Pilot's Life Blog

JANUARY 12, 2025

Understanding the Basics of Flight Principles of Flight: Lift, Weight, Thrust, and Drag Flying a plane for the first time requires a basic understanding of the forces that make flight possible. Lift is generated by the wings, counteracting the force of weight, which pulls the plane down.

Aileron

Flying Magazine

JULY 3, 2025

ForeFlight indicated we could reach there with a 900 fpm descent rate. Full flaps are mostly about drag, not lift. A controller immediately gave us a lower altitude and asked our intentions. I told the controller we would keep going to Las Vegas. I saved the final flap position for this scenario.

Knot

Pilot Institute

FEBRUARY 20, 2025

Key Takeaways Ailerons control the aircrafts roll by adjusting lift on each wing. The aircrafts wing is able to generate lift due to its shape. The more the wings shape is able to change the direction of the flow of air over the surface, the more lift it will produce. Why does this increase the lift? How Do Ailerons Work?

Aileron

Pilot Institute

APRIL 12, 2025

Lift is the force that aircraft use to counter gravity. Newton’s Third Law is one of the key laws of physics that explains lift. Lets see what Newtons Third Law is, and why we need it to understand lift. This principle is fundamental in generating lift, thrust, and maneuverability, allowing aircraft to fly.

Torque

Pilot Institute

NOVEMBER 16, 2024

In most flight schools, the practical flight training portion will follow a set progression: Basic aircraft control : Learning to fly straight and level, make turns, and perform climbs and descents. Airport operations : Mastering takeoffs, landings, and understanding traffic patterns. Navigation : Planning and going on cross-country flights.

Pilot

Pilot Institute

FEBRUARY 15, 2025

In seconds, an aircraft can be forced into an uncontrollable descent, leaving you with barely any time to react. With nothing left to lift it, the core has nowhere else to go but down. When you fly into a microburst on approach or departure, youll first encounter a strong headwind, which will give you a brief lift.

Wind Shear

Fear of Landing

JULY 4, 2025

The pilot dragged the helicopter onto a helipad and removed the ground wheels, storing them safely before boarding the helicopter. At 01:46, the helicopter lifted off of the helipad. As a result of the pitch up, the helicopter would have rapidly lost airspeed and lift. The main rotor began to rotate. hours total flight time.

Cockpit

Pilot's Life Blog

JUNE 18, 2025

Landing gear is also retracted as the aircraft gains altitude to reduce drag and improve climb performance. Reasons include unstable approaches (excessive descent rate or incorrect airspeed), runway obstructions (vehicles, other aircraft, wildlife), sudden wind shifts or gusts, traffic conflicts, or ATC instructions.

Air Traffic Control

Plane and Pilot

JULY 1, 2025

A witness reported that they saw the airplane lift off from the runway and remain in ground effect until it crossed the departure end of the runway. The airplane made a slow descent toward the east for about nine minutes, away from the destination airport. He had no further memory of the event.

Density Altitude

Flight Training Central

MAY 7, 2024

Straight-and-level flight, turns, climbs, and descents. The horizontal component of lift. The vertical component of lift. The four forces acting on an airplane in flight are lift, weight, thrust, and drag. lift, gravity, power, and friction. lift, weight, gravity, and thrust. Centrifugal force.

Longitudinal Axis

Pilot Institute

OCTOBER 2, 2024

Your wings don’t create as much drag as they would at higher altitudes, which gives you extra lift. Key Takeaways Ground effect increases an aircraft’s lift and decreases drag. Lift increases due to the high-pressure area created by the compressed air beneath the wings. It’s not magic—it’s ground effect.

Ground Effect

Air Facts

JANUARY 6, 2025

Light icing in the descent, we had briefed the increased Vref speeds as we had many times before. As the icing rapidly accumulated, we could tell the drag was multiplying at an alarming rate. The nose was covered from tip to windscreens in the same rough textured drag inducing accumulation.

Drag

Pilot Institute

MARCH 29, 2024

Lift : The aerodynamic force generated due to airflow over the wings. Drag : The aerodynamic force opposing the aircraft’s forward motion. The aircraft’s deceleration reduces the airflow over the wings, which reduces lift. When the lift force is less than the force of gravity, the aircraft descends. Why does this happen?

Lift

Pilot Institute

NOVEMBER 1, 2024

And ice doesn’t just make things slippery, it messes with the airflow over the wings, cuts down on lift, and ramps up drag. This leads to a serious loss of lift and an increase in drag. With thicker accumulations and irregular shapes, drag can get up to two times worse! But how dangerous is it?

Pitot Tube

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 aileron on the right wing deflects down, increasing the camber and creating more lift. The left wing’s aileron deflects up, decreasing lift.

Rudder

Pilot Institute

MARCH 26, 2024

However, the increased drag might make it impossible to take off again. High-wing aircraft might need more power or pitch to arrest the descent. This does two things: it keeps the load on the wings and increases drag. The sudden loss of lift can cause the wheels to dig into the ground. Similarly, do not reduce flaps.

NOTAMs

Pilot Institute

MAY 4, 2024

Any substantial changes to speed and descent rate will destabilize the landing. Full flaps are generally used since they lower approach speed and increase drag. The drag allows for a steeper descent, which is particularly helpful when avoiding obstacles. Power controls the rate of descent, and pitch controls airspeed.

Weight-Shift-Control

Pilot Institute

JUNE 26, 2024

It helps reduce the chances of a stall and puts you in a better position to arrest the descent and start your climb out. Pitch for Climb The next immediate action is to arrest the descent. After adding full power and arresting the descent, the next step is to retract the flaps.

Wind Shear

Plane and Pilot

OCTOBER 3, 2024

Winging It Aside from the aforementioned desire for a greater aspect ratio for reduced drag, the one-piece Gweduck wing was developed for minimal weight, ease of construction and benign handling. Keeping drag corralled was emphasized as the Gweduck mission is foremost long-distance cruising. Maintenance room is generally very good.

Airplanes