Pilot's Life Blog

JANUARY 12, 2025

Understanding the Basics of Flight Aerodynamics 101 Flying a small plane revolves around understanding four key forces: lift, thrust, drag, and weight. Lift is generated by the wings as air flows over them, counteracting weight, which pulls the plane downward due to gravity.

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Weather Pilot Drag Rudder 52

Flight Training Central

MAY 6, 2024

This meant the airplane, if were to carry anything, had to be built from very light materials incapable of providing support for a wing long enough to generate the needed lift. The bi-wing design allows two shorter wings to be braced against one another with a series of struts and wires providing the strength and lifting surface required.

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Lift Drag Airplanes Ground Effect 97

Pilot's Life Blog

JANUARY 5, 2025

Approach speeds typically range from 80 to 90 knots depending on weight and flap settings, while full flaps are often used to provide the necessary lift during landing. Full flaps provide maximum lift and stability, allowing the aircraft to fly slower without stalling.

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Descent Final Approach Approach Runway 52

Vintage Aviation News

FEBRUARY 12, 2025

Though the German Zeppelins were inflated with hydrogen, which was a more readily available and lighter lifting gas, it was flammable when mixed with oxygen, which doomed many a Zeppelin to a fiery end. While flying high over West Texas, the sun heated and expanded the helium lifting gas, forcing the Macon to rise up.

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Lift Tail Stability Wind Shear 56

CFI Academy

MAY 12, 2025

During slow flight, the aircraft requires a higher nose-up attitude to counteract reduced lift at slower speeds. Once youve adjusted power and pitch, the aircraft wont respond instantly especially in high-drag, low-speed configurations. Why it works: Over-controlling is one of the most common mistakes in slow flight.

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Drag Stability Approach Lift 52

CFI Academy

MAY 12, 2025

During slow flight, the aircraft requires a higher nose-up attitude to counteract reduced lift at slower speeds. Once you’ve adjusted power and pitch, the aircraft won’t respond instantly — especially in high-drag, low-speed configurations. Why it works: Over-controlling is one of the most common mistakes in slow flight.

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Drag Approach Stability Lift 52

Pilot Institute

NOVEMBER 2, 2024

This can cause you to lose lift. Remember Bernoulli’s Theorem and how lift is created. The loss of lift causes the aircraft to stall and lose altitude. When the aircraft is in a high-drag configuration, a stall at a low altitude can be quite dangerous. Without a quick reaction, it can lead to a dangerous situation.

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Descent Approach AGL Lift 52

Vintage Aviation News

OCTOBER 7, 2024

The unique cylindrical design of the fuselage allowed for a streamlined profile and reduced drag, increasing the overall efficiency. Moreover, even the airfoil shape of the duct interior proved to be an effectual idea as it provided the aircraft with additional lift, a very low landing speed of 42mph, and a higher rate of climb.

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Airfoil Rudder Drag Stability 98

Northstar VFR

JULY 21, 2024

The rudder is a movable flight control which is mounted on the trailing edge of the vertical stabilizer on the back of the airplane. Some new student pilots think the rudder and vertical stabilizer are the same thing. The vertical stabilizer is a vertical fixed part of the plane’s empennage. Why is the rudder so important?

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Rudder Airplanes Pilot Stability 52

Pilot's Life Blog

MARCH 15, 2024

Generate Lift With Airplane Wings One of the most valuable airplane parts that connect to the fuselage is the wings. The wings work with other sections of an aircraft to increase lift and adjust stalling speed. Wing flaps: Located on the trailing edges of the wings, the flaps are movable surfaces that help overcome drag.

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Horizontal Stabilizer Aileron Air Traffic Control Lift 52

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?

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Aileron Weight-Shift-Control Rudder Longitudinal Axis 90

Vintage Aviation News

JULY 23, 2024

This is consistent with the theory, as a displaced torpedo would have bulged the bomb bay doors, which wind resistance could then have pealed back – leading to a rapid increase in drag preventing the aircraft from gaining altitude at sufficient speed.

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Cockpit Drag Runway Pilot 130

Pilot Institute

FEBRUARY 12, 2025

Proper AOA management affects lift generation and stall prevention. It is one of the main factors affecting lift, and airplanes need a constant source of lift to fly. As we stated a little while ago, understanding the angle of attack is fundamental to understanding aerodynamics and how lift is generated.

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Lift Turbulence Drag Pilot 52

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?

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Lift Rudder Drag Checkride 52

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!

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Pitot Tube Drag Lift Airfoil 52

Vintage Aviation News

OCTOBER 11, 2024

However, this wasn’t the only unique thing about Cierva Twin; it was outstanding in its class for the following reasons – Coaxial Rotor System – This design eliminated the need for a tail rotor, reducing mechanical complexity and increasing lift efficiency. This allowed for more stability and control, especially in hover.

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Tail Drag Ceiling Cargo 52

Fear of Landing

MARCH 22, 2024

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. Area Rule In the 1950s, NASA scientist Richard Whitcomb discovered several fundamental solutions to key aerodynamics challenges.

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Wind Shear Airfoil Drag Airline 52

Pilot Institute

MARCH 26, 2024

However, the increased drag might make it impossible to take off again. As with any landing, it’s vital to have a stabilized approach. If you’re not stabilized at 200 feet AGL, go around. This does two things: it keeps the load on the wings and increases drag. A field with tall grass will slow you down quickly on landing.

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NOTAMs Runway Approach Descent 52

Pilot's Life Blog

DECEMBER 20, 2024

Aerodynamics and Flight Theory : Youll learn the basic principles behind flight, including the four forces: lift, thrust, drag, and weight. Youll learn how the four forces of flightlift, drag, thrust, and weightinteract to keep an aircraft in the air. Lets break down what you can expect from these topics.

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Pilot Air Traffic Control Weather Flight Plan 52

Pilot Institute

MAY 4, 2024

This gives you a safe buffer on the stall speed and plenty of time to stabilize. 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. Reducing lift puts more weight on the wheels. Consult your POH.

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Weight-Shift-Control Runway Density Altitude Descent 52

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.

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Lift Torque Thrust Aileron 52

Pilot Institute

JUNE 12, 2025

Key Takeaways Variable-sweep wings adjust in flight to balance lift and speed. Straight Wings and Swept Wings At low speeds, like when you’re taking off or landing, you can extend the wings straight out to produce more lift. This is because straight wings have a higher aspect ratio, which also increases the coefficient of lift.

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Weight-Shift-Control Drag Lift Payload 52

Vintage Aviation News

OCTOBER 28, 2024

2 with larger Wings for better lift and stability, a strengthened undercarriage for better support while carrying heavier payloads, updated avionics, which handled increasing demand for electronic combat and navigation and electronic countermeasures which improved survivability against radar and missile systems.

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Payload Thrust Stability Lift 98

Pilot Institute

NOVEMBER 11, 2024

How an aircraft handles Dutch roll depends on its dynamic stability. The aircraft’s design influences its dynamic stability. The outer wing generates more lift than the inner wing since it’s temporarily moving faster. Extra lift makes the wing rise. Increased lift on the raised wing immediately creates more induced drag.

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Stability Center of Gravity Aileron Rudder 52

Pilot Institute

OCTOBER 12, 2024

This creates boundary layer separation, resulting in a loss of lift. The turbulent air hits the horizontal stabilizer, which causes a vibration that can be felt throughout the aircraft. While takeoff flaps improve performance, they also add unwanted drag. As the aircraft stabilizes at level attitude, reduce flaps to 10 degrees.

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Stability Horizontal Stabilizer Airplanes Lift 52

Pilot Institute

JUNE 26, 2024

Top Reasons for Go-Arounds Unstabilized Approach An aircraft must have a stabilized approach before landing. An approach is stabilized when: The aircraft is on the correct flight path, i.e., on runway centerline and glideslope. If the crew had gone around, they could’ve returned for a safer, stabilized approach and landing.

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Wind Shear Runway Aeronautical Decision-Making Approach 52

Airspeed Junkie

AUGUST 6, 2024

1 Ability to accelerate vertically, overcoming its weight and drag with ease Climbing to 30,000 feet in just 60 seconds This is the power of the F-15. This incredible feat was made possible by the aircraft’s Pratt & Whitney F100 engines and advanced flight control system, which compensated for the loss of lift and maintained stability.

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Jet Thrust Pilot Cockpit 52

Flying Magazine

MAY 6, 2025

It retained the classic, high-lift Clark Y airfoil, but the span of its four-position semi-Fowler flap span was extended. There are handles on the lower aft fuselage for maneuvering the airplane on the ground, but more importantly, there are also handles where they are really needed, on the front of the horizontal stabilizer.

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Gross Weight Horizontal Stabilizer Airplanes Rudder 78

Pilot Institute

FEBRUARY 15, 2025

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. Without enough altitude or time to react, the aircraft can lose lift and crash before you can recover. Dont lower the nose!

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Wind Shear Weather Descent Approach 66

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.

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Airplanes Rudder Knot Aileron 79