Pilot Institute

JULY 11, 2025

Why do jet pilots talk about speed in terms of Mach number? Jet aircraft often fly at speeds close to the speed of sound. For most aircraft with highly cambered wings or thick profiles, airflow accelerates over the top of the wing. The result is a region of separated, turbulent flow behind the shock. Here’s why.

True Airspeed

Pilot Institute

FEBRUARY 20, 2025

These control surfaces dictate the aircraft’s roll, and this allows it to bank smoothly through turns or even recover from turbulence. The asymmetry between the top and bottom surface of the wing is called wing camber. This type of design is common in delta-winged aircraft such as fighter jets. What Is Aircraft Stability?

Aileron

Flight Training Central

JUNE 30, 2025

Looking at the curvature or camber of a typical general aviation wing, the top has more curvature and thus surface area than the bottom of the wing. In a jet airplane, the engine pushes a blast of hot gases backward; the force of equal and opposite reaction pushes against the engine and forces the airplane forward.

Airfoil