WayMan

MAY 25, 2025

These include: Fuselage Wings Cockpit Engine Propeller (in some aircraft) Tail Assembly (Empennage) Landing Gear Understanding how these parts interact is essential to grasping the basics of aerodynamicsand its one of the first steps in becoming a safe and informed pilot. Its also the anchor point to which the wings and tail are attached.

Lift

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. Lift is generated by the wings, counteracting the force of weight, which pulls the plane down. Ready to experience the skies with us?

Aileron

Chess In the Air

DECEMBER 6, 2024

In thermals the V3M is even easier and more stable than the V2 (which requires more rudder to remain coordinated). A lifting aid is required to mount and remove the tail dolly which is a bit of a nuisance. While some of this may be due to continued pilot improvements, a more than 8% improvement is remarkable!

Density Altitude

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.

Torque

Plane and Pilot

JULY 22, 2025

Noting the tailwheel was indeed unlocked, I moved my foot to the top of the rudder pedals to ensure the brakes were operating as normal. For those unfamiliar with the practice of S-turning, it is a combination of using the rudder pedals to quite literally form the shape of an “S” on the ground in order to peer in front of the airplane’s nose.

Runway

Air Facts

AUGUST 1, 2025

I sat in the cockpit of the old Tecnam P92-JS Echo, tail number I-GITR. The plane was one of the earliest of its model built by Tecnam, and the tail number was an homage to former Italian finance minister Giulio Tremonti. Tail number I-GITR. The I-GITR lifted off and I was flying solo for the first time. You’re airborne.

Runway

Pilot Institute

NOVEMBER 23, 2024

PARE: Power idle, Ailerons neutral, Rudder opposite, Elevator forward. A flat spin happens when the center of gravity shifts too far aft (toward the tail), and the aircraft’s rotation becomes more horizontal. In this situation, the wings aren’t producing enough lift, and the aircraft essentially falls out of the sky while spinning.

Center of Gravity

Plane and Pilot

JULY 1, 2025

A witness reported that they saw the airplane lift off from the runway and remain in ground effect until it crossed the departure end of the runway. John Espe Cruiser Buhl, Idaho/Injuries: None NTSB Report: WPR23LA29 The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during the landing, he encountered a gusting tail wind.

Density Altitude

Air Facts

APRIL 16, 2025

But low and behold, as I was clenching onto my seat for dear life, the aircraft lifted off the ground and as I looked out the right window, I saw my cadet buddies waving at me. The Cub came to a stop in the vertical position and started to slide down tail first. Can you imagine how I felt?

Rudder

Photographic Logbook

JUNE 29, 2025

The tail number caught my ear as familiar and when the mental gears finally meshed enough to process that it spelled out "Tiger", I realized that I was hearing Bruno from Fly with Bruno who was out doing what Bruno does. A pair of partial Ercoupes with distinctive twin tails occupy the main museum floor. Delaware River.

Runway

Plane and Pilot

JULY 16, 2025

Now, none of us could see straight into that hole, and as I reached through a gap to “see” with my fingertips, a sharp tail of safety wire snagged my forearm, and I unknowingly became a blood donor. The next day, we pulled the elevators, which were pretty straightforward, and then the rudder, which wasn’t.

Firewall

Fear of Landing

JUNE 28, 2024

The Cabri G2 comprises a shrouded tail rotor, usually referred to as a “Fenestron” (a registered trade mark of Eurocopter) that was proven to provide excellent maneuverability in every flight condition, in every direction of flight up to 40 kt at least. The helicopter, still powered, briefly lifted off again.

Rudder

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

Vintage Aviation News

OCTOBER 18, 2024

Storo lifted the British fighter into the air for the first time on June 28, 2022, from Tillamook Municipal Airport near his home. What you do is you sit up high for takeoff and as you add power and the tail comes up almost immediately, very quickly. At that point, you’re simply looking down the runway, and then it lifts off.

Crosswind

Flight Training Central

JANUARY 27, 2025

It may be necessary to add a slight amount of power to keep the airspeed from decreasing excessively and to avoid losing lift too rapidly. As the airplane contacts the ground, the tail will be forced down very rapidly by the back-elevator pressure and by inertia acting downward on the tail.

Airplanes

Vintage Aviation News

JULY 19, 2024

Photo by Joel Edwards] When A&T commenced the recovery, divers placed inflatable lift bags at strategic points on the two sections to raise them to just below the surface, thus preventing damage during the twelve hours it took to tow the wreckage to the local marina. We had to do some welding on that. They were also in good shape.

Tail

Pilot's Life Blog

FEBRUARY 11, 2025

Aerodynamic Differences Fixed-Wing Aircraft (Airplanes) Airplanes , or fixed-wing aircraft, generate lift through their stationary wings as they move forward. This pressure difference produces lift, allowing the aircraft to ascend. Each rotor blade acts as an airfoil, and as it rotates, it moves air over its surface, generating lift.

Torque

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. Of all the sections of an aircraft, the tail assembly is perhaps the most important for keeping an airplane in the air safely.

Horizontal Stabilizer

Plane and Pilot

AUGUST 18, 2024

Most of the time, I would turn the floatplane setting the tails of the floats onto the shore in order to make our departure a simple matter of climbing in, starting the engine, and with a burst of throttle, sliding into the deeper water and going about our day. In short order, we loaded our gear and beat a hasty retreat back to Ketchikan.

Airplanes

Plane and Pilot

AUGUST 18, 2024

Most of the time, I would turn the floatplane setting the tails of the floats onto the shore in order to make our departure a simple matter of climbing in, starting the engine, and with a burst of throttle, sliding into the deeper water and going about our day. In short order, we loaded our gear and beat a hasty retreat back to Ketchikan.

Airplanes

Air

MARCH 10, 2025

The leading wing experiences increased lift , causing a roll in the opposite direction. The Dihedral Angle and Its Role in Aircraft Stability The dihedral angle , a crucial element in aircraft stability, is the upward or downward angle of an aircraft’s wings (or tail empennage ) relative to the fuselage’s longitudinal axis.

Longitudinal Axis

Air

MAY 21, 2025

Pilots must use specific techniques, applying rudder and aileron inputs, to maintain directional control and keep the aircraft aligned. Can cause sudden losses or gains in indicated airspeed (IAS), directly affecting lift. Headwind component (Vf), either on the face or tail, is calculated with the cosine function.

Crosswind

Vintage Aviation News

JULY 5, 2024

Local forklift hire was kindly arranged by AEM Lifting from Tuxford, Notts. The tailfin was modified with additional area forward of tail plane, with a Meteor NF Mk.12-type During a subsequent two-day time period the MBCC staff reassembled the Prone Meteor, before moving into Hangar 2 on NAM’s Southfield Site.

Cockpit

Cranky Flier

APRIL 8, 2024

Oh and that one rudder issue on the MAX? Opening a new station is not a heavy lift for United, and it is highly unlikely that this will somehow refocus the company. While I haven’t seen it confirmed, I’ve seen it suggested this could have happened from a bird strike on takeoff.

Rudder

Pilot Institute

NOVEMBER 11, 2024

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. Placing the center of gravity ahead of the aircraft’s center of lift improves longitudinal stability. What’s induced drag?

Stability

Pilot Institute

APRIL 5, 2024

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. The pilot needs to hold aileron and rudder deflection the entire time.

Crosswind

Vintage Aviation News

MARCH 18, 2025

Dean Coryell photo via Randy Malmstrom] After the lifting of the arms embargo in 1952, a Rolls-Royce Merlin 500-45 engine running a 4-blade propeller was introduced for the Buchn. The tail markings also indicate homage to the aircraft’s original Hispano markings as s/n 193.

Tail

Vintage Aviation News

OCTOBER 16, 2024

The tail turret evolved into a powered version, incorporating four Browning machine guns. Sunderland Mark II, showing ASV Mark II “stickleback” antennas in front of the tail. It carried four Browning machine guns in a powered tail turret and additional guns in manually operated positions on either side of the fuselage.

Center of Gravity

Photographic Logbook

OCTOBER 10, 2023

More refined than its 1909 Military Flyer predecessor, it was the first Wright design to feature an elevator on the tail rather than a canard, it added wheels to eliminate the need to launch from a rail, and it had a more powerful engine. A rotor on the tail controlled pitch. A replica 1910 Wright Model B aircraft.

Airplanes

Airspeed Junkie

FEBRUARY 24, 2025

The two broad wings will then create lift. However, rear fins stabilize the aircraft, and rudders allow the jet to turn. It is a single-seat aircraft. Some distinguishing features include oval air intake (O-shaped) under its wings. Under the Hood Hornets perform and operate like other jet planes.

Jet

Fear of Landing

OCTOBER 18, 2024

My feet danced on the rudder pedals as I fought to keep the plane going straight down the runway. As my speed increased I lifted the nose of the plane slightly prior to takeoff, but when I did that the nose blocked the few centerline stripes that were my only visual cues to keep going straight. “The But I had it.

Runway

Photographic Logbook

JANUARY 25, 2025

As Warrior 481 lifted us to a cruise altitude of 7,500 feet, the first hint of the sunrise came in the form of a massive fireball turned vermillion by miles of low haze between us and the horizon. More vintage cred: a V-tailed Beechcraft Bonanza! The Globe Swift taxied for departure while flashing us its distinctively toothy grin.

Runway

Chess In the Air

JUNE 24, 2022

The Rifle ASOS recorded a gust of 43 mph from the south: a 100-degree shift in direction, putting it right on his tail. There were some patches of moderate lift and sink as would be expected on a normal summer soaring day. Sometimes you fly through virga and you can even find yourself in lift.

Pilot

Flying Magazine

MAY 6, 2025

Now, release the brakes and feel yourself pressed into the seat as you discover less right rudder is needed than you expect. It retained the classic, high-lift Clark Y airfoil, but the span of its four-position semi-Fowler flap span was extended. Confirm the gauges reflect full power and feel the airplane quiver in anticipation.

Gross Weight

Plane and Pilot

OCTOBER 3, 2024

True, a slightly higher aspect ratio wing was desired, which in turn required a larger vertical tail and thus a little extra mass, but the size, approximately 20% larger than a Widgeon, was set. The airfoil is a Harry Riblett shape, giving modernized flow separation on the leading edge for a soft stall yet with good lift and drag performance.

Airplanes