Thursday, May 10, 2007

Pitching the Nose Up and Down

Most modern airplanes have a control wheel in comparison to the old control stick.

When the pilot pushes the wheel forward, the elevators attached to the horizontal stabilizers move forward. The wind strikes the lowered elevators, which push the airplane’s tail upward and forces the nose downwards.

When you pull back on the wheel, the elevators are raised, pushing the tail down and the nose upwards.

Since the plane’s center of gravity is balanced, the motion of the tail always causes the nose to move in the opposite direction.

Trim

Trim is the adjustment of certain controls to eliminate the need for a pilot to constantly apply control pressure to hold the airplane at a desired control.

All airplanes have a forward and a rear trim that have to be applied to keep the airplane at a desired altitude.

Once the airplane is trimmed, the airplane will virtually fly itself without constant control input from the pilot.

Properly turning the airplane requires coordination. The pilot has to turn the wheel to bank the wheels through the action of the ailerons and the rudder pedals to which you apply corresponding pressure in the same direction as when you are turning the wheel.

Most turns are done with a bank angle of 30ยบ.

Sincerely,

Satish KS

Author of “The Insiders Guide to Becoming A Private Pilot”