Plane and Pilot

MAY 3, 2025

Fearsome metal airplanes helped win a global conflict, yet pilots came home to variations on prewar designs of tube-and-fabric construction and modest performance. You can see other Weick influences, such as the oil-damped tricycle landing gearall produced Cherokees are trikeswith a wide track to make crosswind landings more manageable.

Approach 73

Approach Airplanes Stability Weight-Shift-Control 73

Airspeed Junkie

NOVEMBER 7, 2024

A Comprehensive Guide to Pilot Certificates and Ratings Looking to understand pilot certificates and ratings? This guide covers the types of FAA pilot certifications, what they allow you to do, and the steps to achieve them. The certifications include the Student Pilot Certificate and the Sport Pilot Certificate.

Pilot 52

Pilot Instrument Flight Rules Weather Center of Gravity 52

Pilot Institute

MARCH 26, 2024

A soft field landing is a technique pilots use when landing on unpaved surfaces. Why Do Pilots Perform Soft Field Landings? This tendency is due to their high center of gravity and heavy engine over the nose wheel. Crowd Source Information The next best resource for information about runway conditions is other pilots.

NOTAMs 52

NOTAMs Runway Approach Descent 52

Pilot Institute

FEBRUARY 20, 2025

Have you ever wondered how pilots keep control at high speeds, during stalls, or even when systems fail? The pilot is able to control the aircrafts roll by turning the control yoke or sidestick in the cockpit. The hydraulic system works similarly to a cars power steering and greatly reduces the effort needed by the pilots.

Aileron 90

Aileron Weight-Shift-Control Rudder Longitudinal Axis 90

Pilot Institute

APRIL 12, 2025

Newton’s Third Law helps pilots and engineers improve flight safety and aircraft performance. If the pilot increases the wings angle of attack too much, the airflow can separate from the wings surface, causing a stall – an abrupt loss of lift. What does Newtons Third law tell pilots about thrust?

Lift 52

Lift Torque Thrust Aileron 52

Pilot Institute

APRIL 5, 2024

Landing an airplane is not easy, even for experienced pilots. In this article, we’ll cover all you need to know to confidently master crosswind landings. Key Takeaways Manage crosswind landing challenges using the crab and sideslip techniques. Plan for crosswind conditions with step-by-step procedures.

Crosswind 52

Crosswind Longitudinal Axis Aileron Rudder 52

Pilot Institute

NOVEMBER 11, 2024

Large aircraft use yaw dampers while small aircraft rely on piloting techniques to counter Dutch roll. For example, if a statically stable aircraft gets blown off course by a gust of wind, it tries to return to its original heading without pilot input. Dutch rolls are usually not dangerous. What Is a Dutch Roll?

Stability 52

Stability Center of Gravity Aileron Rudder 52