Pilot Institute

MARCH 28, 2025

By far the strongest component of wake turbulence is the swirling air generated at the tips of the aircrafts wings. Key Takeaways Wingtip vortices, not engine exhaust, create the strongest wake turbulence. Wake turbulence can cause severe roll and structural damage to smaller aircraft. How Are Wingtip Vortices Formed?

Turbulence 97

Turbulence Lift Drag Runway 97

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. These control surfaces dictate the aircraft’s roll, and this allows it to bank smoothly through turns or even recover from turbulence. What Is an Aileron?

Aileron 90

Aileron Weight-Shift-Control Rudder Longitudinal Axis 90

Vintage Aviation News

APRIL 18, 2025

Photo by NASA The impetus for the program came from issues the Navy had encountered with inadvertent spin entries, which were traced back to the aircrafts aileron rudder interconnect system. This photo shows NASA’s F-14 (NASA tail number 991; Navy serial number 157991) flying over Rogers Dry Lake, accompanied by a Navy F-14.

Horizontal Stabilizer 52

Horizontal Stabilizer Aileron Tail Airfoil 52

Plane and Pilot

MAY 3, 2025

Depressions in the vertical stabilizer and rudder, as well as stabilator skins and ailerons, all help increase panel stiffness while allowing less under-skin structure. The exterior strakes on the belly add strength without complicating the under-floor structure.

Approach 73

Approach Airplanes Stability Weight-Shift-Control 73

Pilot's Life Blog

FEBRUARY 11, 2025

Control Mechanisms Airplane Controls In airplanes, pilots manage flight using three primary controls: the ailerons, elevator, and rudder. Ailerons, located on the wings, control roll by increasing lift on one wing while decreasing it on the other, allowing the aircraft to bank left or right.

Torque 52

Torque Lift Airplanes Stability 52

Photographic Logbook

MAY 19, 2025

As with any taildragger, each rudder input required positive cancelation with opposite rudder to prevent the tail's momentum from yawing the airplane more than intended. OK, this is going to feel very wrong, but I want you to take your feet off the rudder pedals, put them flat on the floor, then give me a right turn with aileron only."

Rudder 60

Rudder Crosswind Airplanes Runway 60

Air

MAY 21, 2025

Pilots must use specific techniques, applying rudder and aileron inputs, to maintain directional control and keep the aircraft aligned. It is a particularly insidious phenomenon that can be a prime cause of turbulence. Headwind component (Vf), either on the face or tail, is calculated with the cosine function.

Crosswind 52

Crosswind Wind Shear Groundspeed Flight Computer 52