Aerodynamics Thrust, drag, lift, and weight are forces that act upon all aircraft in flight. Understanding how these forces work and knowing how to control…

Aeromedical Factors Although we function best when we are on the ground, we have a remarkable ability to adapt to our surroundings. In-flight, our bodies…

Aircraft Performance Performance is a term used to describe the ability of an aircraft to accomplish certain things that make it useful for certain purposes.…

Aircraft Systems Today, the Cessna 172 stands as the most popular airplane ever, with around 43,000 produced, according to Cessna’s numbers, including variants. Cessna became…

Procedures & Airport Operations Air Traffic is increasing, airports expanding, and more complex runways and taxiways layouts are being designed to improve safety. A pilot must…

Airspace Airspace is the portion of the atmosphere controlled by a country above its territory, including its territorial waters or, more generally, any specific three-dimensional…

Aviation Weather Services While weather forecasts are not 100 percent accurate, meteorologists, through careful scientific study and computer modeling, have the ability to predict weather…

Flight Instruments To safely fly any aircraft, a pilot must understand how to interpret and operate all the flight instruments. Also, he needs to be…

Mastering ATC Communications All pilots must ensure a strong emphasis on ATC communications; here is where a safe flight begins. Understanding the aviation terminology is…

VFR Cross-country Flight Planning This chapter provides an introduction to cross-country flying under visual flight rules (VFR). It contains practical information for planning and executing…

VOR Navigation Have you ever wondered how airplanes navigate when there are not any outside visual references to use? Well, one of the navigational aids…

Weather Theory Weather is an essential topic in general aviation flight and a contributing cause of many accidents. While there is no way for us…