Each aircraft comes with documentation and a set of manuals with which a pilot must be familiar in order to fly that aircraft. Flight manual is a paper book or electronic information set containing vital procedural and performance related information for a particular aircraft or aircraft Type. Manuals must be kept up to date, inaccurate […]
In order to safely fly any aircraft, a pilot must understand how to interpret and operate the flight instruments. The pilot also needs to be able to recognize associated errors and malfunctions of these instruments. This section addresses the pitot-static system and associated instruments, the vacuum system and related instruments, gyroscopic instruments, and the magnetic
All aircraft have the requirement for essential interconnected and integrated systems, the performance of which is critical to safe operations. Most aircraft have a standardized set of systems and these systems are dependent on some power source. There are variety of support systems which for comfort, regulatory, or human physiological reasons etc. This section covers
As the principal application of aerodynamics is the design of aircraft, air is the gas with which the science is most concerned. Although aerodynamics is primarily concerned with flight, its principles are also used in designing other structures. Thrust, drag, lift, and weight are forces that act upon all aircraft in flight. Understanding how these
There are certain laws of nature or physics that apply to any object that is lifted from the Earth and moved through the air. To analyze and predict airplane performance under various operating conditions, it is important that pilots gain as much knowledge as possible concerning the laws and principles that apply to flight. If,
An aircraft is a device that is used, or intended to be used, for flight according to the current Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 1, Definitions and Abbreviations. Categories of aircraft for certification of airmen include airplane, rotorcraft, glider, lighter-than-air, powered-lift, powered parachute, and weight-shift control aircraft. Title 14
Aeronautical decision-making (ADM) is decision-making in a unique environment—aviation. It is a systematic approach to the mental process used by pilots to consistently determine the best course of action in response to a given set of circumstances. It is what a pilot intends to do based on the latest information he or she has. The
The accident rate for helicopters has traditionally been higher than the accident rate of fixed-wing aircraft, probably due to the helicopter’s unique capabilities to fly and land in more diverse situations than fixed-wing aircraft and pilot attempts to fly the helicopter beyond the limits of his or her abilities or beyond the capabilities of the
Pilots rely more on vision than on any other sense to orient themselves in flight. The following visual factors contribute to flying performance: good depth perception for safe landings, good visual acuity to identify terrain features and obstacles in the flightpath, and good color vision. Although vision is the most accurate and reliable sense, visual
Today, helicopters are quite reliable. However, emergencies do occur, whether a result of mechanical failure or pilot error, and should be anticipated. Regardless of the cause, the recovery needs to be quick and precise. By having a thorough knowledge of the helicopter and its systems, a pilot is able to handle the situation more readily.
