Pilot's Life Blog

JUNE 18, 2025

This increases the load on the wings, requiring more lift to maintain altitude. Initiating the Turn: Smoothly apply aileron input to roll into a 45-50 degree bank angle. Coordinate with the rudder to prevent adverse yaw and keep the turn balanced. Use coordinated rudder to counter adverse yaw.

Pilot

Northstar VFR

DECEMBER 22, 2024

Just remember the acronym PARE: Power idle, Ailerons neutral, Rudder opposite of the spin, and Elevator forward. The nose pitches up, sometimes aggressively because of how the airplane was trimmed on final approach and all your flaps are generally still down (lots of lift there). So how do you recover from a spin?

Pilot

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. Just prior to reaching a point where the aircraft stops all upward motion, the pilot applies full rudder input to yaw the aircraft and point the nose straight toward the ground. The stall turn consists of three main parts.

Rudder

Northstar VFR

JUNE 8, 2025

Icing : Ice can build up on the control surfaces, causing loss of smooth airflow and lift. Recovering from a Nose-High Unusual Attitude: Simultaneously apply full power, level the wings with correct aileron/rudder pressure, and push forward on the controls to allow the airspeed to increase.

Turbulence

Pilot's Life Blog

JANUARY 12, 2025

Understanding the Basics of Flight Principles of Flight: Lift, Weight, Thrust, and Drag Flying a plane for the first time requires a basic understanding of the forces that make flight possible. Lift is generated by the wings, counteracting the force of weight, which pulls the plane down. Ready to experience the skies with us?

Aileron

WayMan

MAY 25, 2025

Wings: The Source of Lift The wings are what make fixed-wing flight possible. As air moves over the curved top surface of the wing and the flatter bottom, lift is generated, allowing the plane to rise. Regardless of placement, the principle remains the same: wings generate the lift that makes flight possible.

Lift

Pilot Institute

APRIL 12, 2025

Lift is the force that aircraft use to counter gravity. Newton’s Third Law is one of the key laws of physics that explains lift. Lets see what Newtons Third Law is, and why we need it to understand lift. This principle is fundamental in generating lift, thrust, and maneuverability, allowing aircraft to fly.

Torque

Pilot's Life Blog

JUNE 18, 2025

Skills Developed: It enhances coordination and control precision, forcing students to make small, deliberate inputs on the yoke and rudder. Normal Takeoff and Landing: Students learn the standard procedures to smoothly lift off and touch down. Learning slow flight builds confidence and prepares you for stall recognition.

Pilot

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

Air Facts

JULY 7, 2025

Why I Returned to Stick and Rudder Air Facts Journal When I first read Stick and Rudder , I had just started flying lessons. Somewhere in a best-of list, I found Stick and Rudder: An Explanation of the Art of Flying , by Wolfgang Langewiesche. The first thing that struck me about Stick and Rudder was its leisurely pace.

Rudder

Pilot Institute

NOVEMBER 23, 2024

PARE: Power idle, Ailerons neutral, Rudder opposite, Elevator forward. In this situation, the wings aren’t producing enough lift, and the aircraft essentially falls out of the sky while spinning. The wing cannot produce enough lift to sustain flight at the critical Angle of Attack (stall). Ailerons: Neutral.

Center of Gravity

Plane and Pilot

JULY 22, 2025

Noting the tailwheel was indeed unlocked, I moved my foot to the top of the rudder pedals to ensure the brakes were operating as normal. For those unfamiliar with the practice of S-turning, it is a combination of using the rudder pedals to quite literally form the shape of an “S” on the ground in order to peer in front of the airplane’s nose.

Runway

Plane and Pilot

JULY 16, 2025

Fingertips, abrasive wheels, and untold curses muffled by respirators conspired in a dogged effort that took most of a day before claiming victory. In the meantime, Nick and the other Dave had pulled the ailerons, and by the time Monday rolled around, we were ready to remove the engines.

Firewall

Northstar VFR

JULY 21, 2024

More right rudder!!” The airplane rudder is one of the most misunderstood of the primary flight controls. Yet the rudder is one of the most important and one of the most under-utilized. The rudder’s most important function is controlling the yaw of the aircraft, which moves the nose of the plane left and right.

Rudder

Pilot Institute

SEPTEMBER 30, 2024

The lift and drag imbalance between the left and right ailerons creates adverse yaw. A pilot can prevent adverse yaw by using rudder, and making sure that a turn is coordinated. Adverse yaw is an undesirable side effect of lift production, resulting in an uncoordinated, slipping turn. What is Adverse Yaw?

Aileron

Vintage Aviation News

OCTOBER 18, 2024

Storo lifted the British fighter into the air for the first time on June 28, 2022, from Tillamook Municipal Airport near his home. Although it is sort of heavy on the ailerons,” Storo said. At that point, you’re simply looking down the runway, and then it lifts off. It’s the rudder that is doing everything.

Crosswind

Pilot's Life Blog

MARCH 15, 2024

Generate Lift With Airplane Wings One of the most valuable airplane parts that connect to the fuselage is the wings. The wings work with other sections of an aircraft to increase lift and adjust stalling speed. For example, if the right aileron rises and the left aileron goes down, the aircraft will change directions.

Horizontal Stabilizer

Pilot Institute

SEPTEMBER 18, 2024

In maintaining a properly coordinated steep turn, the pilot must use the opposite aileron to maintain bank. 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.

Lift

Pilot Institute

MAY 9, 2024

The higher speed creates extra lift, causing the airplane to bank further into the turn. We correct for the overbanking tendency with aileron opposite 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.

Rudder

Pilot Institute

MARCH 29, 2024

Common mistakes include neglecting clearing turns, delaying stall recovery, and misusing the rudder. Lift : The aerodynamic force generated due to airflow over the wings. The aircraft’s deceleration reduces the airflow over the wings, which reduces lift. So, how do we increase lift to maintain altitude?

Lift

Plane and Pilot

SEPTEMBER 5, 2024

With one hand I lifted the back high enough to pull the stick back far enough to stop my dive. I lifted the seat back into place and saw there was a latch to hold it. I then checked all the controls, elevator up and down, ailerons right and left, rudder right and left. Maybe it was just my adrenaline.

Descent

Pilot's Life Blog

FEBRUARY 11, 2025

Aerodynamic Differences Fixed-Wing Aircraft (Airplanes) Airplanes , or fixed-wing aircraft, generate lift through their stationary wings as they move forward. This pressure difference produces lift, allowing the aircraft to ascend. Each rotor blade acts as an airfoil, and as it rotates, it moves air over its surface, generating lift.

Torque

Plane and Pilot

SEPTEMBER 15, 2024

I watched the stick flutter to and fro in sync with the rudder pedals as Wilkins fought to maintain the centerline, all the while pushing in the throttle. The J-4’s cockpit is wider than the more common J-3, and the second generation brought about the replacement of the open cowl with exposed exhaust ports with a fully enclosed cowl.

Runway

Air

MAY 21, 2025

Pilots must use specific techniques, applying rudder and aileron inputs, to maintain directional control and keep the aircraft aligned. Can cause sudden losses or gains in indicated airspeed (IAS), directly affecting lift. Effects: It will try to push your aeroplane sideways off the runway centreline.

Crosswind

Pilot Institute

MAY 4, 2024

Reducing lift puts more weight on the wheels. Use the rudder to keep the aircraft in line with the runway and apply aileron into the wind. You will need more aileron input as you slow down as the controls become less effective. These stick and rudder skills will help you with crosswind landings. Consult your POH.

Weight-Shift-Control

Pilot Institute

APRIL 5, 2024

Your ailerons and rudder will be neutral once you’re in the crab position. We use the rudder to align the aircraft’s longitudinal axis with the centerline. Simultaneously, we apply ailerons opposite the rudder input. The ailerons control our lateral position over the runway.

Crosswind

Pilot's Life Blog

JANUARY 6, 2025

This is not the same as a simple stall, which is recoverable by just lifting the nose. Other causes include: Uncoordinated turns : This happens when the rudder and aileron are not properly aligned during a turn. Once the aircrafts nose is lowered, the next step is to apply opposite rudder to counteract the rotational force.

Rudder

Pilot Institute

NOVEMBER 11, 2024

The outer wing generates more lift than the inner wing since it’s temporarily moving faster. Extra lift makes the wing rise. Increased lift on the raised wing immediately creates more induced drag. Placing the center of gravity ahead of the aircraft’s center of lift improves longitudinal stability. What’s induced drag?

Stability

Pilot Institute

OCTOBER 12, 2024

This creates boundary layer separation, resulting in a loss of lift. The lack of airflow over the ailerons results in a loss of control authority and mushy and ineffective controls. This requires rudder input to maintain directional control. Be careful because retracting the flaps causes the center of the lift to move forward.

Stability

Vintage Aviation News

OCTOBER 16, 2024

After initial tests, the aircraft underwent several modifications, including a wing sweepback to adjust the center of lift and accommodate the defensive armaments. The aircraft also boasted Gouge-patented flaps that increased lift during landing, improving its water performance by 30 percent.

Center of Gravity

Flying Magazine

MAY 6, 2025

Now, release the brakes and feel yourself pressed into the seat as you discover less right rudder is needed than you expect. It retained the classic, high-lift Clark Y airfoil, but the span of its four-position semi-Fowler flap span was extended. Confirm the gauges reflect full power and feel the airplane quiver in anticipation.

Gross Weight

Plane and Pilot

OCTOBER 3, 2024

The airfoil is a Harry Riblett shape, giving modernized flow separation on the leading edge for a soft stall yet with good lift and drag performance. The wing’s dead-smooth surface plus the tight-fitting aileron and flap brackets plus aileron gap seals give the build a professional factory look (left).

Airplanes

Plane and Pilot

NOVEMBER 13, 2024

The ailerons feature a small flow-control trailing-edge flap to enhance roll control. The jaunty vertical fin and rudder enhance the fuselage lines, fitted with a fixed trim tab and aft position light. Baron told us to lift the nose at 50 knots, which proved correct for a takeoff about 900 feet down the runway.

Knot