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Examining over 100 years of flight automation and the history of the autopilot

Aerotime

Nowadays, modern aircraft are equipped with systems that can not only fly the aircraft but can also perform fully automated take-offs and landings and can even provide protection systems in the event of unusual flight situations that threaten the safety of the airplane and its occupants.

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How to calculate airplane weight and balance: Pilot video tutorial

Flight Training Central

Take the time to compute the total weight of the airplane and center of gravity (CG) before every flight, based on the number of occupants, baggage and fuel and where each item is positioned in the airplane. The video clip belowis from Sporty’s 2025 Learn to Fly Course

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Tailless Aircraft: How Airplanes Fly Without a Tail

Pilot Institute

Have you ever seen an airplane with no tail and no vertical fin, but with just a sleek wing? A tailless aircraft is a fixed-wing airplane without a horizontal stabilizing surface. A tailless airplane is one where everything needed to fly, like lift, control, and stability, is built into the main wing.

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Chord Line in Aviation? What It Is and Why It Is Important

Pilot Institute

Airplane wings vary in shape and size, but all have standard features like the chord line. It’s an imaginary straight line from the wings trailing edge to the center of the leading edge. Center of Gravity: Used to calculate and balance the aircraft’s center of gravity. Imagine a see-saw.

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The Difference Between Category, Class, and Type of Aircraft

Pilot Institute

Key Takeaways Category is the broadest grouping based on aircraft use, like airplane, glider, or rotorcraft. Heres a quick summary: Category: The broadest classification of aircraft based on their intended use and operating environment, such as airplane, glider, or helicopter (rotorcraft). no control surfaces).

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Pilots Should Become Part of In-Crowd

Flying Magazine

A type club is a collection of owners and supporters of a specific type of airplane organized to share make- and model-specific technical information and hints for owning and flying the aircraft. Many airplanes are very weight limited with full fuel, for instance. For example, will the type support my intended use?

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Guide for Student Pilots to Understand and Calculate Weight and Balance

WayMan

Here are the basic ideas you’ll need: Empty weight : What the airplane weighs without fuel or passengers. Center of gravity (CG) : The point where the airplane balances. It’s found by multiplying weight by its position in the airplane (called the arm). Multiply each weight by its arm to get the moment.

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