Descent Ground Effect Pilot 
Plane and Pilot
JULY 1, 2025
The pilot said he refueled the airplane the day before the accident and checked the fuel level during his preflight inspection the following morning. The pilot made a forced landing in the ocean just offshore of the beach, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage. Probable cause(s): A loss of power due to fuel exhaustion.
Vintage Aviation News
DECEMBER 26, 2024
On December 26, 1956, Convair’s chief test pilot Richard Lowe Johnson took in 56-451 for the F-106’s maiden flight. On December 15, 1959, Air Force test pilot Major Joseph W. At that point, the third pilot in the air, Major James Jim Lowe, called out to Foust over the radio, “Gary, youd better get back in it.”
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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.
Fear of Landing
MAY 3, 2024
The five-seater aircraft (pilot and four passengers) is pitched as an urban air taxi, with plenty of room for luggage. The prototype is designed as a piloted aircraft but the initial test flight in July 2023 was unmanned. A second pilot maintained visual contact with the aircraft. G-EVTL lifted off with all EPUs operating.
Flight Training Central
DECEMBER 4, 2023
A pilot needs to control the airplane in a manner that the wings support the weight of the airplane as long as practical to minimize stresses imposed on the landing gear by a rough surface or to prevent sinking into a soft surface. Allow the airspeed to slowly dissipate while the airplane is flown just above the surface in ground effect.
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? Crowd Source Information The next best resource for information about runway conditions is other pilots. Calculate your landing and takeoff distances using the pilot’s operating handbook (POH).
Pilot Institute
MARCH 29, 2024
Key Takeaways Slow flight trains pilots to handle the aircraft at speeds just above stalling. The aircraft’s proximity to the ground leaves you with little to no room to recover from a loss of control. That’s why it’s crucial for pilots to learn aircraft control at low speeds. Pilots use reference stalling speeds instead.
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