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.
Vintage Aviation News
DECEMBER 26, 2024
But incredibly, the aircraft recovered on its own immediately after Foust ejected, likely due to the balance and configuration changes caused by the ejection and maintained a gradual rate of descent towards the snowy fields below.
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Pilot Institute
OCTOBER 2, 2024
It’s not magic—it’s ground effect. When you’re flying near the ground, within one wingspan, the aerodynamic forces start to change. Ground effect is a phenomenon that every pilot must master. Key Takeaways Ground effect increases an aircraft’s lift and decreases drag. You feel in control.
Fear of Landing
MAY 3, 2024
Once stable in ground effect, the pilot shut down EPU1 (left-side outboard) to simulate the performance in the case of an engine failure. As a result, there was no longer enough vertical thrust, although, to be fair, the prototype remained level as it descended towards the ground. A vertical descent rate of 19.5
Flight Training Central
DECEMBER 4, 2023
The major difference between the two is that a degree of power is used throughout the level-off and touchdown for the soft-field landing so as to control the descent rate all the way to touch down. This allows the airspeed to slowly dissipate while the airplane is flown just above the surface in ground effect.
Pilot Institute
MARCH 26, 2024
Hold this extra power as you enter ground effect. Low-wing aircraft perform better in ground effect because of the wing’s proximity to the ground. High-wing aircraft might need more power or pitch to arrest the descent. Overcorrecting for a high descent rate will cause the aircraft to balloon.
Pilot Institute
MARCH 29, 2024
Climbs and Descents During Slow Flight It’s counterintuitive, but pitching up will not result in a climb during slow flight. You’ll have to accelerate to V x while staying within ground effect. When you’re proficient, you’ll confidently maintain altitude a few feet off the ground while accelerating from slow flight.
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