Piloting - Page 8

Knowing how high you are is an essential part of a pilot’s job, right? But did you realize that pilots are concerned with many different types of altitude, not just how high off the ground they are? Pressure altitude is one such example. So what exactly is pressure altitude? Instead of referencing something physical, like sea

Few things strike more fear into the hearts and minds of pilots than the dreaded flat spin. But what exactly is a flat spin, what causes it, and how do you recover from it? A flat spin is a dangerous flight condition that can be impossible to recover from. Thankfully, it’s not likely to happen

There are many types of pilot license issued by the FAA. Many people are familiar with the private and commercial licenses, but you might not realize that there are several others you can get, such as the sport pilot certificate. The sport pilot license was created to provide an easy and less expensive way for

In the simplest terms, human factors are all about how the pilot’s body and mind work in an airplane. This article takes a deep dive into aeromedical and psychological factors, as well as the 12 human errors in aviation. Pilots spend time learning how the engine or wings are built and how all the electronics in

Have you ever wondered if you have what it takes to be a pilot? There’s a lot to learn and a lot of skills to master. But if you think you have these skills, you can learn everything else you need to with ease. When you think of the skills a pilot should have, you

Airports can be complicated places. They’re generally flat, with no easy to identify visual landmarks. There’s no standard layout or design–no usual way things are organized. Pilots visiting unfamiliar airports are at a considerable disadvantage, especially if the visibility is low or the weather is bad. To help them navigate safely, airport markings and signs

Landing an airplane is a complex task that is made up of many smaller flight maneuvers. Pilots have terms for each phase of the landing approach, from the legs of the airport traffic pattern to the last runway rollout. What is the Landing Flare? The landing flare, which is sometimes called the roundout, is when

Flying involves moving the aircraft in three dimensions, which makes turning it significantly more involved than turning a car. To turn a plane, the pilot uses all three primary flight controls to move the airplane around its three axes. How Do Airplanes Turn? To turn a plane, the pilot uses all three primary flight controls

One of the mystical things about airplanes is autopilot. We hear about it in movies, and we know it’s there, but what does it do and how does it do it? When you’re on an airliner, how much of the time is the pilot flying the plane? What is Autopilot? Autopilots are pretty simple devices

Airplanes have three main types of control surfaces that allow the pilot to control them as they fly through the air. The elevator allows the pilot to, as they say in the movies, “Pull up!” How Does the Elevator on a Plane Work? The elevator is a horizontal control surface, usually located on the tail