Aerotime
APRIL 3, 2025
As the French mechanic slid himself along the wing of the aircraft, shifting its center of gravity, the aircraft became unbalanced. Sperrys autopilot system became particularly popular during the 1920s and 1930s as airline transport took off and people began to travel more and further afield.
Pilot Institute
MARCH 28, 2025
Weight-Shift Control Weight-shift control is a category of powered aircraft, such as an ultralight trike, with a pivoting wing and fuselage that is only controllable in pitch and roll through the change of the center of gravity (i.e., Airliner) Category D: Between 141 knots and 165 knots. no control surfaces).
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Vintage Aviation News
JULY 30, 2025
It featured the original short fuselage design, which was later extended forward of the wing to better align with the aircraft’s center of gravity requirements. The aircraft also served with Air America, the CIA’s covert airline, during Cold War operations in Southeast Asia. Army—later transferred to the U.S.
Pilot Institute
JUNE 4, 2025
The Weather Vane It mostly comes from the vertical stabilizer (fin) and the sides of the fuselage behind the center of gravity. The reflexed shape of the airfoil usually causes a positive (nose-up) pitching moment coefficient at its aerodynamic center. This also means resisting unwanted side-to-side nose movements.
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. You might be surprised to learn that tiny four-seater Cessna 172s and 140-passenger Boeing 707 airliners both use simple cables for moving the ailerons and elevators!
Pilot Institute
JUNE 2, 2025
Airliners may take a couple of minutes for a single oscillation. In 1985, Japan Airlines Flight 123s tail section blew out from explosive decompression, cutting all the aircrafts hydraulic lines. In 1989, United Airlines Flight 232 lost all hydraulics after an uncontained engine failure.
Pilot Institute
APRIL 22, 2025
The requirement applies to private, commercial, and airline transport pilots, as well as flight engineers and navigators who fly internationally. While not a ticket to an airline job right away, a CPL allows you to earn money as a skydiving, photography, or pipeline patrol pilot among other entry-level aviation jobs. What does it take?
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