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Air pressure and density

Professional Pilot

However, they underestimated their climb from the lift off point and, with the sluggish rate of climb, the saddle ridge across the departure path suddenly became a dangerous obstacle they might not clear. Every pilot knows that aircraft fly because the forces of lift and thrust balance or exceed the weight and drag countering them.

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Accident Briefs—June 2025

Plane and Pilot

Postaccident examination of the engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunction or failure that would have precluded normal operation, however, the weather conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to the formation of serious carburetor icing at idle power. The weather conditions cleared about an hour after the accident.

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Let’s Play it Safe

Plane and Pilot

Photo: Cayla McLeod Effects We learned in the private pilot course that increasing the density altitude reduces the effectiveness of the propeller, the lift produced by the wings, and the power output of the engine. Up in the flight levels, jets fly at relatively low indicated airspeed and still cruise at 7-8 miles per minute.

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What Is Air Density? A Simple Guide for Pilots

Pilot Institute

Key Takeaways Air density affects aircraft performance, including lift, engine power, and propeller effectiveness. These include lift, propeller thrust, and engine combustion. When flying through a high-pressure weather system, the same volume of air contains more molecules. The opposite is true for low-pressure weather systems.

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Accident Briefs—June 2025

Plane and Pilot

Post-accident examination of the engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunction or failure that would have precluded normal operation, however, the weather conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to the formation of serious carburetor icing at idle power. The weather conditions cleared about an hour after the accident.

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Exploring the Intricacies of the Airspeed Indicator

Pilot's Life Blog

Aircraft contain all kinds of wonderous indicators and instruments to measure velocity, altitude, weather conditions, etc. However, the single most important aircraft instrument is probably the airspeed indicator. True airspeed (TAS) is the difference between the indicated airspeed and actual speed.

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From the archive: A Pleasant Time

Air Facts

So there I am circling in clear weather with a frown on my face. So lifting off Van Sants, in eastern Pennsylvania, and just heading west is a great relief and flying is flying again. The weather was good with scattered cumulus floating around. My true airspeed, 68% power, 6,500 feet, was 161 mph. Lots of us do.