Flying above the world when surrounded by blue skies is one thing. Trying to find your way when you cannot see anything is quite another. Low visibility can require a pilot to rely solely on instruments to handle the aircraft safely. Known as Instrument Flight Rules (IFR), these regulations provide pilots with the proper procedures …
Beyond the amazing aeronautical and thrust design developments we have pursued since the Wright brothers, arguably the next greatest development in aviation has been in electronic communications, including nonverbal communication such as the transponder. The privilege of talking over a radio or transponder keys and speaking directly and instantaneously with air traffic control (ATC) or …
The cockpit of even the smallest and simplest airplane can be an overwhelming place. Fortunately, the most “hands-on” elements of the cockpit—those which enable the pilot to direct the airplane’s actual movement from taxiing to landing—are usually similar from one cockpit design to another. Even if a new single-engine student pilot had never seen the …
Pilots have a lot of different types of equipment they have to learn about – especially when it comes to the instruments on their dash. Knowing what everything is and how to utilize it properly allows them to safely handle their aircraft. To prepare you for a future in aviation, there are many things you are …
Understanding the pitot static system is important for pilots and student pilots to ensure a safe flight. Here is what you should know. [lwptoc numeration=”none”] If you have ever looked at an airplane and seen quite a few tiny little tubes pointing forward, you have already seen an element of the pitot static system. Those …
The cockpit of an airplane contains instruments such as the vertical speed indicator that are essential for pilots to fly. [lwptoc title=”CONTENTS:”] Have you ever heard of an airplane’s “six pack?” These are the six essential instruments in the cockpit. They help the pilot know where the airplane is in the sky and provide important …
Some pilots say that the only thing an airplane has in common with cars is that the tires are rubber, and that’s not really too far off the mark. The Wright brothers and their predecessors and later aeronauts developed a plethora of ideas from scratch that differ radically from the simple mechanics of ground-based transportation. …