ELEVATOR SPEECHES

GROUND EFFECT:

As we approach our landing, we begin to enter Ground Effect about 1 Wingspan above the
ground and the effect increases as we fly lower. This is caused by the GROUND interfering with
the wingtip vortices spiraling off the wingtips of the plane, in fact shutting-off the vortices as we
get closer to the ground. Since the downwash associated with Wingtip Vortices is the source of
INDUCED DRAG, by shutting down the Vortices we are dramatically reducing INDUCED DRAG.
This means that what ever residual lift is present is no longer burdened by Induced Drag and we
call the apparent increase in performance GROUND EFFECT. (Technically the wing requires a
lower AOA in ground effect to produce the same CL because the induced drag (normally high at
low airspeeds) is reduced.
WHAT IS AN AIRSPEED INDICATOR?

An airspeed indicator is simply a DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE GAGE, that measures the difference
between RAM (Dynamic) AIR and STATIC AIR, and using gears and levers expresses the result as
knots or mph on the face of the instrument.

WHAT DO FLAPS DO?

Flaps allow the aircraft to DESCEND AT A GREATER RATE WITHOUT A CORRESPONDING

INCREASE IN AIRSPEED.

WHAT IS A MANIFOLD PRESSURE GAGE?

A manifold pressure gage only reads PRESSURE when the engine is not running, in this case it
reads ambient air pressure as it exists in the INTAKE MANIFOLD. Once the engine is started it
reads the VACCUUM that exists in the intake manifold. This vacuum is the result of the pistons
demanding air for combustion. Essentially the piston down stroke SUCKS air into the cylinder
from the manifold, causing a vacuum.

WHAT IS A SPIN?
A Spin results from a deep aggravated stall when the plane is in a yawed state which results in
the airplane following a corkscrew flight path towards the ground. The corkscrew pattern is due
to the fact that the lower wing is stalled more than the upper wing.