Pilot Institute

JUNE 4, 2025

Have you ever seen an airplane with no tail and no vertical fin, but with just a sleek wing? They prove that with the right aerodynamic tricks, you dont need a tail to fly. A tailless aircraft may still have a fuselage and a vertical tail (fin and rudder). How does the tail do this? Ever wondered how it stays balanced?

Tail

Pilot Institute

JULY 11, 2025

For example, an airliner might indicate only 250 knots at 35,000 feet, but its true airspeed could be over 430 knots. For most aircraft with highly cambered wings or thick profiles, airflow accelerates over the top of the wing. The problem is that the tail itself might be in trouble. So you might be flying at, say, Mach 0.85

True Airspeed

Pilot Institute

FEBRUARY 20, 2025

From simple mechanical linkages in small aircraft to high-tech fly-by-wire systems in airliners, ailerons have evolved with aviation itself. The asymmetry between the top and bottom surface of the wing is called wing camber. Commercial airliners fly at speeds above 300 knots but also need to be controllable at speeds below 150 knots.

Aileron