Did you know that loss of control (LOC) is the number one root cause of fatalities in both general aviation (GA) and commercial aviation? More than 25% of GA fatal accidents occur during the maneuvering phase of flight. Of those fatal accidents, half involve stall/spin scenarios resulting in a crash.
…Category: Flight Instruments
View All CategoriesThe pitot-static system is responsible for the operation of three of the six primary flight instruments, otherwise known as the “six pack.” The three pitot-static instruments include the pressure altimeter, vertical speed indicator, and airspeed indicator (see Figure 1). Understanding how each of these instruments operate is critical to flight
…High to low look out below, low to high clear the sky! If you have never heard that saying before you are probably pretty confused right now. Let me help ease that confusion and explain that today we are discussing altimeter errors when flying in areas of changing atmospheric pressures.
…The magnetic compass is the most basic of all instruments you will find installed in your aircraft and is required under both Visual and Instrument Flight Rules (VFR and IFR). The function and purpose of a magnetic compass installed in an aircraft is no different then one you might use
…Today’s post on flight instruments is an excerpt from the new fourth edition of The Pilot’s Manual: Ground School (PM-2).
The magnetic compass is the primary indicator of direction in most airplanes. It is, however, difficult to read in turbulence and subject to acceleration and turning errors, making it
…Today’s post on flight instruments comes from the brand-new Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25)!
The purpose of an angle of attack (AOA) indicator is to give the pilot better situational awareness pertaining to the aerodynamic health of the airfoil. This can also be referred to as stall margin awareness. More simply explained,
…This week we’re back with more on IFR. Go back and familiarize yourself with the basics we’ve introduced in earlier introductory posts from this year. Today, we’ll look at instrument scanning techniques. This post features text and images from The Pilot’s Manual Volume 3: Instrument Flying.
In instrument
…Today we’re focusing on your airplane’s turn and slip indicator. This instrument shows the rotation around the yaw axis (via the ball) and around the roll axis (the miniature airplane or needle), and can be used to establish and maintain a standard-rate turn (3° per second, or a complete circle
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