Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 2 of 2
Full-Text Articles in Aviation
Solving An Age-Old Debate: What Really Controls Altitude And Airspeed?, Juan Merkt
Solving An Age-Old Debate: What Really Controls Altitude And Airspeed?, Juan Merkt
Juan R. Merkt
Mismanagement of altitude and/or airspeed is linked to the top three causes of fatal aviation accidents: loss of control inflight (LOCI), controlled flight into terrain (CFIT), and runway excursions during approach and landing (RE). Clearly, the ability to control altitude and airspeed is a critical skill that all pilots must learn. Yet, differing opinions of how the throttle and elevator work to control altitude and speed can lead to confusion in the cockpit. Energy management is an effective approach to learn how the controls work. Unfortunately energy principles have not found their way into primary flight training. To help bridge …
Unlocking The Mysteries Of Flight: From The Top Down, Juan Merkt
Unlocking The Mysteries Of Flight: From The Top Down, Juan Merkt
Juan R. Merkt
Traditionally, principles of flight are taught from the bottom-up. That is, we start by examining underlying causes (properties of air) and later move up to top consequences (aircraft performance). This traditional approach is analogous to that used by airplane designers and is most obvious in theory of flight textbooks for pilots. The problem with a bottom-up approach is that it introduces basic concepts as isolated “parts” without providing a “big picture” context. This can lead to poor understanding among student pilots. I suggest an opposite approach. Rather than starting with the underlying causes of flight, we can unravel basic principles …