Physics Commons^™

An ad-hoc experiment that the author constructed during a flight to measure the airplane's motion during its descent is described. The apparatus comprised a pendulum formed from a USB memory stick with a string attached, which was fixed to the airplane's window using medical tape, with a Post-it note used as a backdrop for measuring the position of the pendulum. Pictures of the pendulum were taken with a digital camera, so that the angular displacement could later be measured using a computer. From a spec sheet that lists a range of performance and flight parameters of the airplane ...