Usually that limitation is lifted as the learner gains more experience as a pilot. These flights work best if they are limited to an airport 10 to 15 miles away. It’s just a few minutes, right? What could go wrong? Then the CFI slowly brings the weather down.

Crosswind

Crosswind VOR Airplanes Runway

We Fly: Cirrus SR G7

Flying Magazine

APRIL 30, 2024

You can override the system to manual by lifting a sliding door, but it was honestly completely forgotten within the first half hour of our flight demo. The digital, dual-channel automated flight control system (AFCS) incorporates “smart servo” technology and includes an optional yaw damper that automatically disconnects at 200 feet agl.

Pilot

Pilot Airplanes Approach Jet

How to Make a Perfect Soft Field Landing Every Time

Pilot Institute

MARCH 26, 2024

If you’re not stabilized at 200 feet AGL, go around. On a normal landing, you’d pull the power over the threshold, begin your roundout, and flare around 10 feet AGL. The sudden loss of lift can cause the wheels to dig into the ground. Your sink rate, attitude, power setting, and airspeed should be steady.

NOTAMs

NOTAMs Runway Approach Descent

What Is a SPECI and When Is It Issued?

Pilot Institute

NOVEMBER 5, 2024

You should monitor the temperature closely during winter or in colder regions since icing can impact both lift and control. OVC010CB : Overcast layer of cumulonimbus clouds at 1,000 feet AGL. In this example, you should watch out for an overcast layer (ceiling) of cumulonimbus clouds 1,000 ft AGL.

Altimeter

Altimeter Weather Wind Shear Runway

My 2021 “Soaring Performance Review” – How Did I Do?

Chess In the Air

DECEMBER 29, 2021

This isn’t all that much when cloud bases are consistently more than 10,000 ft AGL but it still results in me taking more thermals than necessary. At the Nephi contest my average height gains in thermals were less than those of the median finisher on six contest days and greater on only two contest days. Precision Thermaling.

Pilot

Pilot Lift AGL Weather

Mastering Short Field Landings (A Step-by-Step Guide)

Pilot Institute

MAY 4, 2024

x V SO (or POH recommendation) by around 500 feet AGL. Establish the target approach speed by around 500 feet AGL. Reducing lift puts more weight on the wheels. This sets you up for the shortest possible ground roll. V SO is the stall speed in the landing configuration. With a short field landing, we aim to be at 1.3

Weight-Shift-Control

Weight-Shift-Control Runway Density Altitude Descent

What Is an Outflow Boundary Shown on a Surface Analysis Chart?

Flying Magazine

MAY 1, 2024

It is also possible that the boundary may not have enough lift or moisture to produce clouds. kilometers or 4,500 feet agl (25 knots is roughly 12 m/s for reference). Most outflow boundaries don’t extend above about 2 kilometers or 6,500 feet agl. READ MORE: Is a Medical Certificate Required for a Private Pilot Check Ride?

Wind Shear

Wind Shear Weather Turbulence AGL

Aviation at the leading edge of science

Air Facts

SEPTEMBER 11, 2024

The brothers believed that their lift was coming from smoke, which they could clearly see rising in the air. In letters to an English scientist, Sir Joseph Banks, dated December 1, 1783 and January 16, 1784, he described the balloon, and attributed the lift to “air rarified by heat”. The leading edge of science can be dangerous.

Lift

Lift Density Altitude AGL Clearance

Parachute Practise Cited In Glider Bailout Fatality

AV Web

JANUARY 13, 2025

Stevenson and all the other competitors couldn’t find lift and many of the others had returned to the grass strip when Stevenson’s aircraft stalled and started spinning at about 1,150 AGL. Stevenson jettisoned the canopy and got out but fell to the ground with no canopy and died from his injuries.

AGL

AGL Lift Pilot

Avoiding The Impossible Turn (Engine Failure after Takeoff)

Pilot Institute

APRIL 19, 2024

You completed the climb check at 300 ft AGL. The engine quits at 500 ft AGL. When you bank, with all other factors constant, the total lift doesn’t change. However, the direction in which the lift acts does. The lift splits into a horizontal and vertical component. Let’s use a scenario to give us some context.

AGL

AGL Runway Descent Lift

Invisible Trap Kills Glider Pilot – How To Avoid Microbursts

Chess In the Air

JUNE 24, 2022

He only needed a glide ratio of 14:1 to reach the airfield to arrive at a typical pattern altitude of 1,000 ft AGL. There were some patches of moderate lift and sink as would be expected on a normal summer soaring day. At this point he still had an altitude of 8,275 ft MSL, i.e. 2,739 ft AGL.

Pilot

Pilot AGL Wind Shear Runway

How to fly the perfect short field takeoff and climb

Flight Training Central

JANUARY 15, 2024

As YOU reach the recommended roation speed, apply back-elevator pressure until reaching the appropriate Vx attitude to ensure a smooth and firm lift-off. Since the airplane accelerates more rapidly after lift-off, additional backelevator pressure may be needed to hold a constant airspeed. Check airspeed indicator (“airspeed alive”).

Density Altitude

Density Altitude Indicated Airspeed Lift Runway

Power-on Stall: How to Recover

Pilot Institute

OCTOBER 12, 2024

This creates boundary layer separation, resulting in a loss of lift. Be careful because retracting the flaps causes the center of the lift to move forward. The FAA recommends that stalls should be practiced no lower than 1,500 ft AGL. Next time you feel the airplane start to lose lift, you’ll know exactly what to do.

Stability

Stability Horizontal Stabilizer Airplanes Lift

My Near Death Experience

Air Facts

APRIL 29, 2024

I immediately leveled off at around 650’ AGL, and began slowing down. Details pulled from memory of the missed approach are all there and fully retrievable beginning with the updraft and realization the altimeter was indicating a brisk climb through 1,100’ MSL (1000’ AGL). miles northeast of the airport in reduced visibility.

Descent

Descent Approach Weather AGL

How to Perform a Go-Around (The Right Way)

Pilot Institute

JUNE 26, 2024

In IFR, retract flaps at the appropriate speed above 400ft AGL. Reducing the flaps all at once will result in a large loss of lift, which can cause the aircraft to settle on the runway or stall. Once you have a positive rate of climb, go from 20 to 10 degrees. So when you perform a go-around, the controls will be quite heavy.

Wind Shear

Wind Shear Runway Aeronautical Decision-Making Approach