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One of the things that makes operating a helicopter so unique is its ability to hover in midair. With just the right control inputs, a helicopter can remain nearly motionless over the same spot on the earth. But how does it do this?  The helicopter’s rotor blades must produce an amount of lift equal to […]

Helicopters are complex flying machines that take special training to operate. Unlike airplanes, which are more or less stable once they’re off the ground, helicopters require constant control inputs from the pilot. Flying a helicopter straight ahead is a bit more involved than it is with an airplane.  Once the chopper is airborne in a […]

Helicopters are marvels of modern engineering. They are some of the most graceful and maneuverable aircraft in the world—but they’re also some of the most complex and most challenging to operate. Have you ever looked up and wondered how helicopters make lift? Where airplanes make lift by using their forward speed to move air over […]

Helicopters are wonders of modern engineering. But, to look at them, it’s a wonder that they fly at all. Learning to fly, you’ll quickly find that operating them is unlike any other piece of equipment. It’s not very hard to understand how they are able to fly, but it becomes more tricky when you wonder […]

There’s a lot of talk about which military branch is best for pilots. The United States Air Force, Army, Navy or Marines? Which one do you think is the best match for your personality and skill set? Do you want to fly jets like an F-18 Hornet or be a part of a more versatile […]

What most people describe as a jet engine usually encompasses several different engine designs. In the early days, the turbojet dominated the skies and changed aviation forever. It is, after all, where the term “jet” came from. But in the years since, the technology has been tweaked and improved. The jet engine you find on […]

The National Airspace System is complex. Getting your first pilot’s license is sometimes called your “license to learn.” For all the technicalities involved in flying a plane, manipulation of the controls is the easy part. SIDs and STARs are one element in a much larger system of routes that airplanes fly. SIDs, or Standard Instrument […]

Besides making airplanes look cool, designers also want to make them fly well. To do this, they work hard to make airplanes that are stable. Many little things keep an airplane pointed in the direction you want it to go, some of which you may have never thought about or noticed. Keel effect is one […]

Maybe you want to rent a private helicopter for your own uses, or maybe you need the kind of emergency help only a chopper can give. Either way, the many types of civilian helicopters on this list are up to the task. Some models on this list were originally designed for the military, and others […]

Flying is statistically the safest way to travel. Still, nothing is safe 100% of the time, and that’s sadly true of flying – and when things go wrong aboard a plane, the results can prove deadly. The cases on this list rank among the industry’s worst tragedies. The sad fact is that for as much […]