AV Web

OCTOBER 3, 2024

I smiled and started to brag about being part of the Tetris generation, but then I realized she probably said that to every pilot who flew supplies in. A long line of general aviation birds waited their turn to unload. Standing on the ramp at Rutherford County Airport in rural North Carolina, I was far from alone.

Airplanes 98

Airplanes Drag Cargo Payload 98

Plane and Pilot

AUGUST 27, 2024

The current record of safe landings is strong in the airlines, but the same can’t be said for us down here in general aviation land. It reminds us that just as low, dragged-in approaches are bad, a steeper-than-normal approach has equal potential to cause unsafe touchdowns and landings.

Stability 89

Stability Approach Runway Pilot 89

Fear of Landing

MARCH 22, 2024

Glass cockpits are in use on commercial, military, and general aviation aircraft, and on NASA’s space shuttle fleet. One of the most revolutionary was the “area rule,” a concept that helped aircraft designers avoid the disruption in airflow and resulting drag caused by the attachment of the wings to the fuselage.

Wind Shear 52

Wind Shear Airfoil Drag Airlines 52

Pilot Institute

SEPTEMBER 18, 2024

It’s as close to “evasive action” as you can get while flying a general aviation aircraft. The downward deflected aileron produces more lift, and more lift produces more induced drag. This added drag will cause the aircraft to yaw towards the direction of the raised wing.

Lift 52

Lift Aileron Drag Pilot 52

Pilot Institute

FEBRUARY 20, 2025

In recent times, composite materials have been introduced for flight controls even in small general aviation aircraft. Fly-by-wire is expensive, so you wont find it on most small general aviation aircraft. The problem is that the aileron can only be deflected to a point after which the drag becomes significant.

Aileron 90

Aileron Weight-Shift-Control Rudder Longitudinal Axis 90

Airspeed Junkie

AUGUST 2, 2024

However, the General Aviation Revitalization Act of 1994 paved the way for its return, and production resumed in 1996. This legislation helped rejuvenate the general aviation market, and the Cessna 172 once again became a staple in flight schools and private ownership.

Knot 98

Knot Cockpit Pilot Gross Weight 98

Learn to Fly

JULY 11, 2024

Did you know that loss of control (LOC) is the number one root cause of fatalities in both general aviation (GA) and commercial aviation? An airplane’s energy state uses the balance between airspeed, altitude, drag, and thrust to represent how efficiently the airfoil is operating. What can pilots do to prevent this?

Airfoil 40

Airfoil Center of Gravity Density Altitude Drag 40

Fullthrottle Aviation

FEBRUARY 19, 2022

That being said, many small general aviation airplanes do not have a specific emergency descent procedure detailed in the POH/AFM. This provides increased drag and, therefore, the loss of altitude as quickly as possible. So the question becomes, how do we perform the maneuver without direct guidance from the manufacturer?

Descent 52

Descent Aeronautical Decision-Making Airplanes Turbulence 52

Pilot Institute

FEBRUARY 12, 2025

Managing the angle of attack matters because it directly influences lift generation and drag in all phases of flight. Factors That Affect Angle of Attack Let’s take a look at the factors that influence the AOA during flight: Wing Size and Shape As a general rule, the larger the wing, the more lift it produces.

Lift 52

Lift Turbulence Drag Pilot 52

AeroSavvy

OCTOBER 26, 2020

Airspeed indicators need air from a pitot tube and static air from a static port Small general aviation aircraft have airspeed indicators with air hoses connected directly to the pitot and static sources. When an aircraft exceeds M MO , a shock wave forms over the wing causing increased drag, buffeting, and possible loss of control.

Pitot Tube 52

Pitot Tube Indicated Airspeed Knot Altimeter 52

Photographic Logbook

JULY 7, 2024

When we made the decision to flee Boston early all of those years ago, we reasoned that it was a short flight and access to downtown from an outlying general aviation airport was relatively simple via Uber. Kristy and I ended our first visit in 2016 prematurely due to ominous movement on a weather map.

Approach 52

Approach Clearance Runway General Aviation 52

Pilot Institute

APRIL 12, 2025

High camber generally promotes more airflow deflection, thanks to something called Bernoullis Principle. This is why the typical airfoil shape has a curved top and a flat bottom, especially in slower-speed general aviation aircraft. Spoilers are panels on the top of wings that pilots can raise to spoil lift and increase drag.

Lift 52

Lift Torque Thrust Aileron 52

AV Web

MARCH 18, 2025

Weve been actively tracking the work and customer offerings of Mike Buschs Savvy Aviation ( www.savvyaviation.com ) as it, in our opinion, has endeavored to drag general aviation maintenance into the 21st Century. Full disclosure: About 10 years ago, as part owners of a Cessna T210 we were a Savvy customer.)

Threshold 57

Threshold Drag Airplanes General Aviation 57

Plane and Pilot

MAY 28, 2025

The floats drag factor definitely stood out in those few moments. Although the Cub was slightly more difficult to keep entirely coordinated while formation flying, the floats didnt make that much of a difference, as long as I didnt allow myself to get into a position where I suddenly needed to catch up.

Rudder 94

Rudder Airplanes Pilot Gross Weight 94

Vintage Aviation News

APRIL 26, 2024

He was heavily involved in general aviation, so the aviation bug is genetic for me. .” [Photo via Brad Donner] “My late mother was a stewardess, back when you could call them that, for Capital Airlines until she married my father. We include this photo in memory of Doris at the request of the Donner family.

Airplanes 105

Airplanes Aileron Tail Hangar 105

Pilot Institute

NOVEMBER 11, 2024

Increased lift on the raised wing immediately creates more induced drag. What’s induced drag? Induced drag is the resistance that happens as a result of creating lift, caused by swirling air around the wings that slows the airplane down. The higher drag on the raised wing reduces its speed relative to the lower wing.

Stability 52

Stability Center of Gravity Aileron Rudder 52

Jetwhine

APRIL 29, 2024

You don’t want to be like the Ercoupe pilot who rolled off the end of a 5,000-foot midwestern runway when 90 hp wasn’t enough to drag his little bird into the thin 99° air at a field elevation of about 700 feet MSL. The really puzzling part is why he didn’t abort his takeoff attempt after rolling halfway down the runway.

Density Altitude 52

Density Altitude Weather Runway Drag 52

Pilot Institute

JUNE 26, 2024

Yet, statistics show that go-arounds are among the riskiest maneuvers in general aviation. When going around, the pilot should immediately remove full flaps to reduce drag and increase performance. After all, stopping landing while you’re already flying shouldn’t be too complicated.

Wind Shear 52

Wind Shear Runway Aeronautical Decision-Making Approach 52

Photographic Logbook

AUGUST 11, 2023

No one wants the skin of their airplane to resemble a dimpled golf ball, Pollyanna commentary about drag reduction aside. Finally, I called Hawthorne Aviation at the Cobb County Airport in Kennesaw, GA, a towered general aviation airport on the northwest quadrant of metropolitan Atlanta. Nothing was available.

Descent 52

Descent Approach Airplanes Runway 52

Plane and Pilot

OCTOBER 3, 2024

Maintenance room is generally very good. 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.

Airplanes 79

Airplanes Rudder Knot Aileron 79

Plane and Pilot

DECEMBER 16, 2024

General aviation is driven by myriad forces. You do have to remember that its a slick airplane with a fixed-pitch prop, so you dont have much more drag to play with besides flaps. You’ll note a change in drag with final flaps accompanied by a mild pitch change. Then theres the sales and marketing footprint.

Rudder 98

Rudder Airplanes Aileron Crosswind 98

Photographic Logbook

SEPTEMBER 22, 2024

Though renowned for its maneuverability, the Triplane struggled to pull away from the Camel, fighting against the fundamental drag of its triple tiered wings. The year was 2024, but those aerial knights piloted steeds whose original designs first emerged from draftsmen's tables over a century earlier. He was joined by two friends.

Airplanes 59

Airplanes Runway Pilot Aileron 59