Pilot's Life Blog

JANUARY 12, 2025

Understanding the Basics of Flight Aerodynamics 101 Flying a small plane revolves around understanding four key forces: lift, thrust, drag, and weight. Lift is generated by the wings as air flows over them, counteracting weight, which pulls the plane downward due to gravity.

Weather

Plane and Pilot

FEBRUARY 27, 2025

Langewiesche provides one of the clearest expositions of aerodynamics and flight control, breaking down concepts like angle of attack, lift, stability, and stalls. Key themes: The text was first published during the mid-20th century, yet its clear explanations remain applicable for anyone who wants to grasp basic flight principles.

Rudder

Flying Magazine

MAY 8, 2025

READ MORE: Live Air Traffic Control Services Can Enhance Your Flight Sim Experience I searched for lessons on YouTube, of which there are many, but eventually was led to a group course taught by FlightSimCoach.com that is delivered over Zoom by a CFI. Most avionics systems are an easy lift for these instructors.

Cockpit

Pilot Institute

FEBRUARY 15, 2025

Many factors can trigger evaporational cooling, where the cooled air sinks and weakens the updraft. With nothing left to lift it, the core has nowhere else to go but down. When you fly into a microburst on approach or departure, youll first encounter a strong headwind, which will give you a brief lift.

Wind Shear

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

Air Facts

MAY 7, 2025

It was common practice for tower controllers to monitor the area control centre enroute frequency. It was a winter night shift in a Western Ontario air traffic control tower. One controller on duty was the norm on most snowy nights when most of the flying activities had ended for the day.

Weight-Shift-Control

AV Web

JULY 3, 2025

Federal Aviation Administration implemented brief ground stops, which were lifted around 7:40 a.m. Since September 2023, the organization has added over 450 employees—including 230 air traffic controllers—and currently has more than 500 individuals in training nationwide. In Montreal and Ottawa, the U.S.

Air Traffic Control

Aerotime

NOVEMBER 15, 2024

MBekir / Shutterstock.com The person behind the project was an engineer named Richard Whitcombe who found his wingtip inspiration when he noticed that “birds in flight curled their wingtip feathers upward when seeking greater lift”.

Lift

Plane and Pilot

JUNE 15, 2025

Witness statements and recorded video showed that during the takeoff roll from the 5,500-foot-long asphalt runway, the airplane accelerated slower than normal, used more runway than normal, and lifted off the runway in a nose-high attitude. It climbed about 300 feet above ground level while flying a left traffic pattern back to the runway.

Instrument Meteorological Conditions

Pilot's Life Blog

JANUARY 5, 2025

Approach speeds typically range from 80 to 90 knots depending on weight and flap settings, while full flaps are often used to provide the necessary lift during landing. Understanding these features will help you perform a controlled and safe landing, ensuring you manage the aircrafts speed, altitude, and approach angle appropriately.

Descent

AV Web

JUNE 26, 2025

It was subsequently determined that the alert was a false alarm and controllers returned to their posts. The ground stop was lifted at 2:05 p.m. local time.

Air Traffic Control

Pilot Institute

MAY 21, 2025

Todays heavy-lift UAVs can carry weighty cargo, multiple passengers, and even small vehicles. Drones capable of lifting nearly 500 lbs can transport materials, equipment, and goods across large distances and diverse terrain. These heavy-lift drones are changing logistics, medical, transportation, and agricultural industries.

Payload

Air Facts

AUGUST 1, 2025

The I-GITR lifted off and I was flying solo for the first time. I glanced at the empty right seat, then at the tiny air traffic control tower. I lined up on the runway with renewed confidence, still rattled by the basic mistake. But there was no turning back now. Throttle full open. At 55 knots, I eased back on the stick.

Runway

Pilot Institute

JULY 4, 2025

Moisture, instability, lift, and wind shear are needed to form and sustain a squall line. Lifting Mechanism Squall lines tend to develop along cold fronts, warm fronts, or dry lines. It’s these areas that act as natural lifting zones. As dense, cooler air pushes under warmer air, it forces the warm air upward.

Weather

Fear of Landing

JULY 4, 2025

Cairns Airport has 24-hour air traffic control services based on the control tower. The controller on duty had dealt with a flight at half past midnight, the last flight of the night. Air Traffic Control systems are not designed to protect against unauthorised departures.

Cockpit

Pilot's Life Blog

JUNE 18, 2025

Communications with Air Traffic Control (ATC): Once the go-around is initiated, the pilot must immediately inform ATC by announcing the go-around. This helps maintain situational awareness and allows ATC to safely sequence traffic. Pilots must comply promptly to ensure the orderly flow of traffic.

Air Traffic Control

Flying Magazine

JUNE 13, 2025

President Donald Trump last week unveiled an executive order designed to give a lift to electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxis—and that support has translated to fresh investment. Manufacturer Archer Aviation on Thursday announced a massive $850 million funding raise, its largest to date.

Air Traffic Control

Aerotime

JUNE 13, 2025

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) would later advise that, before impact, the flight crew gave a MAYDAY call, but when air traffic control replied, there was no response. The full sequence from take-off to crash—final moments of Air India 171 captured on CCTV.

Air Traffic Control

Fear of Landing

JULY 25, 2025

The key take-off speeds are V 1 , which is the speed at which a take-off should no longer be aborted, V R , the speed at which to rotate the aircraft, lifting the nose for take off, and V 2 , the speed at which the aircraft can still safely climb with one engine out. The CRJ 200 suffered an asymmetric stall as the right wing lost lift.

Ferry Flight

Fear of Landing

JULY 18, 2025

The aircraft lifted off at 08:08:39 UTC. In the air, the aircraft reached 180 knots indicated airspeed at 08:08:42, at which point the fuel cutoff switches transitioned from the RUN position to the CUTOFF position. The air traffic controller asked for more information but did not receive a response.

Weight-Shift-Control

Aerotime

JUNE 10, 2024

The IndiGo jet touched down three seconds after the lift off. Yesterday in Mumbai, an Air India and IndiGo flight experienced a loss of separation when the Air India flight was cleared to depart and the IndiGo flight cleared to land.

Air Traffic Control

Aerotime

AUGUST 2, 2024

It was following this exchange that Rivas attempted to open an exit door by lifting the handle, only to be struck with a coffee pot by a second flight attendant and subsequently restrained by other passengers. Audio between the aircraft pilot and air traffic control also revealed that the convict attempted to enter the flight deck.

Air Traffic Control

Aerotime

DECEMBER 20, 2024

Depending on other traffic ahead, not least at the destination, air traffic controllers (ATC) will clear the flight to descend in stages, to be level at certain waypoints on the arrival route. This may be accompanied by the deployment of spoilers on top of the wing.

Cabin Crew

Aerotime

DECEMBER 6, 2024

Energy is always required for acceleration, to overcome air drag, as well as rolling and friction resistance of wheels on road and rail, and for “lifting work”, i.e., working against gravity. It must be noted that energy to overcome air drag is only required when the movement takes place in an atmospheric environment.

Drag

Fear of Landing

AUGUST 2, 2024

As they were already at take-off speed and with most of the runway behind them, the crew continued in hopes of getting the aircraft into the air. Eventually, the video shows the Boeing gain enough airspeed to lift off and climb away. This transition of lifting off is called rotation.

Tail

Vintage Aviation News

OCTOBER 23, 2024

Kate Fleeger, Program Manager for the H-53 Heavy Lift Helicopters Program Office (PMA-261), highlighted the Sea Dragon’s critical role. The MH-53E has two primary missions; Airborne Mine Countermeasures (AMCM) and Navy heavy lift/Vertical Onboard Delivery (VOD). For Webb, this event was deeply personal.

Lift

Flying Magazine

MAY 10, 2024

The remote pilot must have prior authorization from the Air Traffic Control (ATC) facility having jurisdiction over that airspace. The remote pilot must monitor the Air Traffic Control (ATC) frequency from launch to recovery. 2: Which technique should a remote pilot use to scan for traffic?

Weight-Shift-Control

Air Facts

MAY 8, 2024

Glider Towing – How do I get out of This Mess Air Facts Journal An airborne challenge that arose whilst towing gliders for the Australian, Southern Cross Gliding Club in Camden, New South Wales. We lifted off without issue and commenced the climb. It’s a Cessna 182 – what could possibly go wrong?

Lift

Air Facts

FEBRUARY 12, 2025

These maneuvers include an engine failure on takeoff, loss of lift on the wing during departure, en route, and approach, crosswind landings, wind shear scenarios, engine inoperative landings, low visibility landings, crash landings and evacuation. This is not training; this is a pass or fail check.

Pilot

Aeroclass Blog

MAY 21, 2024

Therefore, it is vital for the pilots, air traffic control , and other aviation personnel to be familiar and clear with the airport layout and regulations, especially the critical and busy areas including the runways and the taxiways. Each of these runways has the same heading of 274.4

Runway

Plane and Pilot

JUNE 2, 2025

Witness statements and recorded video showed that during the takeoff roll from the 5,500-foot-long asphalt runway, the airplane accelerated slower than normal, used more runway than normal, and lifted off the runway in a nose-high attitude. It climbed about 300 feet above ground level while flying a left traffic pattern back to the runway.

Instrument Meteorological Conditions

Pilot's Life Blog

MARCH 15, 2024

They will also communicate with air traffic control about any flight safety alerts should an issue arise with the electronic flight instrument displays. Generate Lift With Airplane Wings One of the most valuable airplane parts that connect to the fuselage is the wings. Call us at (480) 605-4539 for more information.

Horizontal Stabilizer

Pilot's Life Blog

DECEMBER 20, 2024

These include aerodynamics, flight theory , navigation, meteorology, air law, and aircraft systems. Aerodynamics and Flight Theory : Youll learn the basic principles behind flight, including the four forces: lift, thrust, drag, and weight. Air Law : Knowing the rules of the sky is essential for every pilot.

Pilot

Pilot's Life Blog

JULY 10, 2024

Contrary to popular belief, airplane taxiing does not include the moments right before takeoff where the plane’s speed continues to accelerate until it lifts off the ground or touchdown as the plane slows to a halt after landing. It uses a propulsion system comprising propellers or jet engines to navigate at a certain set speed limit.

Clearance

Flight Training Central

JULY 29, 2024

They’re routinely reviewing pilot reports and asking Air Traffic Control (ATC) for reports of turbulence, and they’ll go so far as to change their route of flight or altitude fairly dramatically to find smooth air. And stability is what we’re really talking about with most turbulence.

Turbulence

Flight Training Central

FEBRUARY 23, 2024

For an instrument pilot, though, there is one key difference between a smaller, non-towered airport and a larger one with an air traffic control tower: obtaining an IFR clearance. After takeoff, talk to Air Traffic Control (ATC) to transition into the en route environment. Today there’s a better way.

Clearance

Fear of Landing

MARCH 22, 2024

Air Traffic Management Over the decades, NASA has developed a number of air traffic management simulation tools, including: Center TRACON Automation System (CTAS) – 1990s: CTAS is a suite of software tools developed by NASA that generates new information for air traffic controllers.

Wind Shear