Great Western Air

Experimental Aircraft

Aircraft Weight and Balance

1. Introduction to Physics 

                Physics is the study of the entire natural, or physical, world and can be subdivided into two categories:

1. Classical physics.
2. Modern physics.

                It employs the scientific method of analysis, which itself is the application of a logical process of reasoning.  This process entails five integral steps:

1. Observation.
2. Hypothesis.
3. Experimentation.
4. Theory or law.
5. Prediction.

“Prediction” implies that, once an accurate model of nature has been established, that its theory results in a law of physics.

From the physics perspective, the entire world is describable in terms of four fundamental parameters:

1. Length.
2. Mass.
3. Time.
4. Change.

Physics is not necessarily the obscure subject you study at a university in order to complete your degree requirements, but instead something with which you interact countless times per day because you live in the physical world, although you have probably never thought about it like this before. 

Every time you sit down somewhere, for instance, you stay there, instead of floating up to the ceiling, because of gravity.  Gravity is part of physics.  If you sling an item across a table or surface, it will not slide indefinitely, but will ultimately be arrested and stop because of the presence of friction on that surface.  This is also physics.  Why is it more dangerous to drive on ice than on pavement?  Ice is obviously more slippery than pavement and hence provides less “grip” with the surface.  According to physics, every surface or substance has a frictional value and the frictional value of ice is far lower than that of pavement or concrete.  The fact that your car equally does not float above this pavement when you drive it indicates that both gravity and friction are present.

Listening to someone speak sounds mundane, but the very fact that there is “sound” at all indicates that sound waves are being carried from the speaker to the listener.  This, again, is physics.

Physics, in fact, is all around you.  You interact with its concepts and principles every second of everyday and cannot escape this fact, yet still exist in and negotiate the physical world.  You, too, are, in essence, “physics,” since you are part of this world.

Weight and balance, therefore, inescapably entails physics. 

2. Language of Physics 

Like many disciplines, physics has its own language.  If you ask someone to say “aircraft” in Spanish, for example, he would probably respond, “El avion.”  If you equally ask someone to translate the same word into German, he would likely answer, “Das Flugzeug.”  If, on the other hand, you ask someone how he would say “work” in physics, he would respond, “W=fd.”  This is not an odd language, but a mathematical formula, because mathematics is the language of physics.

Work = Force x Displacement

W = Fd

According to the formula, every time you pick up something from, say, a desk, and place it somewhere else, you have exerted a force on the object and produce the physics principle of “work.”  Work is the scalar product of force multiplied by distance (displacement) whose unit of measurement is the “joule.”

If, however, you exert tremendous effort to lift a 150-pound object above your head and sweet profusely to do so, but return it to the exact spot from which you had taken it, by the physics formula, you have performed no “work,” since the object’s displacement is zero (0), although this may defy ordinary logic.

Physics laws are precise.  Any result must be mathematically proven.  Opinion is valueless in this discipline. 

3. The Physics Principle Behind Weight and Balance 

Weight and balance also involves physics and its formulas.  Consider a seesaw with a 100-pound box placed on its right side, and answer these two questions.

1. Which way will the seesaw go?
2. Why?

The answer to the first question is obvious.  The seesaw will rotate to the right, toward the side on which the box has been placed.  The answer to the second is not so obvious.  If you say it is because of the “weight” on the right end of it, you would only be partially correct.  “Weight” in physics is “mass” and there are two other elements exerting their effects on this movement.

 A closer look at this diagram indicates that there are three elements involved, all of which, when combined, result in a physics law and an associated formula.  The first of these, as already indicated, is the weight of the box on the right side of the seesaw, but here it cannot be considered “weight,” but instead a “force,” which causes the seesaw to rotate downward on the right side.  The first element is therefore “force.”

F = Force

                The second element is the distance that force is applied from the seesaw’s fulcrum or pivot point.  We shall designate this distance by the small letter “r.”

r = Distance

                Finally, this force and distance combination rotates, one way or the other, at the fulcrum and that fulcrum creates an angle.  The angle, generically designated “sine theta,” constitutes the third interactive element.

Angle = sine theta

                All these elements comprise what is known as the torque formula. 

Torque = distance x force x sin theta

T = r F sine theta

                Torque, derived from the Latin verb “torquere,” means “to twist.”  Several additional definitions entail the following.

1. The vector is at 90 degrees to the plane of both the force and the displacement.
2. Torque results in a perpendicular motion along the axis of rotation to the line along which the force acts.
3. Torque is the component of force perpendicular to the line joining the center of a circle and the point where the force is applied multiplied by the distance from the center of a circle to the point where the force is applied.
4. Torque is the measurement of the amount of “twisting” one can obtain from a given force.
5. Contrasted with work, torque is a force multiplied by a perpendicular distance whereas work is a force multiplied by a parallel distance.

One of the three integral torque formula elements…namely, that of the angle…can be omitted.  The angle, in this case, is 90 degrees, and the sine of 90 degrees equals one (1).  Feed that into your calculator and verify its results.

sine theta = sine 90

sine 90 = 1

Since any number multiplied by one (1) always equals itself, its inclusion serves no purpose.  For example:

100 (1) = 100

Therefore, its inclusion results in no numerical change or effect, and the torque formula can be simplified to the following:

T = rF1 = rF

T = rF

                Although the formula can be reduced to two elements, torque is still the product of them, which is why the answer of “weight” alone in the initial question had been incorrect and incomplete.  The elements are multiplied together.

                The physics unit of “force” is neither pounds nor kilograms, but Newtons, abbreviated “N,” and the distance this force is applied from the fulcrum is expressed in meters (m).  Their product is the “Newton-meter” or “mN.”

F = Newtons (N)

r = meters (m)

Newtons x meters = Newton-meters (mN)

                The concept of torque is something you actually use many times per day, but have not been aware of it.  Every time you exert a force to open a door, for example, you use the physics principle of torque and the vector product of the force you apply on the doorknob and how far that doorknob is located from the door hinge results in torque.  Although you may never have been aware that its distance had been helping you open the door, it actually reduced the amount of effort you had exerted to do so, and this fact can be illustrated with a few simple examples.  Suppose you applied 10 Newtons of force to a door whose handle were located 1.22 meters from the hinge (which is the door’s point of axis).  By substituting these figures into the formula, you could calculate the amount of torque you generated, as follows:

T = rF

T = 1.22(10) = 12.2 mN

T = 12.2 mN

Suppose the door handle were relocated to a position only halfway to the hinge.  Would you generate the same amount of torque?  Let us see.

1.22/2 = .61

T = rF

.61(10) = 6.1 mN

T = 6.1 mN

You have obviously generated only half the amount of torque.

6.1/12.2 = ½

Could you generate the same amount of torque with this now relocated door handle?  If you have halved the distance of the lever arm, you would obviously have to double the force to produce the same amount of torque—which means that you would have to work twice as hard to generate the same results.

2(10) = 20

T = rF

.61(20) = 12.2 mN

T = 12.2 mN

If you relocated the door handle to the hinge line, how much torque would you generate?

T= rF

T = 0(10) = 0 mN

T = 0 mN

You would not, in fact, have generated any torque because torque is the product of the distance and the force, and since the distance here is zero, zero multiplied by any number equals zero.  You could not have opened this door!  Try it!

Torque does not depend upon vertical orientation…only on axis of rotation.  An example of this horizontal, torque-generating arrangement is the previously considered seesaw in which the fulcrum is the “hinge” and the weights of two children are the “forces.”  Force, which is derived by multiplying the mass of an object with the acceleration of the object, is the mathematical expression of Sir Isaac Newton’s Second Law of Motion which states that a force not only causes an acceleration of a body, but that that acceleration is directly proportional to the force and in the direction of the force.  Since there are two sides to a seesaw, there can potentially be two generated torques…torque 1 or “T1” on the left side and torque 2 or “T2” on the right side.  If the two torques, T1 and T2, are equal, the seesaw will be in balance, but only calculation can determine this, as follows:

Torque 1 = distance 1 x force 1

T1 = r1F1

Torque 2 = distance 2 x force 2

T2 = r2F2

If two 21-Newton children sat on either side of a seesaw 1.5 meters from its center, its balance could be mathematically determined by inserting the proper numbers into the formula, as indicated below. 

T1 = r1F1

1.5(21) = 31.5 mN

T2 = r2F2

1.5(21) = 31.5 mN

31.5 = 31.5

T1 = T2 

This seesaw is, indeed, in balance.  Children quickly learn that, when one weighs more than the other, one will have to sit closer to the fulcrum in order to effectuate a condition of rotational equilibrium or the seesaw will provide only one direction of rotation…until the ground intercepts its travel.  Which child here would have to sit closer to the fulcrum…the heavier or the lighter one?

If a child weighing 30 Newtons sat 1.83 meters from the fulcrum, how far would an 18-Newton child have to sit in order to balance the seesaw?  You calculate the distance.

Consider, further, a seesaw on which one 95-Newton object has been placed on either of its ends.  Would it be in balance?

                Because physics is a precise science and results can only be proven mathematically, the balance of this seesaw cannot be determined or calculated, despite appearances to the contrary, since only the forces have been given and not their distances from the fulcrum.  Opinions are, again, valueless in physics.

If you understand the physics principle of torque, then you can answer the following questions:

1. Why does a torque wrench have a long handle?
2. If you turned a bicycle over and wished to spin one of its wheels, where on the spoke would you place your fingers to do so with as little effort as possible…near the hub or near the rim?
3. Why are you not able to lift up the side of your car with your bare hands when you need to change a tire, but you are able to do so with the aid of a jack? 

4. From Seesaws to Airplanes 

How does torque relate to aviation?  Let us now move from doors to airplanes.  We shall take our door and make two fundamental changes to it.

1. We shall rotate the door from the vertical to the horizontal.
2. We shall relocate the hinges from the side to the center.

The way the door can be equated to the seesaw, so too can the seesaw be analogous to an aircraft.

In order to understand how the torque formula elements can be applied to the weight and balance of an aircraft, each can be progressively transposed from a representative seesaw to an aircraft itself.  The elements, as you will recall, had included the following:

1. F = Force.
2. r = Distance.
3. Angle = Sine Theta.

The first of these, the distance, can be equated to an aircraft’s lower-deck holds, its main deck passenger cabin zones, and its fuel tanks.  The way the two sides of the seesaw had provided the distance from the fulcrum, all these locations provide the same purpose on an airplane.

                While the children, or anything else, had provided the forces exerted on the seesaw’s sides, payload comprises this element on an aircraft.  Payload, which implies something an airline carries to “pay” the way, includes the passengers on the main deck, the baggage, cargo, and mail on the lower deck, and the fuel distributed in the various fuel tanks.

Finally, the angle at which an aircraft rotates, or the demarcation line between the forward, negative, and aft, positive, torque, is the center of gravity.  Center of gravity is defined as that point at which an object, if suspended by a single cord, would balance.  Although the angle, sine theta, had been omitted in the torque formula’s calculation, it nevertheless remains in reality, since torque involves a vector, not a scalar, product.

Consider, now, an aircraft with a nose-heavy loading condition.  How could this situation be remedied?  The solution lay in the torque formula, with changing either its distance or its force parameters.

1. Add load in the aft hold.
2. Move the load further aft.
3. Transfer load, from forward to aft.
4. Remove load from the forward hold.
5. Move the forward load in the forward hold further aft in the same hold.

Although it is not possible to affect only one element of the torque formula without affecting the other, since they are intertwined by multiplication, these remedies had attempted to target one side of the torque elements, force or distance, more than the other.  They have been repeated below, indicating which of the two they had predominantly targeted and why.

1. Add load in the aft hold - F (force), which did not previously exist.
2. Move the load further aft - r (distance), force was neither added nor removed, only placed at a different distance from the center of gravity.
3. Transfer load, from forward to aft. - r (distance), force was neither added nor removed, only placed at a different distance from the center of gravity.
4. Remove load from the forward hold – F (force), because payload was removed, not redistributed.
5. Therefore, the distance in the torque formula had been reduced.

The lower deck of an Airbus A-330-200 aircraft, for example, is divided into two distinct areas, the forward hold and the aft hold, and these comprise the physical space.  However, they are further subdivided into compartments 1 and 2 in the forward hold and compartments 3, 4, and 5 in the aft hold for weight and balance purposes in order to assign a single distance, or “r,” in the torque formula from them to the center of gravity, regardless of where their contents, such as cargo or baggage, are located in that compartment.  The total weight of load in that compartment is also considered a single force, or “,F” in the torque formula.

The main, or passenger, deck of an A-330 serves the same purpose: it is subdivided into four zones for weight and balance purposes.  All passengers in a particular zone are considered to be one distance, or “r,” from the center of gravity in the torque formula, while their collective weight is considered one force, or “F,” in the torque formula.

Resultantly, there are five torque calculations taken into consideration on the lower deck and four on the main deck on an A-330, each with its own force and distance parameters.

The torques ahead of the center of gravity are given negative (-) signs and therefore produce counterclockwise rotations, while the torques behind the center of gravity are given positive (+) signs and produce clockwise rotations.  If the sum of the negative torques equals the sum of the positive torques, the airplane is in a state of rotational equilibrium…which can be considered “optimum trim.”  If not, the aircraft will either be nose-heavy, resulting in a forward trim, or tail-heavy, resulting in an aft trim.  Because the net angular acceleration always acts in the direction of the larger torque, that torque will be the determining factor of the airplane’s balance…the same way the distances and weights of the two children determined whether the seesaw remained in balance.

Although an equality between the forward, negative torques and the aft, positive ones results in the idealized, perfect balance on both seesaws and aircraft, the latter seldom take off with such a condition, departing instead with either a forward or aft trim.  If the aircraft is not perfectly in balance, as hitherto striven for, how can it safely take off and travel to its destination?

The answer is in understanding its three axes of flight: longitudinal, lateral, and vertical.

Unlike the many experimenters who had preceded the Wright Brothers, it had been the Wright Brothers themselves who had succeeded in conquering controlled, powered, heavier-than-air flight because they had applied a systematic approach to solving its aerodynamic problems.  They had focused on three principle areas:

1. Lift
2. Propulsion
3. Balance and control

It had been the latter which ultimately provided the inflight corrective force of either a nose- or tail-heavy aircraft with a less-than-optimum trim.

The horizontal stabilizers counterbalance a nose-heavy (negative torque) or tail-heavy (positive torque) condition in flight and the degree of its travel is determined by the aircraft manufacturer.  These parameters are indicated by the respective aircraft’s balance envelope.  Provided that an aircraft’s trim is within these limits, it can be safely dispatched for flight.  If it is out-of-trim, the horizontal stabilizers cannot counteract this tendency and it cannot be dispatched for flight.  The rule of thumb here is that, if an aircraft is out-of-trim on the ground, it will be out-of-trim in the air.

Many other calculations are made with the aid of the balance table.  The front side of it, for instance, yields index corrections for:

1. Load in lower-deck compartments.
2. Passengers in main-deck cabins.
3. Fuel in both the main tanks and the trim tank.

Each of these index corrections is the result of the already-incorporated torque formula.  All weight placed in any weight & balance station is considered one “F” and any station is considered one “r” in the torque formula: T=rF.  Index corrections correspond to a range of weights, not a single one.  The 6321-6682 kilograms for compartment 4 on an A-330-200, for example, yields an index correction of +18.  The balance table incorporates the already calculated torque by multiplying the force and the distance and dividing the result by a constant to equal a reduction factor index unit.

5. Torque--and Its Role in Fuel Burn Reduction               

Although an aircraft experiences rotations about all three axes in flight and these complicated calculations extend far beyond this discussion, the torque concept can further illustrate how a properly loaded airplane can result in a reduction in fuel burn and therefore lower trip-mile costs.  The further aft the loaded center of gravity is, the further aft the “door hinge” is…which, in this case, is the CG and the distance is the line between it and the horizontal tail.  As you know, torque is the product of the distance and the force and the shorter that distance, the smaller is the resultant torque which must be counteracted.  The tail actually serves the purpose of “correcting” both the less-than-optimum trim and the unstable air which induces its rotation.  Unlike an unbalanced seesaw, an aircraft cannot rely on the ground to intercept the angular rotation of its heavier end and therefore employs the horizontal tail surfaces to counteract this tendency…hence the term, “horizontal stabilizers”.  If your aircraft utilizes the earth for this purpose, you know your flight is “out-of-trim”…which, in physics, can be translated as “severe rotational disequilibrium.” 

Although this may sound complex, we are still dealing, in the simplest form, with “T = rF.”  While torque may aid the opening of a door on the ground, it works against an aircraft’s economy in flight.  When an airplane cruises in a greater state of “rotational equilibrium,” it is less prone to respond to air current-induced torque and this, in turn, results in a reduction in fuel burn.

Can you believe that your infant-learned ability to open a door could lead to something so profound as aircraft weight and balance?

About the Author

A graduate of Long Island University-C.W. Post Campus with a summa-cum-laude BA Degree in Comparative Languages and Journalism, I have subsequently earned the Continuing Community Education Teaching Certificate from the Nassau Association for Continuing Community Education (NACCE) at Molloy College, the Travel Career Development Certificate from the Institute of Certified Travel Agents (ICTA) at LIU, and the AAS Degree in Aerospace Technology at the State University of New York – College of Technology at Farmingdale. Having amassed almost three decades in the airline industry, I managed the New York-JFK and Washington-Dulles stations at Austrian Airlines, created the North American Station Training Program, served as an Aviation Advisor to Farmingdale State University of New York, and devised and taught the Airline Management Certificate Program at the Long Island Educational Opportunity Center. A freelance author, I have written some 70 books of the short story, novel, nonfiction, essay, poetry, article, log, curriculum, training manual, and textbook genre in English, German, and Spanish, having principally focused on aviation and travel, and I have been published in book, magazine, newsletter, and electronic Web site form. I am a writer for Cole Palen’s Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome in New York. I have made some 350 lifetime trips by air, sea, rail, and road.

Homebuilt-Experimental aircraft question?

Which is the most popular homebuilt aircraft currently in production?

What is the most popular engine being used in homebuilt aircraft?

"chewbydoo" if I was in the UK it would be aeroplane (LOL).

In the UK, the Vans RV series is very popular at the moment. As for engines, the standard Lycomings and Continentals are still popular but the Jabiru and Rotax types are coming more to the fore over the traditional Volkswagen conversions.

Edit: I guess you are UK based since you refer to Aircraft and not "Airplanes"

Experimental Aircraft

Airlines Pilot

Amelia Earhart - the world's most famous woman aviator - received her first flight training in Long Beach, California strapped into a Kinner Airster prop plane back in 1920. It cost $10. A lot has changed since then but one thing hasn't - the life of a woman aviator is still a challenge. Discrimination still persists and the obstacles are formidable. Only 6% of all pilots are women and only 3.5% of these are commercial pilots. This figure is expected to increase significantly, however, in the upcoming years with returning female veterans from the armed services and with the barriers of discrimination against women in aviation coming down.

Captain Karen Kahn

Captain Karen Kahn is one of the nation's first female commercial airline pilots and she is still on the job. She has been actively involved in the aviation industry for 40 years. Prior to starting her airline career in 1977, she was a flight instructor and operated her own weekend ground school teaching private, commercial and instrument courses. "Pursuing a career as a pilot, particularly a commercial pilot, is a painfully complex business," Kahn said.

Kahn has addressed both sex and age discrimination in commercial aviation. "The average age for hiring an airline pilot is 35," Ms. Kahn noted. "With age (and sex) discrimination looming as a legal deterrent, airlines no longer list limits for new hires, preferring to consider pilot qualifications on their own merits." She wrote and published a terrific book entitled: "Flight Guide for Success: Tips & Tactics for the Aspiring Airline Pilot." The book answers the tough pilot career questions without sugar coating the answers.

From getting started and finding the first flying job, to marketing oneself and preparing for the interviews, this book lays it on the line. Kahn's no-nonsense book illustrates the underlying point that honesty and integrity matter not only in an airline career, but also in life.

Flight Training Schools for Women

All major flight training schools and colleges are co-educational and offer

co-educational facilities and conveniences. One popular co-educational flight training school is Aviator College in Ft. Pierce, Florida. Several of the faculties are female and they have first hand experience about the difficulties a female flight student can face.

Organizations for Women Aviators

WAI (Women In Aviation) is the biggest organization for women aviators and their website (www.wai.org) is full of valuable information, including scholarships, assistance with flight training schools, and many other helpful tips.

The International Organization of Women Pilots aka the "Ninety-Nines" is another good organization for women pilots and aspiring pilots. It was established in 1929 by 99 women pilots to provide mutual support and advancement of aviation. Today, the organization promotes world fellowship through flight, provides networking and scholarship opportunities for women and aviation education in the community and preserves the unique history of women in aviation. Please visit their website.

As it was back in Amelia Earhart's time, the difficulties for a woman aviator continue today. The focused and determined female flight student - however - will overcome these obstacles. She will excel and join the ranks of a very special few.

Dan Chambers
Vesta Digital
http://www.vestadigital.com

can a southwest airlines pilot live in new york?

i want to fly for southwest airlines but i want to live in new york... i know that pilots are assigned bases, where can i find out where different bases are? thanks so much

Yes and no. Southwest does not have a domicile at any of the NYC area airports (JFK, EWR, or LGA). A domicile is where a flight crewmember starts and ends all their trips. Every pilot and flight attendant will be assigned to a domicile, and all of their trips will start and end there. But, many pilots and flight attendants commute, which means that they live in a different city than their domicile. As I said, there is no Southwest domicile around NYC. Infact, they do not fly to any of the NYC airports at all, but they do fly to Islip, out on long island. They fly there non-stop from Baltimore, as well as a few other places. Southwest does have a large domicile in Baltimore. So, you would easily be able to commute from Islip to Baltimore for free. But, you would need to be based in BWI, and it may take a while to be based there (Oakland is actually the most junior domicile at Southwest, which means you would probably go there first and then transfer to BWI later). Many airlines also have jumpseat agreements, which mean that you can travel for free on other airlines. Pilots can travel for free on almost all domestic flights. But flight attendants are often limited as to what airlines they can fly on for free. So, you may or may not be able to commute from a NYC area airport to BWI. Commuting is really hard. I did it for a year and hated it. I would strongly suggest either moving to a domicile, or looking at airlines based in NYC if you want to stay there. Delta, America, US Airways, Continental, JetBlue, and a bunch of regional airlines all have domiciles at one of the three NYC area airports (JFK, EWR, or LGA). So if you want to stay in NYC, I would suggest one of them. But if you have your heart set on Southwest, you should be prepared to move if you find it too hard to commute.

How My Father Became An Airline Pilot

Pilot Airplane

How to Perfect Your Airplane Landings With Slow Dutch Rolls

Landing is the most challenging maneuver most pilots will ever perform. It is no surprise that landing is the most dangerous few moments of any trip. I stumbled on an exercise that shortened the time that I needed to teach landings and dramatically improved my students' landing skills far more than I ever thought possible. It has become known as the 'Slow Dutch Roll.'

A Dutch roll is a rhythmic maneuver that most instructors agree is about as useful as patting your head while rubbing your tummy. In contrast, the Slow Dutch Roll proved to be a very powerful tool.

When executing an ordinary Dutch roll, you keep the nose of the airplane pointed at a speck on the horizon while rapidly wagging your wings with your ailerons and holding the nose steady with your rudder pedals.

When you move the stick to the left, the nose wants to swing to the right forcing you to step on the left rudder pedal, but not quite as much as you would in a turn. Then, as the bank increases, you have to step on the other pedal to keep the nose steady. And so the exercise continues. But to what purpose?

My colleagues and I don't like this exercise for two reasons. First, aileron - rudder coordination should be focused on keeping the ball in the center. To put it differently, a good pilot could put a cup of coffee on the instrument panel and go through a series of turns in both directions without sloshing the coffee. He or she would have to coordinate the ailerons and rudder properly to succeed. During a Dutch roll, the coffee would be all over the cockpit. Our second objection is that, in addition to teaching bad habits, there is basically no region of normal flight where the pilot would execute a traditional Dutch roll. We view an ordinary Dutch roll as somewhere between worthless and counterproductive.

In contrast, the Slow Dutch Roll (SDR) teaches you skills needed in almost every takeoff and landing as well as some other very useful skills.

I don't hold a patent or copyright on the SDR. It wouldn't surprise me if some other flight instructor discovered it before I did. But it makes better pilots. I would like as many pilots and instructors as possible to know about it and use it.

SDR, much like the traditional Dutch roll, requires you to aim the nose at a point and keep it there while changing the angle of bank. By executing it very slowly, it teaches you, among other things, precisely controlled crosswind landings and takeoffs.

To get the maximum benefit from SDR, you should practice it at constant altitude and various airspeeds including slow flight with wheels down and flaps extended. Then do the same thing while gliding rather than at constant altitude, eventually practicing SDR at speeds just above a stall with the airplane configured for landing. Depending on your skill, you might start SDR practice by simply trying to keep the airplane's heading constant as you change the angle of bank slowly.

I recommend not only changing the angle of bank slowly, but holding bank constant for as long as 30 seconds or more. You might be surprised at what happens during these periods of constant bank. With a wing down but the airplane not turning, the wing's lift will start to move the airplane in the direction of the bank. As it accelerates to the side, the relative wind direction changes. This wind shift requires you to change the position of both rudder and aileron controls to keep constant bank and heading.

This continuous change in control position while maintaining a constant attitude is the added bonus of SDR. It teaches that essential skill that all good pilots have. To be a good pilot, you must be able to fly the airplane by putting it in the right attitude regardless of where the controls are. If you must move the controls continuously to maintain the proper attitude, you will neither know nor care; you simply focus on maintaining the proper attitude. With SDR, you can practice this skill at a safe, low-stress altitude rather than during landings.

Having mastered SDR, you have mastered 90% of the skill required to make safe, precise landings. In a light plane in particular, you must keep the airplane pointed at the far end of the runway while keeping the wind from blowing you off the runway. By mastering SDR, you have mastered the controlled sideslip required in the vast majority of landings. By mastering SDR you have also mastered the art of attitude flying. You have learned to put the airplane in the attitude that you want and hold it there regardless of wind shifts and diminishing airspeed - an absolutely essential skill in safe, smooth and precise landings.

About the Author

Douglas Daniel is a long time pilot and flight instructor. To discover hundreds more useful tips and hundreds of pages of free, authoritative downloads, visit http://www.FlyingSecretsRevealed.com/flying_questions/

How to become Airplane Pilot in Quebec or Canada?

I live in Montreal and its my last year at high school. I've been looking everywhere for "Pilotage d'aeronefs" and there's only one!!! cegep available. I'm just waiting for help here from pilots of Canada or most specifically from Quebec. Thanks in advance and really need your help because soon college request time.

Thanks...
Can you help me and tell me how to become pilot of Boeing for example

Quebec is in Canada already.

What do you mean by pilot of Boeing? Do you mean test pilot?

If you want to learn how to fly an airplane, you will have to earn your pilot's license first. You can't just take a few cegep courses and be accepted by Boeing to fly their jets. You might want to try researching Boeing on Google first to see what their requirements are. I'll bet they want something like 1500 or more hours, an ATPL* and instrument ratings and numerous time on type hours.

*Airline Transport Pilot License

If you look through this link, https://jobs.boeing.com/JobSeeker/JobSearch, you can check out what the requirements for a pilot's job are. I think you will find that you will need a university degree in something like engineering and anywhere from 5 to 15 years experience before you can fly for Boeing.

However, if what you are looking to do is fly commercially for an airline, please think twice. With airlines going bankrupt (think AlItalia, Zoom Airlines and Frontier Airlines, Aloha, ATA and Skybus, to name a few) the future of airline pilot flying is in serious doubt. The pilots that have lost jobs there are already vying for what few airline jobs there are in whatever airlines are left.

In short, working as a pilot is a challenge if you want to make some kind of living. I used to be a flight instructor and earned a grand total of $3600.00 in one year. Yes, that's "three thousand six hundred dollars" in one year of 12 hour days, 6 days per week.

If you really want to fly, you might want to consider contacting the Canadian Armed Forces.

Flight association in Futtsu at new year Pilot:Arrow(600N),Ru(Airplane),MORI(700N)

Aviation Aircraft

Piloting a recreational aircraft sounds like a lot of fun to many people, and it is. However, you can't just go out and fly a recreational aircraft. Instead, you will need to have some pilot training first and receive your recreational pilot certification. If you enjoy flying then all of these requirements will be enjoyable for you. Plus, you will truly be prepared when you take flight on your own. The following information will help you obtain your recreational pilot certification and give you a better understanding about what is involved.

First of all, keep in mind that pilot training for recreational aircrafts is not the same as a private pilot's license. A recreational pilot certification allows the pilot to fly, but he may not fly beyond a fifty mile radius from the original airport. Another regulation that recreational aircraft pilots should keep in mind is that flying at night is not allowed. Flying in an area where communication with air traffic control is necessary is also against regulations.

A recreational pilot's license also means that you can't fly over 10,000 feet. In emergency situations this would be voided, but for general flying 10,000 feet is the maximum. Also, recreational flyers may only fly in good weather. You may only take one passenger along with you and your plane may only have a single engine with less than 180 horsepower and no more than four seats. Although there are a lot of regulations for a recreational pilot's license there are also some significant benefits to having a recreational aircraft license.

One of them is that you are only required to take 30 hours of training whereas a private pilot's license requires 40 hours. The benefit of this is that it saves you a lot of time and money. Plus, if you change your mind and want to upgrade to a private pilot's license one day you may do so simply by taking the 10 hours of training that is necessary for a private pilot's license. This includes communication with air traffic control as well as instrument flying.

Some additional regulations apply to achieving the recreational pilot certification. This includes being at least 16 years of age and having a level three medical clearance, at the very least. Fluency and literacy in English is also a requirement.

Once you begin your pilot training you will need a few things like a headset. A Telex headset or a Peltor headset are good options for you. Flying can be very loud and you want to protect your hearing while enjoying the flight, so using a Telex headset or a Peltor headset will protect your hearing and allow you to truly enjoy your recreational flight.

Natalie Aranda writes about recreation. Piloting a recreational aircraft sounds like a lot of fun to many people, and it is. However, you canÂ’t just go out and fly a recreational aircraft. Instead, you will need to have some pilot training first and receive your recreational pilot certification. Once you begin your pilot training you will need a few things like a headset. A Telex headset or a Peltor headset are good options for you. Flying can be very loud and you want to protect your hearing while enjoying the flight, so using a Telex headset or a Peltor headset will protect your hearing and allow you to truly enjoy your recreational flight.

aircraft systems degree or aviation management degree?

im currently an ohio state univ student, and I aspire to be a pilot, I was wondering whether in order to become a good candidate for a career with commercial airlines, is it beneficial to earn a degree in pilot program(major @ osu is aircraft systems) or management program(major @ osu is aviation management), to be clear, I dont know which major I should undertake to improve my chances of being a better candidate for the comm. airlines, or other plan is just get any degree and go to a good academy flight school, and just go from there?

Go to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University!! However, to become a commercial pilot I would take aircraft systems. I am guessing that it has classes like performance and aerodynamics... etc. The management degree isn’t the best route for flying because while in school you can get hours (most important part) and ratings. I would say minor in bus. as a fall back in case you lose your med for some reason. Good Luck!

Hummel Aviation UltraCruiser ultralight aircraft

Flying Wing

Soon the Boeing Corporation will have a new UAV design called the Phantom Ray, and boy is it cool. It using so many merged aerospace and aerodynamic designs and ties them all into one. It is one of the coolest unmanned futuristic new future aircraft concepts we've ever seen. The efficiency in wing design will allow it to be extremely fuel efficient, nearly invisible to radar, and have the maneuverability of a smart munitions missile on steroids. It will also be very strong and able to take 18G's, which no human pilot could do and survive.

Now then, I propose to use this UAV aircraft as a unit which can swarm the enemy. I propose that it fly in extremely tight formations with hundreds of these units. How close you ask? Attached! That's right stacked, and side-by-side in a diamond or triangle configuration. Flown into the enemy battlespace and then released from the group to swarm the target. Because of its excellent geometric shape, power to weight ratios, this seems like a no-brainer.

A few of the units to the attached formation can take the aircraft to the pre-target zone, meaning the others will have lots of fuel left to dog-fight, engage targets randomly, or assigned, then fly all the way back. The aircraft, which are used to fly the attached formation to the target will be depleted of fuel and can become terminator drones or smart munitions themselves flying into the target like a smart bomb or missile, thus, the overall success rate is pre-known.

This can be done at a fraction of the cost of engaging the enemy with conventional Fifth Generation fighter or attack aircraft with pilots, and the UAV Phantom Ray will have individual survivability rates unheard of, literally being able to engage SAMs or surface to air missiles and shoot them down. The modern battlespace and future of air-superiority is entering a new age. In this new age, I can expect us to remain the leader of the free world, thanks to the Phantom Ray by the Boeing Company.

The concept of swarming the enemy in battle is nothing new, it's been a constant strategy throughout the history of evolution here on Earth. It has been discussed by Colonel Boyd, Sun Tzu, and referred to by Karl von Clausewitz. Swarming with unmanned aerial vehicles or Combat UAVs only makes sense by taking this winning tactic to the next level, which is exactly what my proposal is seeking. It's about winning using our most advanced technology. Please consider all this.

Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank. Lance Winslow believes in winning and using advance aviation strategies to get there; http://www.AircraftWashGuys.com

Note: All of Lance Winslow's articles are written by him, not by Automated Software, any Computer Program, or Artificially Intelligent Software. None of his articles are outsourced, PLR Content or written by ghost writers.

Won't Boeing's Flying Wing be incredibly claustrophobic with so few windows?

A friend started his pilot training in the RAF as a pilot, but very quickly had to give up because of air sickness. He changed course to become an air electronics expert and found he was no longer sick. He was not only flying in a seat without a window, but backwards as well. He went on to retirement age without problem.

I prefer window seats as the view out from any other seats is so lousy; I don't get claustrophobic, but I can get bored - hence onscreen entertainment, books/newspapers and ipod are essentials.

Restored 1940s Northrop Flying Wing