How do planes fly?

Question

Really interested in what the pilots do when taking off ..sequence of events and instruments they use, when they are cruising and again what the sequence of events is and what instruments they use to land the plane. Thanks.

Answer 1

For Take Off:

Pilots use the throttle, speed indicator, altitude indicator, and attitude indicator. For the throttle, that is used to speed up. For the speed indicator, when the speed gets high enough, they pull the stick to them to pitch up. For the altitude indicator, they use it to know if they are climbing or not. For the attitude indicator, they use it to know how much pitch the airplane is going at.

Sequence of take off:
1.(Assuming that the flaps are already out) Put throttle to max.
2. Wait for speed to build up.
3. Pitch up.
4. Verify if climbing or not.
5. If climbing, put in wheel.
6. Put in flaps.

For cruising:
Pilots either use the autopilot or they fly manually. If pilots fly manually, they have to constantly scan their speed, attitude, altitude, heading, and the surroundings around them.

Sequence of cruising:
1. After reaching cruising height, level off.
2. Set trim (trim can relax the pressure on the stick).
3. Listen for ATC directions on heading and altitude.

For landing:
Here is the hard part. Pilots have to scan the throttle panel, how many flaps they have, speed, altitude, and heading for ILS approaches. You have to keep a constant approach speed, a good glide scope, and if a lookout air traffic is landing or taking off on a runway beside the pilot.

Sequence for landing:
1. Lower the gear.
2. Lower the throttle and begin approach for landing.
3. Drop flaps as you slow down.
4. Pitch down.
5. Arm spoilers.
6. Once over runway, set throttle to idle.
7. Flare (pitch up) when at about 10-30 feet over the runway (depends on which aircraft).
8. Once at touch down, put the brakes on.
9. Engage reverse thrusters.
10. Exit the runway.

That was a lot of typing wasn't it?

Answer 2

it is actually very simple. what happens is, the wings are in a ceratin shap that wehn they are going fast enough, the air on top of the wings creat a sticking effect(sorta like when you was your hands, and water sticks runs down the back of your arm) and lifts teh plane, the procedures are putting the flaps down and oulling up at the v2 speed. v1 is when you are at your last chancde to abort takeoff. thats basically it.

Answer 3

The two primary controls used are stick and rudder. The throttle is used to control most everything else....

Answer 4

http://travel.howstuffworks.com/pilot5.htm