Pilot Institute

NOVEMBER 16, 2024

If you’re aiming to get comfortable with managing both airspeed and altitude in flight, you’ll need to understand the difference between indicated airspeed (IAS) and true airspeed (TAS). Key Takeaways Airspeed and altitude are directly linked to each other throughout different phases of your flight. Why is that?

True Airspeed 52

True Airspeed Indicated Airspeed Altimeter Lift 52

AV Web

MAY 6, 2025

Lets take a deep dive into what it takes to get an airplane on the ground after a successful instrument approach. At that point you have to see either the red terminating row of lights in the Approach Lighting System or any one of the other nine runway environment items if you want to continue the descent. But how about 1000?

Approach 94

Approach Runway Threshold True Airspeed 94

Air Facts

MAY 5, 2025

Flying a single engine airplane, under IFR, in the clouds, in a non-radar environment and without an autopilot, adds a great deal to the pilots work load. With three airplanes, we departed Springfield for Fairfield, Iowa to compete in an NIFA competition against five other schools. This was the situation on Friday, December 1, 1972.

VOR 52

VOR Weather Approach Runway 52

Air Facts

MAY 10, 2024

A perfectly good airplane with everything operating as expected. Perhaps just prior to the start of descent could be the optimum time–certainly completed no later than commencement of approach. Recall that we must remain at or above MDA until we are in a normal position to perform a normal rate of descent to landing.

Approach 97

Approach AGL Descent Runway 97

Flight Training Central

FEBRUARY 22, 2024

There’s a reason why basic airplane attitude instrument flying comes first in any Instrument curriculum – it’s the foundation for everything else you’ll do in IFR flying. As the complete instrument pilot, you should be able to maintain heading, altitude, and airspeed at speeds ranging from cruise to approach.

Descent 52

Descent Altimeter Airplanes Indicated Airspeed 52

Photographic Logbook

JULY 11, 2024

Caught in series of up and down drafts, the autopilot pitched the Warrior aggressively to maintain altitude and the indicated airspeed trended too high in each updraft. I managed the stepdown to 2,000 feet at JAKRR (named for WFC founder Jake DeGroote) by programming the autopilot for a descent to that altitude.

Ceiling 52

Ceiling Approach Weather Runway 52

Pilot Institute

MAY 9, 2024

It’s just S-turns with climbs and descents, right? The higher speed creates extra lift, causing the airplane to bank further into the turn. The pilot’s job is to prevent the airplane from banking too quickly or too far. The amount of rudder required depends on roll rate and airspeed.

Rudder 52

Rudder Lift Aileron Drag 52