Basic Private Pilot Ground School
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Lesson 1: Your First Flight6 Topics|1 Quiz
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Lesson 2: Maneuvers and the Traffic Pattern6 Topics|1 Quiz
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Lesson 3: Understanding the Wind and Turns6 Topics|1 Quiz
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Lesson 4: AOA, Stalls, and Other Scary Things5 Topics|1 Quiz
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Lesson 5: Ground Reference, Maneuvers, and FARs4 Topics|1 Quiz
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Lesson 6: Building Good Landings5 Topics|1 Quiz
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Lesson 7: The Less Busy Airspace: G, E, D3 Topics|1 Quiz
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Lesson 8: Class A, B, and C Airspace: The Busier Side of the Sky4 Topics|1 Quiz
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Lesson 9: Flying Blind and Performance Calculations4 Topics|1 Quiz
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Lesson 10: Soft and Short Field T.O.'s + Landings4 Topics|1 Quiz
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Lesson 11: Start Your Engines: Engines, Systems, and Instruments6 Topics|1 Quiz
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Lesson 12: Weight and Balance, Navigation Systems4 Topics|1 Quiz
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Lesson 13: Luck with Weather6 Topics|1 Quiz
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Lesson 14: Your First SOLO!2 Topics|1 Quiz
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Lesson 15: VFR Charts and Navigation5 Topics|1 Quiz
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Lesson 16: Weather Charts and Services6 Topics|1 Quiz
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Lesson 17: Aeromedical Factors, ADM, FARS5 Topics|1 Quiz
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Lesson 18: Flying at Night3 Topics|1 Quiz
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Lesson 19: Cross Country Flight Planning4 Topics|1 Quiz
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Lesson 20: Test Prep5 Topics|2 Quizzes
Load Factor
How much can the wing carry?
What we are looking at here is a graph of the load (G loading or G-forces) felt on the aircraft itself (and also felt by you, the pilot) when making LEVEL turns (level turns being holding a constant altitude and not climbing or descending, as we talk about being LEVEL in this TOPIC, what we mean is maintaining the same altitude). As you increase the bank angle of the airplane, the lift being generated by the wing is no longer just pushing straight down to keep the airplane in the air, this lift is now being directed at an angle which is ultimately what makes your airplane turn. HORIZONTAL COMPONENT OF LIFT IS WHAT MAKES AIRPLANES TURN.
We can break the total lift being generated by the wing into two separate “vectors” or forces, horizontal component, and the vertical component. The vertical component is what keeps the airplane flying level, and as a result, THE VERTICAL COMPONENT MUST REMAIN THE SAME to keep the airplane flying level regardless of turning or flying straight. Now to keep this vertical component the same when we are directing or lift off to the side by banking the airplane, we are going to have to increase our TOTAL LIFT on the wing, which in turn keeps the vertical lift vector constant, and increases the horizontal component of lift (making the airplane turn). This increase in total lift (total lift in normal straight and level flight is about 1G force) is felt by the pilot and occupants of the aircraft as increased G-forces.
Ultimatley, the more the wing tilts (banks), the more lift it must generate to keep the airplane in LEVEL flight. Obviously once the airplane banks to 90 degrees the amount of lift required becomes infinite, since the lift is only being directed sideways and no amount of lift from the wing (or pulling back on the controls by the pilot) could keep the airplane level.
If you want a few reference points, you should remember the load factor or G-forces in a 45 DEGREE BANK TURN ARE 1.4G’s AND THE LOAD FACTOR IN A 60 DEGREE BANK TURN IS 2 G-FORCES.