Pilot Institute

APRIL 22, 2025

Pilots can have multiple licenses. Each license gives a pilot different privileges. Pilots usually start by getting their Private Pilot license and then work towards a commercial pilot license if they are interested in being a pilot as a career. But its a necessary step to obtain higher pilot certification.

Pilot 86

Pilot Weight-Shift-Control Lift Airplanes 86

Pilot Institute

JUNE 4, 2025

How does it turn or climb without the usual control surfaces? Despite their lack of horizontal control surfaces, tailless aircraft are designed to be stable. With this type of aircraft, the functions of longitudinal stability and control are incorporated into the main wing. Ever wondered how it stays balanced?

Tail 52

Tail Airplanes Weight-Shift-Control Drag 52

Flying Magazine

MAY 1, 2024

The ability to bank is essential to controlled flight. Otto Lilienthal did it by shifting his weight, but for the much larger Wright Flyer the solution was to make one wing produce more lift than the other by twisting them in opposite directions. But it cannot have been quite so obvious then.

Aileron 111

Aileron Airfoil Weight-Shift-Control Airplanes 111

Pilot Institute

JUNE 12, 2025

The design adds weight, complexity, and maintenance needs. These systems control the wings, but engineers also take structural integrity and aerodynamic balance into consideration. These movements are controlled by hydraulic or electric actuators, which are managed by onboard computers or you, the pilot.

Weight-Shift-Control 52

Weight-Shift-Control Drag Lift Payload 52