Pilot's Life Blog

JANUARY 5, 2025

Review current weather conditions, including wind speed, direction, and visibility, as these can significantly impact the approach. Managing the critical engine, which is the engine closest to the aircrafts wingtip, is key to reducing drag and maintaining control.

Descent

Pilot Institute

MAY 8, 2025

During certain phases of flight, you may retract the landing gear to reduce drag and improve climb performance. If the weather becomes risky, if youre having trouble with your fuel supply, or for any other reason, you might decide to land to avoid an emergency. Check the weather conditions. But how does this happen?

Air Traffic Control

Flying Magazine

JUNE 30, 2025

Ailerons are actuated by pushrods that run through the wing struts, reducing aerodynamic drag and giving the responsive ailerons a solid feel. On takeoff, the NX fuselage is already level rather than in the high-drag, nose high position. The pushrod ailerons are solid and quick, and nicely harmonized with the elevator and rudder.

Gross Weight

Plane and Pilot

JULY 1, 2025

Probable cause(s): The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from trees after takeoff, during high density altitude weather conditions. The pilot applied right rudder in an attempt to correct this, resulting in a ground loop. While attempting to control the speed to prevent stall, the airplane veered to the left of the runway.

Density Altitude

Aerotime

NOVEMBER 22, 2024

These figures are vital for the crew to be able to calculate the actual take-off speed of the airplane in the prevailing weather conditions (as we’ll see later). This data can then also be loaded into the aircraft’s flight management system for aircraft performance calculations.

Cabin Crew

Air Facts

JANUARY 13, 2025

Just open up FlightAware and see how many Cirrus are flying, all over the country in all kinds of weather. I love to fly a Citabria at 500 feet with the window open as much as any pilot, but in a high performance IFR airplane does anyone seriously want to fly without moving maps, datalink weather, and a good autopilot? No rudder trim.

Airplanes

Plane and Pilot

AUGUST 18, 2024

The weather had cleared after our arrival, offering warmer temperatures and occasional sunshine, which is rare for this part of Alaska in summer. He had to drag out his tent and spend the night waiting for the next high tide to release him from his predicament. To put it mildly, it is a very risky maneuver.

Airplanes

Plane and Pilot

AUGUST 18, 2024

The weather had cleared after our arrival, offering warmer temperatures and occasional sunshine, which is rare for this part of Alaska in summer. He had to drag out his tent and spend the night waiting for the next high tide to release him from his predicament. To put it mildly, it is a very risky maneuver.

Airplanes

Airspeed Junkie

AUGUST 2, 2024

Several incidents involving the Cessna 172 have been documented, typically attributed to pilot error, adverse weather conditions, or mechanical issues. Other modifications include flap gap seals that reduce drag and improve aerodynamic efficiency, and a nose wheel pant that encloses the lower nose strut for better aerodynamics.

Knot

Pilot Institute

MAY 4, 2024

Weather, field conditions, obstacles, and many other elements greatly affect short field operations. 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. The two techniques frequently go hand-in-hand.

Weight-Shift-Control

Pilot Institute

APRIL 5, 2024

But don’t hang up your headset just because the weather isn’t perfect. Your ailerons and rudder will be neutral once you’re in the crab position. We use the rudder to align the aircraft’s longitudinal axis with the centerline. Simultaneously, we apply ailerons opposite the rudder input.

Crosswind

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. The weather was doable, 1,500 feet overcast with the visibility at 2 miles in light, blowing snow.

Runway

Photographic Logbook

AUGUST 11, 2023

Shy of a hurricane or tornado, the Warrior can easily tolerate most weather phenomena experienced while parked outdoors in her cabin cover. No one wants the skin of their airplane to resemble a dimpled golf ball, Pollyanna commentary about drag reduction aside. Fortunately, the hail was small and the damage minor.

Descent

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

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. However, turning the wheel actuates the rudder (instead of the ailerons). A little weather en route home. 1917 Curtiss JN-4H "Jenny" (original).

Airplanes