The Basics of Flight #1

    

                                                                            The Basics Of Flight #1

                                                                               
                                                                                  Author: Nirek Deepak

                                                   

                    Have you ever wondered how pilots fly a plane? Flying a plane is no easy job.It requires skill,training and work. Today, I am going to show you the systems of an aircraft and how pilots fly a plane.

                                              Flight Systems

     The airplane has a few things that are required to fly. Most commercial airliners nowadays have large rolls royce engines On fighter jets,they have boosters that give thrust for the aircraft to takeoff. The smallest planes can have one or no engines (like the glider).The largest plane (Antonov AN 225)  has 6 engines to help the giant plane lift off the ground. The largest passenger plane (Airbus A380) has 4 engines to lift off.

    Next, a plane needs wings to fly. The tips of the wings are specially designed to use the thrust of the plane and lift to takeoff. The wings of a plane can be as wide as 2 football fields! On the bottom of the wings, There are the flaps. During takeoff, the flaps help generate more lift. During descent and approach, flaps helps in lowering airspeed and helps generate lift in case of a go-around. After takeoff, pilots disengage the flaps at FL20(Flight level 2000 ft). There are also Slats on the front of the wings. Slats allow the air to move freely around the surface of the wing. Near the flaps, there are the spoilers. Pilots can use the spoilers while decent to slow down to a safer airspeed. When the wheels touch the runway, The spoilers and reverse thrust engage automatically to slow the plane down. The reverse thrust is located on the back of the engine. 

Now we move on tho the elevators. The elevators are the "second" pair of wings located on the back of the plane. Elevators have two sets of systems, Pitch and trim. Pilots activate the pitch to move the nose down and trim to pull the nose up, just like how they use flaps.

On the back of the plane, there is the rudder. The rudder is what makes the plane turn.

How pilots fly a plane

                    We will be using a Boeing 737-800 to fly. As soon as you greet the co-pilot, you will gather the checklists to see what to do. One of the first things on the checklist is a logbook check. You and your co-pilot will check the logbook to check if it is clear. After briefing weight fuel weather etc, you will request permission from Air Traffic Control(ATC) to start the engines. after start, you will push back and enter the taxiway. On the taxiway, you will extend flaps to position 2. On the designated takeoff runway, you will review your localiser and extend flaps to full and trim to 25%. After you reach 300 ft, you will pull up the gear. At 2000 ft you will retract your flaps to 0. 

        While you descend, you will set the trim and brief a holding pattern.  At FL100(10,000ft) you will extend flaps to position 1. At 300 ft, you will pull down the gear and extend flaps 3. After touchdown the spoilers and reverse thrust will automatically engage and you will slow down. At 60 knots or 69 mph you will disengage reverse thrust and retract flaps. You will then taxi to the gate and turn the plane off. Your flight is over!

I hope you learned a lot about airplanes in part #1. Stay tuned for more!