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. Thrust, produced by the engines, moves the plane forward, while drag, or air resistance, slows it down.

Aileron

Pilot Institute

FEBRUARY 20, 2025

Adverse yaw is a side effect of aileron use, countered by rudder input. The problem is that the aileron can only be deflected to a point after which the drag becomes significant. Adverse yaw is created due to the drag differential between the two sides of the aircraft. This is where the rudder comes in.

Aileron

WayMan

MAY 25, 2025

The engine is what provides the thrust needed to move the aircraft forward. Propeller: Creating Thrust The propeller is an aerodynamic device that converts rotational motion into linear thrust. The angle and speed of the blades determine how much thrust is produced. Interested in Becoming a Pilot?

Lift

Pilot Institute

NOVEMBER 2, 2024

When the aircraft is in a high-drag configuration, a stall at a low altitude can be quite dangerous. Maintain Control and Increase Airspeed It’s important that you add right rudder to neutralize the aircraft’s left-turning tendencies. Landing flaps add a lot of drag; removing this notch will help the aircraft accelerate quickly.

Descent

Pilot Institute

APRIL 12, 2025

This principle is fundamental in generating lift, thrust, and maneuverability, allowing aircraft to fly. Thrust (how it moves forward). Thrust and Propulsion Systems A wing has to move fast enough through the air to generate lift effectively. That force is called thrust. Thrust relies on Newtons Third Law as well.

Torque

Pilot's Life Blog

JANUARY 5, 2025

This configuration provides the necessary power for both climb and cruise, while also offering valuable training for managing asymmetric thrust in the event of an engine-out situation. The operative engine will create asymmetric thrust, so adjusting the aircrafts heading and maintaining coordinated flight is essential.

Descent

Northstar VFR

JULY 21, 2024

More right rudder!!” The airplane rudder is one of the most misunderstood of the primary flight controls. Yet the rudder is one of the most important and one of the most under-utilized. The rudder’s most important function is controlling the yaw of the aircraft, which moves the nose of the plane left and right.

Rudder

Pilot Institute

MARCH 29, 2024

Common mistakes include neglecting clearing turns, delaying stall recovery, and misusing the rudder. Thrust : The force generated by the engine that propels the aircraft forward. Drag : The aerodynamic force opposing the aircraft’s forward motion. This increases lift but comes at the cost of increased induced drag.

Lift

Pilot's Life Blog

MARCH 15, 2024

Below are other critical pieces of the wings that help give the plane additional lift, reduce drag, or achieve lower speeds in preparation for landing: Ailerons: A French word meaning “fin” or “little wing,” the aileron helps control the airplane’s roll. The engine creates thrust by burning fuel.

Horizontal Stabilizer

Jetwhine

JANUARY 17, 2024

You’d think pilot problems would be all about stick-and-rudder skills here,” he said. Steering happens through coordinated use of brakeless rudder pedals augmented by a handbrake, which looks like it was swiped from a 10-speed bike, attached to the control stick. Hold full right rudder and gently grab the handbrake.

Knot

Plane and Pilot

OCTOBER 9, 2024

We learn all about aerodynamics, thrust, drag, lift, and gravity, study flight manuals, emergency procedures, and FARs, take oral exams and check rides, and constantly review everything we can find about flying. But to an even greater degree than the sea, it is terribly unforgiving of any carelessness, incapacity or neglect.”

Runway

Vintage Aviation News

AUGUST 29, 2024

Lead banked and wagged his rudder, signaling us to maneuver back into a spread formation. It felt like we were dragging an 18-wheeler truck! Functioning exactly as designed, those flat-plate boards sticking into the airstream were creating beaucoup drag, battling against the J-79s’ thrust. What’s wrong, old girl?

Drag

Pilot Institute

OCTOBER 12, 2024

Stalling with a high-power setting takes more effort since there is thrust and a high-energy slipstream from the propeller, which prevents boundary layer separation. This requires rudder input to maintain directional control. While takeoff flaps improve performance, they also add unwanted drag.

Stability

Plane and Pilot

JANUARY 7, 2025

She flew like a big, lumbering Cub of sorts, complete with a wooden rudder bar, tall wooden stick, and instruments that seemed like they were straight out of World War One. Plus, the NX can actually do a few things the conventional-gear XCub cant, mainly because it can attain a high angle of attack before the tailskid drags.

Airplanes

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