Pilot Institute

JUNE 4, 2025

Have you ever seen an airplane with no tail and no vertical fin, but with just a sleek wing? A tailless aircraft is a fixed-wing airplane without a horizontal stabilizing surface. A tailless airplane is one where everything needed to fly, like lift, control, and stability, is built into the main wing.

Tail

Northstar VFR

DECEMBER 22, 2024

By Josh Page, CFI The private pilot practical test is the finish line to getting your private pilot certificate and being able to fly as a licensed pilot. Lets look at four common private pilot oral exam questions and see how you can ace them! So how do you recover from a spin? So how do you recover from a spin?

Pilot

Plane and Pilot

FEBRUARY 26, 2025

Flight controls mean ailerons, elevator, and rudder, of course, but on some airplanes, if the trim is mis-set, the plane might be difficult or impossible to control. Years ago, a very young pilot took her first passenger, her husband, on her first flight after getting a private certificate after 125 hours.

Airplanes

Pilot Institute

MARCH 28, 2025

Pilots avoid vortices by maintaining safe separation and adjusting flight paths. When the aircraft encounters a vortex and its strong enough to induce roll, the pilot counters it by using the ailerons against the roll and tries to fly out of the wake as soon as possible. How Are Wingtip Vortices Formed?

Turbulence

Plane and Pilot

JULY 2, 2025

This is new territory for beginning pilots, who must be taught the right—and wrong—ways to manage ascent and descent. As with all airplane maneuvering, proper altitude changes are based on the foundational formula “power plus attitude equals performance.” The resulting drag increase slows climb rate.

Descent

CFI Academy

MARCH 28, 2025

For the FAA Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) Airplane Single Engine (ASE) checkride, the demonstration stalls are specific maneuvers that you, as a CFI candidate, must perform and explain to demonstrate your instructional knowledge and ability. left aileron, right rudder). How to Perform: Enter a turn (e.g., 65 knots in a Cessna 172).

Aileron

Pilot Institute

FEBRUARY 20, 2025

At first glance, ailerons look like ordinary hinged panels on the wings, but don’t be fooledthey’re important for keeping an aircraft both stable and maneuverable. But theres much more to ailerons than just rolling left or right. But theres much more to ailerons than just rolling left or right. What Is an Aileron?

Aileron

Flying Magazine

JULY 22, 2025

However, as Epic CEO Doug King told FLYING , the airplane was originally designed to be a big-engine, high-performance machine, unlike many manufacturers that start small and progressively add power. We note that the airplane we flew, the first AX off the line, equipped with nearly every option, had a useful load of 2,918 pounds.

Rudder

Plane and Pilot

JUNE 26, 2025

Many of you may know Johnson from his monthly Plane & Pilot columns and website, bydanjohnson.com , a popular light sport resource that will soon be integrated into the P&P website. I’ll start introducing you to everyone I know, and we’ll have them teach you a little bit about each of these airplanes.”

Aileron

Flying Magazine

JUNE 18, 2025

Sales pros tell us that while inventory might be more plentiful than it was just a couple of years ago as older pilots walk away from their Bonanzas (many forced out by the hardened insurance market that frowns upon senior pilots flying retracs), resale prices remain strong. Bonanza pilots learn early on to use the electric pitch trim.

Gross Weight

Plane and Pilot

NOVEMBER 10, 2024

Sometimes it’s emotional—the Beech Starship, what few of them are still in the wild, inevitably wow viewers of both the pilot and nonpilot persuasion. How did any given airplane sell? However, the airplane must be completed in a way that it conforms exactly to the SLSA example, of which there must be one for an ELSA to exist.

Airplanes

AV Web

NOVEMBER 24, 2024

Henry, my IA, was busy looking at my aileron cables while talking with me about the wisdom of frequent air filter changes for my mighty 85-horsepower plant. Chad is a nice guy and a competent pilot. “We just found out that my airline is furloughing three hundred and fifty pilots,” he said dolefully.

Aileron

Vintage Aviation News

MARCH 31, 2025

Despite how many licensed pilots, mechanics, dispatchers, and other countless ground support staff there are, everyone seems to be somehow connected. In the case of warbird restorer and pilot Mike Porter, a lifetime in aviation seems predetermined upon his birth. Aviation is a large but close-knit community. He stayed the course.

Airplanes

Plane and Pilot

MAY 3, 2025

Airplanes like the Piper Cherokee probably dont get their due. Ask a stranger to think of a small GA airplane, and theyll probably conjure something like a Cub. Fearsome metal airplanes helped win a global conflict, yet pilots came home to variations on prewar designs of tube-and-fabric construction and modest performance.

Approach

Pilot's Life Blog

JUNE 18, 2025

Turns: Students practice shallow, medium, and steep turns to develop a feel for how the airplane behaves when banking. This develops an understanding of how the airplane reacts at low speeds, a critical skill for safe takeoffs and landings. Controlled, safe descent techniques protect the pilot and passengers.

Pilot

Plane and Pilot

MARCH 3, 2025

As the price for typical entry-level airplanes climbs ever higher and the supply of affordable types dwindles with time, its becoming increasingly difficult to find examples priced below $30,000. In most cases, airplanes in this range require some attention to be brought up to snuff, both mechanically and visually.

Rudder

Northstar VFR

JUNE 8, 2025

Unusual attitudes are so dangerous because it doesn’t take long for the pilot to become disoriented, making the problem worse, and getting the plane into one or more of these upset conditions. Mechanical Factors Mechanical failures : Airplanes in general are very reliable, and major malfunctions are the minority.

Turbulence

Pilot Institute

FEBRUARY 9, 2025

Airplane wings vary in shape and size, but all have standard features like the chord line. Wing Control: Flaps, slats, and ailerons change the chord line, impacting lift and control. This issue aside, there is another reason why pilots, aircraft engineers, and designers talk about chord lines. What Is the Chord Line in Aviation?

Center of Gravity

Inflight Pilot Training

FEBRUARY 13, 2025

Earning your wings is about more than just learning to flyits about developing the skills, confidence, and decision-making abilities that will shape you into a safe and competent pilot. If you plan to pursue a Private Pilot Certificate, you must be at least 17 years old to obtain it, though you can begin training earlier.

Aileron

CFI Academy

MARCH 28, 2025

For the FAA Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) Airplane Single Engine (ASE) checkride, the demonstration stalls are specific maneuvers that you, as a CFI candidate, must perform and explain to demonstrate your instructional knowledge and ability. left aileron, right rudder). How to Perform: Enter a turn (e.g., 65 knots in a Cessna 172).

Aileron

Pilot Institute

MARCH 17, 2025

A safety pilot has a key job: keeping the flight safe during simulated instrument training. By handling specific tasks and staying sharp, the safety pilot supports the flying pilot and makes sure the flight meets FAA requirements. Key Takeaways A safety pilot monitors the surroundings during simulated instrument flights.

Pilot

Plane and Pilot

JUNE 15, 2025

Piper PA-28-180 Riverside, California/Injuries: 1 Minor NTSB Report: WPR23LA156 The pilot completed the airplane’s engine run-up and carburetor heat function checks with no anomalies noted. The pilot initiated a forced landing straight ahead in a field. He did not use carburetor heat during the ground delay or during takeoff.

Instrument Meteorological Conditions

Pilot Institute

MARCH 24, 2025

Once the airplane has reached a point where it nearly stalls or loses lift, youll initiate a pivot or turn. How to Execute a Stall Turn To execute a stall turn, the pilot enters a vertical climb with full power, which will cause the airspeed to drop. The stall turn consists of three main parts.

Rudder

Vintage Aviation News

APRIL 25, 2025

The aircraft is even still operational to some degree, as pneumatic and air pressure systems in place of the hydraulic system still actuate the 727’s landing gear, flaps, slats, rudder, elevators, and right aileron! Flown by a single pilot in an open cockpit, the single engine aircraft could carry two passengers and up to 1,200 lbs.

Cockpit

Plane and Pilot

JUNE 23, 2025

On May 1, 2023, a pilot flying his 1979 Beechcraft A36 Bonanza, with two friends on board, was headed to the Big Bear City Airport (L35) to check out a Cessna 150 for sale on the field. Moments later, the airplane crashed. And the pilot didn’t plan to land in the open-looking lot, because of a landing gear issue.

True Airspeed

Vintage Aviation News

APRIL 1, 2025

The pilot also reported that the aircraft was sluggish and underpowered. Photo NACA/NASA The single-place XF-92A airplane had a delta wing swept at 60 degrees. It was controlled by a conventional rudder and full-span elevons that functioned as elevators and ailerons. feet long, had a 31.3-foot foot wingspan, and was 17.5

Airfoil

Flying Magazine

JULY 4, 2025

A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is shedding light on a small airplane crash in Tennessee in June that killed one person and badly injured another. The airplane came to a stop in a mostly upright position in a hay field about 40 feet off the airstrip in Dunlap.

Aileron

Plane and Pilot

JULY 22, 2025

As pilots, we have a certain luxury that many do not—to escape the confines of earth for fleeting moments of peace and disconnection. Consider yourself to be in the rarer class of today’s modern pilot. Originally built to train pilots for World War II, the company lost the official training contract to the Boeing PT-17 Stearman.

Runway

Pilot Institute

APRIL 12, 2025

Newton’s Third Law helps pilots and engineers improve flight safety and aircraft performance. Application of Newton’s Third Law in Aviation When we talk about airplanes, we focus primarily on two forces: Lift (how the aircraft stays aloft). What does Newtons Third law tell pilots about thrust?

Torque

Pilot Institute

APRIL 22, 2025

Ground reference maneuvers aim to train you to accurately control your airplane under various wind conditions. Think of them as the lessons where you learn to master wind correction, aircraft control, and situational awareness all critical skills for a safe and proficient pilot. Remember to be mindful of anyone on the ground.

Crosswind

WayMan

MAY 25, 2025

For anyone training to become a pilot or aviation technician, understanding the anatomy of an aircraft is one of the first essential steps. The Main Parts of an Airplane While aircraft come in many designs and sizes, they all share several core components. This is where the pilot and any co-pilot sit and manage every aspect of flight.

Lift

Pilot Institute

JANUARY 8, 2025

This can happen to any airplane type. Every pilot must master stall recognition and recovery techniques. 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. How Do Pilots Recover From a Stall?

Lift

Flying Magazine

JULY 17, 2025

Every day, the team at Aircraft For Sale chooses an airplane that catches our attention because it is unique, a good deal, or has other qualities we find interesting. For pilots seeking a classic four-seat trainer with bold styling and backcountry chops, this Skyhawk delivers both nostalgia and performance.

Transponder

AV Web

DECEMBER 22, 2024

I did not fly through tropical storms, hurricanes, or blizzards; the only inversions I have experienced were voluntary aileron rolls or the occasional intentional spin. None of my students have killed themselves in an airplane, and all of them have miraculously passed their check rides without too much drama.

Airplanes

Vintage Aviation News

OCTOBER 30, 2024

But in Minden, Nebraska, just south of Interstate 80 and in the shadow of a row of grain elevators across the street and the railroad, there is an incredible collection of all manner of antiques, from historic buildings, cars, a steam locomotive, household appliances, and even airplanes. They can all be found in the Pioneer Village.

Airplanes

Flying Magazine

JUNE 30, 2025

CubCrafters offered to bring FLYING the first of the kitbuilt NXCubs to north Idaho and turn us loose with it for two weeks to fly into the backcountry—introducing pilots of all experience and skill levels to the airplane. CubCrafters said its goal was to build an airplane with a 1,000-pound useful load.

Gross Weight

Pilot Institute

MAY 8, 2025

Belly landings, while rare, can happen to any pilot. This could be the result of pilot error or mechanical failure, but knowing how to handle landing gear failure can mean everything. Most belly landings are preventable through proper checklist use and pilot awareness. What Is a Belly Landing? What Is a Belly Landing?

Air Traffic Control