Private Plilot License

Now that you have a basic understanding of aerodynamics you might be interested in becoming a pilot. The first steps to become a Pilot is to receive your Private Pilot License (PPL). To complete a PPL you will have to be 17 years old and complete a minimum of 40 hours of instructed flight training by a certified flight instructor. You will also have to complete a written exam required by the FAA along with an oral and practical test. The practical test will demonstrate your ability to perform the all operations of becoming a pilot safely. Once you have your PPL you are allow to fly small single engine aircraft under visual flight rules. Once you have completed you initial training and received your PPL you will move on and complete your multi engine and instrument training. At this time you will have roughly eighty five hours of flight time under your belt. Visit the FAA website for more information and serch information on how to become a private pilot.

Flight Controls

The main flight controls on an aircraft are flaps, ailerons, elevators, and rudder. Figure 2 shows these components along with others on a modern-day passenger airplane. The flaps are used to produce lift on takeoff and landing. It is important to control lift and drag on takeoff and landing in order to avoid a failed take off and/or a hard landing. The flaps also control the speed of the aircraft during landing allowing the pilot to place just the correct amount of lift and drag which in turn permits the aircraft to reduce speed on final approach. (NASA, 2008)
A second component, the ailerons are used to bank the aircraft in flight, turning the aircraft to the correct heading. Turning the yoke to the left makes the left aileron go to the up position and the right aileron to the down position. By changing the camber of the wing increasing lift and high pressure air under the right wing and reducing the amount under the left wing the aircraft turns left. (NASA, 2008)
Elevators are used to control the pitch of the aircraft allowing a pilot to select the correct altitude for their particular aircraft. Pulling back on the yoke triggers the elevator to move to the up position. When in this position, high-pressure air pushes down on the rear of the aircraft rotating around the center of lift as a result, the aircraft is able to climb or gain altitude. (NASA, 2008)
Also at the rear of the plane, the rudder is located on the vertical stab and is controlled by two pedals located in the floor of the aircraft. During flight, rudders control side-to-side movement of the aircraft. If the pilot applies pressure to the left rudder peddle by pushing it forward, the rudder will move to the left and the high-pressure air will move the aircraft to the left. The rudders function just like the ailerons with the only difference being that the ailerons are mounted horizontal and the rudder is mounted vertical. (NASA, 2008)
Finally, trim tabs, although smaller in size than the other components, have the important task of making minor adjustments in flight to aid in keeping the aircraft flying straight and level. The trim tabs are located on the aft section of the aileron, elevator and rudder flight control surfaces. Just like flight controls, trim tabs change the angle of attack to make the appropriate adjustments to fly straight and level. Buttons on the control wheel or pedestal activate the trim tabs electrically. To aid in a better understanding of the flight control surfaces, refer to figure 2 for location and further explanation. (NASA, 2008)

The Four Forces of Aerodynamics

The four main characteristics of aerodynamics in flight are weight, lift, drag and thrust. Figure 1 shows these four forces as well as their relationship to each other through the depiction of the modern-day passenger plane. Weight is the aircraft’s gross weight to include passengers and baggage. This force has to be counteracted by lift to keep the heavier than air aircraft aloft. Lift is the opposite of weight using the lift under the wing to raise and support the aircraft during flight. (NASA, 2008) When considering the correlation between lift and weight, Newton’s third law of motion, which states that for action there is an equal or opposite reaction, is taken into account. When the air moves over the wing or airfoil, the air is deflected down, resulting in the wing moving upward, thus producing lift. (NASA, 2009) Bernoulli principals or lift state that as increased air velocity moves across an airfoil this creates decreased pressures on the top of the wing and increased pressure bellow the wing producing lift. (U.S. Centernnial of Flight Commission, 2009)
In order to make the aircraft fly, lift and thrust are necessary to sustain flight. As the aircraft is aloft, drag is introduced as the aircraft is met with resistance created by the air making contact with the aircraft during flight. Drag is created by the force of a solid object moving through a fluid. There are other types of drag that affect the aircraft during flight and they are wave drag, ram drag. Wave drag is introduced when the aircraft approaches the speed of sound and creates a wave along the surfaces. Ram drag is the effect of reducing the speed of the air as it enters the aircraft engine. (NASA, 2008)