1. Private Pilot Ground School
Loren French
CFII/MEI/ATP
Alpine Flight Training
AlpineFlightTraining.com

2. Aircraft Control Surfaces

3. Flaps
Flaps increase lift and create drag allowing a greater rate of decent without increasing airspeed.
Flaps are located on the trailing edge of the wing.

4. Aileron
Ailerons bank the aircraft along the longitudinal axis by inducing greater lift.
Connected to the yoke via cables and pulley's.
Located on the outboard trailing edge of the wing

5. Rudder
Rudder controls the direction of the aircraft about the yaw axis.
Connected to the Rudder pedals via cable and pulleys.
Rudder is located on the trailing edge of the vertical stabilizer.

6. Elevator
The Elevator controls the pitch attitude of the aircraft about the lateral axis
Connected to the Yoke via cable and pulleys.
Located on the trailing edge of the horizontal stabilizer
Usually adjusted with Elevator Trim Tabs.

7. Four Forces of Flight Lift-Upward Thrust-Forward Weight-Downward
Drag-Backward
All forces are equal in straight and level flight.

8. Stalls
A stall occurs when the Critical Angle of Attack has been exceeded.
The Critical Angle of Attack is when the air can no longer flow over the top of the wing and lift diminished.

9. Spins A spin occurs when one wing is less stalled than the other.
A plane must be stalled in order to spin

10. Ground Effect
Airplanes experience Ground Effect approximately one wing length from the surface.
Ground effect increases lift without corresponding drag increase
Ground effect causes the aircraft to float longer during landing
Ground effect can also cause an aircraft to become airborne before proper takeoff airspeed has been acquired.

11. Turns in an Airplane
Banking the aircraft creates a Horizontal Component of Lift.
The Rudder and Aileron are used to maintain coordinated turn and eliminate adverse yaw.

12. Aircraft Stability
Inherently stable aircraft will return to to straight and level flight.
Center of Gravity affects longitudinal stability of the aircraft.
Rearward CG=less stable/more maneuverable, difficult to recover from a stall, shorter take off roll, more efficient.
Forward CG= more stable/less maneuverable, harder to flare for landing, longer takeoff roll, less efficient.

13. Aircraft Stability CG is always forward of the Center of Lift
Horizontal stabilizer creates a downward lifting action.

14. LEFT TURNING TENDENCIES

15. Torque
Newton's third law- For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
Greatest at- Low Airspeeds, High Power settings, High Angles of Attack [takeoff]

16. P-Factor Yawing tendency due to asymmetrical propeller loading.
At high angles of attack the descending blade has more “bite”, providing more thrust.
Creates a adverse yaw to the left that must be corrected with right rudder input

17. Propeller Slipstream
Effect of the airflow created by the spinning propeller striking the tail of the aircraft.
Causes aircraft to Yaw Left

18. Gyroscopic Precession
Reaction of a gyroscope in motion.
Force is felt 90 degrees ahead of the direction of rotation.
Creates a left yawing tendency, especially noticeable in tail wheel aircraft

19. LOAD FACTOR
Additional weight carried by the wings due to centrifugal force.
Load Factor can increase stall speed.
As Bank angle increases load factor increases