Precipitation or “Precip” is water falling from the atmosphere. It’s important to know the different types of precipitation because they can affect flight operations. The amount or intensity of precipitation can be defined as: Light Moderate Heavy Let’s take a look at the three types of precipitation: Rain Rain occurs when the atmosphere …
It seems to be more common to read in the news about an unruly passenger misbehaving on a commercial flight. An unruly passenger may pose a threat to the safety and security of a flight by becoming violent towards other passengers and flight crew. What causes air rage? Most cases of air rage are …
Almost every pilot has come close to hitting a bird in flight at least once in their career. While most bird strikes do not severely damage the airplane, the threat is still possible. In this video I discuss: What a bird strike is What factors increase the chance of a bird strike Ways to prevent bird …
There are four basic forces that act on an airplane to change its airspeed or altitude. Thrust Thrust is produced by the powerplant and propels the aircraft forward. An aircraft accelerates (speeds up) when its thrust is greater than the drag. Drag Drag is the force that opposes thrust and may be caused by …
Whether you are communicating with air traffic control or announcing your position on a Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF), it is important to know the standard legs of a traffic pattern. There may be times where you will have to announce your position over the radio or follow air traffic control instructions. Here’s …
There are many parts of an airplane that all work together to be able to fly. Here are a few basic parts that make up an airplane: Fuselage The fuselage is the main part of the aircraft that holds the crew, passengers and cargo. The fuselage can be broken down into different sections: …