Today, we’re featuring an excerpt from the Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-8083-25B). Most aircraft are equipped with either a 14- or a 28-volt direct current (DC) electrical system. A basic aircraft electrical system consists of the following components: Alternator/generator Battery Master/battery switch Alternator/generator switch Bus bar, fuses, and circuit breakers Voltage regulator Ammeter/loadmeter Associated […]
February 20, 2018 – 10:47 am
Aircraft are flown at high altitudes for two reasons. First, an aircraft flown at high altitude consumes less fuel for a given airspeed than it does for the same speed at a lower altitude because the aircraft is more efficient at a high altitude. Second, bad weather and turbulence may be avoided by flying in […]
January 18, 2018 – 3:30 pm
Today we’re featuring an excerpt from The Pilot’s Manual: Ground School (PM-2C). Many sophisticated engines have fuel directly metered into the induction manifold and then into the cylinders without using a carburetor. This is known as fuel injection. A venturi system is still used to create the pressure differential. This is coupled to a fuel […]
January 11, 2018 – 8:50 am
The propeller is a rotating airfoil which produces thrust by creating a positive dynamic pressure, usually on the engine side. Some exceptions include the Piaggio Avanti, shown below which uses propellers mounted in what’s often referred to as the pusher configuration. When a propeller rotates, the tips travel at a greater speed than the hub. […]
January 8, 2018 – 9:00 am
The propeller, the unit which must absorb the power output of the engine, has passed through many stages of development. Today we’ll feature an excerpt introducing the general concepts of a propeller from our recently released book Aircraft Systems for Pilots. Propeller Principles The aircraft propeller consists of two or more blades and a central […]
October 19, 2017 – 8:08 am
Today, I would like to recap Monday’s post on the aircraft engine cooling system and go over some typical questions you will likely see on your FAA Private Pilot knowledge test. First off, we learned about the effects of operating with an excessively high aircraft engine temperature and that it can lead to loss of […]
October 16, 2017 – 8:10 am
Today’s post is excerpted from Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge. The burning fuel within the cylinders produces intense heat, most of which is expelled through the exhaust system. Much of the remaining heat, however, must be removed, or at least dissipated, to prevent the engine from overheating. Otherwise, the extremely high engine temperatures can lead […]
Today, we’re featuring an excerpt from our new textbook Practical Electricity for Aviation Maintenance Technicians. As you can tell from the title, this book is geared for new AMT candidates, but it does feature a wealth of information on aircraft electrical systems useful to anyone flying or fixing airplanes. There are two basic types of […]
This week on the Learn to Fly Blog the theme has been aerodynamics, and rather than stick to Private Pilot level aeronautical information we’ve hit you with some “graduate level” knowledge. Today, I thought it would be interesting to take a look at the primary flight controls of a typical commercial airliner. Looking at the image […]
January 23, 2017 – 10:34 am
Aircraft are flown at high altitudes for two reasons. First, an aircraft flown at high altitude consumes less fuel for a given airspeed than it does for the same speed at a lower altitude because the aircraft is more efficient at a high altitude. Second, bad weather and turbulence may be avoided by flying in […]
